There seem to be too many "take-aways" for Americans following the spate of high profile mass shootings, most recently resulting in the tragic events in Newtown, CT. Some are driven by common sense, others by fear, and still others by interest groups and political orientation. Each notion takes us in dramatically different directions as we try to find solutions to senseless violence, including the issues of gun control, violence in television and video games, and the part ostensibly played by mental illness. For each direction, there are countless proposals for fixes to the problem. Some will help, we hope, but clearly not all.

Specifically, the new attention to mental illness would seem to provide the basis for a dialog that would produce enlightened and effective policy, new programs, and a healthier society. Yet, one remedy suggested, to require a national registration/data-base of the mentally ill seems pointless at best, and possibly an outright dangerous plan that would create a climate of discrimination and a whole new brand of profiling. It is based on biases and false assumptions about the millions of Americans suffering from mental illness and their dangerousness to others. To identify those in need might be a valuable exercise if it was followed by access to the help they and their families need. Yet that aspect is curiously missing from most proposals.

I urge you all to think about those individuals in every family and community, including your own,  that suffer from mental illness. Ask yourself, "what would I want for my family?", and with this as your guide, speak up for policies that ultimately make us all safer, without  further isolating those in the greatest need.

Sincerely,     

Earl "Skip" Stuck