mikechandler
Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2011
- Messages
- 107
I am starting to hear the buzz again... and it makes me sick to my stomach. Yet every one of these yoyos, including those who do it with guns, bombs, blades, or their cars, has ONE THING IN COMMON:
They're all mentally ill, every last one of them.
Now imagine if the millions of dollars spent on gun control by the anti-gun lobby was spent on mental health awareness? Imagine if schools began mandatory evaluation of students, just like they do for lice, or scoliosis? Furthermore imagine if this Obama Care that we're going to be stuck with anyway actually made mental health care more affordable, and readily accessible, to parents of children with mental health disabilities?
I admit (with some Catholic guilt) that I am well off; I can afford the care needed by my kids even when my five star insurance falls short. And even at that it is a constant strain on my marriage - but I am always vigilant. I have a child with ADHD and Bi-Polar Disorder (on a side note for those concerned, I keep the guns locked up AND violent video games are banned in our household for exactly that reason - I recognize the combination of factors that cause tragedies). But my daughter is treated by the best of the best, one of the most highly regarded in his field, and it costs a fortune, every penny out of pocket. And support from our school with her issues, even at this level, is dismal at best. My wife and I go to counseling, also out of pocket, to help deal with the constant fallout. All of which is a LOT of money.
But how about those that cannot afford it, or can't get the best help they can? I see them all the time - or hear about them from couples throwing their hands up in desperation, with kids who after school will be thrust on society with serious mental illness problems - and it's painful to know they could be treated, and their illness managed, if their parents had the help they needed. Worst of all there's nothing that identifies these kids, and to add to the dilemma mental illness is seen as a stigma in our society rather than a health problem.
I see the anti-gun lobby spend gazillions of dollars attempting the impossible - to stop violence by focusing on the weapons used instead of the mental health of the people wielding them. They clearly have ulterior motives that having nothing to do with fixing the problem, and preventing more violence.
So here's an idea:
What if we gun owners formed a group that lobbies to educate the public on mental health issues, and moves the focus from the object in the deranged person's hands, to the object between their ears? How about a coalition of doctors, parents, teachers, and other professionals to advise and propose screening, treatment, and long-term management of mental health issues, and even, when disaster strikes, to speak to the public (ala Brady) regarding the real underlying issue?
What do you think?
They're all mentally ill, every last one of them.
Now imagine if the millions of dollars spent on gun control by the anti-gun lobby was spent on mental health awareness? Imagine if schools began mandatory evaluation of students, just like they do for lice, or scoliosis? Furthermore imagine if this Obama Care that we're going to be stuck with anyway actually made mental health care more affordable, and readily accessible, to parents of children with mental health disabilities?
I admit (with some Catholic guilt) that I am well off; I can afford the care needed by my kids even when my five star insurance falls short. And even at that it is a constant strain on my marriage - but I am always vigilant. I have a child with ADHD and Bi-Polar Disorder (on a side note for those concerned, I keep the guns locked up AND violent video games are banned in our household for exactly that reason - I recognize the combination of factors that cause tragedies). But my daughter is treated by the best of the best, one of the most highly regarded in his field, and it costs a fortune, every penny out of pocket. And support from our school with her issues, even at this level, is dismal at best. My wife and I go to counseling, also out of pocket, to help deal with the constant fallout. All of which is a LOT of money.
But how about those that cannot afford it, or can't get the best help they can? I see them all the time - or hear about them from couples throwing their hands up in desperation, with kids who after school will be thrust on society with serious mental illness problems - and it's painful to know they could be treated, and their illness managed, if their parents had the help they needed. Worst of all there's nothing that identifies these kids, and to add to the dilemma mental illness is seen as a stigma in our society rather than a health problem.
I see the anti-gun lobby spend gazillions of dollars attempting the impossible - to stop violence by focusing on the weapons used instead of the mental health of the people wielding them. They clearly have ulterior motives that having nothing to do with fixing the problem, and preventing more violence.
So here's an idea:
What if we gun owners formed a group that lobbies to educate the public on mental health issues, and moves the focus from the object in the deranged person's hands, to the object between their ears? How about a coalition of doctors, parents, teachers, and other professionals to advise and propose screening, treatment, and long-term management of mental health issues, and even, when disaster strikes, to speak to the public (ala Brady) regarding the real underlying issue?
What do you think?