Not all gun violence has to do with mental illnesses. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting came as a surprise to me one morning. My friends started bickering about it and I immedietly chimed in asking, “what’s this all about?”
As much as it saddened me to hear of such horrifying news, I was still in the shadows as to how the shooting even came about.
Unfortunately society dubs those who are mentally ill as being the cause of such outrageous violent attacks. “Horrific acts of violence are inevitably associated with mental illnesses,” Harvey Rosenthal, executive director of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, said. Rosenthal had mentioned the fact that those with mental illnesses are usually the victims of such outlandish crimes. “They are 12 times more likely to be victims of violence,” Rosenthal said, “and no more likely to be violent.”
I agree that mental health has something to do with gun violence, but mental illness is not always the cause. Mass shootings have been done between gangs before. For example in Chicago a young girl was killed due to a mistaken, gang-related shooting.
I understand that the shooting at Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech and Columbine all had to do with mental health issues. Yes, but we shouldn’t relate all shootings to mental health. With Obama’s proposal to increase health services for younger people on its way, it will also reduce gun violence. But tragedies like these should not just awaken ideas like the one Obama is proposing. Tragedies like these should not be the first time gun violence has happened in the world. Shootings may not be as large as the Sandy Hook shooting, but smaller shootings like someone just walking to their car needs immediate attention as well.
Most people suffering from mental illnesses do not get the proper treatment. Some end up in jail where the treatment is not working. There is a need to improve mental health care but we shouldn’t confuse it with improving the level of gun violence.
The mental health policies are in need of revision. For example just last year Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head. “It turned out that Arizona had admirably progressive mental health statutes,” Sally Satel, psychiatrist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute said, “which permit involuntary evaluation and treatment of someone who needs it.”
Mental health and gun violence should not go into the same category. It’s unfortunate for those that are seen differently when they have a certain disorder. Immediately people think since they have a disorder their violent. As of right now when people go and buy guns I think it’s a great idea that people must state if they have mental health issues during their background check.
Instead of just looking at mental health as the cause for all gun violence, we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I don’t mind patting those on the back who are trying to improve the mentally ill, but it’s not solving gun violence.
