FORCE SPLIETATELLITE INTO ORBIT. AND NOW YOU KNOW.
>>> AS DAYTON AND EL PASO MOURN
THE VICTIMS OF THIS WEEKEND’S
MASS SHOOTING, PRESIDENT TRUMP
IS TRYING TO SHIFT THE BLAME
FROM FIREARMS TOWARDS MENTAL
HEALTH.
HEALTH. >> WE MUST REFORM OUR MENTAL
HEALTH LAWS TO BETTER IDENTIFY
MENTALLY DISTURBED INDIVIDUALS
WHO MAY COMMIT ACTS OF VIOLENCE
AND MAKE SURE THOSE PEOPLE NOT
ONLY GET TREATMENT, BUT WHEN
NECESSARY INVOLUNTARY CONFINE
CONFINEMENT
CONFINEMENT CONFINEMENT.
CONFINEMENT. >> THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC
ASSOCIATION PUBLISHED A
STATEMENT ON MONDAY SAYING IT
DISPUTES THE LINK BETWEEN GUN
VIOLENCE AND MENTAL ILLNESS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT
VIOLENT.
VIOLENT. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
THE PRESIDENT AND OTHER
POLITICIANS OFTEN CONNECT MASS
SHOOTINGS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
YOUR FIRST REACTION WHEN YOU
HEAR THAT SORT OF ANALYSIS?
>> IT IS WRONG.
THAT SORT OF STATEMENT DOES A
LOT OF HARM TO THE MANY PEOPLE
WHO DO SUFFER FROM MENTAL
ILLNESS.
ILLNESS. >> ISN’T IT CLEAR THAT THE
PERPETRATORS OF THESE CRIMES ARE
MENTALLY DISTURBED?
MENTALLY DISTURBED? WHY IS IT A PROBLEM TO CONNECT
SHOOTINGS TO MENTAL ILLNESS?
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM THERE?
>> SO THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT
INCREASES THE STIGMA THAT PEOPLE
WHO HAVE MENTAL ILLNESS ALREADY
HAVE.
HAVE. AND IT LEADS TO SHAME, REJECTION
BY SOCIETY, DISCRIMINATION IN
EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING.
AND WHEN THERE IS THAT SORT OF
STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING
MENTAL ILLNESS, PEOPLE ARE NOT
GOING TO GO TO TREATMENT TO TRY
AND GET HELP WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
BECAUSE THEY’RE SO EMBARRASSED
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. >> WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER TO HEAR
OR HOW WOULD YOU PREFER THIS BE
ADDRESSED?
ADDRESSED? >> SO I DO NOT THINK THAT MENTAL
ILLNESS SHOULD BE LINKED WITH
VIOLENCE.
VIOLENCE. THERE ARE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT
ARE LINKED WITH THE MASS
SHOOTINGS.
SHOOTINGS. THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS THE
AVAILABILITY OF GUNS.
I WOULD NOT -- I THINK IT’S
REALLY HARMFUL TO BLAME IT ON
PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
IN FACT, THESE LAST TWO
INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED, NEITHER
OF THE PERPETRATORS HAD MENTAL
ILLNESS THAT ANYONE KNEW ABOUT.
>> CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE
CONNECTION OR THE USE OF GUNS
WHEN IT COMES TO SUICIDE?
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE
THAT MOST GUN DEATHS IN THE U.S.
ACTUALLY ARE SUICIDES.
HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THAT ISSUE?
>> SO THE ISSUE OF SUICIDE AND
GUNS IS A REAL ONE.
SUICIDE IS THE 10th LEADING
CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. FOR PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF
10-34, IT’S THE SECOND LEADING
CAUSE OF DEATH.
AND 60% OF ALL SUICIDES ARE
COMMITTED WITH GUNS, BECAUSE THE
FATALITY RATE WHEN YOU USE A GUN
IS 85%.
IS 85%. >> I KNOW SO MANY OF US IN THE
MEDIA ESPECIALLY WORRY ABOUT THE
LANGUAGE WE USE WHEN WE DEAL
WITH THESE TYPES OF ISSUES
BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO HANDLE IT
IN A SENSITIVE WAY.
HOW WOULD YOU PREFER WE ADDRESS
THESE TYPES OF ISSUES WHEN IT
COMES TO MENTAL ILLNESS?
>> WE SHOULD NOT LINK THE
CONCEPT OF MENTAL ILLNESS WITH
THESE MASS SHOOTINGS.
OBVIOUSLY THESE PEOPLE HAVE
PROBLEMS, THEY ARE VERY ANGRY,
THEY’RE OFTEN RESENTFUL.
SOMETIMES THEY CAN BE MEMBERS OF
FRINGE GROUPS, BUT THAT’S NOT
THE SAME THING AS HAVING
SCHIZOPHRENIA OR BIPOLAR ILLNESS
OR DEPRESSION.
OR DEPRESSION. BUT THEY ARE HIGHLY DISTURBED
INDIVIDUALS.