New York Governor Andrew Cuomo isn’t one to play nice with the Second Amendment. We all know that. The man has made his career out of stomping all over the constitutionally protected rights of New Yorkers. For us, it’s clear that he has no respect for the right of the people to keep and bear arms in any meaningful way.
Maybe his latest anti-gun proposal is waking people up to that fact.
Democrats should come together with one clear message on gun safety.
The federal gov’t must:
1) Outlaw assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
2) Create a mental health database
3) Pass universal background checks
4) Pass a Red Flag Law pic.twitter.com/0odxSpeDQT— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 7, 2019
Now, points one, three, and four are normal talking points on the Left. He’s not exactly breaking new ground with those, and we’re used to seeing them. More importantly, the Left is used to pressing for those.
However, point number two is different. A national mental health database is an Orwellian nightmare in the making. Can you imagine finding out that you’re going to be listed in a database because you sought professional help after, say, the death of a loved one?
Plus, this database is going to be created by the same people who protected OPM data that was hacked?
There’s absolutely no good that will come of this kind of database. You and I know this. I get the feeling that Cuomo is one of the few who doesn’t.
Hi, I’m a psychology professor & was an advisor for DSM-5 (the US-standard for psychiatric diagnosis). A mental health database would increase stigma, compromise privacy, & do nothing to reduce gun violence.
— (((Jaime))) (@drderringer) August 8, 2019
It very much would increase the stigma. It would also dissuade gun owners who are having difficulties from seeking help in their time of need. The last thing any of them would want is for their guns to be taken or be fed into some database.
That’s not a good look.
Leftist science fiction author N.K. Jemisin wasn’t a fan either.
Do you understand that domestic violence is a far, far better indicator for mass shootings than mental health? Do you understand that mental health is the red herring conservatives throw out to deflect from this? Do you realize you’re doing the GOP’s work for them??
— N. K. Jemisin (@nkjemisin) August 8, 2019
I don’t think she likes it at all.
Of course, a lot of people cite mental health concerns regarding mass shootings, and for a good reason. Sane people don’t slaughter the innocent.
However, I tend to agree that spouting “mental health” isn’t going to help a whole lot. We don’t know what the pathology involved is, so we start wanting to look at everyone on anti-depressants or ADHD medications funny. That’s not helpful either.
Then we have this from someone with #BLM in their profile:
No, do NOT create a “mental health database.” Restricting rights on the basis of mental health status is also a guaranteed way to stop people from seeking help, is ripe for abuse, plus it feeds into the narrative that mentally ill people are dangerous.
— Dr. Kellyann Wolfe (@Green_Mt_Girl) August 8, 2019
I don’t think she’s generally a pro-gun kind of person, based on what her Twitter feed looks like.
So what can we see from this? That Cuomo’s authoritarian efforts have limits, even among the Left. There are some lines even they aren’t willing to cross when it comes to guns.
In a way, it’s refreshing to see. However, despite not being surprised, I’m still saddened to see so many Americans only taking issue with the mental health database. The entire proposal is an assault on the rights of ordinary Americans, and yet it’s only a single point that is drawing fire from people who scream about freedom on a regular basis.
If only they realized that an unarmed people can never be truly free.
Hat tip: RedState
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