Sunday, April 22, 2007

You mean this wasn't ALREADY a law?

U.S. Congress may act to keep guns from mentally ill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prompted by the Virginia Tech massacre, a U.S. Congress reluctant to tackle gun control may pass limited legislation to help keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill, lawmakers and aides said on Sunday.

"Given the horror that happened at Virginia Tech, I think there's a real chance of passing this," said Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), a New York Democrat, told "Fox News Sunday."

A Republican leadership aide agreed, telling Reuters, "If there is a consensus, and it is in lieu of knee-jerk draconian measures, (the chances are) probably really good."

Congress was initially hesitant to respond to the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech on Monday with any vow to toughen gun-control, a politically divisive issue.

In fact, Democrats, who had earlier championed such measures, including a since expired 1994 ban on assault weapons, effectively abandoned the issue when they won control of Congress last year.

Yet after it was determined that the Virginia Tech killer had been admitted earlier to a psychiatric hospital and deemed "a danger to himself and others," lawmakers dusted off previously rejected legislation.

Seung-Hui Cho, a Virginia Tech student, took his own life after fatally shooting 32 others. He had bought two handguns in Virginia but his mental health had not made it to a federal registry.
The proposed bill would provide money to the states to help update the national instant-check background system with mental-health adjudications, which ban firearm purchases.


In the House of Representatives, Rep. Charles Dingell, a Michigan Democrat and gun-rights proponent, has teamed up on such legislation with Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (news, bio, voting record), a leading gun control advocate.

Appearing with Schumer on "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), a Pennsylvania Republican, voiced support.

So did Sarah and Jim Brady, two leading gun-control advocates. They have helped lead the charge since Jim Brady was wounded in the 1981 attempted assassination of President
Ronald Reagan. He was Reagan's press secretary.


"We're not working to take handguns away from people. But what we do believe is that we need to curb the availability of these weapons to prohibited classes: felons, fugitives, and of course in this case, those who have been adjudicated mentally ill," said Sarah Brady who appeared with her husband on CBS's "Face the Nation."

A bill passed by Congress a decade ago and named for Jim Brady, required an instant background check for gun buyers.

"What we had here, unfortunately, as come out in the last day or so, is that the system did break down," Sarah Brady said.

7 comments:

Renee said...

Okay, that's all well and good, but don't you think Cho could've gotten a gun ANYWHERE? You can fairly easily get an illegal gun... how do we think the convicted felons get them again after being released from prison? There are a LOT of repeat offenders who can't "legally" get a gun, but somehow they manage...

Renee said...

And, for the most part, the people who get their guns legally are the ones least likely to use them in an illegal manner. It's a touchy subject, but I don't believe making gun laws tougher is really going to decrease the number of gun-related crimes. And what will the definition of "mentally ill" be? If someone's on an antidepressant, will they be unable to legally purchase a firearm? I don't know. This is gonna fire me up :-)

Jen said...

Oooh good points. But the main issue here is, Cho DIDN'T get it illegally. And the fact that someone with his history of mental illness WAS able to go out and LEGALLY get a gun is pretty damn scary to me. Sure, a lot of them WILL go out and buy one illegally, off the street or whatever--but hell, why should we make it that much easier on them to get one? I did think, though, of that "definition of mentally ill" thing. that's a really good point.

keesh said...

Mentally Ill = My Mother In Law...

there is your definition...

Fred said...

Hi guys..I'm still alive.

Here's why I've been gone for awhile.

Now, it's time to read all the stuff I've missed. (That should take me a few hours.)

Jen said...

FRED CUT HIS HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Renee said...

WOW!!! I like it, actually!

I know Cho got his legally, so a "mental illness" law of some sort MAY have thwarted his efforts a little, but I'm saying if he was hell bent on killing those people, he would've found another way to get a gun. BECAUSE he's crazy, you know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, I think the concept *could* be good, but I still have to wonder what the definition of "mentally ill" would be.