The False Narrative of Mental Illness & Gun Violence

It has become commonplace for media outlets to quickly portray the issue of gun violence in America as a mental health problem. Though mass shootings account for a large portion of the publicity for gun violence, they only account for a portion of all gun violence in America.Unfortunately, they are often labeled as fueled by mental illness, and this perpetuates the idea that those who are mentally ill are also dangerous. Though there are instances of gun violence and mental health, these occurrences are less common than the American populace is led to believe. The false narrative that gun violence can be curbed by proper mental healthcare and that these interventions will help to substantially control the epidemic that faces our nation, distorts the reality that there are other issues, such as the ease of access to guns that dictate how likely we are to have gun violence in our communities. If you are more inclined to listen to than read about the above issue please click the link below to an NPR Podcast regarding this topic.

NPR – Mental Health, Gun Violence, And Why America Connects Them

First let’s take a look at some of the CDC statistics from 2021:

• All homicides: 26,031 Deaths
• Firearm homicides: 20,958 Deaths

80.5% of all homicides are related to firearms

• All Suicides: 48,183 Deaths
• Firearm Suicides: 26,328 Deaths
• Suffocation Suicides: 12,431 Deaths
• Poisoning Suicides: 5,568 Deaths

54.64% of all suicides are related to firearms

There are 1.85x more suicides than homicides

As we can see from the data above guns are one of the most fatal forms of violence, which unsurprisingly makes them the most sought after method for ending the life of another or oneself. However, we should also note that suicides account for far more deaths than homicides in the above data, with a noted drop in percentages of gun-related deaths dropping nearly 25%. When this information is then compounded with the research on mental illness and violent crimes we see an interesting picture begin to develop.

“In the United States, less than 7 percent of violent
crimes can be attributed to people with psychiatric
disorders… only 2 percent to 3 percent of violent crimes
committed by this population involved the use of a
gun” (Simonsson & Solomon, 2021, p. 170).

Simonsson, J. P., & Solomon, P. (2021). Misattribution of mental illness and gun violence. Social Work, 66(2), 170–172. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swab009

This evidence points towards there being another reason that gun violence is so prevalent in American society, so while many American politicians and media outlets are scapegoating mental health as a larger contributing factor than it is, we are perpetuating a false narrative that further divides Americans from a solution that will be more effective.Some such measures that could prove to be far more beneficial include better gun safety practices by American citizens, more restrictive gun control laws, removal of guns from homes, and limiting access to guns.The ramifications of placing the blame on mental illness also crates a stigma that those who are mentally ill are dangerous, which can further perpetuate the stigma that having mental health issues or seeking mental health help are negative.

Perhaps the American Counseling Association and other national organizations say it best in their Statement on Gun Violence Crisis

“Attempts to connect mental illness to mass shootings are a distraction that inflicts enormous damage by taking attention from solutions that could actually prevent such events. This perpetuates a false narrative that encourages stigmatization of and discrimination against the millions of Americans living with mental health conditions who are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of it.i In fact, persons with mental illness account for a very small portion of gun violence.ii While mental health conditions are common in countries across the globeiii, the United States is the only country where mass shootings have become disturbingly commonplace. In fact, firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States.iv Not coincidentally, the U.S. is also alone in making firearms widely available with few restrictions.”

American Counseling Association. (2022). Statement on gun violence crisis from 60 national organizations. ACA(WEBusage). Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.counseling.org/news/news-detail/2022/06/06/statement-on-gun-violence-crisis-from-60-national-organizations

If you would like to do more, take a look at this previous post I made back in 2016, it is a general letter drafted to be sent to any congressman regarding the gun violence epidemic. Feel free to use or share as you see fit!

This isn’t the Revolution We Wanted: Resistance & Revolution

We live in these isolated bubbles of belief for most of our lives, choosing to filter and believe in the specific truths that we want, rather than learning about the universal reality that exists outside our egocentric world. What we see now, everyday, what we are living through; this is the fear that countless individuals have faced every waking moment of their entire lives. This is the experience that has been begging and screaming to be noticed, heard, and recognized. The wealth inequalities, the healthcare crisis, the systemic injustices that have butchered and enslaved countless individuals because of the color of their skin and heritage; it’s all coming to light and scares you. For the first time in your life it scares you because it affects you, deeply, truly, and actively.

This isn’t the moment to hesitate. This isn’t the moment to sit by and hope that everything works out for the best. Complacency isn’t going to lead to a calming cleanse of violence and injustice; you can’t wait out the storm that’s brewing. Any inkling of an idea you have that this will wash away, that’s pure fallacy. There are two outcomes from the events of this year that end with us worse of than when we entered it, and only one that ensures we can overcome the threats that plague the United States more than any other nation. And all of these outcomes revolve around one key factor “violence”.

The Lessons We Can Learn From This Experience (COVID-19)

Without a doubt, this is one of those events that will define a generation. Perhaps more than the events of 9/11, the collapse of the Berlin wall, or the moon landing. We are looking at a global effort to overcome economic, social, and healthcare collapses of first and third world nations alike. In every respect, this experience is a humbling one, one that has an opportunity to teach us a lot about ourselves, and what our responsibility as individuals, as corporations, and as leaders is. The lessons to be taught from this experience should be self-apparent, and yet I feel so many of us have managed to isolate ourselves through this fractured world, not in mind, but in spirit. There are many outcomes to this global crisis, but there is only one solution that can work towards preventing long-lasting effects.

We may find ourselves at a crossroads in the coming weeks: One where we as individuals have to choose between self-sufficiency and self-sacrifice. Between taking care of our own needs as best we can, looking out for our own interests and investments, and giving up what little we might have to ensure the survival of another. Who gives up what, who provides and furnishes for the needs of others, and who rises to the challenges that we are inevitably going to face will only compound the severity of these issues.

Why Fight So Hard?

It has been an incredibly long time since I last made a blog post. For those of you who don’t know me personally (and I take this to be 99.99% of you) there’s a pretty good reason for that; I promise you. Although I’m generally not a person who enjoys the spotlight (in most cases I’d prefer hiding behind the curtains) I figured I would reveal a little bit more about myself in this post. Not only because it helps to humanize this amorphous list of thoughts and ideas you found online, but because it also helps to humble me. Hopefully it also helps me to come to terms, or at the very least learn to cope, with a bunch of different issues I’m currently dealing with.

Why Must We Suffer?

This is one of those big ethical arguments that comes up in the world. Whether it’s derived as an objection to a religious platform, used to steer the topic of political debates, or for the general understanding of the human psyche, we all wonder why suffering exists in the world and the effects that it has on us. Why is it that, despite the obvious understanding that we all share of suffering being bad, that pleasure is good, and that there should be efforts to diminish the one and encourage the other, suffering exists? What purpose does it serve, for surely it must have one, especially if you believe in an almighty, all-knowing, powerful, and omniscient being? There are a couple of generic answers to this which only lead us into a deeper understanding of the mythic realm of this entity, “He works in mysterious ways”, “There would be no reference for good without the bad”.

A Day In The Life, A Night In The Dark

It’s definitely taken me some time to realize what it is that life is all about… For the better half of our youth it’s not really about anything at all, it’s just something that we’re thrown into, slowly gaining consciousness over.

I remember being a kid who didn’t realize that there was such a thing as death. I remember the first time I recognized that the world wasn’t just represented through my own perspective. I remember the first time that I gave up something of my own interest for somebody else. And more than that I remember the first time I felt that I had a purpose, and even then I still was unsure of what that purpose was, just that I had one.

All through our childhood we’re told that life is precious, that it’s a gift, that we should treat it with reverence and respect, but we don’t recognize it until we face it down. So many of us struggle with this concept that our lives must have some meaning because it’s such a gift, that our experience has to be guiding us towards something, or that our emotions are somehow representative of our value, that our social recognition determines self-worth as much as wealth. It doesn’t really hit you until you’re in the midst of it all; life just isn’t that simple.

Call Me Ambitious

I know that I have a long way to go before I’m ready to do everything that I intend to accomplish. And I know that I have a lot to learn before I’m anywhere close to being capable of handling the pressure, responsibility, and having the foresight to understand what needs to be done, of my lofty ambitions. So before you call me out on being idealistic and youthful, I want you all to know that I am aware of this. The reason I’ve decided to make my intentions clear now is to help publicize my efforts a little bit more, but also to make sure that I don’t get lost or tempted along the way to change my ideals. This lofty and youthful idealism is the kind of ambitious effort that we see far too often get lost in a world filled with cynicism and unfortunately placed road blocks to progress.

I’m finally going back into school this fall, after a year and a half of soul-searching, paying off debts, and saving up money again for my education. (Most notably within this past 4 months working 50 Days straight, and losing a piece of my sanity in doing so). I’ve learned a lot about the struggle so many American’s face. In all this time I have changed immensely as a person, but even more so my ideals and ambitions have. If you had asked me a few years ago what I was planning on doing I’d probably have said something, although still admirable, much less ambitious.

“I want to run a therapy practice which focuses on adolescents’ issues.” – Ben circa 2013

You’re about to find out, that although this is still a part of what I hope to accomplish in life, that it was only scraping the surface of what I intend to do in my lifetime.

Wake Up And Be The Change

We have been psychologically conditioned to live primarily in a fiscal world rather than a social or spiritual one. What’s worse is we’re more aware of it now than ever. Small sectors have been aware of this financial elitism since the dawn of the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar was the first of his kind to rise up with the people’s support to try and combat the inequality he was seeing in his nation. Leap forward about 1800 years and we also see the very founding of America was in direct opposition to such restrictive ideals. Even in the turn of the 19th century we had large opposition to such ends. We have movies, music, and all these other art forms which encourage social awakenings towards such things and yet… we continue to literally buy into the propaganda of a commercially driven world, where money talks and people are expendable. Where life experience and wisdom is worth less than capital gain. Where our health, happiness, and our very futures are unfortunately predetermined or, at the very least, skewed by our inheritances.

What Bernie Sanders Gave to America Today

It’s official people, Bernie has endorsed Hillary. What bothers me more than anything is the people who are calling Bernie a sellout, a liar, or are saying they wish they never supported him.

Here are the facts: Bernie, even if he has the people’s support, understands the political climate he is getting into better than any of us ordinary citizens do. If he has spent his entire lifetime fighting for more progressive policies than we ever thought of on our own, I would think it’s safe to say the HE knows when what he’s trying to accomplish is impossible. Fighting a losing battle is a way to ensure defeat; not just of himself and his battle for presidency, but for all the policies he is hoping to push through congress. We need to recognize that corporate America, the billionaire class, and all these other ignorant people may be a large part of the reason we cannot have as progressive of a leader as we would like, but we also have to recognize that outright conflict with them is not something we would be able to live through. Bernie has lost an immensely uphill battle and to shame him for admitting that, knowing that he has been cheated, knowing that he feels as though he has failed his people, knowing that all he has worked so hard and long for will not come to fruition, is outright disgraceful on your part. Right now, Bernie’s decision to endorse Hillary is an effort to salvage the core facets of his campaign and the policies that will ultimately help us.

He’s just as honorable and trustworthy as he was decades ago, the only difference now is, he has the wisdom and insight on how to be a great leader for activism without being the figurehead of a corrupt country. Real change is still happening, and it’s happening because of HIM. So please if you’re going to say he’s betrayed you and his supporters, take your ignorance and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. You’re free to vote for whoever you want, but I encourage all my fellow Bernie supporters to follow suit with his idea. A corrupt establishment isn’t won over or beaten into submission through blind egoism, direct assault, or other tactless efforts. You win it from the inside. Let’s show them we mean business, and let’s hit them where they don’t expect it. We’ve got to start getting in on the local levels and working our way in from the ground up.

‪#‎FeelTheBern‬

Weapons of Miniature Destruction on a Massive Scale

The following is a letter I encourage all of those who oppose the rampant gun violence and all its adverse effects on the American populace ranging from: Islamaphobia, anxiety, fear of public venues, to the stigmatization of mental illness, to send to all the Congressional Representatives who can enact the changes we need to prevent such chaos in our nation.

Feel free to adjust any portion of this letter, but make sure you spread this link (https://phoenixrebellion.wordpress.com/2016/06/15/weapons-of-miniature-destruction-on-a-massive-scale/) around so more people have access to it as a resource and so that we, as an American people, can collectively make some changes.
Here is the contact information for our Senators.