Why Does John Boehner Want to Keep 40 Million Americans From Buying Guns?

http://news.yahoo.com/why-does-john-boehner-want-keep-40-million-193629143.html

You need to be really careful with this argument.

Let's turn the question a little. Rick, are you saying that you believe that the mentally ill should own guns?

Can I jump right in here with the argument that's going to get me boot-stomped by my brethren?
I have my rubberized mouthguard in, so stomp away.

If we as a society cannot guarantee someone's safety from others' violence, then we do not have the right to take away THEIR rights.

If they are ill enough to be institutionalized, then by all means. If not, then who the hell are we to tell them that they no longer have the right to defend themselves?

Who is the person who can say "You're not well in the head, so you lose your NATURAL RIGHTS!" ?

I submit that the direction that our nation is going is towards Controllism... and we must fight it at EVERY step.

Stomp away brothers.

No, not at all.
but (and this is what we ALL talked about at one time before)
They now want to use the PTSD as an excuse to take your guns, even though they admit that only a fraction could do what just happened in Ft Hood a few days ago.
The way I read the story is they don't really have any idea which ones of the 7.7 million Americans will snap. Therefore, let's take all their guns away.

IMO

Yeah, the big question is where you draw the line between "can own guns" and "can't own guns." PMB would draw the line at institutionalization . . . but then of course you have the question of who should be institutionalized.

It's a bitch, for sure.

I don't pretend to know the answer... But that is the obvious one.

My thought just seems to return to freedom... How do you take away what is understood to be a natural right if you also say that the person is still well enough to fend for himself / herself in a free society?

So, let's try this.
Just going on the posted story, if Bonehead says he would only take the guns from people that have been diagnosed with PTSD, what then?
Too much what if's here but we don't want the slope to start looking like Oso.

What mental illness is a justification to remove firearms from a persons possession?

Well, the problem is that the only think that Boehner actually said -- according to the article -- is this:



All of the rest -- about taking guns away from people with PTSD and the link -- is just conjecture in the article.

I share the concern about where that line gets drawn, but we need to be careful not to put words in people's mouths too.

Being a left wing democrat?

Giddyup.

The flip side to this argument is "Hurry up and try, Obama."

I worry about slow attrition MUCH more than I do about a Gun Grab.

The concern is that it is being talked about.

All across the nation folks have to ask permission from the government to exercise what was understood by the founders to be a natural right.

Here comes someone from the Right side of the aisle talking about taking guns away from a NEW subset of Americans.

Hello?

So, I agree with most of what you said here except one thing. A persons NATURAL RIGHT to protect themselves does not mean they have to be issued a CPL or be able to own a gun. Just because a person should not own a gun doesn't mean they can't protect themselves. Protecting yourself and owning a gun do not go hand in hand. As sane, law abiding citizens we have the ability to purchase a gun for self defense. Also as a society it's not our responsibly to ensure someones safety. We all take steps to make the world around us a safer place but I can't prevent or be held responsible if someone chooses to walk down a dark alley at night or cross a street without looking both ways. YOUR safety is YOUR responsibility.