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  1. #1
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    my letter from the white house...

    I wrote an email to the WH, obamas public email, which i have no history of (probably late at night and/or drunk) about how dumb the assault rifle ban was back after SH and that the focus should be mental health and universal background checks (before the final version that basically was just that). One of his interns finally replied to me and after agreeing for 98% and pointing to some strides made in those efforts (including the ACA, which will help a lot of people suffering mental disorders that go undiagnosed/untreated currently which i do think is a big positive that gets overlooked) says i should also look into the AR ban that would prevent these tragedies, and to go support their ongoing battle to reinstate it... Way to completely miss my point intern and kudos on the timing.

    Ive been pretty adamant that i could not care less WHAT people owned and more about WHO owns it. The DC shooting raises those same concerns. How could somebody with a history of mental disorders thats been kicked out of the military still gain access to a military site? Thats a bigger issue than the fact that the same person could also go get a gun because youd think that would be an internal check of their own system which should be a lot harder to miss. Im still in favor of universally enforced background checks that include a deeper look into mental health but it appears they may be gearing up for another run at an AR Ban. Anyway, thought id share as i found the timing of the reply and being directed to their ongoing ARB website forshadowing of whats coming.
    -JAB





  2. #2
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    Re: my letter from the white house...

    Good stuff JAB. Thanks for sharing.

    I think fundamentally we agree. The devil is in the details.

    I don't get this obsession from the left with the AR-15.





  3. #3

    Re: my letter from the white house...

    I don't get the far too simplistic thinking that banning x, stops x from occurring. Banning AR-15's would do exactly Zero to stop future Sandy Hooks...

    Guns were already banned at that location... that did a lot.





  4. #4
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    Re: my letter from the white house...

    Quote Originally Posted by jonboy79 View Post
    I don't get the far too simplistic thinking that banning x, stops x from occurring. Banning AR-15's would do exactly Zero to stop future Sandy Hooks...

    Guns were already banned at that location... that did a lot.
    Not only that, but it is not easy to even legally get one in Conn.
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  5. #5
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    Re: my letter from the white house...

    Prius-driving Democrat takes a Joe Biden endorsed shotgun into a Navy complex and kills a bunch of people. The media spins it for a day in a half that the "killing machine" du jour, the AR-15, was what he really brought in. Then said media goes completely silent once the video comes out showing how utterly wrong they got it. Again.

    I mean, if this doesn't convince you of at least an anti gun bias in the media, you're just fooling yourself.





  6. #6
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    Re: my letter from the white house...

    I'm firmly on the left, but I agree that gun control issues really need to take a back seat to mental health issues. Because these people aren't sitting at home saying "Man, if only I had a gun, THEN i'd go and get some revenge. But I only have these knives...well poop"

    I'm going to use this example, but keep in mind it is NOWHERE near the level we're talking about. My brother has had anxiety issues for years. How was it addressed? GP perscribed Zoloft at a standard dosage, never really followed up with him. He's been back and forth for YEARS, going off it, having issues, going back on it...My wife had similar issues, but because we go to Hopkins for Oncology, they recommended she see a psychiatric nurse. That has helped...SO SO much. They have her on different meds that actually treat SPECIFIC issues she had, instead of using Zoloft in a blanket approach. And they DOSE it correctly too. Long story short, my brother is having issues again, and immediately, I recommended he see a psychiatrist this time. For 3 days now, he's been back and forth, simply because of the STIGMA he associates with seeing one. He thinks he'll get fired from his job, have people judging him, etc. Just nuts, if he'd just go, he'd realize how much better things would be.

    Anyway, just want to chime in that I hope they start pushing more for the mental health concerns. I could take it or leave it on the AR ban, I understand some of it, but really, it doesn't do anything without tackling our issues with treating mental health issues.
    .
    .
    “When I think of a Baltimore Raven - we go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce, and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way.” - Steve Smith Sr.


    Call me a Special Teams coach again. I dare you! I double dare you, MFer!





  7. #7

    Re: my letter from the white house...

    Quote Originally Posted by RavenScallywag View Post
    I'm firmly on the left, but I agree that gun control issues really need to take a back seat to mental health issues. Because these people aren't sitting at home saying "Man, if only I had a gun, THEN i'd go and get some revenge. But I only have these knives...well poop"
    Or dynamite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster

    I'm going to use this example, but keep in mind it is NOWHERE near the level we're talking about. My brother has had anxiety issues for years. How was it addressed? GP perscribed Zoloft at a standard dosage, never really followed up with him. He's been back and forth for YEARS, going off it, having issues, going back on it...My wife had similar issues, but because we go to Hopkins for Oncology, they recommended she see a psychiatric nurse. That has helped...SO SO much. They have her on different meds that actually treat SPECIFIC issues she had, instead of using Zoloft in a blanket approach. And they DOSE it correctly too. Long story short, my brother is having issues again, and immediately, I recommended he see a psychiatrist this time. For 3 days now, he's been back and forth, simply because of the STIGMA he associates with seeing one. He thinks he'll get fired from his job, have people judging him, etc. Just nuts, if he'd just go, he'd realize how much better things would be.

    Anyway, just want to chime in that I hope they start pushing more for the mental health concerns. I could take it or leave it on the AR ban, I understand some of it, but really, it doesn't do anything without tackling our issues with treating mental health issues.
    I do think there are significant improvements that can be made in how society deals with the mentally ill. The problem with "treating mental health issues" in a way that would effectively prevent violent behavior and the loss of innocent life, is that you would basically have to go back to the 1800s and start warehousing millions of mentally ill patients...the vast, vast majority of which are of no threat to anybody.

    There are no easy answers to this problem...unfortunately, in a (relatively) free society of 300+ million citizens, we are just going to have to accept these incidents from time-to-time. But you don't ever stop trying to find reasonable, balanced solutions. With the Navy Yard, just enforcing correctly the security procedures already in place would have prevented this incident...or at least prevented it from occurring where it did.
    Last edited by JohnBKistler; 09-26-2013 at 09:05 AM.





  8. #8
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    Re: my letter from the white house...

    Quote Originally Posted by RavenScallywag View Post
    I'm firmly on the left, but I agree that gun control issues really need to take a back seat to mental health issues. Because these people aren't sitting at home saying "Man, if only I had a gun, THEN i'd go and get some revenge. But I only have these knives...well poop"

    I'm going to use this example, but keep in mind it is NOWHERE near the level we're talking about. My brother has had anxiety issues for years. How was it addressed? GP perscribed Zoloft at a standard dosage, never really followed up with him. He's been back and forth for YEARS, going off it, having issues, going back on it...My wife had similar issues, but because we go to Hopkins for Oncology, they recommended she see a psychiatric nurse. That has helped...SO SO much. They have her on different meds that actually treat SPECIFIC issues she had, instead of using Zoloft in a blanket approach. And they DOSE it correctly too. Long story short, my brother is having issues again, and immediately, I recommended he see a psychiatrist this time. For 3 days now, he's been back and forth, simply because of the STIGMA he associates with seeing one. He thinks he'll get fired from his job, have people judging him, etc. Just nuts, if he'd just go, he'd realize how much better things would be.

    Anyway, just want to chime in that I hope they start pushing more for the mental health concerns. I could take it or leave it on the AR ban, I understand some of it, but really, it doesn't do anything without tackling our issues with treating mental health issues.
    Totally agreed.

    And it might pain you to know that's precisely the stance of the NRA. ;)

    Not just on a guns level, but mental health education and treatment in this country is woefully behind other countries, particularly in Europe. Had it not been for counseling after my parents divorce when I was young, I may very well not have the family I have today or worse, not being here today typing this message.

    Instead, we seems to seek band aids for any problems and not real solutions. Real solutions, unfortunately, do not get you re-elected.





  9. #9

    Re: my letter from the white house...

    Quote Originally Posted by HoustonRaven View Post
    Instead, we seems to seek band aids for any problems and not real solutions. Real solutions, unfortunately, do not get you re-elected.
    They also don't do much for long term profit margins whereas you can sell band-aids forever and the mental health field is really the mental health industry and more interested in making lots of money off pharmaceuticals.





  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by saintmatthew View Post
    They also don't do much for long term profit margins whereas you can sell band-aids forever and the mental health field is really the mental health industry and more interested in making lots of money off pharmaceuticals.
    I don't buy the whole "big pharma" wanting to keep us medicated.

    First and foremost, people wanna make money. The person (or company) who develops the cure for the common cold would be a trillionaire.





  11. #11
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    Re: my letter from the white house...

    Quote Originally Posted by HoustonRaven View Post
    I don't buy the whole "big pharma" wanting to keep us medicated.

    First and foremost, people wanna make money. The person (or company) who develops the cure for the common cold would be a trillionaire.
    6 of one half dozen of the other isn't it? A cure or treatment that you keep coming back for is really the same thing. Maybe more money for those who keep coming back for the medicine.





  12. #12
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    Re: my letter from the white house...

    Quote Originally Posted by NCRAVEN View Post
    6 of one half dozen of the other isn't it? A cure or treatment that you keep coming back for is really the same thing. Maybe more money for those who keep coming back for the medicine.
    Ok. Still don't see a problem.

    Are they supposed to not do either then?





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