Comments about ‘Ala. child hostage standoff in 2nd day at bunker’

Here is a prime example of why we need comprehensive ways of dealing with guns and mental illness. BOTH sides of the equation demand serious changes.

Given the history of threats and violence, should this man have been allowed to keep his weapons? No.

But were authorities able to remove the weapons? No.

Why? Probably because he had not been convicted of a felony. No matter how many misdemeanors a person may have racked up, his guns must be returned after an arrest that does not meet the level of a felony.

A few simple fixes will not fix anything. COMPREHENSIVE action is required.

That will require WISDOM and POLITICAL COURAGE. Do our law makers have the courage to stand up against the NRA and their sheep-like followers?

I hope so.

A few years ago, I had a personal experience with something like this. To make a long story short, I and several others took a CERT class. One of the instructors carried a 9mm, a radio, and some other paraphernalia on his belt. He spent a lot of time talking about the "need" to "be ready" to stand up to all sorts of "threats."

It became so bad that some of us decided we needed to try to do something about we felt was a very real potential threat.

We finally went and talked with the police chief in the small northern Utah town. His response was downright frightening. He told us that we were not the first to express concern. Many other people had already done so.

But, he told us, because the man had no record of felonies, he had every right in the world to keep his weapons.

I'm still expecting that some day, I'll see his name in the headlines.

And then, it will be too late.

They are going to inject racism into this I bet.