Mental Illness Becomes Scapegoat After Mass Shootings, But The Truth Is Far More Nuanced, Experts Say
Saying mental illness is to blame for mass violence incidents not only misses the complexities at the root of the motivation, but also besmirches millions of non-violent mentally ill people, experts say in the wake of the Texas shooting which left 26 dead. President Donald Trump said the shooting was a "mental health" problem and not a "guns situation."
The Associated Press:
Trump Calls Attackers ‘Deranged’ But Mental Health Link Weak
President Donald Trump called the Texas church shootings gunman “deranged,” the New York bike path attacker “a very sick and deranged person,” and the Las Vegas massacre shooter “a sick, demented man.” It’s a common reaction to mass violence — who in their right mind would commit these senseless crimes? The truth is more nuanced. (Tanner, 11/6)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Trump Wrong To Blame Mass Killings On Mental Illness Rather Than Guns, Experts Say
President Trump on Monday attributed the slaughter of 26 people in a Texas church — the nation’s third mass killing in five weeks — to “a mental health problem,” saying it wasn’t a “guns situation.” ...Critics say blaming mass killings on “mental health problems” is not only medically inaccurate, it is politically disingenuous — a “fig leaf,” to make it appear that Trump is doing something about gun violence. (Garofoli, 11/6)
NPR:
In Texas And Beyond, Mass Shootings Have Roots In Domestic Violence
In the wake of the massacre at a small-town Texas church on Sunday, many people are asking why. We know that a large portion of the mass shootings in the U.S. in recent years have roots in domestic violence against partners and family members. Depending on how you count, it could be upwards of 50 percent. (Fulton, 11/7)
Los Angeles Times:
Gun Injuries In The U.S. Have Become More Severe Since The 1990s, Study Says
If the purpose of a gun is to inflict serious damage to a body, then these weapons have become increasingly effective, new research shows. An analysis of U.S. hospital records shows that gun injuries bad enough to land a victim in the hospital grew more severe over the course of two decades. Wounds involving "serious open fractures" — trauma that pairs a break in the skin with a broken bone — increased by 0.61% per year between 1993 and 2013. Meanwhile, gun injuries classified as "minor" fell by 0.74% per year during the study period. (Kaplan, 11/6)
