Virgina Tech, Columbine, and Misplaced Concerns

Am I the only one wondering why the focus of editorials and Oprah shows, related to the Virginia Tech massacre, is on blaming TV networks for airing the killer's video?

Let's think about what the Virginia Tech killer and the Columbine killers have in common:

* Guns and ammo that they shouldn't have been able to acquire
* Mental health issues
* Exaggerated feelings of disenfranchisement and persecution
* Public, documented episodes of homicidal rage

Whether or not NBC disrespects victims and perpetuates copycats by airing video manifestos and such by killers who are dead seems irrelevant to me.

The Columbine killers produced lots of video -- that detailed their plan to go on a shooting rampage at their school -- nearly two years before they followed through. They probably acted up in school and scared their friends. Their parents were probably at a loss for what to do with their weird kids.

No one blamed the networks for airing combat footage, or video game designers for the realism in battle games, or Hollywood for filming awesome gun battles. Rightly so, even though the Columbine killers, and that Sueng-Hui Cho guy, were probably excited about all of those things.

No, there are two things that separate ordinary people and killers:

Access to firearms
Mental health issues

Yeah, I know, everyone is afraid of the big, bad NRA. I don't have a problem with responsible, mature people buying guns. My idea of gun control is simple: make it very, very hard for kids and irresponsible people from having access to firearms. How? Retailer culpability is a good start. You sell a gun to a murderer, you are part of that murder trial and subject to fines and imprisonment. That might force gun sellers to take the waiting periods and background checks a little more seriously. Speaking of which, how about enlisting the local police in performing a criminal check on a prospective gun buyer?

Of course, criminals generally get their guns through non-standard means, so pawn shops and gun shows would necessarily need tighter restrictions. Since many guns trade hands over and over, in drug deals and such, serial numbers are not enough to trace the responsible parties. What's needed is some kind of key or PIN to operate a gun. That way, a stolen gun won't operate.

You say, "people who want guns can always find them." That is a problem, isn't it? It then falls to families, friends, co-workers, etc. to report anonymously that someone has a gun they shouldn't.

The other, (I think) more important issue is mental health. Boys and men who suffer from mental illness are disproportionately prone to violence. Boys that exhibit behavior like suicidal/homicidal ideation and feelings of persecution, that are angry loners and non-participatory members of their home, family, school, etc., are critically mentally ill and need help immediately. That isn't adolescence, or them just being "boys".

Families know when there is someone wrong with one of their members. Teachers notice it, schoolmates will tease and avoid them for it, friends sometimes tolerate it or misunderstand it or just are afraid of it, and it doesn't take long for untreated mental illness to become society's problem.

If Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris had people around them who intervened on their behalf and got them therapy and medication, and certain idiots hadn't made it possible for the boys to obtain guns, the Columbine High School massacre wouldn't have happened.

If Sueng-Hui Cho was put into a mental health facility when he refused to take medication for his illness, and certain idiots hadn't made it possible for the guy to purchase guns, the Virginia Tech massacre would not have happened.

It isn't NBC's fault.

Bouncing New Baby Blog!

From now on, all my blatherings related to cars will go here. The rest of the nonsense shall be posted herein. Blah, blah, etc., etc.

My question of the day is: Where did newly emigrated Cho Seung-Hui get them guns?

Perhaps if sellers of guns 'n ammo (legit or not) faced hair-raising fines and jail time for selling guns 'n ammo to people of questionable personal and social responsibility, fewer innocent people will die.

And yes, schools from elementary on up need a stronger psychology department, and parents need to get their kids real help, instead of doping the tots into submission with drugs. Apparently, we as a country are not helping immigrants with their mental health needs anymore than people born here.

It is my opinion that mental health is more important than lowering cholesterol, fighting breast cancer, losing 20 lbs. or curing erectile dysfunction. When people afflicted with those problems get into trouble, they typically do no shoot other people or blow things up. You know? The thing is, if you aren't mentally healthy, having a Bowflex body and low cholesterol won't much matter in the long run.

What happened at Virginia Tech is gruesomely tragic. I am so sorry for the victims' friends and family. I'm sorry for Cho Seung-Hui's friends and family, too. I hope everyone gets some help, some therapy for the unimaginable grief they all must feel.

What a terrible shame.

WoT Favorites: Maurice Benard

Let's all wish Maurice Benard, longtime General Hospital actor, a very happy birthday.

Maybe you haven't watched soaps since your high school days (if ever) and maybe you missed Maurice's many other acting gigs,so you don't necessarily consider yourself a fan.

I invite you to change your mind about "Sonny Corinthos".

Like me, Maurice Benard suffers from Bipolar Disorder. In a forward-thinking move, General Hospital wrote Maurice's real-life illness into his character's storyline.

It's widely believed among people who write papers and conduct scientific studies on such things that soap operas have tremendous influence on society. Presenting a tricky situation like interracial love, AIDS, and homosexuality on a popular daytime soap continually proves the notion that for many people in America, "If Erica Kane can handle it, so can I!"

Which explains why, when my step-mom picked me up from the train station last year, she solemnly described the Bipolar Sonny storyline and told me she at last understood what was wrong with me.

I wasn't upset or mad at her — why would I be? If you don't have some form of mental illness(and let's face facts: 1 in 4 adults in America do), then you know someone who does. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean stigma and ignorance about mental illness are no longer a problem.

Research in mental illness is direly under-funded. So are programs for the mentally ill at every point on the spectrum, from medical care to housing and beyond. Psychiatric treatment facilities are over-crowded, under-staffed, and broke. Let's think about that for a minute: 1 in 4 adults. 1 in 4 adults in America don't have cancer, or diabetes, or muscular dystrophy, yet the lion's share of funding and research goes to diseases and conditions such as these. Not that these are not valid and equally important medical problems, mind you, I'm trying to demonstrate a disparity in research and care. And attitudes. I won't further depress you with the data on comparative death rates, just trust me: it's shocking.

I'm what they call a "highly-functioning" Bipolar person. I lead a pretty normal life, I take my medicine and do whatever my doctors tell me to do, such as therapy and stuff like yoga and tai chi to calm my manic tendencies. I've spent time in psychiatric wards, but it was hardly tragic or scary: I played balloon volleyball and slept a lot. No matter how much I do the right thing I know that my disorder is unpredictable and mysterious, and I will have episodes. Manic-depression been around a long, long time, yet no one really knows why it is, what it is or how to stop it.

Want to know who else besides me and Maurice Benard are Bipolar? How about Jim Carrey, Linda Hamilton, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Evan Dando, Axl Rose, Sting, Ben Stiller...the list goes on

I can't imagine what these actors and musicians risked by going public with their illness, if anything, but I'm nonetheless impressed. It's brave and does society a great service. Jane Pauley didn't do such a great job of raising awareness, but Linda Hamilton, Carrie Fisher, and Patty Duke have. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)works tirelessly to not only raise awareness, but to force change in Washington and champion the rights and needs of the mentally ill, but they have a much harder time raising funds than other medical advocacy groups. Eventually, hopefully, mental illness will be accorded proper concern for its sufferers and better treatments — if not cures — are on the horizon.

My point in all this? Maurice Benard is a terrific entertainer who is kicking ass on raising awareness of Bipolar Disorder and changing opinions about mental illness. He rocks, and today is his birthday.

And so, on your birthday, Maurice Benard, I wish you the happiest of days and hope you enjoy every moment. And thank you.