Sunday, October 13, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, December 30, 2019
Will Red Flag Laws Stop Gun Owners Seeking Medical Care?
By News Release @ 2:20 AM :: 4064 Views :: Health Care, Second Amendment

CAUSE OF DEATH: RED FLAG 

Will Red Flag Laws Stop Gun Owners Seeking Medical Care

News Release from Hawaii Firearms Coalition, December 29, 2019

Hawaii Firearms Coalition recently held a poll asking gun owners if they would talk to their doctors about any mental health issues they may be having, knowing that their doctor could file a red flag order against them. 

The poll created by Hawaii Firearms Coalition read: "Many states passing red flag laws, that allow a doctor to petition a court to remove your firearms if they feel you are a danger to yourself or others.

Knowing this, as a gun owner, would you seek medical assistance for any mental health issues, you may believe you are suffering from?" 

We had a total of 1,478 people take the poll, and the results were overwhelmingly NO.  93% (1385 ) of the people surveyed said they would not seek medical care even if they believed they were suffering from a mental health issue.(4)

So-called red flag laws are being passed across the nation. These laws allow a variety of people to go to court and file for an order to take a person's guns away. The person filling for these court orders must merely state that they believe a person is a danger to themselves or to others. The current list of people caries by state but often includes; family members, doctors, intimate partners (current or former), police officers, people living in the same residence, and teachers. 

These orders are issued by courts ex parte (with the interest of one party) what this means is that the court does not notify the person who is being flagged about the order. In fact, the first time they would find out about one being issued is after it is issued, and a police swat team arrives to take their firearms away. 

Many mental health issues are passing and easily managed with the right medical care. In fact, according to John Hopkins Medicine, about 1 in 4 adults -- suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.(1)

For many, the fear of having their second amendment rights taken away (possibly forever) will push them not to seek the medical care they need. Many mental health conditions are preventable or curable as long as medical treatment is sort at the right time. Any law that discourages people from seeking medical care should be considered harmful. 

Currently, there are a number of laws that provide for someone's firearms to be taken away (TRO's and medical heath holds). These laws are used across the nation, successfully, to protect communities from people that are proven to be a danger. Red flag laws came about due to the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The shooter in the case had shown many signs of being a danger to himself or others, including making threats regarding school shootings and attempting suicide. " On September 23, 2016, a peer counselor notified the school resource officer of his suicide attempt and intent to buy a gun;" (2) 

The police and medical professionals, in this case, failed to follow through with the current laws, they failed to go to court and use evidence to show he was a threat and have him taken into custody. To make it easier to take away someone's firearms in the future red flag laws were written with no due process or affirmative evidence requirements. Essentially as long as a person swears that what they are saying is true, someone's firearms can be taken away with a care to the person's rights. 

With doctors being on the list of people who can take away your firearms, you not only have to worry about mentioning something that could be perceived as being a threat to safety, but you also have to worry about malicious intent. A doctor who may be anti-gun or perhaps have a disagreement with over a billing issue or medical procedure can not call the police or go to court and punish a person by taking away their firearms. 

These so-called gun safety laws are a danger not only to the rights of gun owners but also to their health and wellbeing. With nearly two-thirds of firearms deaths being the result of suicide (3), and law that discourages people seeing help is going to increase the number of lives lost. 

---30---

(1)https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics

(2)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneman_Douglas_High_School_shooting

(3)https://www.politifact.com/virginia/statements/2019/aug/21/jason-miyares/62-us-gun-deaths-are-suicides/

(4)https://www.facebook.com/hificoorg/posts/729504820870749

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii