In The Shadows ...

Gun Nuts - No, really nuts as in crazy

June 17, 2018. Day 4.

I think by now even the most antisocial hermits have heard about the number of mass shootings that have swept the United States. Now, not to get too technical, but a "mass shooting" is defined by the federal government as an incident in which at least four victims (not including the shooter) must be killed. I happen to think even one victim is too many.

Whenever we hear about one, most of us think, "That guy (or girl) must be nuts!" You may not be wrong.

The What: Soon after taking office, President Donald Trump signed a measure nixing a regulation aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of some severely mentally ill people. The original rule was part of a series of efforts taken by the Obama administration to try and curb gun violence after other efforts failed to advance in Congress.

The Impact: The rule would have required the Social Security Administration to disclose information quarterly to the national gun background check system about certain people with mental illness. While the list of eligible mental disorders is long -- ranging from anxiety to eating disorders to schizophrenia -- those who would have been reported by the agency had to meet two main criteria:

a) They were receiving full disability benefits because of a mental illness and couldn't work and

b) they were unable to manage their own benefits, thus needing the help of a third party to do so.

According to a report by the Office of the Inspector General at the Social Security Administration, 81,000 disability awardees would have met the criteria.

They now can buy guns if they so desire... or worse, be used to purchase guns for others.

But that's not all. While you were sleeping, a few other "under the radar" gun control changes have been made including this one that caught my eye: Trump made it easier for “Fugitives” to buy guns. It's illegal to sell guns to a “fugitive from justice” i.e. anyone with an outstanding arrest warrant. Trump's justice department clarified that a "fugitive" only applied to those who fled across state lines to avoid prosecution. 500,000 names were removed from the no-buy list. If you think about it, that means half-a-million felons who weren't smart enough to run away can now buy guns. .

I'll leave you with a final thought: Are you ready for this? There have been 101 mass shootings including 18 school shootings in the U.S. in 2018 (as of May). 😵 Maybe we really are nuts... but WTF, we can still buy a gun.

Oh, and Happy Father's Day!