Columns

ON MENTAL ILLNESS: Addressing the Orlando Shooting

By Jack Bragen
Friday June 24, 2016 - 11:01:00 AM

To begin with, this is a horrible tragedy, something worse than I could ever imagine dealing with, nor could I ever fathom the grief of the friends and families of those killed. Those affected by this awful act have my deepest condolences.  

President Obama has done an excellent job of offering comfort to the victims through this tragedy.  

I am writing this week's column mainly to point out that a mental health diagnosis does not explain the motives of the perpetrator. The wife of the perpetrator has given a number of conflicting stories to the authorities, and police are trying to figure out if she was in collusion. She said that the perpetrator was "bipolar and abusive."  

I must point out that being bipolar does not automatically mean that someone is abusive, nor especially does it mean that a person is going to go out and commit horrible crimes. The vast majority of persons with mental illness are harmless, often more so compared to those who are not afflicted.  

It is unknown if the perpetrator was actually bipolar in addition to his other problems, or if that was just a story given by the wife. I did not hear anything about the shooter having contact with any mental health practitioners. Therefore, this appears to be yet another case of the public scapegoating persons with mental illnesses.  

Certainly, persons with psychiatric problems should not have access to guns. Unless you are living in some place like Alaska, where you may have to shoot a bear that is charging at you, there is no valid reason why a person with a mental illness should have a gun.  

I am in favor of more background checks prior to the sale of firearms, and I am in favor of any other restrictions that could be made law, if Congress would just do what they are supposed to do--protect the American people.  

But let's not use this tragedy as a justification for scapegoating mentally ill people some more. Just as Muslim people should not be denigrated, neither should people who have psych disabilities--most of us are good people with bad illnesses.