Is there anyone reading this who wants crazy people to have firearms? Anyone? Of course not. No one wants a criminal, a violent person or a bad guy or gal to have any tool that he or she can use to carry out evil. But this is now the reality of the anti-gun platform. They can’t simply take away all of our guns (although they have tried), so they are keenly focused on a specific point that they hope no one will stop to think about or argue against: “Keep guns out of the hands of crazy people. Save lives! Save children!” It sounds great. We would all probably jump right on the anti-crazy train and agree wholeheartedly … except for one major consideration: Who gets to define “crazy?”
Ah, yes. No one wants crazy people to have guns. But who holds the key to determining crazy versus sane? Just out of curiosity, how would YOU define it? Is crazy a continuum? Is there a list of bullet points? Is crazy a “go” or a “no go?” Is it simply dependent upon the situation? Or is it based solely upon the person? If so, what if the person is old? What if the person has been hospitalized? What if the individual takes medication? What if he or she has been diagnosed with and/or treated for a mental illness, PTSD or depression?
If you recall, in the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, the Obama administration revealed plans for gun control and mental-health initiatives. Anti-gun groups and politicians are still rallying for these types of strict measures today. Who knows? If it were up to some people, perhaps I would not be legally allowed to own or carry a gun today. I was unwell more than a decade ago, suffering with severe postpartum depression. But that’s not where I am now. I am whole, balanced and joyful — in love with my family and in love with life. So why should a glitch in my past health history compromise a constitutionally protected right?
Scarier yet … what if the definition of crazy is simply “wanting to buy a gun?” If that’s the case, as soon as a person applies to purchase a firearm, he or she is automatically out because it’s crazy to want a gun. Isn’t that how much of the anti-gun crowd thinks? It’s as if their motto is: “If you want to own a gun, you’re crazy!”
I suppose, then, anyone who has firearms is already crazy, whether he or she wants to purchase more or not. Think about it. The first definition of crazy that pops up when I type “definition of crazy” into my Google search field says, “mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way.” OK. That sounds about right. But definition number two, right underneath, states that crazy means “extremely enthusiastic.” So, depending on who gets to define crazy (as it relates to gun ownership and gun purchasing), anyone who is enthusiastic about firearms may be crazy. Anyone who enjoys competitive shooting or any of the shooting sports may be crazy. Anyone who is supportive of the Second Amendment may be crazy.
As you can see, it’s a downward spiral of — dare I say it — craziness. And this is the very reason why responsible gun owners (who don’t want crazy people to hurt or kill people with guns) have to be very cautious when anti-gun groups cry for “common-sense gun control” that keeps guns out of the hands of crazy people. It’s also the very reason why our Founding Fathers were adamant about protecting our right to keep and bear arms.
