And Guilford County.
We look at mass shootings in this country and automatically the talk turns to gun control. The right fears loosing their right to bear arms, the left says ending easy access to guns is the only thing that will stop these senseless killings. But therein lies the answer, senseless killings.
In every instance the shooters are literally insane and yet nothing is done about their insanity until after people die. Governments in this country have spent the last 30 plus years cutting health care with mental health getting the axe at every turn. And yet even those of us who have tried to check ourselves into mental institutions have too often found it to be impossible to do unless you are in fact well monied and handsomely insured. Never mind that there is no system of mental health screening in place in this country that might catch and rehabilitate these people before they kill or that most of the mentally ill can be successfully treated without being institutionalized.
Take away the guns and the school shooters will become school suicide bombers with bombs made from under the kitchen sink or the garage. Or the modern air conditioned classroom or office with fixed windows will become the perfect gas chamber with deadly ammonia-chloride gas easily available from ingredients in mom's laundry room. Flame throwers can be made from toy squirt guns. Napalm bombs are made from gasoline and Styrofoam cups. And none of these weapons can be detected with metal detectors. It will only take one instance before others follow suit.
The problem never was guns and the senseless part is that liberals and conservatives alike will continue to waste time arguing gun control when we need to be talking about mental health.
Reality is this: if we want this problem to end the left is going to have to stop pointing fingers at guns and the right is going to have to be willing to spend more money on health care-- especially mental health care.
Otherwise you can continue your squabbles while the mentally unstable among us continue to kill our children.
-Signed, one who has actually considered doing it. -Billy Jones
PS. The last action Guilford County took in the mental health arena was to cut funding and to my knowledge the City of Greensboro contributes nothing to mental health efforts. It's only a matter of time before it happens here.
