My Top 2 Ideas to Curb Gun Violence
#1: Better Mental Health Treatment for those in need
As we read through articles all over the internet, we see a trend that the mentally ill are in many cases either passed off to someone else or given medication and sent on their way. Through research, we can find that the best resolution to mental health issues is talking to the individual and really finding out what’s going on. Giving them a script and just sending them off seems counter-productive. They need support and they need someone who will honestly listen.
Why not allocate more funding for mental health research? We spend so much money on the gun control debate, but it seems that maybe we should be directing a little more toward a growing epidemic. Once we have a better understanding of how mental illness works and new ways to discover and treat it, we may then be onto a great solution.
#2: Allow Licensed Citizens to Carry Anywhere They Go
What I really meant to say is this: ABOLISH THE GUN FREE ZONE. It’s utterly absurd to believe that a person who is intending to kill as many people as they can, will not do so in a gun free zone. As discussed previously in the article “The Illusion of the Gun Free Zone“, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to notice that these laws are…dare I say…ridiculous and downright pointless. The only thing that a gun free zone accomplishes is allowing a shooter free reign on unarmed people. I know the wound is still fresh, but hear me out: If we placed an armed staff member inside Sandy Hook Elementary, the outcome may have been much different. Hell, even if it wasn’t, the occupants of the building would have stood a better chance fighting fire with fire. The last thing an active shooter wants is a confrontation. That’s why they choose gun free zones.
In closing, I hope that this debate continues. It’s one of the most important topics of our time and needs to be addressed. Keep the conversation going with family and friends. Even talk to strangers when you’re out and about because it’s a topic that nearly everyone has an opinion on. We aren’t making any progress sitting idly by, waiting for the next shooting to occur. In my eyes, the two points talked about above are light-years beyond any new gun control law that could be put on the books, especially point #2.
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