The Mentally Ill Deserve Better Than Armchair Diagnoses

<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/17/mass-shootings-500-united-states-2023" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Axios&nbsp;</a>reports there have been over 500 mass shootings in the U.S. this year. As of this morning, the last shooting occurred in Maine, with nineteen dead, including the shooter.</p> <p>In following the coverage on MSNBC, I wondered how long it would take for the words &ldquo;paranoid schizophrenic&rdquo; to be bandied about. It didn&rsquo;t take long. At one point in the coverage, I heard it reported that one family member used the word &ldquo;manic,&rdquo; a symptom of bipolar disorder, in describing the perpetrator. It was mentioned multiple times that he had been hospitalized recently for hearing voices.</p> <p>Commentators repeatedly asked why he was able to own the deadly AR-15. Multiple network contributors were calling for &ldquo;Red flag&rdquo; and other stronger gun control laws, in particular, banning the sale of the AR-15, its ammunition, or its large capacity magazine. Unsurprisingly, the Maine Republican Congressman proclaimed a swift change of heart. He will now diligently work for better gun control.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/illumination/the-mentally-ill-deserve-better-than-armchair-diagnoses-03ee19b17d13"><strong>Click Here</strong></a></p>