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Mental Health: The Ultimate Gun Reform
For years lawmakers have grappled with gun reform and it has been a hot button topic for both parties. While a majority of people favor background checks, the partisan divide emerges when Democrats call for a ban on assault style weapons and Republicans push back against restricting gun ownership. Earlier in March, the House passed two bills that would bring the country closer to universal background checks for gun sales, but the possibility of it passing the Senate is not likely even in the wake of two mass shootings within a week. Even though both groups struggle to agree on how to solve the ongoing gun epidemic, they agree on the need for keeping guns out of the hands of mentally ill individuals.
Mass shootings are hard to prevent, and while banning assault-style weapons and closing the loophole on federal background checks are only small steps toward limiting gun access to odious actors, it is not the silver bullet to end gun violence in America. These policy initiatives do not get to the root of the problem.
Gun violence is a mental health problem.
According to the American Psychological Association, “the most consistent and powerful predictor of future violence is a history of violent behavior.” While mental illness is not always a predictor of gun violence toward others, those who suffer serious mental illness typically…
