Another Senseless Tragedy:

No one can really come up with a good reason for the murder of a congressperson and the other victims in Tucson. It was a senseless act, but that does mean we should throw up our hands in a gesture futility or that we should not take any measures to lessen the possibility of it being repeated. It was an act that demonstrates our failure to adequately deal with mental health issues. It was an act that calls into question the irresponsible villainization of elected public servants and our government. It was an act that should cause us to call into question the irresponsible acts of a lobby that opposes any reasonable attempt to make killing less efficient or to prevent potential mass murderers from obtaining instruments of such destruction.

Sarah Palin is correct when she says that such villainizations have always been a part of politics, but so has political violence. Both the irresponsible vitriol and the violence, however, are inconsistent with the stated principals of our founding fathers, and both are wrong regardless of the fact that some of our early leaders resorted to accusing their opponents of villainy after the founding of our great republic. A certain amount of vitriol is to be expected. There will always be people who greatly exaggerate the danger of our government turning tyrannical just as there will always be people who exaggerate the danger of special interests becoming exploitive and oppressive. It is a bit like used car salespersons puffing their products. Neither side is entirely right or wrong. What is wrong is the threat or advocacy of violence. People who pander to paranoia and the dark side of human nature and who advocate “second amendment remedies” undermine the principals of democracy itself and the whole concept of a peaceful succession to positions of power.

Do not misunderstand what I am saying here. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to show a nexus between the violent acts of someone who is suffering from mental illness and a person who advocates such violence. There is no denying, however, that people who seem to be advocating violence or who make light of it are creating a very unhealthy atmosphere that can help some unstable individual feel justified in committing acts of violence. Under the first amendment, Sarah Palin is free to spray like a junk yard dog. I would not change that, but I believe that we the people should brand such violent talk as being reprehensible. A person who advocates or makes light of violent acts should be ridiculed and rejected whether that person is a politician or a commentator. Furthermore, we must close the loopholes that are allowing unstable people or criminals to obtain such powerful firearms, and we must limit the size of clips that allow an individual to kill so many other people before having to reload.

I believe that one of the great scandals of our society is the neglect of people who are suffering from mental illness. I am well aware of the history of this issue. I certainly do not want to return to an era when people were wrongly institutionalized. On the other hand, I think we can and must do a far better job of identifying and helping individuals who are a danger to themselves and others. There are signs such individuals exhibit. There is the concept of probable cause. We have made great improvements in our ability to evaluate and diagnose mental illness. We have also made great strides in treating mental disorders. We must remove the stigma and realize that with treatment many of the victims of mental illness can lead productive lives! Like many illnesses the key is early detection and treatment. Such detection and treatment should be a part of our health care system. The screening must respect the rights of the individual and proceed cautiously in diagnosing any problems, but it must also intervene when intervention is clearly called for. I would propose a panel to help educate the public and to find ways in which we can better identify and help individuals who are at risk.