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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!hou5h!hou5a!hou5d!hogpc!drux3!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!renner
From: renner@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Re: The ACTUAL handgun control bill - (nf)
Message-ID: <3425@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Oct-83 21:26:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.3425
Posted: Tue Oct 25 21:26:53 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Oct-83 04:02:01 EDT
Lines: 36

#R:ccieng5:-18200:uiucdcs:36200040:000:1695
uiucdcs!renner    Oct 25 21:06:00 1983

/***** uiucdcs:net.flame / ccieng5!kfk /  4:29 pm  Oct 24, 1983 */
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	*Check out handgun purchasers to make sure they don't have a
	 criminal record or history of mental illness.
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1. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms already does this.
   Again, how will HCI's bill improve on the situation?
---------------------------------

Here in Illinois the BATF had nothing to do with my gun card
application.  (Technically known as a Firearms Owner Identification
card.)  I had to answer about 6 questions that went something like:
"have you ever been convicted of a felony?" and "are you mentally
ill?"  I don't know if Illinois checked on the convictions, but I am
told that they are not *allowed* to check on mental health records
(privacy considerations, no doubt).  I know for a fact that some people
being treated with psychiatric drugs have these cards: I used to work
in a pharmacy, and we found the FOI card of one of our patients, along
with his false teeth, (his?) discarded booze bottles, and a pile of
(his?) shit.  As far as we could tell, he tried to burn his way through
the basement door one night.  (We don't know what he planned to do
about the locked iron grate.  Nor do we know why he decided to shit by
the fire, but we speculate that he lost his false teeth trying to blow
on the fire.)  All the evidence was turned over to the police, except
for the FOI card, which was destroyed.

Anyway, it seems to me that Illinois could stand to tighten up on 
its licensing standards just a little bit.  In my opinion, all you
need for the card is enough wits to answer "no" to all the questions on
the application form.

Scott Renner
...pur-ee!uiucdcs!renner