Probably the best thought out gun op-ed I have read yet.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

14. thanks for posting ... continuing on ... this portion is what I am in Total Agreement and have been

saying from day One that I entered this group:

Finally, the inescapable facts are that the Connecticut shootings—and most of those like it—are not primarily a failure of guns in society, but an even more serious and fundamental failure. That failure? Our "mental health system" of which there simply isn't. And, there hasn't been a "system" since we "decided" to put hundreds of thousands of mentally ill people back on our streets, hoping that they would somehow "take their meds"—assuming they even have them—which most didn't, don't and won't. This is the "real problem" and most everyone who can be objective about these tragic events realizes it. In fact, and as is too often the case, many who actually knew these shooters were not surprised by the evil they did—only that the shooters were not under some form of strict supervision. Why can't, won't, or don't we deal with our mentally ill? That's a whole separate set of issues—legal, medical, and resource centric. Is it simply easier—and cheaper—when reacting to gun violence done by the mentally ill, to blame guns than it is to keep mentally ill people off our streets? Many think this is the real motivation behind "gun bans".

Thank you, gejohnston, for always patiently posting facts and asking cogent questions. I admire your style and appreciate your knowledge on this subject.