Marc YachtThe American tragedy continues with six collegians killed in the sleepy college town of Isla Vista, Calif.
The deranged murderer then took his own life after a shooting and stabbing rampage. The father of one of the victims lashed out at the NRA, politicians and all those who impede gun restrictions. In Florida, bullets sent people scurrying for cover in Clearwater Beach. Three people were killed in a shooting rampage in Myrtle Beach last week. The carnage continues.
Paid-for politicians continue to espouse Second Amendment rights. The country continues to bury its dead and treat the wounded while awaiting the next tragedy. It will come – soon.
Although sensible gun policy is urgently needed, gun rights advocates have it right when they say gun restrictions alone will not end the carnage. There are an estimated 270 million guns in the U.S. There are 317 million Americans. Do the math. There are almost as many guns as people.
Six percent of Americans suffer from serious mental disorders, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. According to the Surgeon General, 10 percent of children and adolescents suffer from serious mental and emotional disorders that cause significant functional impairment.
Ninety percent of those affected will respond to treatment. About one-third with mental disease remain untreated. Only a small number of the mentally ill pose a threat to society, but most people involved in catastrophic crimes are seriously mentally ill.
The lack of mental health services points right to the nation’s dysfunctional health-care system. Obamacare scratches the surface of the need for mental health services and a hostile Congress blocks all efforts to make our health-care system more efficient and better able to capture the 50 million uninsured. Note, it is suggested that 57.7 million Americans experience mental health disorders in a given year. Among that number are potential deranged killers walking the streets without services.
Yes, gun control will help. I advocate for required safety courses before someone can own a gun. Every gun should be registered; the maximum magazine capacity should be seven rounds. Only authorized gun dealers should sell firearms.
Of course, we need comprehensive background checks on buyers. Military style semi-automatic weapons should be banned. Those concerned that we need to protect ourselves from our government might consider moving to some other country. I doubt any weapon in the home could stand up to our government should it go rogue.
I served in the Army and would serve again if asked. I do not or never will fear my government, Republican, Democrat or independent. I do not see any Adolf Hitlers or Benito Mussolinis in our future.
Everyday people are dying because we refuse to control the sale of guns and fail to provide effective mental-health care to sick people who consider mass murder as the solution to their problems.
Elected officials are expected to work for the greater good of the nation. Lately, they seem to be working for the greater good of their pocketbooks. There is no question that the U.S. Supreme Court needs to reassess the Second Amendment. Better gun regulation is both constitutional and sensible.
And it is about time we fixed our health-care system. A one-payer system like Medicare for everyone would be a good start.
Dr. Marc J. Yacht, MD is the retired Director of the Pasco County Health Department. This column is courtesy of Context Florida. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
