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BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
16. A fraction of murders
Thu Dec 20, 2012, 02:43 AM
Dec 2012

We assume they are disturbed because we can't imagine why anyone would do such a thing. But people do horrendous things, and many do not have diagnoses of a mental illness. You can be sure that if this boy had survived, an insanity defense would not have succeeded. We've heard all kids of things about this gun man and his family, most of which have been false, as was the case in the Columbine shootings. Naturally one assumes there must be something seriously wrong with anyone who could do something like this, but some are just psychopaths. I myself wonder what kind of paranoid delusions prompt some to believe they need to be armed at all times. I tend to think they are mentally disturbed (particularly when they engage on discussion boards of elaborate fantasies of pubic shoot outs), but absent a psychiatric exam one cannot know that. I've been part of a number of therapy groups over the years, and I never heard anyone talk about shooting others as some Gun fanatics do. And these are people least likely to seek treatment, which could potentially make them far more dangerous than those working to heal their illness.

Moreover, mass murders are a fraction of the killings that take place every year. Are you suggesting high numbers of child gun deaths don't count if they aren't on TV? Are you concerned with preventing violence or finding excuses not to do anything about guns? How do you suppose mass murders would get a hold of guns if they weren't so Readily available, if the NRA had not refuse to allow background checks for online and private sales?

Yes, better treatment of mental illness is important. But ignoring actual crime statistics in an effort to justify refusing to consider gun control is not only ineffective, it is immoral bigotry. Furthermore, it s counterproductive because increasing the stigma--Which s already tremendous--associated with mental illness will only keep people from seeking treatment. People who are a danger to themselves or others should not gave access to weapons, but to create a second class citizenship of 25% of the population-- mostly women--with mental illness not only violates equal protection, it ignores the key issue. A small percentage of murderers (about 2%) are mentally ill but 70% use guns. One's focus tells clearly if they are about curbing violence or are devoted to finding a scapegoat to justify their fetish for guns.

Better mental health care is part of the solution, but evidence clearly shows that easy access to highly dangerous weapons is the central component of high homicide rates.

The snippet you posted is wrong. randome Dec 2012 #1
Maybe would be if a good share of rampage shooters didn't turn out pipoman Dec 2012 #2
70% of murders are by guns BainsBane Dec 2012 #12
Why not both? Arcana Dec 2012 #13
I'm fine with that BainsBane Dec 2012 #17
But scapegoating legal gun owners is perfectly acceptable hack89 Dec 2012 #27
no one is scapegoating gun owners BainsBane Dec 2012 #29
So all those OPs equating gun ownership with mental illness hack89 Dec 2012 #30
Did I write them? BainsBane Dec 2012 #31
Just pointing out the mood of DU hack89 Dec 2012 #32
. . . BainsBane Dec 2012 #34
Democrats own guns hack89 Dec 2012 #35
what point was that? BainsBane Dec 2012 #36
I am certainly will to consider reforms hack89 Dec 2012 #37
So the majority of these rampage killings aren't also pipoman Dec 2012 #14
A fraction of murders BainsBane Dec 2012 #16
... pipoman Dec 2012 #25
Another point BainsBane Dec 2012 #18
I agree with all of this.. pipoman Dec 2012 #26
That mass murder of people of color is utterly ignored Fire Walk With Me Dec 2012 #3
The constant war tama Dec 2012 #4
Some of us have nadinbrzezinski Dec 2012 #6
Some black Connecticut residents question media attention on Newtown shootings FarCenter Dec 2012 #11
It's a problem "white america" may not be interested in addressing, much less solving. Fire Walk With Me Dec 2012 #42
Nope, not one bit nadinbrzezinski Dec 2012 #5
Yes, of course it is. H2O Man Dec 2012 #7
So the majority of these guys aren't mentally ill? pipoman Dec 2012 #9
Which guys? H2O Man Dec 2012 #10
Rampage killers. pipoman Dec 2012 #15
"Rampage killers" is a H2O Man Dec 2012 #28
In the case of Jared Loughner, James Holmes, and Seung-Hui Cho, weren't they just expelled and Arcana Dec 2012 #38
Don't you understand... pipoman Dec 2012 #40
I understand. H2O Man Dec 2012 #41
There has been borderline conceptual discussion of it here in GD, in poll form etc. Fire Walk With Me Dec 2012 #43
I think that would be ridiculous pipoman Dec 2012 #49
You lost me at "PETA vegan is outrageous." Didn't bother to read the rest. nt Honeycombe8 Dec 2012 #8
How could anyone possibly think this creates stigma? Denninmi Dec 2012 #19
there's some big brother shit being suggested fizzgig Dec 2012 #21
Yup, my exact thought. Denninmi Dec 2012 #22
When advocates and activists say "Let's have the conversation" I think they prefer more level-headed Arcana Dec 2012 #23
It's a little hard not to take it personally Denninmi Dec 2012 #24
I understand Arcana Dec 2012 #39
it does when it calls for a broadbrush abrogation of our rights fizzgig Dec 2012 #20
I am opposed to mentally ill people with potentially violent tendencies having firearms el_bryanto Dec 2012 #33
Perhaps because such is being stated in broad brush strokes without real knowledge of mental illness Fire Walk With Me Dec 2012 #44
There's nothing controversial about that, but that's not REALLY the nature of the concern. HereSince1628 Dec 2012 #45
"mentally ill people with violent tendencies" loyalsister Dec 2012 #46
Spot on! Fire Walk With Me Dec 2012 #48
Yes, it's stigmatising Spider Jerusalem Dec 2012 #47
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