Sara Sarkisian
Ms. Sarah Magin
English 1102- 064
November 22, 2013
Gun Control or Our Mental Health System?
The issue of gun control is a highly controversial topic within the United States
because the thought of enforcing gun control legislative laws would enable crimes rates to
decrease. However, in mass shootings involving guns and medication, legislative representatives
always seek to blame guns but never medication.“In virtually every mass school shooting during
the past 15 years, the shooter has been on or in withdrawal from psychiatric drugs the kinds of
guns used by mass shooters are far less relevant than the kinds of drugs they were prescribed”
(Martosko). On December 14, 2012, 20 year-old Adam Lanza used a so-called assault rifle to kill
20 first grade students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,
Connecticut, before taking his own life. According to ABC News, “Lanza was labeled as having
a mental illness and personality disorder.” Therefore, gun control legislative isn’t that answer,
the strengthening of our mental health system is. The over prescription of psychiatric drugs is the
reason crime rates have increase because it enables harm to brain functions and cause you to
become addicted.
This study from the Harvard Journal of Public Law and Policy by Don B. Kates and
Gary Mauser, Ph.D., looks at the figures for “intentional deaths” throughout continental Europe
and compares them with the U.S. to illustrates that more control over firearms does not
necessarily lead to lower death rates or violent crimes.
“International evidence and comparisons have long been offered as proof of the mantra
that more guns mean more deaths and that fewer guns, therefore, mean fewer deaths.
Unfortunately, such discussions have all too often been afflicted by misconceptions and
factual error and focus on comparisons that are unrepresentative” (Hawkins).
This study exhibits the numbers for Easter European gun ownership showing that in Russia, the
rate of gun ownership is 4,000 per 100,000 people. However, the murder rates was twenty
percent per 100,000 in 2002. Within the same year, Finland, where the rate of gun ownership
was much higher “39,000 per 100,00 people.” The murder rate was far more frequent at one
percent. Although the U.S is often labeled as the most violent nation in the world. It ranks 7th,
behind Russia and only 22nd in suicides. In Russia, where handguns are banned the murder rates
is 30.6%, whereas, in the U.S. is 7.8%. This, therefore, shows that the further legislative policies
of guns would equal more deaths and violent crimes. In 1996, when the Australian government
spent $500 million dollars “buying back” over 640,000 guns which they then destroyed. This
buyback program resulted in an increase of “gun murders by 19%, a 21% increase of home
invasions, a 28% increase of assaults committed with guns, a 69% increase of armed robberies”
(Giacomo). Therefore, if we further regulate gun control it will increase the crime rates because
criminals don’t obey laws.
Further legislative should focus on eliminating the over prescription of psychiatric drugs.
The phrase “psychotropic drugs” is a technical term for psychiatric medicines that alter chemical
levels in the brain which affect mood and behavior. According to the Citizens Commission On
Human Rights International (CCHR) “between 2004 and 2011, there were 12,755 reports to the
U.S. FDA’s MedWatch system of psychiatric drugs causing violent side effects including: 1,231
cases of homicides, 2,795 cases of mania and 7,250 cases of aggression. According to Mike
Adams of Natural News, “one of the most common side effects of psychiatric drugs is violent
outbursts and thoughts of suicide.” Therefore, psychiatric drugs that cause violent behavior such
as mass shooting and horrible tragedies. “At least 14 recent shootings at schools have been
committed by someone taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs.” Psychiatric drug
prescriptions are detrimental to brain functions and cause you to become addicted. “Guns are not
to blames for mass shootings” (Piazza). “The common denominator is the creation of strong,
mind altering, psychiatric drugs” (Piazza). “Most psychiatrists dismiss the idea that psychiatric
drugs cause violent behavior, arguing the issue is the underlying mental illness not the drugs
designed to treat it” (Piazza)
The U.S. leads the world in the number of people who die from gun-related violence. As
a recent report from the Center for Disease and Control says “ Pooling the data from all the
countries, 86% of all firearm-related fatalities in children under the age of 15 occurred in the US.
The overall firearm-related death rate among U.S. children under the age of 15 years was nearly
12 times higher than among the children of the other 25 nations combined.” This is shocking and
should be shameful, considering that the U.S. prides itself on being a model to many countries
around the world. In conclusion, the statistics and research based evidence above shows that gun
control isn’t the answer but, enforcing our mental health system is. Therefore, we need to be
cautious about prescription psychiatric drugs prescribed to children and young adult.
In conclusion, the statistics and research based evidence above shows that gun control
isn’t the answer but, enforcing our mental health system is. Therefore, we need to be cautious
about prescription psychiatric drugs prescribed to children and young adult.
“One of the most common side effects of psychiatric dugs is violent outbursts and thoughts of
suicide.”
Works Cited
Giacomo. "Australian Gun Ban Resulted in Higher Gun Crimes, Not Lower!" Godfather
Politics. Godfather Politics, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.
Hawkins, Awr. "Harvard Study: No Correlation Between Gun Control And Less Violent Crime."
Breitbart.com, Breitbart News Network. N.p., 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Heyes, J.D. "Gun Control Push Causing Mass Awakening among Conservatives about
Psychiatric Drugs." NaturalNews. Natural
News Network, 8 Feb. 2013. Web. 07 Nov.
2013.
Killough, Ashley. "Reframing the Gun Control Debate: Is Mental Health the next Focus?" CNN.
Cable News Network, 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Mantel, Barbara. "Gun Control." CQ Researcher 8 Mar. 2013: 233-56. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
"Gun Control." CQ Researcher 15 June 2013. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Piazza, Ignatius. "Firearms Training." Front Sight Special Blog: Psych Drugs, Not Guns, Doing
the Killing. Ignatius Piazza, 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.
Rosario, Cindy Del. "Medical Groups Oppose Gun-Law Change To Share Mental Health
Records With FBI." Medical Daily. Medical Daily, 17 June 2013. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.