Forrest Gump once said, "Stupid is as Stupid does",
and since the tragedy in Newton Connecticut, we have witnessed a cesspool of ignorance which
has tossed around ridiculous proposals in a senseless game in deflecting
culpability. Lately, it has led to pinning
the blame, not on a neglected and outdated mental health system, but on those
afflicted themselves. With that, the stigma of mental illness, which many feel,
myself included, is significantly worse than the disease itself, is now once
again being magnified. This twisted position
will result in vulnerable individuals continuing to deteriorate from being unfairly labeled
dangerous, and becoming social outcasts.
As an example of
this mass stupidity, we need look only to Florida, where a law is heading to the Governor's desk
mandating that if anyone voluntarily seeks treatment for mental illness, those
individuals will forfeit their rights to own a gun. On the surface, this would
be something that would make mainstream society feel safe, keeping those guns
out of the hands of the "crazies"! However, like many things, first
glances can be misleading, and in this case, downright dangerous by having the opposite
affect!
The premise of
this legislation, endorsed by a bipartisan commission and surprisingly, the
National Rifle Association, is that mental illness is equated to violence. That
belief, though widely held, is utterly false. Most people who are mentally ill
are, decent hardworking people, whom many times feel a need to repent for their
affliction. Now with this law, many will choose to forgo treatment at the
threat of job losses and other limitations. Also, this action ignores that
there are no clear lines to be drawn between normalcy and sickness, and even
professionals struggle to make a proper diagnosis.
To better
illustrate the falsehoods between violence and mental illness, we can look at so-called
"normal" people who commit heinous acts. We will not have to look far
as right here in this area, there is an example of one doing just that. A Lorain
Sheriffs correction officer William Dembie, is currently awaiting trial in the
vicious murder of his wife Holly during a domestic dispute. He is alleged to
have stabbed her numerous times and showing no mercy. At his arraignment, he
can be seen on camera joking and smirking about what was taking place.
Mr. Dembie was
described to me by some of his acquaintances as a good guy, legitimate law
enforcement officer, and who never
exhibited any signs of being violent or being mentally ill. However, immediately
after the killing, none of the headlines in the local papers read, "Normal
Guy Stabs Wife to Death!" Nor did it mention that guns were not involved in this crime.
Knowing that
normal people do commit violent acts, we need to emphasize the damage that this
law will cause. We use as an example, soldiers returning from their tours of
duty and your local first responders.
A young man or
woman comes back from serving in the armed forces, and suffers mental health
issues, which is common. Their wait for needed treatment can be long and
arduous, but eventually, they are finally treated for their post traumatic
stress disorder. Keep in mind, many of these young individuals do aspire for a
career in law enforcement. However, with this proposed law, and because they
did seek treatment, they will be barred from owning or possessing a firearm,
thus eliminating their ability to pursue
their career path. That is unless a
psychiatrist and a judge approve that they are cured and fit for duty. Once
again, an added burden to having one of these afflictions.
Right from the beginning
there are significant problems that are being ignored. How many Psychiatrists
are going to risk lawsuits by signing off that a person is cured of a disease
that is only controllable, not curable? How many Judges even have the intellectual
capacity to understand the dynamics of these disorders? These are direct
questions with no clear answers.
Now with that law in effect, this young man
or woman returning from war, will forgo treatment, live a tortured life with
the emotional demons they create, and feel a need to hide their condition in
shame and fear. Additionally, because of
the cognitive altering power of these disorders, many will struggle in both
their career paths and personal lives. Self-medication with drugs and/or
alcohol will become more commonplace, and with it, an increased social cost to
society in general,
It is essential
that I add what I have discovered. I know many police officers, and many have
told me of their battles with these disorders. Many are seeking treatment and
are outstanding law enforcement officers. The public does not need to fear them
as they do and will continue to perform their duties in an exemplary fashion. It
bears mentioning that many have developed their mental health conditions just
from performing their duties; which is known as vicarious trauma.
In essence, what
this legislation will create is an underground of people fearful of their
careers being limited by this ill advised scheme. It will once again demonize
the disease which is what many advocates have attempted, through awareness, to alleviate.
Since more people will not seek treatment, the situation with the mentally ill
will become even more unpredictable, and at times, volatile. An additional consequence,
police officers who do need treatment, will will now be on the road battling the symptoms
of mental illness untreated, thus putting the public at further risk.
In the aftermath
of all the high profile killings in the last several years; Newton Connecticut,
Aurora Colorado and Tucson Arizona, hysteria
replaces rational thinking. What ends up happening, and this plan is a prime
example, is that exposure becomes the most critical element for our political
leaders to exploit. We had many opportunities to put the mental health system
in the spotlight and make many fundamental changes, but instead, we focus on the
tools of the killings, not the causes. Now in Florida, with people beginning to
live in fear at the potential negative life altering consequence of seeking
treatment, many will hide their afflictions. This will result in more lives being
lost, and more tragedies occurring.
It is astonishing
to realize that the words of the character Forrest Gump would become a metaphor
for how we as a nation responded in a way we did after these senseless
killings. During this time, no significant changes have occurred in modernizing
the mental health system in this country, and none are being proposed. .
Albert Einstein
once said; "the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and
over again, and expecting a different result", which is what we are doing.
I just wonder how many more lives will be destroyed or lost before we make material
changes that will benefit everyone. However, I am not holding my breath, nor
should any other innocent person.
