Executive Order background checks

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by PaulS

The Virginia Tech shooter was mentally ill.

I don't recall much about that?

But this kid in Newtown, and absolutely the Jared Loughner kid in Arizona, these were kids that were terribly broken, in desperate need of help, there were plenty of warning signs.

There are 2 things we can do. we can continue to let the mentally ill roam free, until after they hurt someone. If this is what we decide to do, we can't be shocked when they occasionally snap.

Or we can make it easier to commit the mentally ill. If we do that, we will be locking up a lot of people that probably wouldn't ever hurt anyone, but if we stop a very small number from going on killing sprees, maybe it's worth it. Maybe not. That'sthe conversation we need to have, at lesat regarding large-scale shootings by the mentally ill.

Th egarden variety urban violence, which accounts for the vast majority of gun violense, is a completely different issue, requiring a completely different solution.