Mental Illness and Violence

The four texts we read and listened to all related to mental illness and violence. In “Guns and Mental Illness” Nocera said, “Conservatives need to face the need for gun regulations…” and, “Liberals need to acknowledge that untreated mental illness is also an important part of the reason mass killings take place.” I agree that in order to help prevent shootings, both problems must be dealt with. Mentally ill people are not getting help in prisons and most aren’t getting help outside of them either.

In the article by Wendy Button, “Please Take Away My Right to a Gun” she talked about how mentally ill shouldn’t even be allowed to own guns. In her situation, someone was trying to break into her house. Luckily, the police were right around the corner from where she lived and got there quickly. After, she contemplated on getting a gun to protect herself, but decided not to saying, “I am one of the millions of people in this country who live with depression.” I agreed with her when she said, “Most people like me are more likely to harm ourselves than to turn into mass-murdering monsters, our leaders should do more to keep us safe from ourselves.” However, I didn’t think the idea of the mentally ill not being able to own any guns was right. The majority of people aren’t fortunate enough to have a police station right down the road from them. There are also other dangerous situations that people can be in where they either can’t call the police or can’t wait several minutes for the police to come. I think if such a law where mentally ill people couldn’t own guns, there would need to be a greater number of police stations throughout the nation.

The article “I am Adam Lanza’s Mother” the author, Liza Long says, “I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me.” She describes her son as one who can go from a sweet child to one who threatens her with a knife. The son talks on  StoryCorps recording. He says, "It feels like there is some extraterrestrial being taking control of me and making me do all these crazy things." This makes me realize how little mental illness is understood and treated. In order to help prevent mass shootings, mental illness can’t be left untreated and gun regulations need to be changed.

The Cask of Amontillado

This story describes mad people as people who don't think very rationally. They get angry over simple things and decide to do worse things to get revenge. They don't think this is wrong. This is shown at the beginning of the story when Montressor says, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat." This story also shows that mad people aren't stupid. Montressor obviously planned the murder he committed and did so by studying his victim. This can be shown throughout the story, for example, "He had a weak point - this Fortunato - although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine." I think the way his madness is portrayed is quite accurate in some aspects. I have had a lot of bad experiences with people who have mental illnesses and they have attacked me over the littlest of things. I don't think it is always planned, but there are plenty of people who plan their kills and sometimes it can be rather complex. For example, the shooting in Colorado at the movie theater, the killer bought all those weapons and planted bombs in his home. He planned that out and of course he was mad like Montressor. Sane people don't kill others.