Guns vs. Mental Illness

I know I haven't been the first and I won't be the last but I feel I need to chime in about the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton Connecticut.

There are two arguments be waged in the wake of this tragedy. America needs tougher gun control laws. America has to do better at identifying and treating mental illness.

My position is they need both.

Things like this do not happen in isolation. Gun advocates say that guns don't kill people, people kill people. They are right. However, in many states, you can walk in and buy a gun and ammunition without a licence. You can use the weapon without a licence. Let's take a step back and think about a couple of things. Gun advocates always preach safe and responsible firearm usage. Although you can shoot at targets, ultimately these devices have a purpose; to wound ok kill. 

Guns can be used to wound or kill animals to harvest food or control pest populations. This is a safe and responsible use of firearms. Guns can be used to wound or kill individuals who are committing evil acts. I also believe this is a safe and responsible use of a firearm. So in my mind yes there are reasons to have access to guns.

When America amended its constitution for the second time and guaranteed the right to bear arms, I'm not saying they did a bad thing but they may have missed an important part. In my humble opinion they also should have demanded the responsibility of their citizens to learn how to properly and safely use the arms they have the right to bear. That may have changed things significantly from the past.

I do find it interesting that Americans do not have a right to own and use an automobile or an airplane. Both of these machines, like a gun, require a level of skill to operate safely and if that skill is not there, they can cause significant unintended consequences, up to and including premature death. So to drive a car and fly an airplane you must past at least two tests for each. You must pass a knowledge test and a skill test. In the case of an airplane you must also show you are retaining your knowledge and skill. This is a responsible approach to a potentially dangerous activity. Yet, Americans can just buy and use a gun. 

Now, here is where the mental illness issue comes into play. As it stands right now, someone who is not fit to drive a car or fly an airplane can still buy and use a gun. Yes, that's right someone who is not fit to use a machine designed to peacefully transport people and goods can still use a machine designed to wound and kill. To me something seems off kilter.

I'm not saying people should not have access to guns. On the contrary, if you are required to demonstrate a defined level of skill and knowledge then you should be free to have your weapon of choice. If you cannot demonstrate that you can use it safe and responsibly then you should not be permitted to use it.

Now, if you have severe enough mental illness that you would even consider walking into an elementary school and killing even one random child, there were previous signs. Friends and family should have been supportive and helped you get the assistance you clearly needed before it would ever escalate to this level. You can say that video games and movies filled with violence desensitize youth but I don't buy that. Not having the support to deal with the small problems before it rewires the brain is the problem. Allowing someone to become so self absorbed that they can walk into an institution intended for education and development and kill random people that they have never met is the problem. One of the best parts of being human is we are social. We enjoy interaction with other people. It's central to the human experience. Most people like to bring joy to others. If we are allowing some people to become the opposite of that, we are failing. 

I'm not suggesting that there should not be consequences for your actions. There should be and it is an important part of learning but not all consequences are bad and if you behave in a good manner you should be recognized appropriately. Everyone knows this will reinforce good behaviour. 

As we go forward you should only use machinery that you have the knowledge and skill to do so and try to make someone's life a little bit better and we will all benefit in the end. Frankly, the other option just isn't acceptable.