Edit: And major props to you and your parents, justiceischeap, for making responsible decisions about your own gun ownership...

Why the hell can't more gun nuts see the reality staring them in the face?

Your post also raises another issue that the NRA don't like. If they coud they'd have the CDC stop collecting the data on the number of people hurt by their own guns.

It is amazing. Papers regularly run therare event where a CCW holder prevented something. They don't run the far more common occurrence where it did not. Hence a mythology is born. Also guns, as you noted, are common tools of suicide.

And the founders would have zero issue with background checks, whole classes of people who could not own back then, indentured servants and blacks are just the top of the list.

I got things straightened out with medications and such, and fortunately, haven't had an episode like that since. But like I said, had my parents not noticed things weren't quite right and taken my gun from me, I may very well not be here.

I'm also self-aware enough that I made the decision to no longer have guns in my life because, though it's less likely to happen again, I may still end up in a situation where I'd want to harm myself. Not everyone is that self-aware and that's unfortunate. And you're right, we don't hear the multitude of stories about self-inflicted gun death (or those that aren't fortunate enough to die but end up severely brain-damaged because it didn't work).

Then we have the people that take guns to work or elsewhere because of the "if I can't have her/him, no one else can" mentality. It's a mess made worse by the NRA.

I agree with you on every point, but...that's not the point.

I'm humbled by your story and personal struggle with depression, your courage and your sense of personal responsibility. After the first paragraph, I had tears in my eyes.

This is our real battle. I've known so many people that suffer from depression and other forms of mental illness. Most never bothered to get help. A few are gone forever. Only one used a gun, but that isn't the point. It isn't 'how' it was done, it was the futility and loss of hope. And, there is my ex-bf, an incredibly bright, beautiful and normally gentle soul that was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his early 30s. A diagnosis that only happened because he was arrested for assault. He didn't think he needed help before that. After 10 years of self medication, he overdosed a year ago July 1st, less than a year after his diagnosis. I'm still struggling with my own guilt. I stopped trying to keep in touch with him 3 months before he died. I just couldn't convince him to get help. To clean up. To get the fuck away from 'those' people. I gave up on him. I will live with that forever. I don't want anyone else to live with that. I want everyone that thinks a friend or relative needs help to never stop fighting. The love never dies, it just becomes more painful.

It breaks my heart that there is still this stigma attached to mental illness. That politicians think that cutting programs, insurance companies cutting benefits, that ignoring it will just make it go away. How many people still think that people who suffer from depression should just 'cheer up'? You are an inspiration to us all, as is your family. It took courage for them to confront you about your gun ownership. It took a strong person to know they were right.

Thank you so much for sharing your story.

And, yes...the NRA is a big part of the problem along with politicians and individuals that believe their rights are more important that the safety and peace of mind of the general population. I'm a gun owner, strictly for home protection (there's a story...it isn't important here). I am 100% behind stricter gun regulations, education, and punishment. The 2nd Amendment was written for a different era. It was well intentioned, but falls far short in this century. I believe that if most of the founding fathers were alive today that they'd beat the NRA over the head with the Constitution and ask them wtf are they thinking?

You're right, there's a huge stigma attached to mental illness and, though depression is more accepted, it's still a mental illness. I still struggle with it daily. I've been off meds for a few years now and my life would probably be better with them but I needed a break--something else that isn't spoken about, when you're on certain anti-depressants you feel nothing at all and after having been on them since I was 14 (early 40's now), I think they have broken something in my brain because off them I don't feel much either. I'm pretty flatline with all my emotions now.

And I've had people poke "fun" at my lack of jocularity--I've been called "Debbie Downer" more than a few times but I just smile and, silently in my head, tell them to fuck off. There's not much I can do about it so why worry myself. I don't drink, since alcohol is a depressant (don't need to compound the issue) and people question whether I'm in AA because I won't go to happy hour with my work friends. I think I rather they believe I'm a recovering alcoholic than think I suffer from depression. How whack is that?

There are lots of issues to be discussed when it comes to who should own a gun but we just can't talk about them on a national level and that saddens me because if Holmes ends up having a mental illness and some legislation could have been enacted that would have caught him, well, we know where the blame for that should go.

Cho, Virginia tech.

Loughner, who was diagnosed as schizophrenic and is yet to face more than a competency hearing (IMO it will be years if ever)

And now Holmes

From media reports, and no, I am not a psychiatrist, but know enough and it fits, schizophrenia.

It will not shock me at all.

and you want to diagnose him as a schizo?

He's competent and knew right from wrong, and that's what tomorrow will entail at Arapahoe County Court.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/21/james-holmes-colorado-shooting_n_1692381.html

With mental health.

And what you said about the founders..well they'd start with the background checks, which they oppose on principle. Given the whole slew of classes of people that could not own, legally, back then...they'd scratch heads.

The escalation of the personal arms race has become insane and will get worse.

And speaking as someone who lost a beloved relative to suicide by firearm, I applaud your parents' wisdom and courage, and am very happy to hear about your health and well-being. Live long and prosper, justiceischeap!

100% agree.

During the Cold War it was evident that the nuclear arms race was threatening the world so to reduce the likely hood of nuclear war we signed treaties limiting the building, testing, and use of nuclear weapons. Why has the concept that when you limit the use and distribution of dangerous things, it greatly reduced the odds that people will die as a result of their use?

I think we should treat it as a domestic arms race. Ban, for the civilian market, the purchase and distribution of assault weapons, high capacity mags, ban the use of anything other than standard ammunition (nobody needs armor piercing or hollow point to hunt), and lastly, limit the number and type of guns a human being can purchase. No household in America needs a damn arsenal to hunt or defend itself. I have two guns, a 22-pistol and a 40 yr old single shot shotgun that my grandfather gave me. Neither have been fired by me but I have them. My dad as guns, he was once a gun nut and has assault rifles. They stay in his case and he refuses to sell them to put them on the market. Nobody needs these weapons. Pass a law that says a civilian cannot buy 4 pistols in a year or go to the store and over six months buy 2 shotguns and 3 glocks. I don't buy five gallons of milk in a month.

And don't bitch about your second amendment rights. The founding fathers never wrote that amendment (the most horrible written part of the Constitution in my opinion) to give civilians the right to stay better armed than the authorities. Many households around me have more guns than the police in the city, which, in itself is ridiculous. This is a domestic arms race and it should be treated with the same urgency.

Iran get a nuclear weapon, not trying to prevent it.

And the NRA is a major force behind that problem.

was a gun owner (I'm Canadian - yes it's legal but highly restricted)

He was visiting California at a trade conference and he had a psychotic break. (he has never been diagnosed as schizophrenic, nobody knows why it happened, and it hasn't happened since) He thought his wife and children were dead, got a plane ticket and at the end of the day ended up naked on the top of a Phoenix parkade, talking to Jesus.

When this all came to light, my husband told him it was time to get rid of the guns. He protested, and said it was all very safe, the ammo was locked up separately from the guns, no accidents could happen. My husband pointed out that if he had another psychotic break and Jesus told him to open both safes, he could do it.

He had the police come and pick up his weapons and ammo the same day.

it's running everywhere now - on TruTV, Reelz, CBS - etc.

You're right, they are fucking nuts, scary propagandists who hate this president and don't hold back their disdain for him in this piece of shit.

Period.

And our services for mental illness in this country sucks.

And remember, VT shootings were done using a 9mm handgun.

A defensive gun will be a gun that is good at "stopping" people.

to single out people who appear to be stockpiling ammunition and weapons. Perhaps you could prevent things like this if you monitor someone buying multiple guns and thousands of rounds in short periods of time. Red flag and report them. We track everything else, why can't we track gun purchases?

It might start making people ask questions like "why does this guy's history show a month ago he bought 4 pistols and 3,000 rounds?" If we already have that system (IDK since I don't buy guns that often), it doesn't work very well because most of these guys, we find out, stockpiled weapons over a short period of time.

And unfortunately, their members vote en masse. Both parties are scared of them.

The NRA is a horrible organization. Just a slightly less offensive version of Rev. Phelps church group imo.

So we can take our country back?

We're counting on you, patriot!

say it again