Even the most ardent 2A supporters (of which I claim to be) concede that in cases of mental incompetence or incapacity there is no presumption of unrestricted rights, but the discussion rarely gets past the fears of the VA massively misdiagnosing vets of PTSD to disarm them.
I can’t recall anyone saying that a schizophrenic who doesn’t always take his meds should be granted unrestricted 2A rights, and I don’t think I will.
What if your neighbor and poker buddy runs through a very bad streak in life....fired from work, wife runs off with a female circus midget and cleans out the savings, etc etc etc and starts talking crazy enough to honestly scare you. What can you do? Is this a time or place for government intervention?
Or does he have to start acting out his threats and have the local SWAT team called out before something happens and you can give your quote to the newspaper that you knew it was just a matter of time until he snapped?
We don’t talk about this much on FR but maybe we should.
If by starts talking crazy(with or without the dramatic storyline you proposed) you mean he/she makes a threat to kill someone or to hurt someone, most of the time that person has broken a law and should be arrested for it, if there is enough evidence to warrant an arrest. Most laws on the books would probably not allow a person to posses a gun after that arrest, but that still does not mean that person could get one sooner or later illegally even if he had his guns taken from him and was arrested for having those guns. If someone is going to get a gun and kill someone, they will find a way to do it.
the only way a Right might be 'GRANTED' is by having PRIOR RESTRAINT...therefore, individual 'People'/citizens have the duty/responsibilty of preparing themselves against the unmedicated schizo who can and will arm himself regardless unless locked up, and LOCKED UP should take FULL due process...
What if your neighbor and poker buddy runs through a very bad streak in life....fired from work, wife runs off with a female circus midget and cleans out the savings, etc etc etc and starts talking crazy enough to honestly scare you. What can you do? Is this a time or place for government intervention?
same as above...
Sorry EE, but I did answer yer question...
People should ARM THEMSELVES and the governments 'job' would be to thoroughly review the evidence, as petitioned by eligible citizens...
IMHO, a schizophrenic who doesn’t always take his meds should be granted unrestricted 2A rights, or be confined to an institution where others take responsibility for his defense. If he is considered safe to walk free on the streets, he must be as free as I am, or I am myself not free. Now, you will be able to recall someone saying it. Which of us is the more ardent 2A supporter?
As to your "what if", your personal nervousness is insufficient cause to strip him of his 2A rights. Yes, he must act before you react. Otherwise, it is not a reaction at all, but the action of an elitist tyrant who thinks he knows better than his fellow citizen.
IMHO.