The Real Issue

I whole-heartedly support better background checks on gun purchases, age limits, no assault weapons, all of that. It's all smart action, and may stop some people from killing themselves or others, but the thing that is at the root of mass violence in America is mental illness. Ignore that, and all this other stuff is just a tiny dent in the problem. There are many ways people inflict mass violence. Most of them don't use guns.

We need to do a better job as a society, and especially in schools, while kids are young and developing, in preschool and grade school and beyond, identifying and helping students who are feeling left out, are being bullied or who display concerning behaviors. (YEESH, can't they finally stop tolerating bullying in schools? How many decades has it gone on now?)

I just wonder how many children who headed down this path to insanity could have been integrated more effectually into their peer group early on. Sure, most kids are uncomfortable engaging with the "different" kiddos one-on-one, but perhaps encouraging kids to welcome those children into their groups is a start. As a group, ask this child to eat lunch with you, or play a game with you, etc. That doesn't place a lot of pressure on a single child. It's the community working together to help someone, which most of us would like to do. I leave it to the professionals to figure it out, but what we're doing isn't working.

There also needs to be a conversation about the fact that there are some kids (and adults) who are a danger to themselves or others, who just unfortunately need to be detained or supervised in a manner that minimizes their threat. If you are a danger to yourself or others, there are rules already in place (I assume in most locales) that allow involuntary commitment to a mental health facility. Maybe we need to have a treatment option that is a step down, where someone is not an immediate threat, but has treatment mandated in an outpatient setting.

Something.

It's just so frustrating that so many people say they knew a particular person would "do something like this one day." A few of them in the Florida shooting even told teachers and other adults prior to this tragedy, but there wasn't anything meaningful done. Many times there are well-deserved punitive consequences, but they also need to address the real issue- a person's mental status. How can we help them heal, or are they are beyond outpatient treatment and need to be in a treatment facility long term?

Bigger picture, there also need to be better mental health treatments and better insurance coverage. Healthcare costs are ridiculous and need to be reigned in. (Ask me about my Not-for-Profit Healthcare Plan for America! Quite unpopular with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and insurance companies! But I digress...)

Just incredibly sad. I can't imagine how the parents of all those kids must feel.

I am absolutely not supportive of kids leaving school to protest anything. If you believe in it, protest after school. And what if someone doesn't want to participate? Too bad, I guess. The education system is already crappier than ever. What kids need is a day off school, because nothing says "I demand that the government protect me from gun violence" than a bunch of giggling middle-schoolers taking selfies during their "protest."

Also worth a mention... that bogus stat about this being the 18th school shooting this year detracted from what is inarguably a devastating trend that needs to be addressed with swift and effective action. The Washington Post outed the group that created this false statistic. Stop detracting from this issue (and the Me Too movement, and racism, and a whole plethora of other very important issues) by overstating your story. The opposition will use it to discredit the whole movement. It makes people wonder what the truth is. Gah!