My heart is heavy writing this. As I sit here watching the news, and reading the Twitter feeds, it breaks my heart to see our nation struggling through this yet again. It feels like just yesterday I was watching news break on the Boston Bombings or Sandy Hook shooting or Aurora shooting, etc. Although it's still to be determined the details of this shooting or the suspect, I've found that the issue of mental health vs. gun control has come back up. Here's where I stand on that:
I think mental health needs to be more addressed in this country. Nowadays, people are afraid to admit that they need help, or that a loved one might need help, because they're afraid of judgement. They deny it, hide it under the rug, and ignore it until it becomes a major problem or it's too late. On the flip side, society puts such a harsh view on mental health. People have such a negative view that it's only feuling the desire to hide these mental health issues. I think until it becomes more recognizable and more acceptable in our society, the problem won't go away. I also think that it will never become more acceptable until society truly understands what mental health is.
Most people, when they hear the words "mental health issues" automatically picture a guy in a white-walled room in a straight jacket pulling out his hair and teeth. Mental health issues have been something so taboo in society that no one truly knows what they are. I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure I know what they are or what they mean. I know that they need to be addressed, they need focus and attention, immediately.
I don't know much about the suspect from this Navy Yard shooting, I know the details are still being ironed out as of now. I don't know if this is an issue of mental health or not, but I do know that people are already pointing it in that direction. This issue needs to be discussed. And it needs to be discussed sooner rather than later.
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