Cher managed to turn back time Tuesday with her tweet about the House having just voted to allow the severely mentally ill to buy guns. Not only is the basic premise untrue; the House vote to which she’s referring took place two weeks ago.
House Republicans Just Voted To Allow Severely Mentally Ill People To Buy Guns HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?GOD PROTECT US?? https://t.co/GJFbxzREMJ
— Cher (@cher) February 14, 2017
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow is up to speed, but her much-retweeted take on the legislations is, unfortunately, right in line with just about all of the alarming headlines about Congress “rolling back background checks.”
Senate due to vote today to make it easier for seriously mentally ill people to get guns (I swear I'm not kidding). Already passed House.
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) February 14, 2017
This is not even close to true. https://t.co/n46OKqdK1o
— RBe (@RBPundit) February 14, 2017
You’re not kidding, Rachel, you’re lying. https://t.co/06O2eopnTg https://t.co/LqLsdpqbkL
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) February 14, 2017
Lie. They're rolling back rule that allowed SSA bureaucrats to adjudicate beneficiaries as unfit to carry sans mental eval. DUE PROCESS. https://t.co/dQYoFVOqVP
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 15, 2017
It's not legislation that has, like, a loophole for the mentally ill. It's a rule **specifically for** mentally ill people to get guns.
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) February 14, 2017
The first tweet could have been dismissed as a misunderstanding, but that’s, like, an outright lie. Funny that liberals who have devoted their lives to ensuring the “marginalized” in society — even non-citizens — enjoy equal rights are so readily willing to equate the label “mentally ill” with criminally dangerous and throw it around haphazardly as long as Second Amendment rights are all that’s at risk.
Stop lying to people.
This legislation prevents loons like you from deeming normal people "mentally ill" so you can take their guns away. https://t.co/2XBcfxrvZD
— RBe (@RBPundit) February 14, 2017
Maddow swears she’s not kidding, but again, her tweet reflects a lot of mainstream news coverage that seems to be solely informed by gun control groups like Moms Demand, the Brady Campaign, and Women Against Gun Violence; for example:
Senate should reject gun lobby's attempt to sell guns to the mentally ill — @ManhattanDA + @cityattorneyla on #SJR14 https://t.co/STneGvHY8X
— Prosecutors Against Gun Violence (@ProsecutorsAGV) February 14, 2017
Twitchy covered the basics in the post linked above, but handily, Dana Loesch gave a refresher Monday as opposition to Senate Joint Resolution 14 ramped up. Put very simply, Congress is voting to restore due process by disentangling Second Amendment rights from Social Security Administration red tape.
If someone is deemed mentally incompetent to handle banking, they should NOT buy guns! Tell your Senators NO on SJR14! (202) 224-3121 https://t.co/YE1Tn2Yd0n
— WomenAgainstGunViol (@WAGV) February 13, 2017
Gun control groups want to strip seniors (and vets) of their #2A rights simply if they receive financial management assistance. Insane. https://t.co/Dg4fs65WoI
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 13, 2017
Does NOT strip #2A. Rule says that if seniors are deemed mentally incompetent, that info must be shared w/ NICS. #FACTSMATTER
— WomenAgainstGunViol (@WAGV) February 13, 2017
Nice lie, but false. Rolls back mandated SSA reporting to NICS of SS beneficiaries adjudicated unfit simply over beneficiary management. https://t.co/ZtTn1mVUEn
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 13, 2017
Furthermore, the criteria for adjudication is some bureaucrat in SSA — ZERO actual mental eval. Get it straight, @WAGV . #2A
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 13, 2017
Ask gun control activists on #SJR14 what mental eval or due process protections SSA uses when stripping seniors of #2A rights?
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 13, 2017
zero. There isn't one.
— Michael P. White (@micksemperpater) February 13, 2017
And that’s a problem.
#SJR14 rolls back dangerous Obama exec order that allows SSA to deem beneficiaries unfit to exercise #2A. Zero due process.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 13, 2017
Again, lie. Bill undoes EO that targeted SSA beneficiaries’ gun rights just for receiving financial management.https://t.co/amlr8b4pYN pic.twitter.com/42F9OmjpDc
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 14, 2017
Progressives usually claim to be for due process, but if gun rights are involved, that changes the equation. Imagine the backlash if similar legislation were proposed that could deprive people of their voting rights based on vague criteria provided by the Social Security Administration.
Twitchy’s well-armed sister site Bearing Arms covered the controversy over SJR14 again Tuesday.
The Fight to Ensure the Right to Bear Arms for Social Security Recipients Continues https://t.co/R8h2da6rty pic.twitter.com/oBUrpvsJdo
— Bearing Arms (@BearingArmsCom) February 14, 2017
Pamela Jablonski reports that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) will vote for SJR14. In a statement posted on his website, Manchin explains, in part:
This potential overreach by the Social Security Administration is a blatant infringement on the Second Amendment rights of millions of Americans. The assumption by the SSA that seniors and individuals with certain disabilities are a threat to society is both inaccurate and misguided and should not be grounds to revoke someone’s constitutional rights.
So funny, even the far left ACLU opposes this gun ban, not to mention numerous mental health activist groups
— Mutiny Arms Retail (@MutinyArmsRet) February 13, 2017
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Related:
PUH-LEASE! Rachel Maddow shares DUMBEST headline YET about rolling back background checkshttps://t.co/YV2jl3vPp1
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 3, 2017
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