I woke up yesterday to the soft patter of my daughter’s feet, her little frame wriggling into my bed. As we nestled together in the quiet darkness, a wave of warmth washed over me. Today, I thought, would be a good day.
But then I turned on the news: Another mass shooting had occurred. This time, hundreds were injured, and tragically, dozens of lives had been lost—58 confirmed dead in Las Vegas alone. My heart raced as I worried about my loved ones. Were they safe? Where were they?
Then, came the familiar rush of anger, sadness, shock, and fear. It’s happened again.
As the news cycle rolled on, social media turned into a battleground. Debates erupted over gun control, with some calling for stricter regulations while others defended their right to bear arms. Tensions flared as people hastily assigned blame to mental illness. “He must have been mentally unstable,” they said. One comment stood out: “A gun isn’t to blame; crazy people are.” This narrative—that only the mentally ill commit violent crimes—gains traction after every tragedy.
While it’s true that some individuals with mental health challenges engage in criminal behavior, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reveals a different story. The reality is that only 3%–5% of violent acts can be linked to those struggling with serious mental illnesses. In fact, individuals with severe mental health issues are more than 10 times more likely to become victims of violence than to be the perpetrators.
This is a critical distinction. As someone who advocates for comprehensive mental health care, I believe in the necessity of proper screenings and resources. However, we must shift our focus away from labeling individuals with mental health concerns as “crazy.” This stigma not only misrepresents the facts but also endangers the mental health community. It undermines the experiences of countless individuals grappling with these issues.
When a mass shooting occurs, the media often fixates on the shooter’s mental state, attempting to find answers for such heinous actions. I understand the instinct to question how someone could commit such atrocities, but mental illness is not the sole explanation. As Jonathan Metzl, a professor at Vanderbilt University, points out, other factors—like access to firearms, substance abuse, and a history of violence—are often more predictive of such behaviors.
I may not fully understand the psyche of the Las Vegas shooter, but I recognize one undeniable truth: he was a murderer, a terrorist, a violent criminal intent on wreaking havoc. It’s crucial to choose our words carefully. Anger and fear are natural responses, but it’s vital to redirect the conversation toward pressing issues such as gun laws and the accessibility of firearms.
Why are assault rifles available to the average citizen? Why are gun regulations so lax? What happened to comprehensive background checks? The problem doesn’t lie solely with “crazy people.” Rather, the real issue is that no one should have access to assault weapons—period.
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In summary, we need to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness, especially in the context of violent crime. Only a small fraction of violent acts are committed by those with mental health issues, and it’s time to focus on the real problems at hand—gun access, regulation, and societal accountability.