School Shooting In Connecticut

[skinsguy]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

Unless we make every citizen take periodic mental health exams, involuntarily commit anyone who we think poses a slight risk, and have several armed guards at every school, you can't stop stuff like this from happening. Things like this are a sad and unavoidable reality of this sick world

I agree with you, but what you posted is not what I was suggesting. I work for a Mental Health/Substance Abuse agency, and we have great programs for our community that starts from infancy on up to adults who have mental health issues of any sort. We also deal with those in jail, those in crisis, etc...we deal with those who voluntarily commit themselves as well as those who involuntarily commit themselves. We have Youth and Prevention programs, Anger Management programs...the point I'm making is, not every state is equal in the sense of providing strong mental health programs, and because they aren't, a lot of these people who go out and commit acts of violence are ones that have fallen through the cracks. MAYBE, just MAYBE if there was a strong behavioral health program in the state this shooter was in (New Jersey) that MAYBE this would have been avoided. I can't say that for sure, but I wouldn't rule it out. And even if the mental health program is great, I understand that you can't prevent every tragedy like this, but we can at least make sure that those programs are top notch first and foremost.

Again, I'm merely just saying, most people will jump on the guns thing, and the argument will go back and forth and never will there be a solution everybody agrees with. Instead of doing that, maybe we should put our thoughts toward behavioral health and what programs would help to catch such behavior in people and treat it before it manifests into something like this.

But, I'm not going to debate it today. Let's just take today and think about these families, their victims, hug your children if you have them, and if you don't, hug your nephews and nieces.