Should someone with a phobia be refused a firearms license?

[Drache]

A friend of the family had developed a phobia of being outside and being around people. Due to this his firearms license expired even though he still had firearms locked in his gunsafe. The license has been expired for three years and so he has problems with reregistering some of his firearms specifically two handguns although his rifles and shotguns are all fine to reregister once he renews his firearms license.

Now he's gotten the ok from the Canadian Firearms Center to renew his license because he was "cured" of this phobia for two years. The problem being a bunch of people in town have a petition out to try and stop him from getting a firearms license because he had "mental problems"!

Now I have a phobia of being in small enclosed spaces and my step mother has a phobia of spiders, does that mean that both of us should have our firearms licenses taken?

What are your thoughts on the matter?

[Ponch ®]

Oh that should be fun.

Hey, I got an idea. Let's give manic depressives ropes!

[FLG]

I honestly think it depends on if this phobia can cloud his or hers judgement. I dont think we need to worry about people being scared of spiders breaking out a weapon and shooting at it, but who knows? What if this phobia is simply too much for them to act rationally if something were to trigger that persons said phobia.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I think being afraid of spiders and being afraid of humans are 2 different things....call me crazy

I think the towns people have a point
Whats to say that your friend with this "fear" relapses while carrying a weapon?  Remember its not the guns that kill....

[hemigeno]

I dont think we need to worry about people being scared of spiders breaking out a weapon and shooting at it

Depends on the spider, and what weapon is handy... 

[Drache]

yes but it's a phobia, he's not paranoid, nor schizophrenic, none of that "crazy mentality ill" BS, he was just diagnosed as having Agoraphobia (IE being afraid to be outside).

This man fought in Korea and was one of the best hunting guides I know but out of the 57 years he's been alive, 5 of those were couped up in his house. He knows firearms better than anyone else that I know and knows how to use them.

Personally I don't see the danger in it and neither do the RCMP/CFC.

If a cop who shoots a kid by accident and then becomes afraid to pull his weapon can get over his "phobia" and continue on to become an upstanding police officer and eventually retires to become the mayor of town, I can't see why people should fear this old man.

[Ponch ®]

yes but it's a phobia, he's not paranoid, nor schizophrenic, none of that "crazy mentality ill" BS, he was just diagnosed as having Agoraphobia (IE being afraid to be outside).

This man fought in Korea and was one of the best hunting guides I know but out of the 57 years he's been alive, 5 of those were couped up in his house. He knows firearms better than anyone else that I know and knows how to use them.

Personally I don't see the danger in it and neither do the RCMP/CFC.

If a cop who shoots a kid by accident and then becomes afraid to pull his weapon can get over his "phobia" and continue on to become an upstanding police officer and eventually retires to become the mayor of town, I can't see why people should fear this old man.

He's 57 and he fought in Korea? 

[Drache]

yes but it's a phobia, he's not paranoid, nor schizophrenic, none of that "crazy mentality ill" BS, he was just diagnosed as having Agoraphobia (IE being afraid to be outside).

This man fought in Korea and was one of the best hunting guides I know but out of the 57 years he's been alive, 5 of those were couped up in his house. He knows firearms better than anyone else that I know and knows how to use them.

Personally I don't see the danger in it and neither do the RCMP/CFC.

If a cop who shoots a kid by accident and then becomes afraid to pull his weapon can get over his "phobia" and continue on to become an upstanding police officer and eventually retires to become the mayor of town, I can't see why people should fear this old man.

He's 57 and he fought in Korea? 

I mixed up the Korean War and the Vietnam war

[bordin34]

I believe that you should try to educate the townspeople on his phobia. From what you said, it seems like they think he is afraid of people and in a public situation they think he may shoot somebody. However, this does not seem like the case, if they know what this phobia entails, it will give them a better understanding of what he went through, how he recovered, and that he is not mentally unstable. Right now , it seems like they are being ignorant and just assuming.

[Drache]

The problem most have is they think just because you have a phobia of being outside and around people means that you are paranoid and would want to hurt someone.

For this kind man going outside and around people caused his heart to race, palms to get sweaty, butterflies in his stomach, and loss of bodily functions. He didn't snap and try to hurt people.

[Mike DC]

Having some mental issues is not cause for a scarlet letter. 

If the guy hasn't had a violent past (in peacetime at least) and hasn't gotten himself arrested due to his phobias up to now, then I don't see cause for yanking the gun license.

 

[Lowprofile]

I think the townspeople should mind their own f@#$&n' business. 

[Ponch ®]

I still don't know if I'd want a guy that shits his pants when he goes outside handling any type of firearm.

[Chargen69]

I still don't know if I'd want a guy that shits his pants when he goes outside handling any type of firearm.

[Back N Black]

I still don't know if I'd want a guy that shits his pants when he goes outside handling any type of firearm.

Now that's Funny! 

I use to be paranoid to go out side and be around people, the Doc told me to move out of my parents basement and stop smoking weed. I did and been good every since that day.   

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I still don't know if I'd want a guy that shits his pants when he goes outside handling any type of firearm.

You are the best Ponch...

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Yeah,
   Here in America a firearm seller does a check with the FBI (at least that is what they tell me when I complete those forms) and if the US government says you are straight then you get yer' firearm, ya' see. If the government says that you should not have a firearm then that is what you have to respect. From what I understand that info does not stay on file for more than a few days. 
   So if you guys over there have a licence that expires and your government says no, well you have to respect that.I would checkout the laws and make sure of all the details.
   This is a real hard one cause the 2ND AM here in the USA may soon have some changes and it is really hard to say what could happen. Even though you have to respect your laws sometimes it is a hard pill to swallow and you have to do what is right by law.     
   Thank god we have the 2ND AM here in the USA & the NRA.
Man,
    I bet them crooks tat ripped your Mopar off would have gotten a good peppering if you had seen them on your property doing the deed.
   

[Drache]

The government already said he could renew his license only if:
1) He passes his test
2) Provides paperwork stating he had a phobia, got help for it, and that a doctor signs off saying he is fine.

Both things he has already done and sent the paperwork of to the CFC. It's just a bunch of people around town that are trying to stop it by get a petition signed.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Maybe those people in town know more about him than the CFC does?  Im sure there is more to this story....

[RallyeMike]

Please tell your friend that everyone here on DC.com likes him very much and anything he says is ok with us. Please remain calm. Very nice man. 

[Lowprofile]

The government already said he could renew his license only if:
1) He passes his test
2) Provides paperwork stating he had a phobia, got help for it, and that a doctor signs off saying he is fine.

Both things he has already done and sent the paperwork of to the CFC. It's just a bunch of people around town that are trying to stop it by get a petition signed.

Maybe those people in town know more about him than the CFC does?  I'm sure there is more to this story....

I guess the right to privacy doesn't mean much in Canada. I bet if the tables were turned and he was getting all up in the townfolks business it would be a different story. There's nothing worse than a self riotous hippocrate.......well, maybe Michael Jackson & Hitler......but that's it! 

[Orange_Crush]

Maybe those people in town know more about him than the CFC does?  Im sure there is more to this story....

YEP...seems to me that if the townspeople have gone so far as to get a friggin' petition signed, we're dealing with more than just a simple case of agoraphobia.  I'm sure that there are other people in that town who own firearms.

[Old Moparz]

Sounds like a great place to live in based on what Drache usually posts.   

[Big Lebowski]

  Remember the picture of little Elian Gonzolez getting hauled away by jack booted thugs? What happens when society develops a phobia for jack booted thugs? I know my good friend Kim looks for every reason under the sun to deny all of you your 2nd amendment rights.
   The first one to post little Elian's picture gets the cookie.

[Big_John]

  Remember the picture of little Elian Gonzolez getting hauled away by jack booted thugs? What happens when society develops a phobia for jack booted thugs? I know my good friend Kim looks for every reason under the sun to deny all of you your 2nd amendment rights.
   The first one to post little Elian's picture gets the cookie.