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John H.[_5_]

On Thu, 08 Oct 2015 08:45:07 -0400, wrote:

On Thu, 08 Oct 2015 07:53:17 -0400, John H.
wrote:

"There are no tests to identify the mental psychopathy which would cause the
behavior. Furthermore, young people are very good at hiding facts about themselves.
For example, look at how many parents are surprised when their sons or daughters
'come out of the closet'." (Or words to that effect.)

That would take the wind out of the sails (boating related) of those wanting 'mental
tests' for a gun permit.

===

It's a difficult problem with no easy answers. There's clearly a
mental health issue with all of these shooters. The problem, as you
point out, is trying to identify the warning signals in advance.

It's interesting to note the paralells between the Connecticut shooter
and the Oregon shooter. Both had mothers with serious gun
collections. Both mothers knew their sons had emotional issues but
let them have access to guns anyway and encouraged their interest.
Perhaps it's time to hold parents accountable in some of these
situations. It's easy to argue that they've suffered enough already
but there has to be some penalty for this kind of irresponsible
parenting.

On the parents' side, my younger daughter had 'emotional issues' after her mother
died and she had to come live with me. She wanted to live with her older sister. We
went through some troubling times, but she grew out of it. Like I used to tell
parents when I was teaching, "Adolescent behavior is rough to live with, but the kids
do outgrow it...about the time they're 26 years old." I kept the guns locked up when
the daughter was here as a kid, but I'd trust her with the key to the safe now.

I would guess more than half (maybe *many* more than half) the adolescents have
'emotional issues' of one kind or another. A large portion are ADD or ADHD. For
parents to be able to identify a disorder that might lead to shooting behavior, given
that shrinks admit they themselves can't do it, would seem a near impossibility.

--

Ban idiots, not guns!