Jul 11 2008
N.C. Senate Removes Ban on Gun Ownership for the Involuntarily Committed
First, the part we can ALL agree on… hopefully:
The state Senate moved Thursday to keep guns from those deemed so mentally ill that they pose an immediate threat to themselves and others.
Now, the part that leads to arguments and gnashing of teeth:
Senators would allow gun purchases by people who have been involuntarily committed to outpatient treatment but are not considered an immediate threat.
So why would the senate do this?
The Senate voted 30-19 to remove a requirement that anyone involuntarily committed to outpatient treatment would be listed on a national database that sheriffs use to deny gun permits. The bill now says that those committed to outpatient treatment “shall only be reported if the individual is found to be a danger to self or others.”
“If someone is involuntarily committed to outpatient treatment, it specifically means they are not found to be a danger to others,” said Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, who pushed the change.
Berger contended that judges and medical professionals would be more aware of the need to determine whether someone is a danger.
This page had a discussion on this very topic a few months back. So far back, in fact, that I’m too damn lazy to go look for it to link to. But I recall that this page’s general consensus was similar to what the Senate ultimately agreed to- involuntary commitments should not be a permanent bar from owning firearms. There’s just too much ambiguity over whether or not the person is truly mentally incompetent.
