There's this doc that has a program on cable called Dr. Pimple Popper. She's a dermatologist that pops folks pimples on TV to the delight and occasional disgust of her viewers.
What can I say? My wife watches her. My wife is weird.
But the premise of the show is that her clients are nice people, and most of them have a distinct feeling of being ostracized by society due to a skin condition, most often in the form of a large ugly bump in a prominent place, be it head, neck, shoulder, butt, whatever, that other people look down at them for, or make fun of them because of.
And here comes the reason for this post. Its not about pimples. Its about the stigma that these people go through due to no fault of their own. Fate has seen fit to place a large fatty mass or unsightly blemish in a visible location, and other people treating them as if they are lepers. They travel from all parts of the country, and often other parts of the world, to go to an understanding dermatologist to remove said offending blob/blotch. And the transformation in their demeanor is nothing less than amazing.
They go from mousy, quiet, self-deprecation, to grateful, jubilant, self-assured individuals all due to the way they feel about other's perception of them.
So, the purpose of this post is: Mental perception. Kinda. Maybe the perception of others that we feel comes from a label placed on us describing others perception of us.
We want to use mental disease as a reason to Red Flag others that in the eyes of so-called normal people, should not own a gun.
But what if the stigma of being just labeled mentally deficient is enough to make a potentially violent person fail to seek the professional help that would otherwise cause them to behave in a non-violent manner? There are those already who stop taking medications necessary to control their behavior simply because they feel this stigma. Add to it the legal rigmarole of going to court to prove they are mentally fit to own a gun they legally purchased in the first place just because a neighbor stopped by and saw their prescription left out on the coffee table?
Simple depression, which everyone feels occasionally to one degree or another, can become overwhelming following certain events. The loss of a loved one, or other personal catastrophe, can often require medical intervention to get through. Doesn't make a person nuts. Just needs a helping hand and possibly stronger assistance to get through this separate instance of trial.
It does NOT mean they are going to go on a major shooting spree, or that they would even entertain the thought.
If I had to choose between a homicidal manic depressive taking medication to keep him sane, but happens to own a couple of guns, and one who stops taking his meds due to the stigma of requiring said medication, but only owns a very nice selection of sharp cutlery, I'll take the medically controlled sane one any day....
But in our day of guilty until proven innocent, and finger pointing and labeling any deviation from what others find to be the norm, it seems our only recourse will be to smile through our pain from this point on. No option to seek ANY mental assistance from a certified professional, due to the fear of being Red Flagged, having jackboots breaking down your door, confiscating your weapons, and having to prove you aren't nuts in front of a judge, and having your sanity questioned publicly. This causing more whispers behind your back and stressors that cause the problems in the first place. A blemish on your reputation and societal standing not even Dr. Pimple Popper can remove.
Until, of course, the pain builds to the breaking point due to fear of being labeled and the finger being pointed, and we actually do 'go off'. Self fulfilling prophecies are no less valid than any other I guess...
3 comments:
You have really hit this on the head, and hard. A gun owner, who might have some small issues with mental overload, that normally he or she would take to his doctor or a mental health professional of some kind, now has to suck it up, or risk putting their name on some list that now puts them in danger of losing their gun rights at the whim of a spurned lover, an angry older child, a doctor who doesn't believe in guns at all, or a wife who is trying for full custody of the children in a divorce.
And of course the list is endless. Have a neighbor that is mentally unstable? Guess what, you should not have called the cops last summer when they threw that half wine bottle at your car while you were having a party with some friends. Because they see you going hunting and know that you own guns, and a made up story and a quick phone call, and now the police now have your collection of guns, some dating back to when your grandfather fought in the second world war, and one back as far as your great, great, great grandfather fought in the war of northern aggression, in above average condition, worth perhaps as much as 5-6 grand.
You hire a lawyer, and attempt to get your guns back, based upon the fact that your neighbor has a history of mental issues, and you are a well known and respected member of society. You actually win your case, and when you go to get your guns back, the Garand that your grandfather fought in WWII with has a broken front sight, and a big scratch down the length of the forearm. Your Civil War Rifle is missing, and when, almost a year later, it has been fired, and has a bulge in the barrel, with the stock near the breach having a never there before crack. Your 6,000$ family heirloom is now less than half that value, and your heirloom has significant less value to your family, now that some crack head has had their hands on it, and fired it instead of only your great, great, great grandfather having fired, both in the war, and in defending his family and in feeding said family.
Tell me again just how just this fucking law is supposed to keep anyone safe? Because, the way I see it, if a person, male or female, is not trusted to own a gun, because they are too dangerous and cannot be trusted not to go on a killing spree, then they should not be trusted to be on the streets at all. Thus the reason for having a real trial in front of a judge and possibly a jury, with lawyers for both sides, and medical professionals to help decide if the person should be incarcerated in a medical facility, and have his guns confiscated or if the entire thing is simply a sham, with the person filing these charges trying to get someone in trouble, which means that they are the ones who should be standing trial for filing false charges.
I may not always carry a MasterCard, but my 9 inch belt knife (5 inch blade) and usually 4 others minimum? I never lee leave home without 'em!
I wish more people kept a hand-written journal. It's a lot easier to cope with that kind of a pressure valve.
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