06/11/2022
Background, I am in a massive group chat of Americans, and sometimes things get a bit heated in the political side of things, spiced with some trolls, of course. Talk today was about Jan. 6, and gun safety.
My father, a veteran, has always told me, a gun does not kill people, it is a tool, a very effective tool, but a tool none the less. It has no morals, no drive, no thirst for vengeance, for it is just iron (or steel).
A problem that country has faced more and more frequently in these trying times is that of people committing heinous acts of sickening judgment, such as shooting up an elementary school.
Knowing that people often blame guns, and people behind keeping fi****ms are very admit about keeping them, I realized that there is something not talked about enough.
It is brought up that there are more guns than people in the USA, which is true but it is not a relevant argument, Serbia can also boast this, yet they don't have sick people blowing elementary schools.
I admit I need to look a little more into this, but we are unique in this aspect. Why? Is it because they have strict gun laws? No.
The answer is not in an overhaul in gun control legislation, but instead a revisit into mental healthcare. Talk to doctors in the health care business, you will find that is often underfunded, if at all. There is no money in it. Talk to patients who need the services and medication, you will often find that they often do not get the help they need, often just an antidepressant. Many times that is all a doctor can give, because of over regulation, and if they do it is often ridiculously expensive
Underfunded, and Over regulated,and the people do not get the help they need at crucial moments. The brain is very complex, a simple chemical composition or concentration imbalance and you have a massive problem. Some people are born that way, unfortunately.
So mentally sick people don't get help they need, are ridiculed, forgotten and often times just scrutinized. It definitely does not help that meaningful social interactions have been in a sharp decline since the rise of social technologies, sometimes all a person needs is an actual friend, not a friendly stranger. Unfortunately, many sick people end up with rifles, with a mission to make a statement.
Some people look at this and see no issue, or maybe they haven't seen the issue clearly. Some look at this and think it is the access of weapons that is the cause of these tragedies. I don't think it is gun laws that need a look, but the mental health section of law. Sure gun laws might a tweak here or there, not a massive change. But a lot of focus needs to be put onto mental health. That and armed guards would definitely help with schools. (Next post)