State legislators in Wisconsin are proposing a bill that would allow people to legally ban themselves from owning handguns.
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The legislation would enable those at risk of suicide to apply to the Wisconsin Department of Justice to voluntarily revoke their Second Amendment rights for one, five, or twenty years.
“I feel very strongly that we will be saving lives in the state of Wisconsin,” the author of the proposal, Rep. Melissa Sargent, told the Wisconsin State Journal. “If one life is saved because of this legislation, it would be a win.”
The official text of the Firearm Self-Exclusion Program has yet to be released, but Sargent believes she will face stiff opposition from the pro-gun community. She even told the WSJ that critics of the bill have already called it an “attack on Second Amendment rights.”
“This is not a bill that will take away anyone’s guns. This is a voluntary program,” she said. “We’re providing them with a solution, with empowerment … to make them safer.”
Individuals can only restore their right to own a handgun by applying to the DOJ with the assistance of a psychiatrist or psychologist. The details of this process are still unclear, so a number of questions remain unanswered.
Sargent has not indicated whether exceptions will be made to the one-year minimum for those who rescind their rights during an isolated episode but are otherwise mentally stable.
Rep. Melissa Sargent. (Photo: Melissasargent.com)
She has also not said what kind of standards a psychiatrist must use to determine the mental state of their patient. Can a psychiatrist indefinitely revoke someone’s constitutional right without sufficient cause by refusing to provide “assistance”?
Under current federal law, only those who have been “adjudicated as a mental defective” or “committed to a mental institution” are prohibited from owning firearms. Under this Wisconsin legislation, a psychiatrist may be able to rescind Second Amendment rights for a mental disorder far less serious.
More than 45 percent of suicide victims in Wisconsin used firearms, according to the state Department of Health Services. Wisconsin’s rate of 14.59 suicides per 100,000 people in 2015 was higher than the national average of 13.26, according to the CDC. In 2016, 877 Wisconsinites died by suicide, making it the 10th-leading cause of death in the state.
Sargent’s proposal, according to the WSJ, was modeled after gambling self-exclusion programs in other states like Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa.
Once you’ve committed yourself to any length of time, you’ll never get your gun(s) back. What pysch is going to give you the “All Clear” to resume gun ownership. What if the pysch gives the “All Clear”, person gets the gun(s) back, & commits suicide/murder? The psych gets sued? Out of fear of getting sued the psych will never give the “All Clear”.
This isnt all bad. My only objection to it is that at the end of the self specified date, ypu have to be certified. If it was purely up to the responsible individual who can recognize a declining mental state, who could either allow it to lapse or to reup it, per their decision, this would be a great law. However, the way it is, therapists are going to keep stacks of these forms and completely gloss over the certification clauses as they push these on any depressed person through their doors
Seriously? One look at this lesbo and you can see how freakin stupid she/it is. I wonder if it’s wife talked it into introducing this stupid bill. There’s only one thing dumber than this. That’s the enema nozzles(s) who would add their sorry, attention seeking asses to the list. Geezus this country is becoming a god damned joke!!
So there are 9 things that kill more people in Wisconsin, why isnt everyone trying to stop those? If they could save just 1 it would be worth it, right?
Also, more than half of suicides are done with means other than guns. Why dont they try to stop those?
Wow If this lady was my representative I’d want to shoot myself too.
Top of the special kind of stupid people. If deporting all illegal would save 1 life it would be well worth it. If refusing refugees would save 1 life it would be well worth it. If deporting 1 dum woman in office would stop all this dum shit it would be well worth it.
Back door way of instituting revocation of 2nd Amendment rights anybody these nitwits decide shouldn’t have a gun. Pretty much everybody except themselves, their own body guards, and capitol security. Once you sign up, you may never get em back. And this just makes the next step more likely. Governments will decide. Make no mistake, this move isn’t dumb. It’s calculated. This one needs to be removed from public office. She is a menace to free society.
That’s why this country is in such a mess today,bumbleheads like this. One cannot legally choose what parts of the constitution they will or will not abide by.You mean to tell me you cant find anything practical or relevant to legislate? Vote that imbecile out,please.
GREAT. NOW WE ARE EXPECTING CRAZY PEOPLE TO SELF-REGULATE LAWS AGAINST THEMSELVES. IMO, THE POLITICIANS WHO THINK UP THIS HUGE WASTE OF MONEY & RESOURCES SHOULD BE THE FIRST ONES SIGNING THEMSELVES UP FOR PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT.
Do they ban them selves from owning rope, knives, razor blades and sleeping pills as well? The world just keeps getting goofier…….
Yes, banning yourself from possessing a handgun will stop you from obtaining a handgun because you want to kill yourself. This woman should be removed from office for being stupid. Even if it were passed, the chances of you ever owning another gun again after your ban expired are nil: \”Individuals can only restore their right to own a handgun by applying to the DOJ with the assistance of a psychiatrist or psychologist. The details of this process are still unclear, so a number of questions remain unanswered.\” The DOJ would NEVER restore such a persons right for multiple reasons. Primarily, liability.
A few things; what is the penalty for breaking this law – total death (no obituary) after you committed suicide? I assume violating this law will be a Felony, Can you be in someones house if guns are within? Being caught buying a gun or in possession, or presence of a gun would put a Felony on your record and maybe prison time – now you just added another reason to commit suicide. How will prison rehabilitate suicide desires or will it push you over that cliff?
If you’re hell bent to take yourself out there are other ways than a gun – will this law be extended to banning drivers license, purchasing of rope or OTC drugs? I’ve seen death, I’ve held death in my arms, I’ve pulled a trigger, I’ve come close to suicide myself, I understand the mental state you need be in, I understand the hypocrisy of the church, so as long as the person committing suicide does NOT endanger anyone else in the process WE have no right to stop them.
I look for the perverse motive behind this anti-gun law (since there are so many other ways to commit suicide) – a bible thumper movement, insure tax collections, create a child custody leverage, or just political vanity? But the BIG question should be “can a shrink by direction of DA/Police/rich-relative invoke this law upon a person without consent – if so, I can see all types a nefarious motives! Has this Libtard WI Rep living her OZ truly looked behind the curtain at all aspects/implications of her law or is she just being lead by her self-righteous vanity? (Oh I’m originally from WI until I went to Vietnam – my heart is still WI – Go Packers)
How about a bill to ban all liberal fools from running for a political office position???
Are they really that stupid to think someone is voluntarily going to their rights to own a firearm. What do they do say ” I think I’m unstable I better go and sign my rights away. Just in case I want to hurt myself” . Once they do that they will never get that right back. I’m sure there are some very steep and unattainable expectations a person would have to go through to try to get that right back.. I guess what they need to do is figure out why they have a high rate of suicides, not what they are using to commit suicide. It’s just a ploy to take away a person’s right to own a firearm, to disarm American citizens. Think about it logically if someone is hell bent on suicide stopping them from owning a firearm isn’t going to change their mind. There are hundreds of ways to do that without a firearm.
They introduce a similar bill in my state too. However I am unconvinced that it has anything to do with mental health. The anti-gun commies plan to use this in child custody. What will happen is if a father is fighting for child custody the courts might say just sign your guns rights away and then your be granted some custody. By the way you have to wait until the child or children under the custody order turn 18 to get your gun right back.
Area 52 has hit the nail on the head…. Multiple people need to forward the above story and his assessment to the NRA ILA,.. GOA SAF etc.. Get some light shed on the game being played..
If one really needed a gun, they could buy it on the streets of Milwaukee. I see this bill as a “give them an inch and they’ll take a mile,” type shit. Soon people in Wisconsin wont be able to have all sorts of guns.
Here’s my solution to this wicked witch of the Midwest. (I think I recall a previous legislative mind abortion where she tried to slip in an ‘assault weapon’ ban in that State to ride along on another major bill not too long ago?)
So, I’m going to Ban myself…from being further banned from gun possession by ANY PRESENT or FUTURE LAWS!
Take THAT you wretched, scurrilous, bovine wench!
And one more thing. People often miss the insidious intent of these kinds of so-called noble public concern laws…
First of all, having mental issues IS NOT FUCKING AGAINST THE LAW! About one out of every three men women and children have some kind of diagnosable psychological problems. This does not generally preclude them from living a ‘normal’ productive law abiding life if they keep their personal issues under control. Minority Report type pre-conceived control notions are a dangerous liberty killing precipice to be dangling from.
But if the rabid frothing at the mouth anti gunners could snake in some brainwashing under the illicit notion of ‘public safety’ and support it with one of their unnecessary but agenda forwarding laws…. then they could someday soon make an extension of that law by mandating psychological exams along with your National I.D. Card -oops I mean Drivers license’ renewal!
These type of psychological exams are already deployed in other countries for gun control and considered by the Firearms Fascists .as ‘good examples of public safety concerns! So you know that’s exactly what’s on their little piss ant brains with this traitorous Wisconsin CBs shit move here.
There was already some recent rumors wafting in the dark halls of the totalitarian branch of our government of implementing a system of physical drug testing along with your driovers license renewals after the recent modifications of the 4473 concerning the ‘have you ever smoked pot’ self incriminating question.
They already do mandatory urinalysis with Commercial Drivers license renewals for truck drivers, it would be relatively ‘too easy’ to set it up for the general gun owning populate as these testing facilities are everywhere because many businesses require them for employment and the test is paid for by the applicant.
We better get moving on repealing all these laws. Don’t think for one 3000 fps instant that these demonic despots are conceding to the current (supposedly) Constitution friendly administration.
They desperately want to rip the heart out of the Trump movement and get back their previous totalitarian regime. And they’ll stop at nothing to do it.
Don’t anybody forget that.
How in the world do these people get elected?
Because “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public” ~ Mencken
I think the bill is simple genius- evil genius that is. Seems reasonable enough. After all who can doubt that anyone distressed enough (and stupid enough) to “voluntarily” give up their right to own/possess whatever should be allowed to own/possess whatever absent an evaluation/recommendation from a shrink? The not-too hidden weapon against our collective 2A is the word in quotes. How many Judge’s with the ability to impose conditions will force their probationers to “voluntarily” “ban themselves?” How many of those folks can afford a Constitutional challenge and would also be willing to incur their judge’s wrath? Anyone who would vote for this should openly declare themselves as “Extra-constitutional” and IMHO -an enemy of the Constitution. Small steps toward the edge of an icy slope.
I can’t say I have a problem with this bill. If you want to waive your own rights, you’re an idiot, but fine. Maybe get some of these anti-gun loons to put their money where their mouth is.
Once you do this you are automatically Tagged with this the rest of your life, then guess what? No more firearms for you even in your house! Morons in government are getting crazier by the day!
Sounds like a precursor to coerced banning by the authorities!
This woman should ban herself. SHE IS CRAZY!
This is a great idea. We now need a bill to ban yourself from using opioids, heron, cocaine and the like.
Some of these idiots need to ban themselves from breeding!
A liberal bill. But also can anyone ban your possession on your behalf. A psychiatrist may be able to rescind Second Amendment rights for a mental disorder far less serious.
Wha…! All you have to do to “ban yourself” is either don’t buy any guns, or sell the ones you have. This has to be the stupidest legislator in the nation, never mind Wisconsin.
Someone tell me this article is really a joke.
The picture of that twit congresswoman says it all… Why do we vote for these nanny-like, power-hungry ex-soccer-mom/beta male types?