Guns and Mental Illnesses Don't Mix

1110 Words3 Pages

“Guns don’t kill people, people do.” This is a well known statement that is oftentimes considered true. However, it is not completely true. Someone who is mentally ill may be unable to make logical decisions and the perception they receive of reality may be tainted by the illness. Gun laws pertaining to those suffering mental illnesses should be more restrictive. Weapons such as guns make committing an act of violence, especially when there are multiple victims, much easier. It is difficult to assess the probability of a person to commit a violent act that harms anyone including himself/herself. Therefore, gun laws need be monitored very closely and made more consistent throughout each state in order to prevent violence that could occur in the future. To make any system effective, every state must have the same laws and regulations, as it is easy for a person to travel to a state more lenient on gun control and purchase a gun from a store that will sell firearms more openly.
There are many types of mental illnesses that can affect a person’s ability to function on a level fit for society. Those illnesses affect people differently and to different extremes. Diagnosable mental disorders are changes in thinking, moods, or behaviors that can cause a rise in the risk of death and may cause distress, pain, or disability. More severe mental illnesses include three major illnesses: Schizophrenia, major depression, and manic depression. Schizophrenia is a brain ailment that causes a loss in the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy. Many people who suffer from schizophrenia often hear voices that tell them to do different things. In some cases, the voices tell them to hurt themselves or other people. Other symptoms ma...

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...erson being held is/was clearly unstable. The person is consequently very capable of having another, similar outbreak which may result in violent behavior. The NICS is not reliable or consistent.

Works Cited

Parker, Laura. "The Right to Be Mentally Ill: Families Lobby to Force Care." USA TODAY. Feb. 12 2001: 1A+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

Frank-Ruta, Garance. "Why Mental-Health Background Checks Are Not the Solution to Gun Violence."Atlantic. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Tanfani, Joseph. "Gun Laws for Mentally Ill Not So Easy." Los Angeles Times. 22 Sep. 2013: A.12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

Tanfani, Joseph. "Keeping Guns Away From People With Mental Illness is a Complex Issue." Los Angeles Times. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.

Luzer, Daniel. "The Gun Rights Crowd Might Be Right About Mental Health." Pacific Standard. n. page. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.

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