Sandy Hook: Mental health, not gun control, is the answer to mass shootings
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By addressing the underlying causes behind mass shootings, the US also has the opportunity to avoid a response that restricts rights in the wake of a national tragedy.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, part of the government’s domestic response was an arguable curtailing of privacy, speech, and association rights. Now, in the wake of Newtown, comes the prospect of undermining rights to gun ownership. “Kill the Second Amendment. Not children,” one sign read at a protest outside the National Rifle Association headquarters in Washington this week.
The US, however, must not fall back on simplistic answers. While it may be uncomfortable and expensive, the real solution lies in addressing mental health issues and the social isolation that drive individuals to commit acts of mass murder.
Allan Richarz is a law student living near Toronto, Ontario.
