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Lets put the party squabbling aside for the moment...to some degree...and look at the real problem. The Reagan administration "changed" the ways mental institutions were funded, passing the responsibility onto the states along with (here's the catch) a largely reduced budget to work with. Coupled with the belief that the mentally ill and drug addicts have rights and shouldn't be institutionalized despite being a danger to society and/or themselves (looking at you democrats), this has resulted in the closing and defunding of facilities all the while our population has grown and grown. The failure was in a republican administration of the past and the continued enabling has continued through administration after administration of both parties. I said weapons and not guns because weapons are all around us. One can easily use vehicles, chemicals, and combinations of endless off-the-shelf consumer goods to make all kinds of destructive and deadly devices. If we want positive change, taking all the potential "weapons" away isn't going to do a lick of good. We need to institutionalize the addicts and the mentally ill. I've seen our local hospitals ER and even our police reports overflowing with "mental issues". If you've ever watched "I almost got away with it", there was a documentary on a teen drug addict that strangled his own grandmother for $80. Sadly, I have a relative who is an addict and she burglarized her own parents place, assaulted her mother, and has had multiple kids with different men which have all been taken away by the state. Veterans come back from war after watching their army buddy explode into hamburger and fall into substance abuse and deal with PTSD, and aren't cared for or treated. If we want real change, these people need a place to go not waiting lists 3 years long. For many of them, it's hope for them as well, a chance to get clean and/or get mental help, get them off the streets, and would surely make our nation a safer one.
Both mental health aspects and gun restrictions need to be part of the solution, anything else and you are not being honest.
Mental health is a large issue, reporting of at risk people for incorporation into the NICS was anemic before the Va Tech shooting but it has improved. Still many states have submitted less than 100 records and some states none at all.
Gotta love an OP that says "Lets put the party squabbling aside for the moment"-and then starts a thread with a lie, demonizing one party.
Cute.
Read up on the actual "deinstitutionalization" process. Hint-it started long before Reagan and was initiated by those compassionate soles concerned that institutions were "cruel".
Weapons and mentally ill don't coincide or proceed one another usually.
We should not vilify those with mental health issues.
Now with that said we do need a massive change towards mental health in the U.S.
Need a socialized approach.
We need a National Mental Health and Addiction Agency within the Department of Public Health.
Need to increase funding to non profit social services and mental health facilities & organizations.
Need to create 100% tax paid mental health coverage even if coverage is emergency services, E.R. So individual walks in to E.R. 100% is covered. Then 100% of inpatient is covered if patient doesn't have insurance. For patients with insurance whatever portion left over is not covered is funded by the Government.
Need to increase mental health and social service access in primary be and secondary education.
Support funding for temporary housing.
Support funding for supervised housing for those in need of long term care for mental illness and disabilities.
Create safe staff ratios to patients in mental health facilities.
Do away with pharmaceutical patents.
Encourage State's to buy generic medication and allow those unable to afford medication obtain medication from State program. Distribute to hospital to lower cost.
Legalize marijuana. Decriminalize possession of illicit substances and decriminalize prostitution.
Anti Bully classes in primary and secondary schools.
Increase funding to short term inpatient mental health services. Also outpatient mental health services.
Increase funding to VA and BIA services.
Utilize USPHS more to provide mental health and social services to rural areas.
Where would the line be drawn for mental health issue to keep you from owning a firearm? Suicide, bi polar, medicines you take, speaking to a shrink ect………..?
The mentally ill are more likely to be victims of crimes than perpetrators.
Let's put aside something, all right. Let's put aside this red herring that the majority of violence (including mass shootings) is a mental health issue.
The message I keep getting from the Second Amendment crowd here is that 2A needs to be taken literally. Well, there is no exception in 2A for mental health or for convicted felons. So I am curious whether those who are ardent supporters of 2A whether you think it has an implicit exception to not give gun rights to the mentally ill and felons?
The mentally ill are more likely to be victims of crimes than perpetrators.
Let's put aside something, all right. Let's put aside this red herring that the majority of violence (including mass shootings) is a mental health issue.
It's not.
The common thread among many of the shooters is family or spousal abuse. Is that a mental health issue or are they just mean as hell?
Gotta love an OP that says "Lets put the party squabbling aside for the moment"-and then starts a thread with a lie, demonizing one party.
Cute.
Read up on the actual "deinstitutionalization" process. Hint-it started long before Reagan and was initiated by those compassionate soles concerned that institutions were "cruel".
Hey, I took a stab at both parties in that to be fair.
There is no need to look further back at the deinstitutionalization as a who did it, it's history and it is what it is. Current day revolving door democratic justice system policies have me pretty angry to be honest regarding the homeless and druggies in our locale but that's another issue sort of. To move forward it's obvious we need to un-deinstitutionalize, those who belong there aren't going to get better on their own.
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