Now I must start off by saying there is not just one answer. Some people claim take away all the guns and it will solve everything. I don't believe that. If someone really wants to harm someone else they will find a way to do it. Yes, guns help, but it is not the only issue. Mental health is another issue. And that is where I will start.
I believe that mental health has become so taboo in today's society. The amount of people battling depression and other physiological disorders in this country is on the rise. I think this stems from many things, the way society puts an importance on money, which causes people to become workaholics and therefore over stressed and unhappy. The way society tells people they are supposed to look and therefore causing eating disorders self harm. Sexual assault, rape and abuse of many kinds causing PTSD and more. Soldiers returning from war suffering PTSD and the list goes on. There are lot of reasons why mental health disorders are on the rise. And yet with this increasing number, there are less people seeking proper treatment. And why? Because it is taboo. Because mental is something that is pushed under the rug and never talked about. It is the elephant in the room. People are afraid to talk about mental health. It's scary, causes you to be vulnerable and share your feelings. But be afraid to share your feelings with others and talk about it if it means that you can get the help you need. Now I must jump in with a note. I have not, nor do I currently suffer from depression or another mental illness, but I have witnessed people close to me who have dealt with it and I know the affects of it. That being said, I am not trying to speak for those who are dealing with this or have in the past. I am merely sharing my thoughts. I believe that we should make TV shows, movies and commercials that promote talking about mental health. I think schools should have assemblies and screenings and provide free counselors. I think offices should take the time to get to know their employees better and also provide counselors. I think if we started talking about mental health more, people would seek the help they need, and some of these awful events might be prevented.
Along with mental health, I do thing guns need to be addressed. Assault weapons need to be banned no questions asked. There is no reason why someone should be allowed to buy a assault weapon. Those should be reserved for military, and military only. Now I do believe people should be allowed to own other guns, with some caveats. I think there needs to be a much different process for someone wanting to own a gun. First, I think there needs to be a office, just for drivers licence and car registration. Where you go this office, and register to receive a gun license. You give them your information and they conduct a background check as well as a mental health screening. If you clear both of those, you given a temporary license to go purchase your gun. Your license must be shown to the worker at the gun store to purchase it. Upon purchasing the gun, you must attend a mandatory safety class learning how to properly use and store your gun. When you complete this class, you are given an official license. It would have your photo on it just like your drivers license. Each year, you would return to the office where you would receive another background check and health screening to get your license renewed. This is what I believe needs to happen to ensure that the right people are obtaining guns.
I think that with both of these items addressed, we could significantly decrease the amount of mass shootings.
Let me know what you think about it