I'm not Jim, but here are MY answers to your simplistic and overly broad questions.
"1. So you think seven year olds, 2. the mentally ill, 3. the severely retarded, and 4. convicted felons ought to be able legally own and carry a firearm? 5.Do you believe a business has the right to prohibit anyone carrying a firearm from entering their premises? How about a 6. church or 7. government office?"
1. I got my first .22 at eight years of age, never committed any crime or vandalism with it. So if the kid is mature and responsible they can have all the guns they want.
At exactly what age do you grant children the right to defend themselves?
We had a kid locally who saved his mother, sister, and himself from probable death at the hands of a stalker who was attempting to beat his mother to death, only hours after the assailant was released from jail.
The kid was about nine as I recall, he killed the thug with a .22 rifle, after tackling him did not work.
2. Can you define your terms more narrowly? Some people might be technically "mentally Ill" who are actually quite sane and responsible. Raving lunatics clearly no, but your term is imprecise.
3. Severely retarded? Again, your question is unclear. Retarded only means behind the curve for "normal" mental development.
A thirty year old with the mental skills of a twelve year old could probably be trusted with arms if being retarded is their only problem.
4. Convicted Felons? Convicted of WHAT felony?
"Felony" now covers so many things that it is a wonder anyone has escaped the label!
Do all felons lose their right to defend themselves, or their families?
Is it OK to assault a felon's wife or children at will?
Are all felons marked for assault at the whim of anyone who feels like attacking them?
Your question is too broad.
5. Generally, NO! Such prohibitions only serve to make that business a "Target rich environment", leaving the workers defenseless when some nut does decide to commit mayhem.
6. Same as 5.
7. Generally the same as 5, and even then lockers should be available for checking your gun until you leave, as is done in Arizona.
By mentally ill I was thinking of pyschotics, not those who are depressed (if they want to kill themselves, they will find a way w/out a gun) or neurotics (arent we all). By severely mentally retarded I mean someone that has no conception that a gun is anything other than a toy. BTW, I live in St. Louis and we have had two or three gun killings this week with eight year olds accidentally killing their younger sibblings.