There is a very sneaky way in which the Obama administration is trying to implement stricter gun control measures without Congressional action. He has recently begun using the "regulatory" features of Obamacare to require insurance companies to provide "mental health" coverage and impose "transparency".
What does this mean? Well, consider this:
Polls also indicate the public favors increased mental health treatment as a way to prevent gun violence. Asked how much better mental health services would help the problem, 46% said "a lot," while 35% said "some," and 9% said "not much," according to a CBS News poll from February 2013—at the height of this year's gun control debate.
When President Barack Obama announced a series of 23 executive actions in his gun control push this year, four of them focused on mental health components. [CNN]
And what does the "transparency" feature mean?
On Friday, the Obama administration announced new rules that place mental health and substance abuse services on par with medical and surgical benefits.
The rules, which will apply to almost all forms of health insurance, will likely have far-reaching consequences, states the New York Times, as they are critical to Obama’s program for preventing gun violence, i.e., his belief that more availability of mental health treatment will reduce gun violence. In issuing the new health insurance regulations, the administration said it will have acted on all 23 executive actions that Obama announced earlier this year to reduce gun crime following the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut last December. [Breitbart]
So how does 'nudging' the American people into believing that more "mental health" treatment will result in fewer mass gun crimes help the Obama agenda to impose stricter gun control laws?
As odd as it seems, Obamacare contains provisions that jeopardize gun ownership, especially for veterans. Anti-gun provisions were added to initial drafts of Obamacare legislation under the pretext of prohibiting people with mental illness – which can include PTSD - from owning guns. Fortunately, the NRA stepped in and got some of the worst language revised last December. Senate amendment 3276, Sec. 2716, part c. prohibits the creation of a firearms database and stops doctors from disclosing or collecting information relating to a patient’s firearms. Ironically, this provision was probably the only positive result of most members of Congress not bothering to read the bill before voting on it. However, the provision does not go as far as prohibiting doctors from asking their patients if there are any firearms in their home. In January, Obama issued 23 executive actions and orders regarding firearms. Order 16 stressed that Obamacare does not prohibit doctors from asking patients about their firearms, and the fact sheet includes, “Clarify that no federal law prevents health care providers from warning law enforcement authorities about threats of violence.” What constitutes a “threat of violence” could be very arbitrary. [TownHall]
Arbitrary indeed. Just think of all the "mental health loopholes" that could be used to take away your right to gun ownership. Depression and PTSD are so common that they advertise drugs for treatment on television every single day. Could these conditions be enough to take away your right to defend yourself and your family?
A 72 year old war veteran had some things on his mind so he went to see a VA counselor at his doctors suggestion. He had high blood pressure and bad memories of helicopter crash rescues he'd been on. He'd lost his mother, his wife, a son and a granddaughter in the last few years. He was very sad.
Then when he got home the police called. They asked if he had any guns in the house. He told them that he had three antique firearms, including a musket that was more than 100 years old, but no ammunition.
But that night about 11 p.m. there was a knock at Lovi’s door. His son answered and saw four or five police officers standing outside.
“Dad, you better come out here,” he said. The police came to his house and took his antique firearms. [BluegrassBulletin]
And of course gun confiscation is effectively underway in New York, California and Florida.
And if you still think that it can't happen here, think again. Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes has been identified by First Lady Michelle Obama as an important part of Barack Obama's plans to impose gun control.
You need to remain "situationally aware".