Assignment 7A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

·      Opportunity: Many people who are emotionally/mentally unstable are legally purchasing a gun

o   The who: Twenty one year olds and up wanting to purchase a gun

o   The what: Recently, many people who are not mentally stable are purchasing guns and it is causing harm to our society directly.

o   The why: There is currently no required test to see if someone is emotionally/mentally stable enough to be allowed to purchase a gun

·      Testing the who:  This need does not only pertain to twenty year olds wanting to purchase a gun, but society as a whole and firearm businesses as well. When someone purchases a gun it can have the ability to affect anyone around him or her, especially if this person does not use it properly. Everyone else who does not own a gun would hope that whoever does have one is in the right mind to have it. Furthermore, firearm business have this need because they need a way to be sure that who they are selling to is mentally stable, other than just trying to read the person. Because if they sell it to someone who is not stable and something terrible happens they could feel guilty.

·      Testing the what: With recent tragedies, each of these shootings has been because of someone who was mentally unstable, yet obtaining the gun legally. There are background checks that must be approved before anyone buys a gun. However, when it comes to mental stability, these background checks only show if someone has been placed in an institution or if a court order says they are mentally unstable, which clearly is not enough. 

·      Testing the why: This is mainly happening because there are no current tests for mental stability put in place as a requirement before purchasing a gun. Meeting the needs of this opportunity will increase our society’s chances of not having fatal shootings like the ones that have been occurring.

·      Interview #1

o   I first interviewed a man that owns a gun shop. He discussed with me that each customer that walks through the door he takes very seriously. He said he tries to read the person through the conversation he has with him or her and based on the questions they ask. He explained that if he did not feel comfortable selling a gun to someone he’d turn them away, which he has done multiple times. However, he explained that just because he turned them away doesn’t mean another gun seller will. So when I asked him if he believed a new test for mental stability should be taken into consideration along with the background check he thought it would be very helpful. He believes it could help get things under control, so that hopefully people aren’t so scared enough anymore to want to get rid of the second amendment completely.

·      Interview #2

o   This next interviewee is an eighteen-year-old male. I began by asking him how he felt abut the recent gun law change. He said obviously he was disappointed because he enjoys hunting as a hobby and would have liked to have purchase his own hunting rifle, but he understood this law change with the recent commotion going on. He discussed how he hopes a new way can be instilled that can hopefully help this situation of who can and cannot obtain a gun. He believes making sure someone is in the right state of mind and always will be when owning a gun is very important and if things need to be stricter and a bit harder to get a gun then that’s ok for him, but for people to take them away completely is where he thinks that’s crossing the line.

·      Interview #3

o   I interviewed a female who is 22 years old. I began with asking her if she had her concealed weapons license. She informed me that she did because with it she feels safe. So I then asked her current views on the events that are happening involving guns. She discussed that there’s always that chance that someone who shouldn’t have a gun can get one, whether it be legally or illegally, but with a new way that can stop some who really are mentally unstable and would be dangerous with a firearm, she thinks that the tragedies, like the most recent ones, will occur less frequently.

·      Interview #4

o   I next interviewed a student who was in the Douglass shooting. I asked her opinions on guns and she revealed that she hates them. Because of what she had experienced she doesn’t feel safe with guns allowed. She thinks it’s crazy how someone who is mentally ill can get a gun somewhat easily. She talked about how she is a big advocate for new gun laws but would be satisfied seeing something new incorporated into the background checks.

·      Interview #5

o   My final interview was a mother of four. She began discussing how she doesn’t want to be scared that something will happen to her kids when she sends them off to school. She believes that with something stricter enforced it could limit who buys a firearm. She discussed that it would be a tricky process to know if someone is mentally stable or not but maybe with some type of psychological testing it could be done.

·      Reflection:

o   After looking over my interviews I have learned that this opportunity is an unmet need for various people within the society, not just 21 year olds and older.

o   I found that it’s important to a lot of people, for their own safety, that this opportunity is met in hopes of lowering the number of tragic firearm events.

o   Forming something to solve this unmet need will have many direct and indirect customers. Many believe that it will be effective in making it harder for mentally unstable people from purchasing a gun, but this will also benefit lives of people who either can't or don’t want to purchase a gun. 

o   However, realistically, there could always be someone that shouldn’t have a gun that gets one. As this service is enforced and imbedded into places where you can purchase a gun, it will be a step in the right direction in helping to meet this unmet need.