Rep. Scalise’s shooting shows need for better mental health care

Mental illness

Re “Man who shot congressman was living in van, called a loaner“ (sacbee.com, June 15): We’ve all been hearing Democratic and Republican members of Congress condemning the attempted murders of their colleagues. Their focus, as usual, has been on a need for additional policing and security. Sadly, but typically, not one has spoken of these cardinal issues: their own failure of leadership to address the appalling lack of adequate mental health services in our country and their failure to deal with the insufferable conditions that lead some people who are struggling with helpless, hopeless, and emotional instability to commit acts of violence.

Introspection

Re “Thoughts and Prayers are meaningless – we must confront America’s gun culture” (Marcos Breton, June 15): The shooting of congressmen and others at baseball practice should come as a shock and force introspection. We must see this incident as far more than just another opportunity to call for gun control, as Marcos Breton does. This should be a warning that we have allowed our discourse to become hateful and toxic. We need to ask ourselves: What have we allowed ourselves to become and what we can do to reverse course? We must tone down our rhetoric. We need to respect each other. Otherwise, we endanger our democracy.

The NRA

The children at Sandy Hook school never had congressional bodyguards and Congress has done nothing since then. Will the Republican-controlled Congress and White House finally fight the NRA, ignore all of the money being tossed at them and pass sensible legislation? Senseless killing has to stop now, or we may be next.

 

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This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Rep. Scalise’s shooting shows need for better mental health care."