Everybody talks gun control, but nobody talks about increasing funding for mental health services

[AndyA]

87. Nobody talks about increasing funding for mental health services

Nor do they talk about why there's such a belief in this country that guns are required for safety.

Why is that?

If citizens feel like they MUST have guns to protect themselves from a government out of control, where are they getting that belief? Who is telling them that there's a secret plot to take everyone's guns away from them and then remove all of their rights and freedoms? Isn't this a mental health concern, that so many would believe such a thing?

The fact is, if the government really wanted to take over, all the guns and weapons in the world would do little to stop them. We have drones that can fly overhead, unmanned, and target any area that's been programmed, not to mention nuclear weapons. Assault weapons and guns would do zero to stop it, neither would access to large magazines, or having hundreds of weapons.

Nobody talks about increasing funding for police and law enforcement, either. If our society is so dangerous that everyone really must carry a gun like they did in the old west, why do we have police? If police can't protect us, and we must protect ourselves, why do we even have police? Perhaps better paid, better trained, and more feet on the ground could help, but that would mean we'd need to spend more money.

This country is one where having a gun is a right, but having access to medical care isn't. No sane person could possibly agree that this is the way it should be. Better access to mental health care could go a long way to reducing gun violence, as could more law enforcement on the streets, and a cessation of the notion that our big, bad government is out to take everyone's guns away from them so citizens have no protection when government swoops down and takes over.