I have to say something about this current incident of shooting
and the killing of mass numbers of people, most of them our youth!
My discourse can be totally spiritual or totally from a human
perspective, however I will probably mix them because that is where I live
everyday: a spiritual person (Christian) in a human body that lives in a world
that is often difficult to understand or grapple with.
I am so saddened as many of you by this Florida incident and
many others that our country has unfortunately experienced! My heart and
prayers go out to the families who have lost children / loved ones (teachers
died, too). I cannot imagine the inner trauma of the youth who lived through it
and hope and pray that they get the opportunity for trauma care within 48
hours to hopefully prevent PTSD or anxiety disorders.
My great concern is that our nation, as progressive and
intelligent as we are are not wise when it comes to dealing with issues of
mental illness or emotional distress.
First let me say this, because a person is diagnosed as mentally
ill or is emotionally distressed it does not mean that they are a threat to
society or that they will be a killer. The majority of people in this category
are more needy of our care, compassion and help just to make it through each
day of life than we actually realize!
So when a person who is diagnosed or observably seems mentally
ill who does become a killer, there usually are unaddressed or unreported
signs. The bigger problem is that we have tendency to be so caught up in
ourselves or our own lives that we ignore others concerns or needs.
Also, in our country, with the diagnosed or seemingly mentally
ill, especially when they are 18 years or older, the system is set up without
care, compassion, or specific procedures to help them heal, to help them
recover, or to do something to insure that they are not left to the tormentors,
accusers, and confusion going on in their minds! This is where problems arise.
People in this category who have seen mental health providers or
who have been identified by teachers or other institutions, or others, whether
family members, neighbors, or friends, once deciding not to continue with treatment
(and mind you, the fact that they are diagnosed mentally ill or are emotionally
distressed, and depending on the diagnosis and the severity, are not
rational), there is no real follow up, and because they are adults
“privacy” precludes seeking them out!
Most people do not want to deal with such people or tend to look
down on them not realizing that “but by the grace of God goes I!” Mental
illness and emotional distress can happen to anyone at any point. Consider that
most mental illnesses are Brain Disorders, not that person being
demonized (though at times this might occur), or are at fault because of
something they did, or are in this predicament because of the family members
being dysfunctional or doing something to them when they were children.
The accurate and detailed information is out there provided by
organizations like NAMI -National Alliance on Mental Illness, NIMH-National
Institute on Mental Health, Brain & Behavior Research, Saddleback Church,
American Association of Christian Counselors,
Mental Health Grace Alliance, and many others.
Three big problems keep this issue from being adequately
addressed, 1) stigma, shame and looking down on people and families
dealing with mental illness and 2) ignorance, many people think and
say things about the mentally ill that are untrue or not fully understood and
lastly, 3) resistance to seeking to be aware then to do something about
it. In some areas of life and living, we are not our brother’s /
sister’s keeper. We are often very selfish, self-centered and afraid that we
will be subject to a sacrifice that will interrupt our great need for our own
freedom, pleasure or entertainment seeking.
Laws and procedures for how we deal with mental illness in our
country has to be reconsidered and rewritten. Health care providers and law
enforcers need more money to hire more people to address this huge concern in
our country in a way that is helpful and preventive.
This is a subject that needs to be ongoing, not coming up only
when there is a mass shooting or a few family members killed by a loved one or
when incidents like Ashanti who was kidnapped and killed by a known mentally
ill and homeless man who was allowed to be on a military base! We as a nation
must take this concern very seriously dealing with it from the bottom up
addressing every aspect of it from children through adults including
homelessness as a result of mental illness!
I could say more but this is what I have to say today.
America please let’s do the right thing for those unable to help
or care for themselves! And let’s choose to be our brother’s
and sister’s keepers! Continual prayers for those grieving
is in order because God does heal the broken-hearted and binds
their wounds. Practical measures on a daily basis added to our
prayer is what will change the heart of our nation.
Postscript: This writing is not intended to serve as an excuse for any
killings or to downplay the grief of America or any family members in agony because
of this FLorida or other killings. My concern is prevention, intervention, and
recovery of all.
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