I wrote before that folks in the sticks take their right to bear arms seriously.  There are a lot of people across the fruited plains that are pleased today….and well they should be.  It’s almost enough to make me think the world is not completely insane….almost.   

I hope that now will be the time when there are lawsuits on behalf of ‘mentally ill’ individuals regarding their second amendment rights, and the truth can come out that as a whole, that mentally ill people are no more likely to be violent than others in their communities.  The factors that predict violence much better are substance abuse and a history of violence.  It’s not right to take someone’sright to bear arms away just because they’ve visited a psych ward.  If they’ve commited a violent felony….okay.  Otherwise, buzz off…

However, I note the following in the text of the decision, which shows me that the court did not fully consider the issue and wanted to placate certain political elements of the public.

The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of  firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. (emphasis added).

So there you go…My idea of lawsuits are out the window.  Probably anything short of a case going to the supreme court forcing an examination of this issue, is unlikely to be successful.  Well maybe the ACLU will take up the case….that’s a laugh.

So, in real-world implications, this ruling does nothing for the ‘mentally ill,’ or most of us living in the sticks.  It does do something for those living in metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C.  Disappointing to me…..

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