Montini: Trump helps mentally ill acquire guns

Just about every time President Donald Trump nullifies an executive order or regulation or law that originated during the Obama administration he has done so in front of the TV cameras in the Oval Office with a gaggle of fawning supporters behind him.

But not this time.

In February, outside of public view, Trump quietly signed legislation that revoked a regulation that would have made it difficult for our most seriously mentally ill brothers and sisters to acquire firearms.

No kidding.

The bill making the change passed mostly along party lines.

After the massacre of 20 precious children and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012, the Obama administration searched for ways to make access to weapons more difficult for the seriously mentally ill. Not only because of the possible danger to others but because of the many suicide-by-firearm deaths among the mentally ill each year.

Not long ago a rule was instituted to add the names of certain types of mentally ill individuals to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The Obama administration estimated that the rule would affect roughly 75,000 men and women.

Gun advocates like the National Rifle Association, as well as organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, said the regulation was an unfair stereotyping of the mentally ill.

Except, it wasn’t.

It’s true that mentally ill people are more likely to be victims of violence than to commit violence. But we’re not talking about people dealing with relatively manageable health issues.

We’re talking about individuals who are receiving full benefits because they are unable to work. People who need a third party to manage their benefits.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence issued a statement after the rule was overturned that reads in part, "Donald Trump claims he wants to make America safe. Last night he did exactly the opposite by signing a disgraceful law that will make it easier for disabled mentally ill individuals to buy guns… It is a political favor for the NRA, Donald Trump’s single largest campaign backer, and a slap in the face to every American who wants to live in a safer nation..."

According to most polls, a huge percentage of Americans, including most gun owners, favor restricting access to weapons for some mentally ill patients.

Maybe that’s why the president didn’t sign the bill in front of cameras.