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To the editor:
It is a funny old world, the Republicans make the claim that whenever a mass or school shooting happen that the shooter always has a mental health issue. They offer thoughts and prayers that don't do anything then nothing else.
Could it be due to gun lobbyists such as the NRA paying Republicans to vote against gun safety measures or anything that may help prevent the next mass or school shooting?
Take the bill that just went through the house -- a bill, mind you, that was for increasing mental health services in schools. Even though they claim that mental health is THE cause for all mass or school shooting, 205 of the Republican Congressmen voted against the bill. So much for the claim they give for wanting to do something about the shootings that are happening on a near-daily basis.
In fact, the claim they give about mental health issues being the cause for all shootings had been debunked by numerous law enforcement departments. In fact, according to the National Institute of Justice and the Violence Project database, 30% were suicidal prior to the shooting while 39% were suicidal during the shooting. In terms of past trauma, 31% of persons who perpetrated mass shootings were found to have experiences of severe childhood trauma, and over 80% were in crisis.
Being in crisis does not mean that they were suffering from a mental illness. The definition of a crisis is any event that is, or expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community, or whole society, while a mental health issue could be classed as a crisis it is not.
But back to my point -- the Republicans have yet again shown the hypocrisy that permeates their party. They make a claim about something, yet when a bill is placed before them that may take care of the issue they always vote against it. Maybe some of the Republicans can try and explain their way out of that. I await the many excuses they will give for voting against this bill.
George Fisher
Lewistown