Viewpoints: Gun violence restraining orders could save lives

In the six years I’ve served in the Legislature, our nation has endured 31 mass shootings, five of which happened in California. As tragic as mass shootings are, they don’t account for the nearly 3,000 Californians who die every year from gunfire related to street and domestic violence, or suicides.

Following the tragedy at Sandy Hook, I had the opportunity to work with a wide-ranging group of academics, practitioners and advocates in the fields of mental health, public health and gun violence prevention. I was surprised by what I learned. First, I learned of leading public health data that attribute mental illness to only about 4 percent of the violence perpetrated against others. Second, the research shows individuals with mental illness are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence.

Most importantly, I learned that the most important factors indicating that someone may be dangerous to themselves or others are signs of previous acts of violence, domestic violence, drug abuse and alcohol abuse.

“gun violence restraining orders could save lives”

Liberal truthspeak (oxy-moronic, I admit): So far restraining orders do not save any lives, (as being armed for self defense does) but this idea could be a new “legal” way to disarm Americans. Let’s toll with it!

"So how can you let someone with violent mood swings or a psychological disorder own a gun?"

What would you propose as both a diagnostic and legal threshold?

That is the crux of the matter.

Already those adjudicated as "mentally defective" cannot buy or own.

Make ASSAULT Illegal... Poof!!! Assaults vanish overnight!

Make Battery Illegal... Badabing! Gone! Jus’like’dat...!

Make Arson Illegal...

Yeah... I know...

Already those adjudicated as “mentally defective” cannot buy or own.

That is my concern. I’m not going to bother with the slippery slope or judicial activism arguments - to be blunt you know them better than me anyway. You are closer to the beast and can watch it breathing.

Still, I am minded of JFK. Shook his fist at the sky and said “before the end of this decade, we are going to put a man on the moon.” I were too young to hear that. Were not too young to sit out in the garden in 1969, looking at the moon and knowing people were walking on it. I could hear it on the radio. Still have the tape Dad made of it, though Lord knows where I’ll find a tape player now.

I trust America. Not Obama, or Reid, or Cruz, or Boner. I trust the real Americans. The ones that look at you and say “That’s impossible. Do you need it Wednesday or Thursday?”

If there is a single country who can solve how the mind works, you are lucky enough to live in it.

Is there a risk? Of course there is. There is always a risk. Doesn’t mean it’s not worth a shot, and if conservatives grab it and run with it - well - they are going to get a lot of interest.

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