Obama has always said since his years in office that he was a President for the disabled. He has stated he was an advocate for disability rights. However Obama according to an article by the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/obama-goal-no-guns-for-some-on-social-security-disability/ may have thrown those with disabilities under the bus. Obama’s new gun control push calls for people who are disabled such as being on SSI, or having a chronic disease to be banned from owning a gun. So much for disability rights.
All indications are the article in the Seattle Times is true as other credible news sources also ran the article. Obama argues that those with disabilities or chronic disease do not have the mental capacity to legally own a gun. I find that disturbing and it makes me mad. To me it is saying cause your not normal you are mentally off or cause your disabled you are mentally off. His new gun control push would ban potentially up to 4-6 million Americans from owning a gun. But it is also not just about gun control its putting labels on people.
Those that are considered disabled usually have rough lives. A high percentage 30-50% are unemployed, and they also face discrimination. To me this would fall under discrimination. It is discriminating to say cause you are disabled and on SSI you cannot own a gun. I also as I stated put it under labeling. After Sandy Hook the media blamed Autism and other disabilities for the actions of the shooter. That created a lot of backlash and fear toward the disabled. Most people who are on disability live at home. So owning a gun could be for protection but if Obama has his way it would be hard for them to get own a gun for self defense.
Obama has tried to smooth things over by saying only those that have people managing their SSI will be impacted. However, the problem is that is still saying people who have someone managing their accounts are mentally off. What about people who are competent nor a danger but cause they cannot count money well have somebody watching over their account. They would be impacted. Not everybody who has somebody managing their accounts is mentally off. Some people have seizures, some have trusted members watching over their account, and others have it due to health reasons. So, not everybody who has somebody managing their accounts is mentally off. But if Obama’s new agenda is true than lots of people who have others managing their SSI accounts would be banned from owning a gun which the courts has ruled applies to law abiding citizens.
To me this is also a civil rights issue. It seems the government wants certain people to not own a gun. It also seems that is treating those on SSI like criminals, who technically by law are banned from owning a gun. Some will say its to keep the mentally ill from getting guns. I get that, but putting a label on anybody who has someone else managing their money is wrong. The past several shooters all had warnings on them they were deemed by judges, police, doctors and teachers to be a danger to society. Several people who are on SSI and have somebody watching over them are not a danger. But the new policy would make certain people a danger when they are not. As I stated it could create fear and discriminatory treatment toward the disabled.
So if all of this is true and again several credible sources say it is then Obama really has thrown those with disabilities under the bus.
tornadocam 