I am interested at some point getting a conceal carry permit but I have some questions about it.
Looking at the list here:
http://www.asp.arkansas.gov/divisions/rs/pdf/cl_app_all.pdf
On page 3 specifically questions 2 & 5
Have you ever attempted or threatened suicide?
Have you ever been voluntarily or involuntarily committed to a mental health facility or mental health institution?
Some background. I'm an ogre in real life. 6'8" & 415lbs
My parents divorced when I was 10 back in 1989 barely 6 months after we had moved across the country, and shortly thereafter through a series of events we moved to a crappier part of town and basically in the period of 2 years I had lost all my friends three times over, changed schools three times and lost being able to see my dad on a daily basis.
Needless to say at age 12 in a new state, new house (again), in a new school (again), and no friends and having to make new ones (again) I was depressed. To make matters worse I was 6'2" 240lb at 12 years old. So high school freshmen always gave me crap because if they beat up the big kid they could feel better about themselves or something. I ended up breaking my wrist beating the snot out of some 15 year old kid. But it left me unnerved because now I had to worry about people messing with me because I was the guy that beat up the Freshmen kids.
I was depressed and said I felt like life sucks and felt like killing myself since who knows I might have to start my life over again at a new school with new friends, new bullies and a new house.
My mother, who has had her own mental problems her whole life (depression, OCD, and MPD) hears that her son is thinking about offing himself and instead of talking it through, discussing it with my father who lived 5 miles from us, or taking me to a counselor takes me directly to Laureate in Tulsa to see what they have to say.
They said because I had thought about it and had a way to do it if I wanted too (they asked how I would do It and I was like hell there are a ton of ways to end yourself, kitchen knife, run into traffic, immolation, carbon monoxide, hanging etc), they wanted me to stay the night for observation, which ended up being about a two week stay where it was ultimately determined that my Mother had over reacted, and that I could live with my father and have a stable life again.
So my question is this.
How should I answer those questions?
Was I committed to Laureate, it was essentially a walk-in, or does being committed require a Judge?
I've always answered no on the 4473 because I assumed it meant by court order. I've never had a hiccup buying a weapon with an NICS check.
Is thinking about suicide the same as threatening?
Does the word 'Ever' mean as an adult or in your entire life?
All of it happened before I turned 18.
The thing that sucks is answering yes to either of those 2 questions completely bars me from getting a conceal carry permit even though it happened 16 years ago.
Looking at the list here:
http://www.asp.arkansas.gov/divisions/rs/pdf/cl_app_all.pdf
On page 3 specifically questions 2 & 5
Have you ever attempted or threatened suicide?
Have you ever been voluntarily or involuntarily committed to a mental health facility or mental health institution?
Some background. I'm an ogre in real life. 6'8" & 415lbs
My parents divorced when I was 10 back in 1989 barely 6 months after we had moved across the country, and shortly thereafter through a series of events we moved to a crappier part of town and basically in the period of 2 years I had lost all my friends three times over, changed schools three times and lost being able to see my dad on a daily basis.
Needless to say at age 12 in a new state, new house (again), in a new school (again), and no friends and having to make new ones (again) I was depressed. To make matters worse I was 6'2" 240lb at 12 years old. So high school freshmen always gave me crap because if they beat up the big kid they could feel better about themselves or something. I ended up breaking my wrist beating the snot out of some 15 year old kid. But it left me unnerved because now I had to worry about people messing with me because I was the guy that beat up the Freshmen kids.
I was depressed and said I felt like life sucks and felt like killing myself since who knows I might have to start my life over again at a new school with new friends, new bullies and a new house.
My mother, who has had her own mental problems her whole life (depression, OCD, and MPD) hears that her son is thinking about offing himself and instead of talking it through, discussing it with my father who lived 5 miles from us, or taking me to a counselor takes me directly to Laureate in Tulsa to see what they have to say.
They said because I had thought about it and had a way to do it if I wanted too (they asked how I would do It and I was like hell there are a ton of ways to end yourself, kitchen knife, run into traffic, immolation, carbon monoxide, hanging etc), they wanted me to stay the night for observation, which ended up being about a two week stay where it was ultimately determined that my Mother had over reacted, and that I could live with my father and have a stable life again.
So my question is this.
How should I answer those questions?
Was I committed to Laureate, it was essentially a walk-in, or does being committed require a Judge?
I've always answered no on the 4473 because I assumed it meant by court order. I've never had a hiccup buying a weapon with an NICS check.
Is thinking about suicide the same as threatening?
Does the word 'Ever' mean as an adult or in your entire life?
All of it happened before I turned 18.
The thing that sucks is answering yes to either of those 2 questions completely bars me from getting a conceal carry permit even though it happened 16 years ago.
