Mental health is a common, irrelevant, and dumb excuse for trying to reduce gun deaths.
I have heard that about 20% of mass shooters have mental health problems, exactly the same percentage as for the total population.
My wife has noted that if "mental health issues" were the criteria for guns, both she and I would not be able to get a gun (not that either of us wants one), as we both take a medication for anxiety, like millions of other people.
But here's the problem with that criterion: in addition to not pinpointing whatsoever a violent person from a non-violent person, using that criterion would exclude me, my wife, and millions of others from career advancement, elected office, getting on an airplane (?), applying for a loan, etc. That label would effectively shut down the productive lives of millions of people.
I'm too old to care or be affected, but you might be young enough to care.
Photo: painting in the snow, what a young friend did up at our cabin last weekend. Yes, there's still two feet of snow on the ground. Caution: she probably would be labeled the same as me and Julie.
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