I’m curious what one of the few sane pro-gun people I know (Tyr) thinks about this.
I’ve been (stupidly) assuming that this was part of some larger bill that was actually sensical, but no, the gun lobbies are just worried about old mentally ill people who can legally not handle their own finances being able to buy guns.
It’s complex, but I’m glad you brought it up because I’ve been annoyed today seeing it in the news painted by the media as “WOW REPUBLICANS BASICALLY HAND GUNS TO INSANE KILLERS?!”
The intent of the bill is to keep mentally ill people from owning guns, which seems reasonable to me. Sure.
The issue is that the brush they use is a broad one. So it’s not just potentially dangerous people who are affected: it could be someone who is normal in every other way, but is so dyslexic that they can’t balance a checkbook. Just because you can’t handle your finances doesn’t mean you’re a potential danger to those around you.
But it might be indicative that you can’t make rational decisions as far as guns are concerned. Is a dyslexic person really incapable of handling their own finances? Sure they may need to some help to read things and add up numbers, but surely they are still capable of making their own decisions in regards to their finances. That is what I thought we are talking about - people who were so mentally ill that they couldn’t make their own financial decisions.