Compromising civil liberties and property rights to prevent acts of violence that have yet to occur are policies more suited for dystopian thrillers—and police states—than a free society.
I confess to being initially supportive of the concept of "red flag" laws. I have long believed the problem with "gun violence" is mental illness, and with enough due process provisions, they can help family members and friends prevent people from harming themselves (suicide is the number one result of "gun violence") or others. But they clearly are not working, where they exist. And while we still know next to nothing about the Louisville murders, it doesn't appear they would have helped there, either. The real issue is that we have a mental health crisis coupled with the glamorizing of mental illness by the media that incentives horrific behavior.
P.S. Thanks for the kind word on my writing. I was going to wait until I hit 2,500 subscribers to turn on a payment option. But you gave me a proper nudge :-)
Almost anything can seem "reasonable" in abstract. It is why we are weighed down by so many laws and regulations. Most are freedon robbing! For me, anything that violate the spirit of my civil rights is bad.......no matter how great it seems. The other evil twin to this law is civil forfeiture laws.
I confess to being initially supportive of the concept of "red flag" laws. I have long believed the problem with "gun violence" is mental illness, and with enough due process provisions, they can help family members and friends prevent people from harming themselves (suicide is the number one result of "gun violence") or others. But they clearly are not working, where they exist. And while we still know next to nothing about the Louisville murders, it doesn't appear they would have helped there, either. The real issue is that we have a mental health crisis coupled with the glamorizing of mental illness by the media that incentives horrific behavior.
Red flag laws sound really reasonable until you actually stop and think about them for a while.
P.S. Thanks for the kind word on my writing. I was going to wait until I hit 2,500 subscribers to turn on a payment option. But you gave me a proper nudge :-)
Almost anything can seem "reasonable" in abstract. It is why we are weighed down by so many laws and regulations. Most are freedon robbing! For me, anything that violate the spirit of my civil rights is bad.......no matter how great it seems. The other evil twin to this law is civil forfeiture laws.