I wrote a longer comment about this on the PsychCentral newsletter article in the newsletter, but it's still awaiting moderation. The article is here, though: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/depres...at-never-ends/. I replied specifically to "bk" in the comments section.

I agree, we need better mental health help. However, I oppose preventing the ownership of a gun simply on the basis that a person is mentally ill. Most mentally ill people are not violent. We are Americans, too, entitled to our right to protect ourselves. I think, if a person wants to buy a gun (mentally ill or not), they can only do so if they have shown themselves not to have committed violent acts, being repeatedly aggressive, or has seriously threatened physical harm to someone.

Whatever you might think of guns, you shouldn't be for discriminating against a group that is usually non-violent. If we're going to disallow them, it should be for everyone, not just a specific group that some people think might commit a crime. There are lots of things I've thought people might do, but that doesn't give me the right to impose my will upon them.

That said, I don't think banning guns is the answer. The guns are already out there. If we tell people they can't buy a gun to protect themselves, then only the bad people will have the guns, and the good people will be at their mercy.