Aug 11, 2019 3 min read

On a normal day, social media is filled with the typical offerings – pictures of vacation, shared memes about another Monday morning, detailed descriptions of last night’s dinner, videos of the baby’s first steps and so forth.

But on a day of terrible tragedy, any given social media platform explodes with back and forths of differing opinions and strong convictions in an attempt to make a change.

After the latest mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, the issue of gun control quickly took over, as it typically does, perhaps in a way that helps citizens understand and deal with the horrific acts of hate.

But what we have to remember is in troubling times like these, our focus shouldn’t immediately turn to the weapon at hand. Instead, this is an issue of mental instability, and that is at the forefront of what must be addressed in this country. That is the true weapon that we must find a way to control.

In the case of Sept. 11, the weapons of choice were box cutters and airplanes. In the 2013 bombings at the Boston Marathon, pressure cookers were used. In the Oklahoma City bombing, Timothy McVeigh used ammonium nitrate and nitromethane. Anthrax left five dead in an act of bioterrorism.

The point is, gun control is another matter. Whether we as a country should explore ways to prevent guns from getting into the hands of citizens or not prevent guns from getting into the hands of citizens, that is a topic for another time. It isn’t the heated discussion we should be having shortly after lives are taken in a mass shooting.

There is a crisis with failing mental health in this country, including the communities and neighborhoods right here in Western Pennsylvania.

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, approximately 1 in 25 adults in this country, or 11.2 million, experience a serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.

Now, that’s not to say that all people with mental health issues could or would cause devastating harm. Mental illness is a vast and extremely broad diagnosis. But it does, however, indicate that the issue should be addressed. There’s no argument that anyone who can commit such a heinous crime is struggling mentally.

We applaud the efforts of some of our local school districts and human service agencies who are recognizing the need to address mental health issues at an early age by bringing programming and services right to the students. This is most certainly a step in the right direction.

We can ban box cutters from the country. We can take away everyone’s gun. We can outlaw pressure cookers. But the reality is, we would be left with individuals of all ages and races and economic backgrounds who are struggling with untreated mental instability who will just find another way to cause devastation.