Taking Issue With MikeB's Post Regarding 50% of Gunloons Who Need to Be Disarmed

Please read MikeB's excellent post here.

I have no major quibbles but I do have some minor problems with it.  Mike quite correctly notes that issues such as alcohol and drug abuse, mental illness,  anger issues and the profoundly stupid should disqualify people from gun ownership.  And that these problems cut across all segments of society.

But...here are the problems I see.  First, as Mike notes "Obviously some of the marijuana and cocaine users also could be binge drinkers, and some of the rage guys are fueled by alcohol, so we will have some overlap."

Very true.  But I strongly suspect abuse of drugs and alcohol is fairly intertwined; that is, folks who abuse alcohol will alos tend to abuse drugs--whether it's coke or meth or prescription meds such as painkillers or anti-depressants.

Second, Mike assumes such problems are normalized evenly across all segments of society.  They are not.  Instead, the preponderance of such issues tends to occur at the fringes.  Think about it: are you more likely to have anger issues if you enjoy a satisfactory social and professional life or if you feel there are unknown forces constantly conspiring against you?  Isn't one who lacks self-esteem and lives in constant irrational fear more apt to abuse alcohol and substances?

Third, stupidity and clumsiness.  Probably an issue that cuts evenly across society.  However, we're not talking about operating a toaster--we're talking about handling a deadly weapon.  As we know, very few gunloons are adequately trained.  Those who receive training usually do so from folks equally inept to safely handle firearms.

Bottomline:  The true numbers:

Alcohol and/or substance abuse:  35%
Anger Issues/Mental Illness:          15%
Lack of training:                             75%

Note these percentages aren't cumulative.  But what they tell us is about 35% of gunloons should be disarmed because of substance abuse and mental illness issues.  But the biggest problem is that the overwhelming majority of gunloons are simply unqualified to own a weapon.

Children Most At Risk from US Gun Violence

They didn't like this one too much over on TTAG.

Minnesota 5-Year-old Shoots his 9-Year-old Sister - No One Held Responsible

Local news reports

A 9-year-old Oakdale girl is expected to survive after her 5-year-old brother picked up a .22-caliber rifle and accidentally shot her in the chest, police said Friday night.

The girl, whose name was not released, was shot in the living room of her family’s home in the 1800 block of Helena Road, said Oakdale police officer Michelle Stark.

Police were called to the home about 6:30 p.m. The girl was able to talk with officers before an ambulance took her to Regions Hospital, where she remained Friday night, listed in stable condition with a noncritical injury, Stark said.

“We are lucky — yeah, very lucky,” Stark said.

Baltimore Official Wants to Crack Down on Toy Guns

Alabama is Loosening Its Already Loose Gun Laws

The Troy Messenger reports.  Remember, Alabama is one of the dumbest states in America, so they're loosening the gun laws.

Alabama’s gun laws are changing come Aug. 1, and the changes are significant.

Under the new law, several changes make it easier for individuals to carry guns – even without a permit and even to work, thanks to changes to the conceal-carry laws. According to an NRA summary, the new law:

• Allows those who possess a valid Alabama pistol permit to keep firearms stored in their vehicle while at work, as well as allowing those who possess a valid Alabama hunting license to store an unloaded rifle or shotgun used in their vehicle while at work.

• Allows transportation of a handgun in a vehicle without an Alabama pistol permit as long as the handgun is unloaded, locked in a container and out of reach of the driver or passenger.

•Shifts the current “May Issue” concealed carry permit system to a “Shall Issue” permit system and requires that a sheriff must issue or deny the carry permit within thirty days. Should someone be denied a permit, a written denial must be provided and that applicant would have an opportunity to appeal the denial.

• Requires sheriffs to use the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to conduct a background check on concealed pistol permit applicants.

• Allows for all other valid state-issued permits to carry a concealed firearm to be recognized in Alabama.

• Extends the current Castle Doctrine to include places of business to ensure the right of self-defense does not end when you enter your business.

Legitimate DGU - Or Not?

NewsOn6.com - Tulsa, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports - KOTV.com | 

The dead boy was screaming "someone's tryin' to kill me."  Does that sound like he was breaking in to "get the family?"  No, of course not.  It sounds like he was in some kind of distress and the shooter over-reacted.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

The Famous 50% (Lawful Gun Owners Who Should Be Disarmed)

A few years ago I wrote a post called The Famous 10%. It became one of my most popular, arousing much animosity from the gun-rights fanatics and frequently quoted and referred to by gun control advocates.  I reposted it here.

Almost immediately it became clear that I had been much too generous in the assigning of percentages. Soon I was talking about 35% and not long after that 50%

If you spent as much time as I do reading about gun violence, I think you'd agree with me, unless, of course, you had a personal agenda to protect.

Here's how it breaks down.

Divided into the approximately 65 million gun owners (see the latest Pew Poll) we have the following amounts.

Alcohol abuse is difficult to define, but let's take a study that found that 30% of Americans abuse alcohol. That translates straight across the board to gun owners. Please note that we're not including the regular, normal drinkers, whom some believe should be disqualified as well.  These are the binge drinkers and the out-and-out alcoholics. That's  30% of gun owners who need to be disarmed for alcohol abuse.

Drug abuse is also difficult to define, let's take a survey that says 10% of Americans abuse illicit drugs.
That's another 10% of gun owners who need to be disarmed for drug abuse.

Mental disorders afflict many Americans.  One conservative estimate says 22% are sufferers.  It may sound harsh, but if you have a mental condition that requires medication for you to function in society, you cannot be trusted with guns. That's another 22% of gun owners that need to be disarmed for mental illness.

Rage and anger affects many people. Estimates say 7% of adults suffer from Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED).  That's another 7% of gun owners that need to be disarmed for their anger problems.

FBI Crime Stats show us that about 500,000 crimes are committed with a gun each year.  Let's say most are committed by criminals and only a small percentage by folks like this guy who had no previous felony convictions. Let's call it 1%.  That's 1% of gun owners who need to be disarmed for turning bad.

Stupidity and clumsiness affects many people. We frequently read stories like this one representing stupidity, and this one representing clumsiness. Let's be generous and say another 1% only.  That's 1% of gun owners who need to be disarmed for stupidity or clumsiness.

Obviously some of the marijuana and cocaine users also could be binge drinkers, and some of the rage guys are fueled by alcohol, so we will have some overlap.

Let's round it down to a nice even 50%.  That's 50% of lawful gun owners who need to be disarmed.

Now, before you attack me for being so anti-gun, please take note of the fact that I believe in the rights of the other 50%.  I don't think the 2nd Amendment has anything to do with it, being an obsolete, meaningless and antiquated piece of writing, but I do believe that the other 50% has every right to own and operate guns.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.