Violent rampage continues
A fight to change policy
Isaac Wright
Issue date: 4/13/09 Section: Opinion
The recent wave of horrific gun violence says something about the state America is in. While no one can articulate clearly where the problem lies, it is abundantly clear that something has to change.
Every day Americans are scanning newspapers or watching the news on television, and they find that somewhere in the country, the unthinkable has happened, innocent people gunned down for no apparent rhyme or reason. It is truly disturbing when one eventually realizes that such massacres are no longer "unthinkable." Many have, indeed, thought about it and acted upon those thoughts to the shock and disgust of an entire nation.
In under a month, six gunmen committed countless atrocities. Fathers murdered their children, and husbands killed their wives. In five of the six cases, the assailants ended their rampage by turning the gun on themselves. Suicide is common in such incidents, and, as a result, it is a pattern that warrants heavy scrutiny.
For the victims and their families, the death of the murderer by their own hands robs them of knowing the criminal was brought to justice. To law enforcement, it is a cruel gesture with the only silver lining present being that the individual will never be able to harm anyone ever again.
Often times there is endless speculation about motive following these incidents. However, the suicidal tendencies these criminals display should limit the need for guessing or hypothesizing. Those who commit such depraved acts are obviously mentally disturbed.
Fear not; you will hear no bleeding heart cries to understand these criminals or put those who are eventually apprehended into some kind of psyche ward. Instead of trying to intervene after the fact, Americans have to be willing to accept changes so this brand of tragedy is never given the chance to transpire in the first place.
To buy a gun, a background check is required. While this reveals the person's criminal record, and possibly some of their medical history, it does nothing to scrutinize the individual's mental health. If we want to see less wanton violence from gun-wielding sociopaths, a routine mental health evaluation should be made a mandatory part of all background checks for those wishing to purchase a gun.
Every day Americans are scanning newspapers or watching the news on television, and they find that somewhere in the country, the unthinkable has happened, innocent people gunned down for no apparent rhyme or reason. It is truly disturbing when one eventually realizes that such massacres are no longer "unthinkable." Many have, indeed, thought about it and acted upon those thoughts to the shock and disgust of an entire nation.
In under a month, six gunmen committed countless atrocities. Fathers murdered their children, and husbands killed their wives. In five of the six cases, the assailants ended their rampage by turning the gun on themselves. Suicide is common in such incidents, and, as a result, it is a pattern that warrants heavy scrutiny.
For the victims and their families, the death of the murderer by their own hands robs them of knowing the criminal was brought to justice. To law enforcement, it is a cruel gesture with the only silver lining present being that the individual will never be able to harm anyone ever again.
Often times there is endless speculation about motive following these incidents. However, the suicidal tendencies these criminals display should limit the need for guessing or hypothesizing. Those who commit such depraved acts are obviously mentally disturbed.
Fear not; you will hear no bleeding heart cries to understand these criminals or put those who are eventually apprehended into some kind of psyche ward. Instead of trying to intervene after the fact, Americans have to be willing to accept changes so this brand of tragedy is never given the chance to transpire in the first place.
To buy a gun, a background check is required. While this reveals the person's criminal record, and possibly some of their medical history, it does nothing to scrutinize the individual's mental health. If we want to see less wanton violence from gun-wielding sociopaths, a routine mental health evaluation should be made a mandatory part of all background checks for those wishing to purchase a gun.
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