Obama's offensive comment

[Rjohnson]

Obama said something during his second debate that offended me. He said that guns should be kept out of the hands of the mentally ill. That comment suggested that every mentally ill person is capable of violence. That isn't true.

I'm mentally ill and I'm not violent. I've never committed a crime. I've never even gotten a jay walking ticket. My mom is also mentally ill and she's not violent either. She's one of the sweetest people alive. The majority of the mentally ill are harmless.

Yes, it's true that some mentally ill people are violent and those who show any signs of violent behavior shouldn't be allowed to own guns. But Obama's comment didn't suggest that guns should be kept out of the hands of violent mentally ill people. His comment suggested that they should be kept out of the hands of all mentally ill people.

Obama's comment suggested that every mentally ill person is potentially dangerous. That's prejudice. Let me give you an example. Some women kill people with guns. Would it be fair if I said that because some women are violent that guns should be kept out of the hands of all women? Of course it wouldn't be fair. That would be prejudice. And saying that guns should be kept out of the hands of the mentally ill is just as prejudice.

 

[dogtowner]

Agree totally R. He's trying to draw on fears by using the couple of instances where someone for whom it's already illegal to obtain a gun (those with violent indicators) failed to get reported and for all the wrong reasons. The VA Tech killer as an example.

But all it was intended to do is plant a foot squarely on the slippery slope to unconstitutional restrictions.

 

[Hobo1]

This is just one example how Obama lacks a full grasp of a whole array of issues. I don't think it is only mental illness that he doesn't understand, he really doesn't understand the details of our entire health care system. For example, he doesn't understand that doctors order multiple tests to make a diagnosis. Many of these tests are redundant or unnecessary, but doctors fear a lawsuit and order the tests "just to be on the safe side". Many, many other examples where Obama just does not have a full grasp of important issues.

My favorite example is his lack of knowledge of the tax code. Any businessman knows the hundreds of loopholes in the tax code. So Romney paid low taxes, and Obama alleges that it is borderline legal. Heck, I spent most of my life forming corporations, keeping logs, offshore accounts, etc. to pay as little money as possible to taxes. It is an essential skill to run a business - and take home a nice paycheck. Obama filled out schedule 1040EZ.

 

[dogtowner]

This is just one example how Obama lacks a full grasp of a whole array of issues. I don't think it is only mental illness that he doesn't understand, he really doesn't understand the details of our entire health care system. For example, he doesn't understand that doctors order multiple tests to make a diagnosis. Many of these tests are redundant or unnecessary, but doctors fear a lawsuit and order the tests "just to be on the safe side". Many, many other examples where Obama just does not have a full grasp of important issues.

My favorite example is his lack of knowledge of the tax code. Any businessman knows the hundreds of loopholes in the tax code. So Romney paid low taxes, and Obama alleges that it is borderline legal. Heck, I spent most of my life forming corporations, keeping logs, offshore accounts, etc. to pay as little money as possible to taxes. It is an essential skill to run a business - and take home a nice paycheck. Obama filled out schedule 1040EZ.

sad part re health care is that he acknowledged that defensive medicine was a majority player in unreasonably costly hea;thcare but refused to address it. lawyer lobby's dollars well spent.

 

[Hobo1]

Well, that whole health care issue was a political show - or perhaps a horror picture of how Congress and the President are fundamentally broken. I don't think anybody would dream up a "health care plan" as crazy as the one that came out of Congress and was signed by the President. Pure politics influenced by lobbyists, and a desire to give a little crumb to every special interest group.

Washington is just not getting quality people anymore. Money has tremendous sway ... Oh, and don't get caught having an affair. Who would want a job like that? Under the microscope everyday. Be careful you don't say or do something that might offend somebody. Nobody thinks like Henry Clay, "I'd rather be right than be president." No brains, no guts - that is a profile of our representatives in Washington.

 

[Openmind]

Obama said something during his second debate that offended me. He said that guns should be kept out of the hands of the mentally ill. That comment suggested that every mentally ill person is capable of violence. That isn't true.

I'm mentally ill and I'm not violent. I've never committed a crime. I've never even gotten a jay walking ticket. My mom is also mentally ill and she's not violent either. She's one of the sweetest people alive. The majority of the mentally ill are harmless.

Yes, it's true that some mentally ill people are violent and those who show any signs of violent behavior shouldn't be allowed to own guns. But Obama's comment didn't suggest that guns should be kept out of the hands of violent mentally ill people. His comment suggested that they should be kept out of the hands of all mentally ill people.

Obama's comment suggested that every mentally ill person is potentially dangerous. That's prejudice. Let me give you an example. Some women kill people with guns. Would it be fair if I said that because some women are violent that guns should be kept out of the hands of all women? Of course it wouldn't be fair. That would be prejudice. And saying that guns should be kept out of the hands of the mentally ill is just as prejudice.

By definition, a mentally ill person is unpredictable. Mentally ill people can actually have their rights taken away from them (like the right to refuse medication), because they can become psychotic under stress.

I have worked with people with mental illness (from people with major depression, bi-polars, schyzophrenia, which is often associated with paranoia and hyper religiosity) and although I loved ALL of my clients, I have witnessed many very sweet, very gentle souls suddenly crack and become excessively violent (including grabbing a knife from our "kitchen class" and threatening another client for "invading his space," to raping another young woman who was also suffering from schyzophrenia, to several committing suicide).

I hope you and your mother are well surrounded by mental health worker, and that you never have to deal with these kinds of cases. The fact is that it is CRAZY to trust a dangerous weapon in the hands of a person who has been diagnosed with a chronic mental illness, because the judgement ability is impaired.

 

[Hobo1]

You know the term mentally ill is as broad as saying someone has cancer. It would be far more proper to give doctors the power to make a determination if someone is incapable of possessing a gun or even possessing a car. The restriction should be make on the nature of the disease as diagnosed by a doctor. Nobody wants somebody who has a disease being capable of using equipment which will endanger the public. In fact that is probably the law already.

 

[Cruella]

Everything Obama says offends me.

 

[Openmind]

You know the term mentally ill is as broad as saying someone has cancer. It would be far more proper to give doctors the power to make a determination if someone is incapable of possessing a gun or even possessing a car. The restriction should be make on the nature of the disease as diagnosed by a doctor. Nobody wants somebody who has a disease being capable of using equipment which will endanger the public. In fact that is probably the law already.

Once again, you sound a lot smarter and more balance than most extreme Right in this forum.
Thanks for that.
And, you are correct, except that, it is obvious that due to the shortage of funding for Mental Health services, MANY people with mental health issues remain undiagnosed. . .or refuse treatment.

But when people are diagnosed (as our friend and his mother seem to be), it is considerably more risky to allow a gun permit to them than to the general population. . .and I am not even in favor of ANYONE to get gun permits!

 

[dogtowner]

You know the term mentally ill is as broad as saying someone has cancer. It would be far more proper to give doctors the power to make a determination if someone is incapable of possessing a gun or even possessing a car. The restriction should be make on the nature of the disease as diagnosed by a doctor. Nobody wants somebody who has a disease being capable of using equipment which will endanger the public. In fact that is probably the law already.

and they alrady have the power and obligation to report people they believe to be a danger to themselves and others which is what is so chilling about Obama's statement as it offers no sense of restriction.

 

[Pandora]

Obama said something during his second debate that offended me. He said that guns should be kept out of the hands of the mentally ill. That comment suggested that every mentally ill person is capable of violence. That isn't true.

I'm mentally ill and I'm not violent. I've never committed a crime. I've never even gotten a jay walking ticket. My mom is also mentally ill and she's not violent either. She's one of the sweetest people alive. The majority of the mentally ill are harmless.

Yes, it's true that some mentally ill people are violent and those who show any signs of violent behavior shouldn't be allowed to own guns. But Obama's comment didn't suggest that guns should be kept out of the hands of violent mentally ill people. His comment suggested that they should be kept out of the hands of all mentally ill people.

Obama's comment suggested that every mentally ill person is potentially dangerous. That's prejudice. Let me give you an example. Some women kill people with guns. Would it be fair if I said that because some women are violent that guns should be kept out of the hands of all women? Of course it wouldn't be fair. That would be prejudice. And saying that guns should be kept out of the hands of the mentally ill is just as prejudice.

You are mentally ill? I read your post twice looking for a hint of what you meant and couldnt find anything. What do you mean by mentally ill? I dont want to side with obama but perhaps he meant a person who has schizophrenia or something like that? One of my nephews have child onset schizophrenia and though he is fine 95 percent of the time there is about 5 percent (and you never know when that 5 percent will show) he is anything but safe. I would hope that is what he meant and just worded it poorly?