Agreed there will be problems in doing this but when most all of these mass shooters have social media accounts where they are posting their violent ideas and intentions it seems like a good thing that searches of social media accounts are part of a background check for anyone trying to purchase a firearm.
They can use a friend to see your account, law enforcement has done it more than once, and the courts ruled in the favor of the police.
a gun safety class and how to use it should be before a gun is ever laid in your hands....
People's stuff gets reposted/shared.
A civics class and a civics test before you ever vote.
Yeah, fair point, but it's still pretty easy to get around if you're getting a gun once the law passes.
Right, but my point is that once people are aware of this as a prerequisite to getting a gun, then modifying an account or deleting it outright would be the smart thing to do; and a quick way to get around it.
I'm still skeptical because without that kind of law people let their guard down since they might feel ok running the risk of law enforcement will only check should something happen. Having to declare your social media accounts now puts it out there and will drive those folks further underground.
[snip]
Gun applicants in NY will have to list social media accounts
New York state is rolling out a novel strategy to screen applicants for gun permits by requiring people seeking to carry concealed handguns to hand over lists of their social media accounts for a review of their “character and conduct.”apnews.com
As missed warning signs pile up in investigations of mass killings, New York state is rolling out a novel strategy to screen applicants for gun permits. People seeking to carry concealed handguns will be required to hand over their social media accounts for a review of their “character and conduct.”
Trump voters would be immediately disqualified
Please correct me if I am wrong[snip]Gun applicants in NY will have to list social media accounts
New York state is rolling out a novel strategy to screen applicants for gun permits by requiring people seeking to carry concealed handguns to hand over lists of their social media accounts for a review of their “character and conduct.”
As missed warning signs pile up in investigations of mass killings, New York state is rolling out a novel strategy to screen applicants for gun permits. People seeking to carry concealed handguns will be required to hand over their social media accounts for a review of their “character and conduct.”
It’s an approach applauded by many Democrats and national gun control advocacy groups, but some experts have raised questions about how the law will be enforced and address free speech concerns.
Under the law, applicants have to provide local officials with a list of current and former social media accounts from the previous three years. It will be up to local sheriff’s staff, judges or country clerks to scroll through those profiles as they check whether applicants have made statements suggesting dangerous behavior.
The law also will require applicants to undergo hours of safety training, prove they’re proficient at shooting, provide four character references and sit for in-person interviews.
The new approach, however, comes amid growing debate over the policing of social media posts and a legacy of unwarranted surveillance of Black and brown communities.
“The question should be: Can we do this in an anti-racist way that does not create another set of violence, which is the state violence that happens through surveillance?” said University of Pennsylvania social policy, communications and medicine professor Desmond Upton Patton, who also founded SAFElab, a research initiative studying violence involving youths of color.
[snip]
Sorry, but this law is horrendous. You want more restrictions on guns? Fine, I'm ok with that. I'm in favor of the mandatory safety training. But you should NOT have to hand over your social media account to the state. I'm also against the character references, as there are many reasons someone might want a gun but cannot provide character references.
Try again, NY. We do NOT need to increase the surveillance state to control gun violence.
Past grocery bills would be worth checking. Someone who lives on chips and coke is probably not to be trusted.
So you support it then.
Would need the social media companies to police their services, which legally they could easily do by including all of that in their terms of use agreements.
And, in many cases, including mine, no social media accounts to monitor in the first place.
Exactly. Gun safety should be mandatory in school. Starting in elementary school.
That's what they did in the case of the last mass shooter.
Background checks apply not only for a CCW permit but for any gun purchases
