How to Reduce Shootings. Article from 2017 still relevant, stolen from the FB page of AFP. Most gun deaths are suicides. My response to this article is: Most agree prevent the mentally ill from buying guns and so no one wants to admit then that they have mental illness. If someone is living with anxiety in a high crime neighborhood afraid of being accosted or having their place broken into, they may not want to surrender or lose their right to purchase a gun. They might not want to discuss PTSD symptoms. They also will not want to surrender their gun if it is part of their way of life to hunt animals. Mental health isn't a yes no check. Mental health exists on a continuum. Mental health increases and decreases and is responsive to surroundings and support. We don't want to make people more afraid to get help because of stigmatizing consequences that can result. Of course, assessing threat to self and others makes sense before giving someone a gun. The continuation of care and education also remains vital. Give everyone the education regarding critical thinking in crisis, address suicide, address domestic violence, coping skills, give a list of community resourses, include safehouses, and a promise to sign to respect universal human rights.
2
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
7 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.The big problem there, is just who does the diagnosis. And just how "mental illness" is defined. What if the current presidential administration defined poor people, the homeless, Democrats, Libertarians, and Socialists as "mentally ill"? then, only the Fascists would be able to keep, and bear arms.And the rest of the population would be defenseless against them.
davknight
Level 8
Aug 31, 2019
0
People want a scapegoat to grant them an illusion of control. Unless someone reveals plans, you don't know what they are going to do. I have the image from a Pink Floyd clip and that one has spots! Most depressed people, most people who even had ideations never shoot anyone..And then one day someone does and then everyone wants to stop it from happening again by blaming the wrong people. We have a responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to nonviolence, to promote that in our choice of leadership, create equity for students and regard for the emotional well being for each other. Even then we don't control the tide, but it gives us bearings.
Recent studies did not associate mental health with more gun violence. The one factor that causes more gun violence is more guns. Regardless who we allow to have guns, we must deter gun violence by restricting guns, in the same ways we restrict being able to legally drive a car. Gun education and training is necessary, and no semi- or automatic guns should be permitted.
AnonySchmoose
Level 8
Aug 4, 2019
1
Why? 99.9% of people who own semi-automatic firearms DON'T abuse their Second Amendment rights. You wish to deprive them of their rights, because of the .1% who abuse their rights? And what of lever-action, and pump-action firearms? Did you know Samuel de Champlain once killed or wounded nine Mohawks with one belch of his muzzle-loading arquebus?
The most dangerous mentally ill person on the planet is Dr Strangelove sat in the White House.
Let’s take his nuclear codes away shall we before he slips his key workers and minders!
Geoffrey51
Level 8
Aug 4, 2019
0
Mental health is an easy scapegoat for not acting to pass intelligent and responsible gun control. First, every country on the Earth have individuals suffering with mental illness. Yet, it is only the US that experiences such a multitude of mass shootings. 250 since January of the year.
The common denominator is not mental illness, but the guns. Yes mental illness has been a factor in several of the shootings. Many people looking for simple answers find a scapegoat in wanting to claim that anyone perpetrating a mass shooting must be mentally Illness. Many for sure, but not all. Many who perpetrate these heinous mass shootings know wrong from right, but make a purposeful choice to fulfill an agenda.
If just the ability to shoot numbers of people signals mental illness were true, then all our soldiers fighting in wars you could claim were suffering from mental illness. Not to be confused with the instances of PTSD as a consequence of their war experiences. By the above logic, in order to kill the enemy willingly or begrudgingly means you're mentally ill.
That is why the common denominator is the gun.
t1nick
Level 8
Aug 4, 2019
2
Totally agree. Mental health is a complicated issue and certainly shouldn’t disbar anyone from the same individual rights of others in the community.
Shootings are a sociological problem, not a mental health issue.
Geoffrey51
Level 8
Aug 4, 2019
0
So that is your reason and explanation, don't take guns away from people with mental illness because they will not tell you that they have mental illness and it is not always bad? What kind of rubbish is this.
Jolanta
Level 9
Aug 4, 2019
0
Did you actually read what I wrote? Not everyone that has mental illness is violent and arguably everyone has some mental illness at sometime in their life. If someone is threatening to harm themselves or others then it does make sense. Otherwise no. Educate the masses regarding warning signs, responses, wellness strategies, support in the community
@thinkwithme Of course I red what you said. Still don't agree with your reasoning. Mental illness is very fickle so even if a mental ill person is not violent, how do you know that something or another will not trigger violence, but perhaps you are happy with it and suddenly we have more dead people.
@Jolanta studies have shown a small percent of those labeled mentally ill ever kill anyone and much larger number of convictions among those with no documented mental health history. Everyone needs education and support. Scapegoating people who have sought or recieved help is just going to exacerbate issues.
@Jolanta Perhaps it might be worth considering the manual DSM-5. It’s a diagnostic document produced by APA. Then decided the degree of mental illness one experiences.
Bear in mind that these categories change over time and homosexuality is no longer considered a mental illness!
Our President’s mentally ill - and he’s our ‘Commander in Chief!’
We’re all mentally fit ...till we crack.
The mental illness argument is strictly to buy more time, and guns.. What needs to happen is the ban and confiscation of what most would describe as ‘Military Assault Weapons’ and their associated ammo & body armor - period
If the gun worshipers want a total ban on guns - continuing to ignore, support, or pray this doesn't happen again may be their best method of bringing it about..
Varn
Level 8
Aug 4, 2019
1
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
Share this post
Categories
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.