Guns and Mental Health by Walk the Talk America
An honest and comprehensive discussion about guns and mental health. Two highly stigmatized cultures that have long stood across from each other, refusing to collaborate whenever tragedy strikes. That trend ends now. For firearms owners, clinicians, and the curious public.
Guns and Mental Health by Walk the Talk America
Ep 158: Rob Pincus on Youth Stats, ERPOs, and What Actually Saves Lives
Mike and Kevin sit down with Rob Pincus to unpack two hot buttons that get thrown around online but are rarely explored with nuance: the “firearms are the #1 cause of death in youth” stat, and ERPOs/red flag laws.
Rob shares what he sees inside a Tufts University led group that puts gun-rights and gun-control advocates in the same room to hammer out policy ideas for red states. We dig into how stats are framed, why education belongs in schools, what meaningful “wins” for responsible owners might look like, and where ERPO conversations go off the rails without mental-health guardrails or due-process realities.
In this episode
- Why that viral “#1 cause of death in youth” headline needs real breakdowns by age, suicide, and community violence
- What a practical, developmentally appropriate firearms education curriculum could cover in schools
- ERPOs done wrong vs. ERPOs with mandatory mental-health evaluation, cultural competency, and penalties for malicious use
- Policy “wins” Rob is pushing, including tax incentives for training and safe storage, removing redundant state laws tied to federal regs, and pathways to restore rights for non-violent offenses
- The big idea: be in the room, reduce negative outcomes, protect responsible owners
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Technical Glitches
00:39 Rob Pincus: A Multifaceted Contributor
02:26 Understanding Misconceptions in the Firearms Industry
05:07 Collaborating with Gun Control Advocates
10:56 The Importance of Being in the Room
16:33 Navigating Emotional Discussions Around Firearms
22:01 Statistics and Their Manipulation
27:50 Addressing Youth Firearm Deaths
33:16 The Role of Education in Firearm Safety
39:14 Concluding Thoughts on Firearm Discussions
45:30 Understanding Perspectives on Gun Control
48:30 The Debate on Gun Safety Terminology
51:03 Education and Youth Involvement in Gun Safety
54:51 Navigating Mental Health and Gun Ownership
58:41 Proposals for Emergency Restraining Orders
01:04:11 Exploring the Future of Gun Legislation
01:19:01 Celebrating Wins in Gun Rights Advocacy
