A broken mental health system is endangering the second amendment.

"Unless he is marked as a criminal for life, there are no other real options for him to receive institutional help at this time."

Thats the problem with our system, we artificially make criminals in order to get them treatment. Apparently, its not working and even making the situation WORSE. Just like for some people to get medical care, they actually commit crimes. Talk about screwed up systems...

So because we have a rash amount of insane people with guns, its causing the non gun owning public to want to ban guns. If we don't advocated for fixing the mental health system, the bandaid solution is going to be gun bans.

I read that yesterday, it was posted on FB by Raven Concealment Systems. Very interesting read, and I know a few guys I grew up with who have disabilities (nynco- let's refrain from calling them insane if they're not actually diagnosed as "insane"). Their behaviors are cataloged but the system is not well catered to helping them, I can testify to that, and that is a huge problem with our society. You cannot prevent the mentally disturbed people from going off the deep end 100% of the time, and banning guns, well we all know what that does, it disarms the good people. Many have called for a law that requires a mental screening before purchasing a gun, or something to that effect... but that will cost a lot, bog down the system, and in 99.9% of cases is unnecessary. Also it begs the issue, what about those who are mentally challenged that can act normal, but have bouts or random fits of rage? What if they're having a good day when they go get screened? It doesn't work. On Friday, I was listening to 850 KOA, they had a psychiatrist call in and say that one of the problems that isn't discussed is the heavy medication of our children (IE: Ritalin). He said Ritalin is (not "is like", but is) methamphetamine, and can lead to erratic and violent behavior, and this is something we need to address before we start grabbing guns. We have a very real, serious problem in America, and I think a huge part of it is the stigma surrounding mental health. I saw it in the Army, and before we can try and attack the problem, we need to remove the stigma, and get the system better set up for success.

How many of you have encountered a street person/beggar that was obviously as crazy as a shithouse rat? I've lost count of how many I've seen here in Denver and other cities, and many were pretty damned scary.

Read a rebuttal to that woman's blog this morning, and it seems like she's just as messed up as the kid is. I'm no expert but I worked with foster care a bit, and some of what she posted I would think would qualify taking her kids away. She publicly talked about taking the kid up on a mountain and killing him, stuff like that.

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Originally Posted by rondog

How many of you have encountered a street person/beggar that was obviously as crazy as a shithouse rat? I've lost count of how many I've seen here in Denver and other cities, and many were pretty damned scary.

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At least here in Denver the street rats don't want for anything . . . there are numerous sources for them to get hot meals, clean clothes, winter coats, camping gear, and various other handouts. Denver's policy of "hug a bum" is so generous that homeless are bussing here from all over the country to take advantage of it.

I spent 4 years in a city on the East coast and they were a LOT scarier there. The "panhandlers" were so desperate and crazed that they are practically tackling people in parking lots.

On one hand, Denver is too generous . . . the system is overloaded and other programs are cut and resources depleted to stabilize the homeless "crisis" but it is like throwing stacks of money into the incinerator . . . the demand is ever increasing and the graft and mismanagement complicates the issue even more. On the other hand, if you do nothing and provide no outreach services, they literally attack people on the street.

We need more loony bins. Some people really are too crazed to walk the street unsupervised. I realize there have been serious abuses in the past, but as long as there is oversight and an appeals process this should work.

I vote to commit NYNCO....

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Originally Posted by Clint45

At least here in Denver the street rats don't want for anything . . . there are numerous sources for them to get hot meals, clean clothes, winter coats, camping gear, and various other handouts. Denver's policy of "hug a bum" is so generous that homeless are bussing here from all over the country to take advantage of it.

I spent 4 years in a city on the East coast and they were a LOT scarier there. The "panhandlers" were so desperate and crazed that they are practically tackling people in parking lots.

On one hand, Denver is too generous . . . the system is overloaded and other programs are cut and resources depleted to stabilize the homeless "crisis" but it is like throwing stacks of money into the incinerator . . . the demand is ever increasing and the graft and mismanagement complicates the issue even more. On the other hand, if you do nothing and provide no outreach services, they literally attack people on the street.

We need more loony bins. Some people really are too crazed to walk the street unsupervised. I realize there have been serious abuses in the past, but as long as there is oversight and an appeals process this should work.

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You obviously haven't seen the bums in 5 Points (around 26th and Welton)... my buddy works security at Cervante's and he deals with 5-10 crazy bums a week that have violent tendencies. Enough to warrant off-duty DPD to post a guy up there on the weekends.

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Originally Posted by Ronin13

You obviously haven't seen the bums in 5 Points (around 26th and Welton)... my buddy works security at Cervante's and he deals with 5-10 crazy bums a week that have violent tendencies. Enough to warrant off-duty DPD to post a guy up there on the weekends.

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I used to work at Park & Market, just a few blocks from the biggest shelters in Denver. One third of our customer base was shelter rats. You'd be amazed how many have Smartphones and laptops with wifi. Many had multiple EBT cards, all from different states. Most of the worst offenders were fresh off the bus from another state and had no idea how to behave yet. The ones who've been here a while learn that by being polite they'll make a lot more money and get hassled less by DPD.