Opinion
Utah – -(AmmoLand.com)- The gun control crowd is again exploiting recent mass murders to promote their agenda to gut your Second Amendment rights. There are proposals to mandate universal background checks which can only be enforced with universal gun registration. This despite the fact that even anti-gun news organization CNN admitted that such laws would not have stopped the killings in Dayton and El Paso.
There are also proposals for so-called “Red Flag Laws,” which allow the government to confiscate your guns without a trial, based upon someone declaring that you are a threat. While a carefully crafted, extreme risk protective order law may have some benefit, all of the current bills and proposals are written very broadly, to help make it easy for government authorities to confiscate your firearms.
Not only are the gun banners going after your guns, but many of them, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, are exploiting these tragedies to raise money.
Rather than trying to increase their war chest or go after your guns, we believe that politicians should focus on ideas that will help prevent mass murders. Below are some ideas that we feel are worth considering. These are not all-inclusive, and we are sure there are a lot of smart people in the mental health and criminal justice fields that have great ideas.
Increased Access to Inpatient Psychiatric Care. Congress needs to consider legislation that would help states increase access to inpatient psychiatric care.
Early Intervention. The Department of Health and Human Services should start working with local mental health providers or social service organizations, to address the social and emotional challenges our students face. From suicide prevention to the effects of the substance abuse crisis – these services are meant to help address issues that impact teachers’ ability to teach and students’ ability to learn. The earlier we can intervene in kids’ lives, and make a positive difference, the better.
Pass federal legislation to remove impediments against carrying firearms for self-protection. Mass murderers usually stop when a good guy with a gun shows up on the scene, be it law enforcement or private individuals. Congress needs to pass a Second Amendment Civil Rights bill to stop draconian state laws that prevent law-abiding citizens from carrying firearms.
Access to Behavioral Health Services. More money needs to be directed toward mental health services for children, teens, and adults.
Risk Factor and Resource Identification. The Department of Health and Human Services needs to look at funding local community efforts to increase knowledge of risk factors, and help parents and family members to identify when someone is showing warning signs of a mental illness. The Department of Health and Human Services should share screening tools with clinicians, help connect community-based services to link parents, families, and schools with proven supports and strategies to manage a person’s wellness over a lifetime.
School Tip Line. The Department of Education should investigate the effectiveness of various school safety tip lines or instant messaging apps. Such communication channels can be used to call or text anonymously with tips about potential school violence. Best practices should be communicated to local school districts.
Community Safety. The Department of Homeland Security should be disseminating information to help harden soft targets like non-profits and religious organizations to make their facilities more secure.
School Safety and Intervention Programs. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Education should help states implement “Know the Signs” safety programs to educate schools, government institutions and the private sector on how to identify potential threats of violent action and take steps to intervene.
About Utah Shooting Sports Council:
The Utah Shooting Sports Council represents the citizens of Utah who safely and legally own and use firearms, exercising rights guaranteed under both the United States and Utah constitutions. Visit: https://utahshootingsportscouncil.org/