COMMENTARY | President Barack Obama’s gun control executive orders are largely full of a lot of fluff, but the veiled push to see gun control under a public health microscope should terrify all Americans. The potential restrictions which could be placed on ownership of any type of gun via a public health mandate could further erode the Second Amendment and the ability to protect your family from harm.
Among the list of gun control executive orders were numerous items relating to both medical and mental health care providers. One executive order seeks to clarify that doctors are not prohibited from asking patients about guns in their homes.
During an interview with the Standard Examiner , University of Pennsylvania professor of social policy Susan Sorenson had this to say about the Second Amendment measure and Affordable Care Act :
“A lot of people buy guns every year, and it’s a health concern. For physicians and other health care professionals not to be able to ask about these issues and record them is counterproductive. Doctors ask patients about illegal drug use, disease history and sexual habits, So, Why not guns? To regulate what the provider can or can’t do really intrudes into the role of the health care provider, which is to ensure the health of the individual and the people who are living in that home.”
Drug, alcohol, and cigarette usage are legitimate questions about lifestyle habits which could impact a patient’s health – whether or not you have concealed carry permit is not. If your doctor knows that you have weapons in your home and you ask for a referral for a child dealing with social anxiety, could you be denied the right to purchase a new gun under a public health mandate?
We just don’t know the answer to that question. Our Second Amendment and self-defense rights are too integral to our very existence to leave the matter up to a Magic 8 ball shake which reveals a “tell you later” response.
Making sure that a mentally ill person cannot purchase a gun is largely an agreed upon issue among both gun rights and anti-gun advocates. But, President Obama’s executive orders push far past making such information available during background checks.
Adam Lanza could arguably have been turned down for a gun purchase, but the weapon he used to slaughter innocent children in Newtown was owned by his mother. By making gun control a public health issue, could Lanza’s mother be turned down for gun ownership because her son lived inside the home? Before you answer too quickly that such a concept is indeed a good idea, let’s change the scenario a little bit while staying within the mental health parameters.
Suppose, your wife was taking medication for post-partum depression or your Alzeimer’s stricken mother was moving into your home, should you have to give up your guns? Slippery slope may be an overused phrase, but that’s exactly what we are now embarking on ladies and gentlemen – a very ice-covered and steep slope which could result into a loss of both liberty and safety.
A total of seven of President Obama’s executive orders on gun control pertain to the Center for Disease Control, medical, and mental health. Will there be more gun control executive orders after the Center for Disease Control offers its recommendations from the “causes and prevention of gun violence” study?
When the gun control and Second Amendment debate leaves the law enforcement arena and enters the public health realm, Congress could be taken out of the equation entirely. If you doubt the power of public health agencies, try to register your child for kindergarten without proof of vaccinations or enter hospitals during a flu epidemic without wearing a mask.
During his time at the podium, President Obama mentioned hunting and outdoor sporting activities in relation to Second Amendment rights, but he did not once address the all-important aspect of personal security. Those who can afford 24/7 armed guards, or are granted such a privilege at the expense of the taxpayers, might not consider how much that right weighs on the minds of the common American.
The Sandy Hook tragedy shattered Newtown families and broke hearts across the country. Sadly, nothing noted in the president’s executive orders would have prevented the senseless carnage in Connecticut or would derail such sinister acts in the future. Existing background check laws deterred the both the Sandy Hook and the Webster firefighters shooter from legally purchasing a gun. Since the average gun owner could load and shoot three high-capacity magazines in approximately 30 seconds, the proposed ban on such ammunition is merely public relations window dressing as well.