Time will Tell for Now is the Time

The White House has released its plan to reduce gun violence in America. You can read it at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_full.pdf  It contains four areas with action points.Some of them, like a national assault weapon and high-magazine ban, require action by Congress. Some states, like New York on Tuesday 1/15/13, have already passed restrictive laws in this regard.  I hope New Jersey follows. Some points do not require laws, but do require funding, such as the hiring of police and school resource officers. Some require regulation as well, like background checks, and improving mental health resources (funding also).

On the surface, the language used in the document "Now is the Time," is broad, clear, simple and to the point.

Point One: Closing background check loopholes. Step one is requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales. A positive response will cancel the sale. This includes all sales by gun dealers and private owners as well. Did you know right now I can legally buy, on one day, as many guns as I want to? No limit. I could, and some do, turnaround and sell those guns on the street for high profits. I've also heard, but don't read here, that a gun sale should be restricted to one gun purchase per month. That one rule would greatly cut down this proliferation of guns in illegal hands. Background checks (and gun registration) seems a no-brainer to me. I have to register my car in order to drive legally. So what's the big deal here? This point also precludes gun purchases by mentally ill persons. I've written elsewhere that mentally ill folks like myself, should not be allowed to own guns.

Point two: Banning automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines, except for military (as is the case now) and police organizations. This is self-evident. How many bullets in one second does it take to kill a pheasant or a deer? And, why would shells need to be armor-piercing? I understand that some folks may believe we are even now in a police state, like 1984, and need to defend themselves from . . . what exactly? If we ever get to that stage, I will be the first to go out and try to buy a gun. I just don't see it now. And the bigger question: Will my owning a gun (and using it) prevent such a state from happening? What's the point of owning a gun if I'm not going to use it?  This is where, besides background checks, registration is also required and should be vetted. Why exactly do I need this gun?

Secondly, the ATF needs to be strengthened if we are serious about gun regulation and control.  This goes along with stricter enforcement of laws and prosecution for infractions. As is the case now, assault with a weapon is different than simple assault.  I was on a County Grand Jury for 16 weeks and heard those cases first hand. Weapons can hurt people easier, quicker, and deadlier than a beating, although neither is "preferable" to the other.

Why would anyone pass a freeze on gun violence research (or deny funding) if they aren't being manipulated to a degree by the gun lobby? Can they actually say they have the best interest of American citizens at heart by such a ban?

Lastly, doctors need to ask their diagnosed mentally ill patients about violent tendencies or feelings, including suicide, and report unstable individuals to authorities, or at least prevent gun ownership. I've already said, when I'm in a manic phase I could do anything, including harm others, because in those episodes wayward thoughts can control my actions. If I'd kill myself I might kill others. I'm talking from experience here, even though I never thought to harm others. Thankfully I'm on medications that prevent that. But what if I miss some doses?

Thirdly, Making Schools Safer. "Resource officers" and mental health professionals will certainly help, but there are wide disparities between the effectiveness of counselors, teachers and others in recognizing and addressing child development problems. The first step schools take is investigation by a Child Study Team, and they are already overwhelmed. Secondly, teachers are not given formal, medically based training on recognizing these issues (to my knowledge, in college training -- perhaps in in-service sessions?), so effective treatment and application of scarce resources is haphazard at best. And timeliness may not be close either when problems occur or need management. All schools, public, private and parochial should have trained counselors and school nurses. Fund more of these. Now some elementary schools "share" their school nurses (and librarians), getting them only a few hours per day.

Fourth, Improving Mental Health Services. There's no cure, but I'm a very lucky bipolar, mentally ill, person. I've found a drug cocktail that works for me -- as long as I don't miss multiple pill doses. That's the thing, if it weren't for Janet having reminded me for ten years, I wouldn't remember to take my pills regularly by myself. According to NAMI there's 10 million bipolars in the US. There's about 24,000 psychiatrists nationally. That's one psychiatrist for every 417 bipolars. That's another reason why it takes an average of 10 years to be properly diagnosed, and 30% of those who don't get treatment commit suicide. There are hundreds of mental disorders. Bipolar is just one. These issues are much bigger than possibly owning a gun, although, as I've stated, as a diagnosed mentally ill person, I should be prohibited from owning a gun.

In short, these proposals have merit and should move forward quickly.