[stagpanther]

Of all the things that threaten gun ownership I don't think background checks, age requirements etc are the biggest threats. BY FAR the biggest threat is so-called red-flag "mental health" checks. What that really comes down to is you're asking law enforcement to somehow figure out psychology and apply it to revoking firearms. This will NEVER work, and why the GOP keeps touting it is beyond me.

I can tell you why it won't work. I have been suffering from a chronic illness for almost 15 years. I hurt to some degree almost all the time. A typical visit to the doctor goes like this: a nurse intern walks in and asks generic questions, how you feeling today, etc and what did you come for. Your responses get immediately entered into a computerized "doctoring for dummies" database. You don't know what they enter nor have the right to review on demand as far as I know. That stuff stays on a permanent record and follows you around till the end of your days. I generally respond with something like "I'm OK, considering, but not great."

What happens is quickly they will direct their questions towards issues of depression and violence, mostly towards yourself--especially if they have failed to successfully diagnose and treat the medical cause of your illness; this starts the "it's all in your head, you're imagining things" entries into your record. Health care has become a money-making machine in this country, I'd go as far as to say that truly helping people get affordably well is inherently a conflict of interest. It's like going into your local garage needing an oil change--and being told that your car service needs to be out-sourced to the manufacturer for a new engine and transmission.