(12-1-22) I am tired of hearing politicians claim that our broken mental health care system is the cause for mass shootings in America. And yes, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin that includes you.
While individuals with serious mental illnesses have committed atrocities, such as the murders at Virginia Tech, Newtown, and Denver, those mass homicides are not representative of the more than 600 mass shootings so far this year. ( A mass shooting is an event where a minimum of four victims are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter.)
NBC’s Meet The Press broadcast a clip of Youngkin on Sunday blaming recent mass murders in Virginia, Colorado and Idaho on our “mental health crisis.” He was one of numerous Republicans who are quick to cite mental illness as the root of mass homicides.
I’m not interested in debating gun control, but I am growing angry about this nonsense. It just isn’t accurate.
Let’s look at the recent shootings that Gov. Youngkin mentioned.