Tennessee needs to change gun laws before another tragedy
Tennessee lawmakers looking for a way to close a giant loophole in state gun laws that allows mentally ill people to bypass background checks and legally buy firearms need look no further than neighboring Georgia for the solution.
That state simply denies mentally ill people’s application while not disclosing the reason why to those doing the checking. That not only protects the public, it also, importantly, protects that person’s privacy.
The need for a change in the law became apparent recently after a woman was shot and wounded in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Milan. The suspect in that case was diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia several years ago.
He had even been involuntarily committed to Western State Mental Health Institute in 2001. Yet, he was able to legally purchase a firearm just days before the shooting. That’s because the Tennessee Instant Check System only flags applications where the applicant has been convicted of a felony.
There is a clear public safety interest in keeping firearms out of the hands of those with serious mental illnesses. But those who suffer from those maladies have rights, too. They have a right to privacy. They have a right to know that their sensitive medical information won’t be easily accessed by the clerk at Wal-Mart or the local pawnshop.
We shouldn’t wait for another incident like the one in Milan before closing this loophole. Public safety demands it.