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gejohnston

(17,502 posts)
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 03:27 PM Apr 2013

can we all agree this is a good thing?

http://www.theconnectprogram.org/firearms-safety-coalitions-role-nh-suicide-prevention
http://www.theconnectprogram.org/sites/default/files/site-content/docs/Tipsfordealers_0.pdf

Latest Information

We’ve stopped by virtually all of the independent gun shops in the state (67 by our count) to see whether they were displaying materials we had sent them and to hear their advice.
Here’s what we learned:

About half (48%) of all gunshops in NH are displaying our suicide prevention materials—either the safety brochures, poster, hotline cards, or all three. That’s a huge response!
Lots of the shop owners had advice. Based on their suggestions, we changed the photo on the poster. Both the original and the new one are available below.
Some gun shops got more involved. A couple of shop owners joined the Coalition; someone made a video based on the safety brochure; someone placed an editorial about the project in their newsletter; and long-time Coalition member, Massad Ayoob, wrote an article called Avoiding Disasters that was published in Combat Handguns.
And, we heard stories like these:
“A woman came into the shop asking about buying a gun because of some emotional problems. I told her she didn’t need a gun, she needed spiritual help. So I took her to my pastor. She never did come back for a gun.”
“There was a guy I wouldn’t sell a gun to because he just didn’t seem right. I later got a letter from his attorney thanking me for saving his client’s life.”


How do we get it to catch on in Wyoming and Oregon, which also have high suicide rates?

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can we all agree this is a good thing? (Original Post) gejohnston Apr 2013 OP
Nationwide information campaign discntnt_irny_srcsm Apr 2013 #1
Excellenty post Pullo Apr 2013 #2
thanks :) n/t discntnt_irny_srcsm Apr 2013 #4
Real action that can be taken at the grassroots level sylvi Apr 2013 #3
Pretty good article from Ayoob ManiacJoe Apr 2013 #5
What's the "Cloud God" hotline number? rdharma Apr 2013 #6
search me. being a non specific thiest gejohnston Apr 2013 #7
If someone were in serious mental distress....... rdharma Apr 2013 #8
Murphy's law of combat # sarisataka Apr 2013 #9
That depends on HOW stupid it is! rdharma Apr 2013 #11
In this case it worked sarisataka Apr 2013 #12
Sounds like you didn't recommend "the stupid".......... rdharma Apr 2013 #13
I try to not make stupid the first choice sarisataka Apr 2013 #14
Credit where due: Robb Apr 2013 #18
I would as well gejohnston Apr 2013 #10
If you had bothered to read the article sylvi Apr 2013 #15
It's a direct call, no dialing required. jeepnstein Apr 2013 #16
^^^This^^^ Eleanors38 Apr 2013 #20
Ironic, ain't it? DonP Apr 2013 #17
Yep. Thanks. Prediction: Eleanors38 Apr 2013 #19
 

sylvi

(813 posts)
3. Real action that can be taken at the grassroots level
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 05:24 PM
Apr 2013

without running the Constitution through the shredder. I love it.

gejohnston

(17,502 posts)
7. search me. being a non specific thiest
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:05 PM
Apr 2013

which amounts to Taoism without the label, I have no idea. I doubt a genderless force beyond our comprehension would use the phone, favor a football team. If it were my gun shop, I would suggest a secular counselor.

To answer your question, have to ask someone who knows the Cloud God better than I do.

 

rdharma

(6,057 posts)
8. If someone were in serious mental distress.......
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:08 PM
Apr 2013

.... I would be more likely to recommend serious mental health professionals rather than religious nutjobs!

sarisataka

(18,204 posts)
9. Murphy's law of combat #
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:13 PM
Apr 2013
6. If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid.


also applies to everdyay situations
 

rdharma

(6,057 posts)
11. That depends on HOW stupid it is!
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:16 PM
Apr 2013

And if someone is considering suicide or homicide, that's NOT the time to recommend "something stupid"!

sarisataka

(18,204 posts)
12. In this case it worked
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:24 PM
Apr 2013

one would expect a positive result if the depressed person is very religious. If they are atheist, not so much.

When I had a suicidal roommate who was not religious, we went to a psychologist. Fifteen years later he has a happy successful life.

 

rdharma

(6,057 posts)
13. Sounds like you didn't recommend "the stupid"..........
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:38 PM
Apr 2013

... so your "Murphey's Laws of Combat"..... don't apply here.

gejohnston

(17,502 posts)
10. I would as well
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:15 PM
Apr 2013

not all ministers and imams etc are "nutjobs"
However, if he or she were in the military, I would first send them to the minister because mental health professional can tell your boss and commander.

 

sylvi

(813 posts)
15. If you had bothered to read the article
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 01:37 AM
Apr 2013

instead of concentrating on a single anecdote in the OP, you'd see that the materials and guidelines in this program are secular, some provided by the U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration.

Then again, facts have never been an impediment to your finding a way to completely embarrass yourself, have they?

jeepnstein

(2,631 posts)
16. It's a direct call, no dialing required.
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 08:38 AM
Apr 2013

As an Elder in my small congregation I have to deal with people in spiritual crisis from time to time. The key to doing it right is knowing full well when you are getting in over your head. And the default answer there is any time mental health pops up, you're out of your depth. Some people lack the humility to make that decision. More than one time I've told someone that while I was always going to be there for their spiritual needs they really needed to deal with whatever medical or psychological problem that was plaguing them. You might be amazed at the number of people who have no idea of how to get the ball rolling on seeking help for a psychological crisis. Many times they don't even recognize their condition as anything that is not normal. It's carries such a needless stigma in our society that quite often the person needs loving reassurance that it's OK to seek help.

As a cop, I've been to suicide calls. Most of the time it's just a desperate cry for attention from someone who is badly broken. Then there are the few who are dedicated and have their plan in place. It's a horrific thing to be dealing with someone whose worst enemy is their own head. Again, what is necessary and appropriate is getting them the clinical attention they need ASAP.

Should gun shops have material on hand to help steer the occasional customer who is heading for crisis to proper mental health care? Absolutely. So should liquor stores and pharmacies for that matter.

 

DonP

(6,185 posts)
17. Ironic, ain't it?
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 10:47 AM
Apr 2013

That a bunch of gun stores are actually doing more to prevent suicide/violence than the MAIG, Brady group or pretty much any other "activist" group out there that claims to want to "stop the violence" or stands for "Gun Safety" but never teaches a single person or does anything in the real world about it. As if angry web postings and unpublished LTTEs are actually doing something.

Just like all those "Gun Safety" advocates, I guess it's a lot easier to pontificate online and in the media about how evil gun sellers and owners are, than it is to actually ever do anything about it.

Now we wait for the inevitable ... "Well how many have died because of the 'death spewing' guns they sell?"

 

Eleanors38

(18,318 posts)
19. Yep. Thanks. Prediction:
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 06:13 PM
Apr 2013

This kind of thing will become wide-spread in the near future, and include other safety recommendations.

A constructive criticism for gun-owners: For too long the positive messages and images of gun-owners have remained limited to those in the sports, or to those who seek out information about gun use. No more. There WILL be a positive national message from now on, and there will be more than one or two pro-2A organizations who will be backing that message. We'll get to see what MSM "openness" is made of when they are presented with a new, positive narrative.

And we'll get to see what the extremist controller/banners are made of.

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