It's only two months into the new year. As of now, there have been 18 school shootings in the United States in 2018. Recently, 17 lives were lost at Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
This has not even been our country’s most deadly shooting, and it's certainly not its first.
A common factor that is pronounced at every one of these shootings is the blame on mental illness of the shooter. The story always goes that usually a white male, who has either suffered from either some kind of bullying or mental illness, has been the one committing the crime.
What I want to know is, why are headlines making this be the main priority for all these cases?
Mental illness is something I do indeed think needs to be taken more seriously; don’t get me wrong. I am a huge advocate for mental health, and I treat mental illness as a disease.
However, NOTHING is an excuse for going in and shooting up a school, killing multiple innocent people. These victims are sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, parents, siblings, and friends. They are actual people's lives that are being stolen.
This is a completely avoidable, unnecessary, and tragic crime. Just because someone has mental problems doesn’t give them the right to take away people's lives.
There are so many people suffering from mental illness in the United States alone. There are so many who come from broken homes, who have been bullied, or lived in poverty.
Everyone has hardships. That gives no one the right to take away the lives of others.
Too many news outlets have been focusing on the shooter or focusing on his mental illness and state of mind. Not only does this make people who suffer from mental illness perceived as homicidal maniacs, it takes away from the larger issue of gun control.
There have been reports of shooter Nikolas Cruz as being a “broken person” or “depressed." None of this is relevant. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States.
It's not an excuse to kill innocent people, and I am tired of hearing that it is.