Tom Arnold Pens Passionate Essay Arguing for Gun Control After Losing Nephew to Suicide

[yallerdawg]

By Tom Arnold

Every day, 20 veterans commit suicide. (It's not just veterans; 44,000 Americans committed suicide in 2015.) I'm involved with several groups (including Got Your 6) that help get vets working or serving their communities as soon as they can. No group of people gets more out of being of service to their communities than these folks, and work and service keep them out of their head and out of their basement. That's how it works for me, too.

On May 2, Spencer said good night to his roommate, said he was excited about going back to college and getting his future going, finally. Then he called a woman he'd been seeing for a couple of months, and they had a little disagreement, so my handsome 24-year-old nephew reached over and grabbed one of the five loaded guns on his nightstand and shot himself in the head.

I took all my feelings, and I reached out to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. I wanted to honor my nephew and the other vets and people with mental illness who can legally purchase guns. I want to protect them and my 3-year-old boy and 7-month-old girl when they grow up and I'm not here. Spencer having five loaded guns next to his bed every night is like me sleeping next to a dresser made out of chocolate cake and filled with cocaine. I will probably be totally cool forever, unless someone says something that kinda hurts my feelings and … f— it.

I wish I could wave a wand and make Congress fearless. Then they wouldn't kowtow to the NRA so easily. Same for a lot of my fellow Americans. The NRA has convinced people that a home with a gun is safer than one without a gun. That is a lie. Not even close, and the odds are about 8-to-1 that if someone does get hurt with that gun, it's not going to be a bad guy. It's going to be the owner or a friend or family member. The NRA has all the politicians scared and doesn't "let" Congress research gun violence anymore, but fortunately scientists do it anyway, and these are the facts.

Read the essay at: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-arnold-gun-control-essay-nephew-suicide-919835?utm_source=twitter

[shenmue]

1. ...

[yallerdawg]

2. Simple, common-sense gun safety reform:

"I met with the Brady folks, including president Dan Gross, and my timing was perfect. They had the very bill I wanted before Congress, as well as a bill fixing the gun show loophole. The Brady Bill was great, but gun shows and the internet have changed the picture since 1993, so we just want to update things. No guns for the mentally ill until they are treated (the last two cop killers in the headlines were former military with PTSD; once you serve this country, you deserve follow-up mental and physical health checkups every year for the rest of your life). No guns for domestic abusers, violent felons or people on the terrorist watch list, and background checks for everybody. No more buying 40 handguns in a day and selling them to your "cousins" in the parking lot."

[mwrguy]

97. Yearly mental screening of veterans is a good idea

But we still need to get all the guns of the street.

[Glitterati]

3. Someone explain this to me.........

Why in the world does one sleep with 5 LOADED GUNS BY THEIR BED?

Seriously.............5! Yes, the story said 5 LOADED GUNS BY THE BED.

What the everloving F?

[bullwinkle428]

14. My very first thought as well. This kind of thinking goes beyond just "fetish".

[LP2K12]

121. It blows my mind.

I'm obviously pro-gun (see my signature). However, I've never kept firearms loaded in my house. Not one, not five. I don't get it.

[ManiacJoe]

123. Because they are too lazy to properly secure them.

[linuxman]

4. Which proposed law would have kept his nephew from killing his self?

None I'm aware of.

[Glitterati]

5. The part about mental health

Look, it's pretty clear to anyone NOT a gun humper that keeping 5 loaded guns on the nightstand next to your bed indicates some mental health issues.

[linuxman]

6. And how do you find out who has 5 next to their bed to determine they're mental?

Daily doctor checks? It only took the one gun, after all. It's not like he got mad on the phone with his GF the week before, saw only 4 gun and said "Fuck it, I need 5 to pull this off".

Again, which proposed law would have prevented this?

[easttexaslefty]

7. Did you read the article?

Just wondering because it sure sounds like you didnt..

[yallerdawg]

9. The NRA opposes gun restrictions on veterans for any reason.

Best customers of all!

"Spencer had 5 of them on his nightstand!"

Our veterans are trained and competent with all manner of weapons. They bond together over weapons!

Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield were bonding with a fellow veteran at a gun-range.

[jmg257]

10. I think the NRA's issue is the lack of due process in the various processes...

Terrorist list or mental health "prohibited persons" being pushed to NICS, including veterans.

[Marengo]

17. What restrictions do you want on veterans?

[yallerdawg]

27. Tom Arnold:

Just having visited and entertained in war zones like Afghanistan, I have a good idea why we are now dealing with a PTSD and gun-suicide epidemic in this country. I know how hard it is for actively serving military to ask for help. It goes against every bit of training we give them and behavior we demand of them. It's seen as a weakness, the opposite of heroic — which of course makes asking for help the bravest thing our servicemen and women can do.

I asked Spencer's dad to take my nephew's guns to the police station to have them destroyed. He was outraged. He was taking them home to use. It was his way of honoring his son. We are different. Doesn't make me right. Doesn't make him wrong, but it reminds me there are people in this country who consider guns to be living, breathing things. They represent liberty to some people, and the Constitution itself. Some even equate guns to religion. A gift to Americans directly from God himself. That sounds crazy to me. It should be on the gun test: If you truly believe your metal tool/explosive device is a gift from above, then you should be deemed insane and unfit to legally own a gun.

[smirkymonkey]

33. "If you truly believe your metal tool/explosive device is a gift from above, then you should be

deemed insane and unfit to legally own a gun."

This, right here!

[Marengo]

35. What other constitutional rights would you deny based on a belief?

[smirkymonkey]

39. Sorry, I never thought personal gun ownership should have been a constitutional

right to begin with. It doesn't rank with me. I could give a shit about the rights of gun humpers.

[Marengo]

41. Well, too bad for you it is. As that's out of the way, how about answering the question.

[Marengo]

36. That doesn't really answer my question. Can you articulate what restrictions you may wish?

[yallerdawg]

42. 2016 Democratic Party Platform

Preventing Gun Violence

With 33,000 Americans dying every year, Democrats believe that we must finally take sensible action to address gun violence. While responsible gun ownership is part of the fabric of many communities, too many families in America have suffered from gun violence. We can respect the rights of responsible gun owners while keeping our communities safe. To build on the success of the lifesaving Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, we will expand and strengthen background checks and close dangerous loopholes in our current laws; repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to revoke the dangerous legal immunity protections gun makers and sellers now enjoy; and keep weapons of war—such as assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines (LCAM's)—off our streets. We will fight back against attempts to make it harder for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to revoke federal licenses from law breaking gun dealers, and ensure guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists, intimate partner abusers, other violent criminals, and those with severe mental health issues. There is insufficient research on effective gun prevention policies, which is why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must have the resources it needs to study gun violence as a public health issue.

https://www.demconvention.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Democratic-Party-Platform-7.21.16-no-lines.pdf

[Marengo]

44. Again, that doesn't answer the question. What restrictions to you want on veterans...

Can you answer in your own words?

[yallerdawg]

47. The NRA considers veterans a class separate from the rest of us.

Tom Arnold's nephew kept 5 loaded guns on his nightstand next to his bed!

That makes him a poster boy gun customer!

I want veterans to have the same restrictions and considerations as the rest of us.

[Marengo]

49. Can you link or cite the relevant NRA literature? Veterans are not currently subject to the same...

Restrictions?

[yallerdawg]

52. When we propose gun safety legislation regarding "PTSD"...

and a focus on veteran's mental health, the NRA opposes.

Has for years.

Since I don't work for you - google it.

[Marengo]

55. As you are familiar with the NRA's position, it should be s simple and easy matter for you...

To provide at least a link. How difficult or time consuming is that? You've made the claim, where is the proof to back it up?

[yallerdawg]

64. Show me where the NRA is trying to help veterans on gun safety.

Show me the legislation they have proposed and backed that would have any impact.

The NRA is a rightwing organization that aligns with the Republican Party.

You want to argue the NRA is a good organization that's looking out for us - go ahead.

[Marengo]

69. I'm not arguing anything, simply asking for a link or cite of what your basing this opinion on.

Am I correct to interpret your position is that the NRA wants no restrictions on veterans?

[beevul]

59. The minute you say "gun safety", I no longer trust you...

The minute you say "gun safety", I no longer trust you, like tens of millions of other Americans.

"Gun safety" is safe firearm handling and use, not "gun control" by another name.

[yallerdawg]

68. Fortunately, there is a couple hundred million Americans...

that trust in gun safety legislation.

Any legislation that makes gun ownership safer for all of us.

[beevul]

95. Keep telling yourself that...

Any legislation that makes gun ownership safer for all of us.

Keep telling yourself that, when folks bring up bans and legislation designed to reduce gun ownership, while the rest of us laugh and point.

[sarisataka]

73. Firearm restrictions

Are exactly the same for vets and the Vets. There is absolutely no difference.

Former police on the other hand do receive exceptions to gun laws.

[Duckhunter935]

101. True nt

[sarisataka]

46. Should veterans be

Prohibited from owning weapons?
Or alternatively should veterans be assumed to be mentally ill until appropriately treated.

[yallerdawg]

62. There's a problem.

[sarisataka]

70. I am well aware

Of vet suicide. I do volunteer work with at-risk vets whenever I am able. The suicide risk for my personal demographic is off the charts. The VA will contact me once or twice a year just to check in. Although I have never been suicidal I still see a therapist monthly just to keep them happy.

But should I face any legal restrictions on what I choose to do simply because I am a vet?

[WestCoastLib]

113. "Simply"? No

But if your time as a Vet left you with mental health problems?

Yes

PTSD qualifies as a mental illness that leads to a higher risk of using a gun on yourself, or others. If someone sufffers from this illness and has not been able to overcome it to the point that a psychological evaluation can be satisfied with, by all means, they should not own a gun.

[jack_krass]

116. How about treating or preventing the PTSD instead of trying to steal guns from vets?

Any energy spent trying to remove guns from vets with PTSD would be better spent on treatment.

There are ways of committing violence to ones self or others other than guns. This is a point that gun grabbers just don't seem to understand.

[WestCoastLib]

118. It should be treated

An when it has been successfully treated (hence the psych eval as I already stated) thy may own guns again

[jack_krass]

119. I don't believe that taking guns away from PTSD vets would result in a

net decrease in violence (even gun violence), and such a simplistic solutionl, will prevent.other, better ideas from being discussed and tried Also, I believe the gun controllers are over simplifying a few things.

-no guns does NOT mean no violence, no murder or no suicide

-anybody who truly wants a gun, especially a vet, can get one via illegal or quasi legal means.

[kcr]

120. "instead of trying to steal guns from vets"

That's a funny name for suicide prevention. Because no one is trying to steal anything from anyone. I'm sorry, but it would be beyond cruel, not to mention pretty damn incompetent to focus only on PTSD, but ignore suicides. And it would be beyond stupid to focus on suicides but ignore guns, particularly when it comes to vets.

[Humanist_Activist]

20. You are much more likely to succeed at killing yourself with a gun than any other method...

assuming we don't change how mental health is handled in this country, he would have been robbed of an opportunity to easily dispatch himself.

Attempted suicides are bad, but better than completed ones for issues of mental health that are treatable.

[scscholar]

96. If the law was reasonable and required therapists to approve potential PTSD sufferers...

from buying one of those things before a few months of treatments, then he would still be alive. He should have proven he didn't have it rather than us having to prove he did before he committed this act of gun violence.

[jmg257]

8. Yep - people like this should definitely not have guns.

"My nephew Spencer was a sweet boy, but he was small, and I'm sure he was picked on. He was kicked out of the Army after attempting suicide. He was diagnosed as chronically depressed and unsafe around weapons. Yet he was able to get a concealed weapon permit from the state of Iowa and buy five guns. Like me, Spencer was a substance abuser. He refused my offer for help with that as well as his mental illness, so I was very concerned. Last fall, when I saw on Facebook that he had joined a crazy, racist, neo-Nazi (I'm Jewish, as is my mom) gun group and videotaped himself showing off, drunkenly shooting his assault rifle and calling President Obama the N-word, I headed to the airport to go see him."
...
"No guns for the mentally ill until they are treated (the last two cop killers in the headlines were former military with PTSD; once you serve this country, you deserve follow-up mental and physical health checkups every year for the rest of your life). No guns for domestic abusers, violent felons or people on the terrorist watch list, and background checks for everybody."

(Dishonorable discharge, addictive drug user, and adjudicated 'mentally defective' are questions on the federal 4473 form (like convicted domestic abuser), so not sure how he got approved for a CC permit).

Might as well add in people on Strategic Subject Lists like Chicago has for identifying those responsible for gun violence too.

"I've handled guns for 52 years. I support the Second Amendment. I own guns, but I am very, very careful because they are very, very dangerous. I know."

Cool - he still wants to allow competent people to make their own choices.

[Angel Martin]

19. When he bought the guns, the nephew lied

on at least, questions b, c, e, f, g and probably h and i as well.

Any one of those questions should have stopped the purchase.

https://www.atf.gov/file/61446/download

Instead of a bunch of new gun laws that are not enforced, how about enforcing those already on the books.

[jmg257]

21. Yep - must have included some major fudging on his Iowa pistol app too...

"The intent of this authorization is to give my consent for full and complete disclosure of records of psychiatric treatment, substance abuse treatment, consultation and/or court ordered involuntary committal for treatment including those records held by hospitals, clinics, private practitioners, the U.S. Veteran’s Administration and clerks of court, as necessary to verify that I meet the requirements of the state of Iowa and the United States for the acquisition and possession of a firearm"

"
...
o o 4/ Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any controlled substance?
o o 5. Have you ever been adjudicated mentally defective (which includes a determination by a court,
board, commission, or other lawful authority that you are a danger to yourself or to others or are
incompetent to manage your own affairs) OR have you ever been committed to a mental
institution?
o o 6. Have you been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions?
..."

"I certify that all information, including supporting documentation, provided in this application is true and correct, and I understand that I may be convicted of a class “D” felony pursuant to Iowa Code section 724.17 if I make what I know to be a false statement of material fact on this application or if I submit what I know to be any materially falsified or forged documentation in connection with this application."

http://www.dps.state.ia.us/asd/weapons/WP3.pdf


So besides committing a felony on his Permit form, someone else likely screwed up royally when checking him out or vouching for him.

[Initech]

11. I've always liked Tom Arnold.

True Lies is one of my all time favorite flicks. It's very sad that this happened to him. But good that he's speaking out on the subject.

[dembotoz]

12. guns provide easy means of suicide

yes if they are determined they will find another means
but from what i understand, suicide by guns happens more often that good guy with gun preventing bad guy with gun

[jmg257]

13. Depends on whose number you believe for Defensive Gun Uses {VPC says about 55,000 times/year}.

And whether - or how much - lawful citizens should be infringed because other people kill themselves.

[Calculating]

15. The suicides are less concerning than people leaving guns out for children

If people wanna kill themselves they'll find a way. Probably better that they shoot themselves rather than jumping off a building or in front of a train. What bothers me is when people leave guns in the car, under the bed, or other dumb areas and then some poor kid finds the gun and bad things happen. If you have kids around LOCK YOUR GUNS UP SOMEWHERE SAFE FFS!

[jmg257]

16. Agreed!!! nt

[Marengo]

18. Where did you find those stats?

[Humanist_Activist]

22. He made them up, they are dependent, almost exclusively, on unreliable self reporting...

other studies contradict the safety and effectiveness of guns.

[dembotoz]

38. good guy with guns pretty rare....gun suicide not so much

in my life i have never seen the good guy with the gun but i know a number of folks who were gun suicide.

when there is a good guy with a gun the local media makes a big deal of it.

gun suicides nary a mention.
the big push up thing is 22 veterans a day commit suicide....
of the gun suicide i know of non were vets

[Marengo]

43. What stats are you basing your opinion on?

[sarisataka]

78. The Works of those famous

Iheard and Everyonesays...

[Marengo]

91. But, that poster sounds so...informed!

[beevul]

57. No they really aren't.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dgu/

[Major Nikon]

51. Every gun nut I've ever met has a story about how they were saved by precious

[NickB79]

23. Most gun control laws are wholly unsuited for addressing suicide

About the only thing that MIGHT help is a waiting period of several days, and possibly safe storage laws like those used to prosecute parents when children find unsecured firearms (but then you'd be faced with the tricky prospect of prosecuting a family member who just lost a loved one to a suicide).

Something like a new assault weapons ban doesn't do much good when a person can kill themselves with a simple, single-shot shotgun.

[Eleanors38]

24. Why am I not surprised to see a post for "gun control" in GD?

[yallerdawg]

25. This is an election issue.

Republicans, Trump, and the NRA oppose gun safety reform.

Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party platform advocate for gun safety reform NOW in light of all that has happened.

This is a Democratic website.

[Eleanors38]

26. Clearly, GD means Guns Discussion. Sorry to bother some Democrats.

[yallerdawg]

32. From "General Discussion" Statement of Purpose:

GUNS

• News stories (and related content) from reputable mainstream sources about efforts to strengthen or weaken gun control legislation in any jurisdiction in the United States, national news stories (and related content) from reputable mainstream sources about high-profile gun crimes, and viral political content from social media or blogs that would likely be of interest to a large majority of DU members are permitted under normal circumstances.

• Local stories about gun crime and "gun porn" threads showing pictures of guns or discussing the merits of various firearms are not permitted under normal circumstances and should be posted in the Gun Control and RKBA Group.

• Open discussion of guns is permitted during very high-profile news events which are heavily covered across all newsmedia.

[Duckhunter935]

56. Does not seem to fit your explanation

There is no election exemption. There are two groups that are designed for gun stories. Why not post this in one or both of these groups?

By the way, what new laws would you propose to prevent this?

[yallerdawg]

72. "Hail, hail...

the gangs all here!"

[Duckhunter935]

83. And I see once again you can't answer

A simple question. Hope you are having a great Friday and hope you post in other groups to generate further discussion.

[LittleDuckie]

28. Why does anyone think . . .

they have the right to prevent someone from committing suicide in the first place?

[sarisataka]

29. Interesting question

And if we support that people have a right to choose to end their lives does it that matter what method they choose to end it with?

[yallerdawg]

30. If you are mentally ill or suffering from PTSD...

or suffering from depression - we have the human imperative to intervene, don't we?

[LittleDuckie]

31. Does it really matter . . .

whether the suffering is caused by cancer or trauma?

[yallerdawg]

34. Not in this dog-eat-dog world, right?

Survival of the mentally fittest, right?

Enjoy your visit.

[Marengo]

37. How does this relate to firearms?

[yallerdawg]

40. From OP again:

"No guns for the mentally ill until they are treated (the last two cop killers in the headlines were former military with PTSD; once you serve this country, you deserve follow-up mental and physical health checkups every year for the rest of your life). No guns for domestic abusers, violent felons or people on the terrorist watch list, and background checks for everybody. No more buying 40 handguns in a day and selling them to your "cousins" in the parking lot."

[Marengo]

45. What is your definition of mentally ill?

[yallerdawg]

48. My definition?

It would have to include "anyone who wants to purchase a gun."

We'll start there - now prove you're not mentally ill.

[Marengo]

50. Firearms have no legitimate purpose in your view?

[yallerdawg]

53. Yes, they do.

"A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State..."

In this context, they have a legitimate purpose.

[Marengo]

58. Firearms may only be possessed by those in militia service?

[yallerdawg]

80. That would be...

an interesting google question, wouldn't it?

[Marengo]

92. Do you know the answer?

[Marengo]

77. A person not in militia service who wants a firearm is mentally ill?

[yallerdawg]

82. I wonder if google...

could give you those statistics?

[Marengo]

85. I asked for your opinion, not stats. Can you answer?

[yallerdawg]

87. Yes.

I can answer.

Refer to the Original Post. That is very similar to my personal opinion.

Which is why I posted it.

[Marengo]

89. Can you respond to my question in post #77 with a yes or no?

[X_Digger]

90. And that's it right there, folks.

All the hemming and hawwing, back and forth, with platitudes and 'common sense' language-- here's the meat, stripped down and saved for posterity.

My definition?

It would have to include "anyone who wants to purchase a gun."

We'll start there - now prove you're not mentally ill.

You can expect to see that one again.

[beevul]

100. Sometimes when the mask slips, it REALLY slips. N/T

[Hoyt]

54. Gun fanciers don't care, just like they don't care about kids getting shot, george zimmerman, etc.

[Marengo]

60. What defines a "fancier"? What sets a fancier apart from other gun owners?

[Hoyt]

61. Someone who defends guns, and obviously doesn't give a damn about the consequences. Oh, and

one who acts oblivious to gun damage. It's funny you'd even ask.

[Marengo]

63. What question is that? Asking your definition of "fancier"?

[beevul]

65. Just because we disagree with how anti-gunners define the problem...

Just because we disagree with how anti-gunners define the problem, and therefore disagree with the solution, doesn't mean we don't care.

It means we think you're wrong, but I can see how that would confuse you.

[Hoyt]

75. No, it means you care more about your gunz than any of that. It's obvious.

Last edited Fri Aug 19, 2016, 09:02 PM - Edit history (1)

[Marengo]

93. Can you spare a moment to answer my question in post #63?

[Duckhunter935]

103. They do not generally answer simple questions

Most often some just resort to insults sadly.

[beevul]

106. And definitely almost never, the questions that are asked.

They seem to have no problem answering questions that weren't asked, and pretending they were, though.

[Duckhunter935]

107. That is a very true statement

[Hoyt]

108. I refuse to play the "let me ask you a question game." Christ, why do you guys do that

when the answer is so obvious?

[beevul]

110. Its called a discussion, hoyt

You either take part in good faith, or you don't.

Just say no, to 'don't'. 'Don't' makes DU suck.

[Hoyt]

111. No, it's called gunner obfuscation (BS).

[beevul]

115. This is a DISCUSSION board, hoyt.

You either discuss topics in good faith, or you don't.

You, are using words, yet not engaging in good faith discussion.

That behavior makes DU suck, and theres a word for it that begins with the letter T.

[Marengo]

112. Asking you to define a term you use equals not caring if children are shot?

Do you understand how that sounds?

[Duckhunter935]

117. We like discussion and all points of view

[beevul]

98. Nope.

There are generally two parties involved in the gun debate. pro-gun, and anti-gun.

Only the anti-gun side sees it as "gun ownership is in conflict with 'any of that'".

The pro-gun side does not see ownership as being in conflict with 'any of that'.


In short, that talking point is a big heaping pile of projection, meant to degrade, insult, shame, marginalize and otherize people who don't judge the issue using the same "x vs x" formula that you do.

And its transparent as fuck, too.

[R.A. Ganoush]

86. Sack of unripened bananas

NT

[Skittles]

66. acording to gun humpers, suicides do not count

neither do gang shootings

[LittleDuckie]

67. I do not own a gun.

And I still think people have a right to end their lives without interference.

[Skittles]

81. ending your life is one thing

ending it (AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS) in the heat of the moment because a fucking gun is available is ENTIRELY ANOTHER

[Marengo]

71. What is the USA's international ranking in suicide?

[yallerdawg]

76. Google is your friend.

We don't work for you.

[Marengo]

79. Do you know? Too difficult to key a number or two in the subject line?

[yallerdawg]

84. Two questions?

Is this what they call "doubling down"?

[Marengo]

88. You responded to a question not posed to you, I assumed you knew the answer. Am I wrong?

[Marengo]

94. What requires more effort, the post you wrote or the direct answer to my question?

[Initech]

74. I love this part right here:

"I wish I could wave a wand and make Congress fearless. Then they wouldn't kowtow to the NRA so easily. "

Tell that to fuckhead in cheif Mitch McConnell who wants to give the fucking NRA a free pass to appoint whoever they want to the Supreme Court. I'd love to see him squirm after being told that.

[yallerdawg]

99. "Tom Arnold Wrote a Sad, Important Column About Gun Control"

Source: New York Magazine, by Jesse Singal

*****
This is a point worth harping on over and over and over: Whatever our thoughts about the issue of gun control, we have a tendency to underrate the connection between easy access to guns and suicide. When we talk about guns, we often focus on homicides — particularly mass shootings and, to a lesser extent, gang violence; these tend to be big, spectacularly violent public events that garner a lot of news coverage. But suicides actually account for more than half of all gun deaths — they just tend to be private events shrouded in stigma, and therefore gun suicides seem to constitute barely a whisper in the cacophonous national debate over guns.

Experts repeatedly pointed me to the guns-suicide connection when I was working on a December story about the National Rifle Association–spurred ban on federal research into guns, which has seriously stalled social scientists’ understanding of how to reduce gun deaths in the United States. “I think in the area of suicide, what has become clear is that a lot of suicides are very impulsive,” Mark Rosenberg, the president and CEO of the Task Force for Global Help and the former head of the CDC’s gun-research efforts, told me. The common cultural script of someone carefully, methodically planning their suicide often doesn’t apply — easy access to firearms can literally be a life-and-death issue, in light of the research showing that there can be as little as five minutes between someone deciding to kill themselves and going through with it.

Or sometimes fewer than five minutes, it seems. It’s impossible to know what Spencer was thinking in the moments before he ended his life, but we should keep that awful sequence — Spencer being excited about college and clearly planning for his future, and later that evening, in a temporary moment of anguish, having the means to end his life literally within arm’s reach — in mind whenever we talk about the toll of guns in the U.S.

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/08/tom-arnold-wrote-a-sad-important-column-about-gun-control.html

[beevul]

102. Heh.

The fact that the usual suspects would rather pick a fight over guns where they know they'll get strong pro-gun opposition, than address the root causes of suicide and dedicate the appropriate resources to it with NO pro-gun opposition, makes what this is about in their minds, perfectly crystal clear:

Its about the guns.

[yallerdawg]

104. You do know you're on a Democratic website?

Our Democratic nominee's position?

As President, Clinton will:

1. Fight for comprehensive background checks:

• She will advocate for comprehensive federal background check legislation.

• She will close the “Charleston loophole,” which allows any gun sale to proceed if a background check is not completed within three days.

2. Hold dealers and manufacturers fully accountable if they endanger Americans:

• She will repeal the gun industry’s unique immunity protection due to lobbying by the NRA.

• She will revoke the licenses of bad dealers, such as those that knowingly supply guns to straw purchasers and traffickers:

3. Keep guns out of the hands of potential terrorists, domestic abusers, other violent criminals and the severely mentally ill.

• Clinton has said “If you are too dangerous to fly, you are too dangerous to buy a gun, period.” She will insist on comprehensive background checks prevent suspected terrorists from buying guns.

• She will support legislation to prohibit all domestic abusers and individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses from buying and possessing guns.

• She will make straw purchasing a federal crime.

Much more at: https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factchecks/2016/04/14/hillary-clinton-will-fight-for-common-sense-solutions-to-reduce-gun-violence/

[beevul]

105. Do you know that that is irrelevent to what I said?

Not to mention, I was posting here for ten years before you decided to come along and cast aspersions.

What I said is either true, or untrue, and since you didn't even address it and instead decided to try to cast aspersions on a DUer whos been a member for roughly 12 years to your 2, I can only conclude that you know its true.

Our Democratic nominee's position?

Maybe you can point me to the part of the TOS that mandates that I must agree with the nominee on every point on every topic.

I'm sure you wont have any trouble finding it.

[Duckhunter935]

109. I am sure that poster will be right back

I am sure that poster will say the same to the many here that are against the democratic platform by banning firearms ownership by civilians.

While responsible gun ownership is part of the fabric of many communities, too many families in America have suffered from gun violence. We can respect the rights of responsible gun owners while keeping our communities safe.

https://www.demconvention.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Democratic-Party-Platform-7.21.16-no-lines.pdf

[etherealtruth]

114. This is a very poignant essay

I have never been a particular fan of Tom Arnold as an entertainer but (as the title states) Tom Arnold 's essay is a powerful argument regarding gun control and suicide and returning veterans

I realize that there are those that believe suicide is a choice and that returning veterans have a 41% higher suicide rate than the general population (http://www.publichealth.va.gov/epidemiology/studies/suicide-risk-death-risk-recent-veterans.asp) ... have a choice and it is not our concern. Viewing this as a choice is an appalling idea to me, but it is an opinion.

Cut it however you want: In places where exposure to guns is higher, more people die of suicide.
Deborah Azrael, associate director of the Harvard Youth Violence Prevention Center

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/guns-suicide/

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health of all 50 U.S. states reveals a powerful link between rates of firearm ownership and suicides. Based on a survey of American households conducted in 2002, HSPH Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management Matthew Miller, Research Associate Deborah Azrael, and colleagues at the School’s Injury Control Research Center (ICRC), found that in states where guns were prevalent—as in Wyoming, where 63 percent of households reported owning guns—rates of suicide were higher. The inverse was also true: where gun ownership was less common, suicide rates were also lower.

The lesson? Many lives would likely be saved if people disposed of their firearms, kept them locked away, or stored them outside the home. Says HSPH Professor of Health Policy David Hemenway, the ICRC’s director: “Studies show that most attempters act on impulse, in moments of panic or despair. Once the acute feelings ease, 90 percent do not go on to die by suicide.”

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/guns-and-suicide/

I am sorry that your thread was hijacked by the sophistry (for those that need/demand definitions enter "sophistry" into a search engine and voila, you will have a definition) of those that solely post at DU to espouse their love of weaponry regardless of the cost to society and individuals.

Its not worth engaging with those that approach this from a point akin to religious fervor . thank you for posting this.