Texas allows guns into state mental health hospitals

[mdbl]

Source: USA Today

AUSTIN -- As of New Years Day, licensed gun owners in Texas have been allowed to openly carry firearms into restaurants, shops and zoos. Add a new place to the gun-friendly list: state mental health hospitals. Visitors to one of Texas' 10 state mental health hospitals will be allowed to openly carry weapons into the facilities, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Employees and patients will still be barred from bringing in weapons. The hospitals this week pulled down signs banning guns at its facilities and posted new ones asking people to leave their firearms in their cars or conceal them from patients, said Carrie Williams, a state health department spokeswoman. “While licensed visitors are legally permitted to carry on our hospital campuses, our patients are being actively treated for psychiatric conditions and generally it’s best not to expose them to weapons of any kind.,” Williams said in statement.

The act stems from a pair of new laws, enacted this year, that allows Texans with a gun license to legally carry a holstered firearm without concealing it and bans state agencies from posting signs telling people they cannot carry guns on property. A separate law will allow licensed gun owners to carry firearms into public universities starting Aug. 1. Private businesses could choose whether to allow firearms on their premises.

The laws have sparked heated debate between supporters, who say the visible firearms could deter crime and mass shooters, and opponents who claim guns in eateries and college campuses upset otherwise peaceful environments. Businesses such as Target, Whole Foods and Whataburger have opted not to allow firearms on their Texas premises. Gun-rights advocates have threatened boycotts on businesses that don't allow guns. Allowing firearms into state hospitals is likely to fuel the debate.

"It’s an absolutely terrible idea," said Beth Mitchell, a supervising attorney with Disability Rights Texas, an Austin-based advocacy group for persons with disabilities, including mental ailments. "You have a very vulnerable population committed to these facilities for treatment. Allowing visitors to walk around campus with visible firearms could be very scary to people. It's a very volatile situation."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/01/08/texas-open-carry-psychiatric-hospital/78522138/

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I think the Texas state legislature is all mentally ill. That's why they enacted a law that lets them carry firearms to the place they might be committed.

[Helen Borg]

1. Well done, Texas.

[bvf]

2. Jeezus.

The hospitals this week pulled down signs banning guns at its facilities and posted new ones asking people to leave their firearms in their cars or conceal them from patients, said Carrie Williams, a state health department spokeswoman. “While licensed visitors are legally permitted to carry on our hospital campuses, our patients are being actively treated for psychiatric conditions and generally it’s best not to expose them to weapons of any kind.,” Williams said in statement.

Emphasis mine.

Anyone goofy enough to open carry to begin with is goofy enough to decline this "advice." It's just a matter of time.

[underpants]

6. AA meetings in a liquor store

Hey why not?

This is absurd.

[awoke_in_2003]

54. I cannot smoke anywhere on any...

of the hospital "campuses" (god, I hate how every one is using that word today) in this area (DFW area). Not even in the far reaches of the parking lot. But, I can walk into a mental hospital with a gun. What could possibly go wrong? God, this state sickens me. I wish I had a viable exit plan, but it seems that most of the country that is actually affordable to live in is going bonkers.

[Vinca]

3. A plea to Texas DUers: FLEE! Get out while you can!

Honestly, between this and Greg Abbott itching to secede, it's time to rethink the whole giving it back to Mexico thing.

[Loki]

5. Left 4 years ago and I've never looked back.

Still some good people down there, but they need to git while the gitten is good.

[kentauros]

50. I refuse to "Run away!" when it comes to opposing republicans.

There's still enough of us in this state to return it to sanity. Just have some patience.

I love Texas. Yet, I also don't expect most DUers to understand why, even if I explain it.

[easttexaslefty]

57. I'd love too!!!!

Only several problems
Husband's 96 lifelong texan mother
Our home
Our 4 rescue dogs and the 6 rescue cats
The lifelong construction job connections
My surviving son, his wife and my soon to be born first granddaughter.
My friend of 60 years.

Starting to get it? My life. My fucking life, man.
My fucking life yo.

[FarPoint]

4. There is a predictable outcome from this scenario...

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

32. This makes it easier for mass shooters

just take out the guys who are open carrying first.

Texas is operating under the premise, "An armed society is a polite society."

Of course, they'll forbid any studies to determine the results (increase/decrease in gun deaths) of this policy, just as the CDC is prohibited from studying guns as an epidemic.

[ileus]

7. If you're never in patient care areas this may be okay.

If you are a vendor it may be okay you're probably isolated from the patients. But IMHO if you're going on active floors then even with doors and glass I wouldn't recommend it.




I know in our mental health facility I always feel uneasy when I have to go on their side of the glass but we also operate in pairs. Some places I would be uneasy if I carried a firearm there. Both of my hospitals are like that for me at least.

[bvf]

9. The key word in your post is "recommend."

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that a good percentage of open-carry types don't take very kindly to "recommendations."

[Gregorian]

8. Is it safe to say that Texas is insane?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

26. Better not say that to a Texan or he'll shoot you

or she'll shoot you. Texas is equal opportunity crazy.

[sakabatou]

10. What could possibly go wrong?

[smirkymonkey]

49. Just what I was thinking.

Thank god I am very far away from Texas and have no desire to ever visit.

[packman]

11. My Headline of the Day

Texas allows guns into state mental health hospitals - pure gold.

[LiberalElite]

13. Not the Onion - again

[cannabis_flower]

56. Sadly, no!

[jwirr]

12. Horrible idea. Now for a question: When they use the words

"mentally ill" who are they talking about? Developmentally disabled individuals?

[Proserpina]

25. I wouldn't want a firearm anywhere near my developmentally disabled adult child

and not because I think SHE'D do anything...she may be disabled, but she's not stupid.

[jwirr]

35. That is why I asked. My daughter is totally unable to shot

anyone but she does often scare people - she let's out loud screams when totally unexpected and has seizures. Given the disabled people who have been killed in recent news I could see her being in that position.

Hopefully Texas will come to it's senses soon.

[Politicub]

14. Who supports this stuff? I'm mean, seriously

It seems like they're trying to one up each other on the most absurd places to allow guns. Next up -- armed toddlers at pre-k.

[Skittles]

51. gun humping cowards

they are dime a dozen in Texas

[sulphurdunn]

15. What disturbes me most

is that this kind of legislation is essentially no more than symbolic shrieking, hooting, shit throwing and chest thumping by right-wing knuckle walkers in tailored suits.

[Ferd Berfel]

16. Chlorine for the gene pool?

A friend of mine is a nurse in the mental ward of a local hospital in IL. Her staff is nervous because they allow guard to open-carry their side arms into the ward. Would love to see her face when she reads THIS article .

[nolabear]

17. As a mental health practitioner I fear for my colleagues. Relatives so often rage at us too.

IMO it's more likely that an angry non-patient would come in and harm a practitioner, a nurse, a patient, etc. I've had parents of kids I treated (outpatient) rage at me when I tried to talk to them about the family issues, abusers continue to try to harm and control patients. We talk about wanting panic buttons in offices, and institutions typically have ones you can wear because patients and non patients alike are known to become violent sometimes. Now toss guns in there.

I can't fathom it. It's CRAZY.

[steve2470]

46. you said it all

There is absolutely NO logical reason to allow weapons into a mental health hospital. NONE.

[leftyladyfrommo]

61. And some patients are very violent.

That's why they are in there. One of them could grab a weapon and start shooting.

[nolabear]

63. That's true too but they will be watched far more closely.

You can make rules regarding the patients, even if people have the right to have guns. But not the civilians. But yes, that's a danger too.

[lark]

18. How freaking idiotic can these assholes get?

I mean that totally seriously? Mental hospital, hello! Wonder how long it will be before someone at a mental hospital grabs a loaded not locked gun and shoots someone? Or, it could be some visitor gets "scared" by someone off their meds and kills them. I worked in a locked ward and the people there can get scary sometimes. Especially the ones who have killed/injured others previously. There were a couple of time I needed help from several others to avoid an enraged patient in the 3 years I worked there. Imagine those scenarios only with guns in play!! Do the legislators in TX just hate their folks and are trying to kill them?

[Proserpina]

36. A hospital is supposed to be a place of refuge...a mental hospital, even moreso

turn the whole state into an asylum for the gun nuts, and build a secure border around it. Problem solved!

[antigop]

19. are TX licensed gun owners allowed to open carry in the TX legislature sessions?

How about a police station?
I don't think you can carry a weapon into a courtroom in TX.

Just curious what the restrictions are.

[SwankyXomb]

43. Of course not

Those in power are afraid of people with guns.

[Plucketeer]

20. If you actually LOOK at the outline of Texas

it sorta resembles the silhouette of a toilet. Seems fitting.

[Judi Lynn]

33. Good one! n/t

[SmittynMo]

21. Doesn't Texas want to secede?

I say let em go. Now is a good time.

Note to state: Build a HUGE wall to keep people out. How else will we know it's Texas?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

24. They've changed their minds

They just want to wipe themselves off the face of the map.

[SmittynMo]

34. I suggest they build

the wall. Hell, they can save money if they attach to Mexico's wall, that by the way, Mexico is paying for.

[Proserpina]

22. OMG

Is it too late to give Texas back to the Mexican government? Not that they deserve it, but at least they might know how to deal with this insanity.

[weknowvino2]

23. It's getting stupider out there

[kimbutgar]

27. I see a big drop in tourism dollars to the state

In Europe they think Teaxns are to crazy because of the guns. I see companies deciding not to relocate there. It might take a couple if years though for Texas to see the craziness of their gun laws. Though I wish there could be open carry in their state legislature. But for some reason guns are still banned.

[Proserpina]

37. It will never happen. Has Kansas seen the error of its ways? Not yet, and it's been....

at least 15 years so far...the book came out in 2004.

[kimbutgar]

40. Who would vacation in Kansas? Texas is more of a vacation spot

Besides they did have Kathleen seblius (D)as governor until she left to be part of the Obama administration. And personally there has been some electoral fraud over election results. There is a woman who was checking them out at a university in Kansas and she got fired.

[mdbl]

39. Chicken Sh&*s won't allow guns in their state legislature?

I forgot that hypocrisy is the surname of the repuglicans.

[progree]

28. The best way to stop a bad crazy guy with a gun is with a good crazy guy with a gun

[ChairmanAgnostic]

29. Reverse Social Engineering

Think of the money they will save. They let those who are sick and ailing, under stress or suicidal, violent or looking to finish off a spouse they started to beat, come into the mental health centers armed? And that's some sort of advantage for gun owners?

In the new future, there will be no need to mental health centers. The gun toters will have killed everyone, including themselves, off.

There is another argument - that they misread the architects' plans and were supposed to build the new centers by converting the governor's mansion and the state legislature buildings. While they were fully inhabited by the current pols.

[Geronimoe]

30. People in the mental wards

are very likely more sane than the Republican Politicians.

[Judi Lynn]

31. It took some really great Texas Legislature minds to come up with this one. My God.

It was my impression a facility like this was supposed to be a place where a fragile person could hope to go to start trying the healing process.

How's that to happen with a bunch of belligerent, mentally challenged a-holes swaggering around their sanctuary with instruments of death strapped to their funny thighs, anyway?

It would really make them want to get right back out there, wouldn't it?

[Tab]

38. Please, god, let them secede

I'm so tired of this crazy shit. They're not "united" with these states. Let's see how they do under their own power.

[CRH]

41. What could possibly go wrong? n/t

[valerief]

42. You can't write cartoons this ridiculous. Who in their fuckin' right mind would ever go to Texas?

(Apologies to liberals stuck in Texas now.)

[Judi Lynn]

45. They've created every reason in the world to stay away! n/t

[lastlib]

44. The inmates are running the asylum......

[marble falls]

47. What possibly could go wrong? I'm moving to Oregon. I don't care what the news is:....

Springfield is where I want to live.

[leftyladyfrommo]

48. That sounds like a great idea.

Whose is charge of t he asylum anyway?

[MariaThinks]

52. texas continues to show the way to sanity. that and florida, both led by the bush brothers,

need a thorough cleaning in their government houses.

[tabasco]

53. Murica. Muh freedumbs.

[Jack Rabbit]

55. Please tell me this is the onion

It's not funny.

[Little Tich]

58. I don't understand why anybody would actually need to bring a gun to a mental health hospital. n/t

[Skittles]

59. gun humping cowards need their guns EVERYWHERE

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

60. You gotta be nutz to carry a gun into a mental hospital

And, since you're nutz, you get to be committed.

Then you get your gun taken away from you.

Interesting gun-grab, Guv'ner.

(kidding)

[Quantess]

62. That is fucked up. (no text)

[brentspeak]

64. "State Rep. Matt Rinaldi, a Republican from Irving, voiced support of the new policy..."

"...and said it's up to each hospital to keep the guns away from patients. 'It's the responsibility of the operators of the facilities to ensure that the patients are not around dangerous weapons,' he told the Austin American-Statesman, who first reported the policy shift."

This guy should himself be committed.