Mental Health awareness plays a key role in recent shootings
On April 2, another tragic mass shooting occurred in our country.
This latest tragedy took place at Fort Hood, a military base located in Killeen, Texas.
Over the past couple years, it seems when these mass shootings occur we focus more on the gun rather than the individual who fired the gun.
In a CNN article titled “Fort Hood gunman vented on Facebook about Sandy Hook shooter, Iraq,” Ray Sanchez discusses how the shooter Ivan Lopez made a Facebook post about the Sandy Hook tragedy: “It is stupid to me that anyone can have easy access to a powerful weapon without being mentally evaluated.”
Lopez was referring to Adam Lanza, the young man behind the Sandy Hook shooting.
In an article titled “Fort Hood shooter snapped over denial of request for leave, Army confirms” from Fox News, the news site confirms “Ivan Lopez’s rampage followed an argument over the denial of his request for leave.”
When discussing the shooters history of mental health, Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, head of the Army’s III Corps at Fort Hood states, “we do know that this soldier had behavioral health and mental health issues and was being treated for that.”
It wasn’t just because Lopez had access to a weapon and decided to make a terrible decision that ended up costing his life and others. It was the simple fact that he was mentally incapable of thinking clearly in the heat of the situation.
Guns are objects meant for hunting purposes and the military. Hunting has become a big part of my life just as it has for many other people across this country.
A gun can be dangerous, but they are even more dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands.
By removing guns, we’re not going to solve the problem. We need to assist those incapable of making thoughtful decisions so they do not harm others.
I believe most University of South Dakota students agree that by focusing on mental health rather than the gun aspect we will be able to limit the number of mass shootings that occur.
The worst thing that could happen on this campus is if someone was suffering from a mental health issue and was able to obtain a weapon.
As a country, we need to solve this problem before it gets even more out of hand.
Just like the rest of America, I’m tired of turning on the TV and hearing there has been another mass shooting. We need to help those who are suffering from mental health illness so they will not get their hands on a gun and hurt innocent people.
