Posted on 08/07/2019 12:57:29 PM PDT by Hojczyk
E. Fuller Torrey, writing in the Wall Street Journal, points to two studies, totally ignored by the Post, that demonstrate the importance of mental disturbance
In 2018 the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a report titled “A Study of the Pre-Attack Behavior of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2008 and 2013.” It reported that 40% of the shooters had received a psychiatric diagnosis, and 70% had “mental health stressors” or “mental health concerning behaviors” before the attack.
(Emphasis added)
In addition:
In July 2019, the U.S. Secret Service released its report “Mass Attacks in Public Spaces—2018.” The report covered 27 attacks that resulted in 91 deaths and 107 injuries. The investigators found that 67% of the suspects displayed symptoms of mental illness or emotional disturbance. In 93% of the incidents, the authorities found that the suspects had a history of threats or other troubling communications.
The results were similar to those of another study published by the Secret Service on 28 such attacks in 2017.
Clearly, then, untreated mental illness is playing a significant role in the rising incidence of mass killings. The Washington Post’s effort to deny this is a pathetic piece of agenda-driven journalism.
To acknowledge the role of mental disturbance is not to take a position one way or the other about guns and gun control. As I see it, mental disturbance is a key factor in driving people to kill en masse. Guns are the means most of these people are using to fulfill their deranged desire.
If, consistent with the Constitution, there are ways to reduce the ability of potential shooters to obtain firearms, we should implement them. If, consistent with the Constitution, there are ways to identify and treat mentally disturbed potential shooters before they kill, we should implement them.
(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...
“Guns are the means most of these people are using to fulfill their deranged desire.”
And even if you were to remove the guns out of the equation totally, these sorts of people can use trucks (like in Nice, France in 2015) or vans and fertilizer (Oklahoma City, 1995).
Of course we can connect mental illness to mass murders. The trick is to know which handful of the mentally ill are going to commit mass murder and prevent it.
Millions of mentally ill will not commit mass murder, so as is true in these situations how do you build a system to find the needle in the haystack without infringing on everyone’s privacy rights.
The Community Mental Health Act of 1963.
The system ignored them....
That’s exactly the problem.
You have nailed it, but I am willing to try some approaches to locating some of the potential killers. To me this is a question of perhaps not finding all of the potential shooters. But what if a method of screening finds and treats half? The mentally ill are going to be the beneficiaries (as you say at the loss of some of their privacy). As for the loss of society’s privacy, this has always been an issue. I for example used to try to keep from letting Google know everything about me, I finally gave up, and I also realize that they knew everything about me anyway, I just thought my phone was not ratting me out.
I will insist on all the due process that we can squeeze into this system, and I realize that there are meny mentally ill who can obscure this from experts anytime it suits them. We can only work this out if it is actually fair and actually works. IO am for trying it on a small scale.
They are not untreated. All the school shooters and many mass murderers since the 90’s have been on psych meds. See my recent posts if interested. FDA should restrict ssri’s from males aged 13-29. Pharma and doctors are morally liable in these kilkings
Bookmark
The young men who have the profile AND ALSO are on, or have in past been on, SSRI rx drugs. Killer combo, medically proven. FYI, my recent posts.
bkmk
The Parkland killer was definitely a good candidate for mass murder as the police had to visit his home 30 times.
The FBI overlooked the Parkland killer.
yep, we need an algorithm to weigh in and a police visit to the home should carry some weight for sure, ask Nicole Simpson and others.
Before the drugs, before the FBI, before diagnoses, before Reagan....we didn’t have all these shootings.
What changed. Before....God left us to our choices....
Party on, it’s stil 1969...
Amen.
As well as local police...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.