Neanderpundit

Tuesday 17 Apr 2007

What she said.

3 comments Og | Uncategorized

3 Responses to “What she said.”

1. on 17 Apr 2007 at 8:54 pm   Rey
   
   

   Got there earlier from The Rottweilers’ site. I really do wish that we had someone in charge to lay it on the line like she does.

2. on 19 Apr 2007 at 4:46 pm   James B.
   
   

   Powerful essay. My whole family owns guns. My mom has a concealed carry permit for her S&W revolver. I’ve never been for gun control. I’m for criminal and insane people control.

   I only have one wish in light of the Va. Tech tragedy: for real, instant background checks at the point of purchase.

   I say “real,” ’cause any sap with a computer can do a cursory background check. I want the law changed to allow legit gun shops to be able to hit a button and in minutes check not only criminal records but relevant medical records. To protect personal privacy the med records don’t have to be specific. But I want gun shop owners to be able to see red flags on their computer monitors that point to unspecified mental/emotional ailments that could identify nut jobs – giving the gun shop owner the option to say yes/no based on more than not finding any instant felony records.

   I know it won’t happen, ’cause no one wants to pay the cost and many gun shop owners probably can’t pay the cost. But it’s possible to do. In my job I have legal, above board access to databases that in some cases are as powerful and thorough as those the police use. I use these sources, because a lot of people I interview lie to me about who they are and what they have/haven’t done. So I have to check them out to protect myself from cons, etc. Anyway, I have back-grounded folks before using these databases and found powerful behavioral red flags in 10 minutes or less. I know though that my employer pays thousands per month for legal access to these things. And I recognize that the average small business owner might not be able to afford that.

   It sucks that this stuff couldn’t be free. I once wrote a “flattering” profile of a guy who works with troubled kids. As a matter of routine I did an instant check of Florida public records and nothing came up on him, not even a parking ticket. Well, on a whim I used one of my other databases and did a nationwide check on him and sure enough in a matter of minutes I found a criminal conviction from another state, where he’d shot a man and served time for attempted murder. I also found indications that he was emotionally disturbed. It was all quick, but I’d guess that was probably $1,500 worth of searches on my part.

   Sorry for the long ramble, Og.

   I loved Mrs. du Toit’s essay. But sheesh, how do we prevent psychos like Cho from getting armed?

3. on 19 Apr 2007 at 7:51 pm   og
   
   

   We don’t, James. Until mental health is better understood and treated, we just try to be prepared for psychos like Cho, because they’ll always be around.

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