GUN VIOLENCE and PUBLIC HEALTH
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When asking a private gun owner why he or she owns a firearm, the responses you are most likely to receive are, “for personal protection,” “the protection of family,” or “for recreational purposes,” like hunting. These answers yield the subjectively positive and purposeful facets of the gun. However, these answers shield the historical and contemporary backstory regarding public health and violence in the U.S.
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Instead of stigmatizing mentally ill patients, we will be better off looking for the solution to control gun violence in the population. As Maria Konnikova, a contributing writer for newyorker.com, points out that, “Mental illness is easy to blame, easy to pinpoint, and easy to legislate against in regards to gun ownership” (2014). Blame mental illness is not going to resolve the gun violence, there is a need to go further in gun control. An article from ABC News talks about the Australia Strict Gun Law which was passed after the mass shooting at Tasmania in 1996. The shooter, Martin Bryant, a 28-year old man, killed 35 people and injured 23 other in a café. After this gun law, mass shooting went down from 13 fatal mass shootings before 1996 to Zero mass shooting to 2016. How did this magic happen? In United States, gun violence is happening daily and mass shootings are happening more than Australia. However, Australia takes step further and makes history in the world of gun violence. This strict gun law eradicates mass shootings in Australia. The suicide and homicide also decrease. Stop stigmatizing mental ill people and focus on the gun control. This strict gun law saves life in general population in Australia; it can also save lives and reduce significantly gun violence and mass shootings in US.
One cannot deny that people with mental illness need our help and more federal funding to be able to access health care and treatments. Mental illness alone may not link to gun violence. Under the treatment, they are like the regular population. Stigmatizing them with gun violence will not help them, instead they will be afraid to seek treatment and isolate themselves. US can learn from Australia gun law which target the general population. Taking away guns from the population will significantly reduce gun violence in US population including the mentally ill patients.
References
ABC News, No Mass Shootings in Australia in 20 Years: How Did They Do It? (2016) retrieved on 5/3/2017, from http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/no-mass- shootings-australia-20-years-how-did-they-do-n597091.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health (2016P, retrieved on 5/3/2017 from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/basics/mental-illness.htm
New England Journal of Medicine, After Newtown — Public Opinion on Gun Policy and Mental Illness (2013). Retrieved on May 3, 2017, from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1300512#t=article
Newtown Action Alliance, Myths & Facts About Guns (2017) Retrieved on May 3, 2017, from http://alliance.newtownaction.org/myths-facts/
Maria Konnikova, (November 19, 2014) Is There a Link Between Mental Health and Gun Violence? Retrieved on April 22,2017 from dropbox Anth.251.
Instead of stigmatizing mentally ill patients, we will be better off looking for the solution to control gun violence in the population. As Maria Konnikova, a contributing writer for newyorker.com, points out that, “Mental illness is easy to blame, easy to pinpoint, and easy to legislate against in regards to gun ownership” (2014). Blame mental illness is not going to resolve the gun violence, there is a need to go further in gun control. An article from ABC News talks about the Australia Strict Gun Law which was passed after the mass shooting at Tasmania in 1996. The shooter, Martin Bryant, a 28-year old man, killed 35 people and injured 23 other in a café. After this gun law, mass shooting went down from 13 fatal mass shootings before 1996 to Zero mass shooting to 2016. How did this magic happen? In United States, gun violence is happening daily and mass shootings are happening more than Australia. However, Australia takes step further and makes history in the world of gun violence. This strict gun law eradicates mass shootings in Australia. The suicide and homicide also decrease. Stop stigmatizing mental ill people and focus on the gun control. This strict gun law saves life in general population in Australia; it can also save lives and reduce significantly gun violence and mass shootings in US.
One cannot deny that people with mental illness need our help and more federal funding to be able to access health care and treatments. Mental illness alone may not link to gun violence. Under the treatment, they are like the regular population. Stigmatizing them with gun violence will not help them, instead they will be afraid to seek treatment and isolate themselves. US can learn from Australia gun law which target the general population. Taking away guns from the population will significantly reduce gun violence in US population including the mentally ill patients.
References
ABC News, No Mass Shootings in Australia in 20 Years: How Did They Do It? (2016) retrieved on 5/3/2017, from http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/no-mass- shootings-australia-20-years-how-did-they-do-n597091.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health (2016P, retrieved on 5/3/2017 from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/basics/mental-illness.htm
New England Journal of Medicine, After Newtown — Public Opinion on Gun Policy and Mental Illness (2013). Retrieved on May 3, 2017, from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1300512#t=article
Newtown Action Alliance, Myths & Facts About Guns (2017) Retrieved on May 3, 2017, from http://alliance.newtownaction.org/myths-facts/
Maria Konnikova, (November 19, 2014) Is There a Link Between Mental Health and Gun Violence? Retrieved on April 22,2017 from dropbox Anth.251.
A
Conclusion
•Americans, by and large, support policies that reduce access to guns. But once these policies are proposed, they are broadly spun by politicians and pundits into attempts to “take away your guns.” So nothing gets done, and preventable deaths keep occurring.
•The psychological profiles of self-destructive killers, whether underwear bombers or school shooters, are not so different from those of the 34,000 Americans who commit suicide every year, burdened by mental illness, social isolation, personal and professional failures.
• Underneath the political rhetoric in suicide letters, videos and testimonies of grieving family and friends there is evidence of deep psychological pain.
•This suggests that those who have the most rage toward others and therefore end up killing the most victims, would also feel the most guilt and ashamed about their crimes. They are therefore more likely to engage in “self-punishment” via suicide or suicide by cop.
• How do mental health and mental illness affect the prediction of gun violence? Is there anything that can be done at the individual and community level to prevent gun violence and Mass Shooting?
•I believe Individuals can seek help and assistance from churches when they feel swallowed by the pressures of everyday life.
•Parental guidance could also play an important role to help troubled children and family members to desist from destructive behaviors like Mass Shooting and Suicide
•Americans, by and large, support policies that reduce access to guns. But once these policies are proposed, they are broadly spun by politicians and pundits into attempts to “take away your guns.” So nothing gets done, and preventable deaths keep occurring.
•The psychological profiles of self-destructive killers, whether underwear bombers or school shooters, are not so different from those of the 34,000 Americans who commit suicide every year, burdened by mental illness, social isolation, personal and professional failures.
• Underneath the political rhetoric in suicide letters, videos and testimonies of grieving family and friends there is evidence of deep psychological pain.
•This suggests that those who have the most rage toward others and therefore end up killing the most victims, would also feel the most guilt and ashamed about their crimes. They are therefore more likely to engage in “self-punishment” via suicide or suicide by cop.
• How do mental health and mental illness affect the prediction of gun violence? Is there anything that can be done at the individual and community level to prevent gun violence and Mass Shooting?
•I believe Individuals can seek help and assistance from churches when they feel swallowed by the pressures of everyday life.
•Parental guidance could also play an important role to help troubled children and family members to desist from destructive behaviors like Mass Shooting and Suicide
Assault
Future: Research on public health perspectives on gun injury due to assault.
Future: Research on public health perspectives on gun injury due to assault.
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This will be another paragraph.
Suicide
Future: Research on public health perspectives on suicide.
Future: Research on public health perspectives on suicide.
Accident
Future: Research on public health perspectives on accidental gun injury.
Future: Research on public health perspectives on accidental gun injury.
Guns and Cardiac Injuries
Future: Research on gun injuries to the heart and circulatory system
Future: Research on gun injuries to the heart and circulatory system