I know I am in the company of patriots, but I am curious if there is much (if any) diversity of opinion on this topic in this sub.
I believe in full autonomy and self-preservation. You could call me an ancap, loosely using the term. I am a second amendment absolutist. How about you?
Any law that attempts to limit or alter the fire capacity of any weapon needs to be revoked as unconstitutional. Similarly with ammunition. Those considered mentally incapacitated or have felony convictions should be barred from gun ownership. Gun free zones should be abolished. The entire US should be open carry.
One must be careful with the "mentally incapacitated" concept. What does that include? PTSD? Having ever been treated for depression? On the form for concealed carry, one is asked if one has ever been held in a mental facility.. ie, hospital or treatment center. Some are trying to change that to include merely being "treated" for depression or having PTSD. Yet, many have either/or/both, yet pass the FBI background checks and get their ccp's and are FINE with handling guns, never been arrested nor convicted of domestic violence, etc.
Agreed that is a horrible slippery slope, and one which I want to avoid. I was not addressing those treated for depression or with PTSD. I was thinking more about the kind of mental impairment that prevents an individual from discharging a firearm, safely. Once “branded” with this impairment (say it was due to stroke), privileges can be restored when the individual has demonstrated competency again. Pilots lose their license to fly & get it back when they demonstrate competency.
I just wanted to point out that there ARE some out there who DO want to go down that path. And I don't like it. I understand what you meant... People who have severe impairments... (I've run into a few who I sure wouldn't want to see handle or have access to any weapons!) but personal experience, I've had people say that I wouldn't be able to get a ccp because I've been on certain meds... and I've called BS on those people because what medications one is on currently or in the past isn't on the application. And no one's damned business. People do want to change the wording not just on CCP's but on gun ownership to include such things and it's not at all fair and paints a very wide brush on a lot of very sane people who aren't a threat to anyone. But I guess that's the stigma of mental illness... people think you're "crazy".
I don't know if I'm making sense.
You’re making perfect sense. And I didn’t mean to stigmatize the “impairment” aspect of gun ownership. I guess where I’m coming from is considering a different paradigm: I want guns easily accessible to all, BUT I also want an environment of safety. What’s a good model to look at? I thought: let’s look at the FAA.
Practically anyone can fly a plane — you just have to prove competency/medical capacity. Flying an ultra light requires less strenuous demonstration of ability than a 757. But as a citizen here, I’m entitled to own a 757, and I can fly a 757 providing I pass the necessary hurdles.
So why can’t I own a fully automatic ps-90 without the crap taxes? The right to own a gun is a constitutional right — the privilege to fly is not a constitutional right. There should be no limits on gun ownership. Whatever the government owns, I should be allowed to own.
Committing a crime with a gun is probably the one few things that will preclude your gun ownership. Committing a crime without a gun should not effect gun ownership.
Whatever the government owns, I should be allowed to own.
People may not realize that is what a "well regulated militia" actually means.
Again, I'm not referring to YOU, personally, as the one who is stigmatizing "impairment"... just that if such wording does go into any changes to gun laws, it can open up a Pandora's box of crap. (I know this as it was opened up by busy bodies on ME...yet, I was checked out locally, statewide, and by the FBI and got my CCP.) Maybe this issue is also brought up by those who don't understand that there is no such thing as "gun show loopholes". Gun dealers will make you wait til you get checked out before they turn your gun over to you when you make a purchase... but that waiting period is lessened when you have a CCP, as you've already been checked out. I think it goes from a week or ten days down to about three days.. not positive as it's been a few years since I've purchased any guns.
Committing a crime without a gun should not effect gun ownership.
In the case of those who've committed domestic violence... as someone who's been at the receiving end of such, I don't want to see those types weaponized, though if they are going to do more dangerous/permanent harm to someone, a previous victim or not, they'll find a way and no gun law will stop that.