Stop blaming, Start fixing

There have been 355 mass shootings this year.  That's almost one for every day of the year.  It's got to stop.  But, you know what won't stop it?  Blame. Blame on those with mental illness.  When a shooting happens in this country, the first people to go down are people like me, those with mental illness.  

Blame doesn't help anyone and it certainly does not fix our mental health system, which needs to be done.  America's mental health "system" is anything but.  It doesn't work, and hasn't for a long time.  There is not basic access to life-saving treatment, and, when there is, the cost of such treatment is often so high that the person cannot get the help they need.  

I don't understand why those in authority, namely politicians, just don't get it.  They are the first to blame these attacks on the person having a mental illness, even when sometimes we don't even know yet.  And, if the person does have or did have a mental illness, does that tell you anything? It should.  It should tell you that you need to stop the "blame game" and actually fix our current system of providing for the country's mental health needs.  That is the only logical conclusion to come to.  

This country's mental health needs are many, so it will be difficult to begin to fix the system, but it is something that needs to be done.  Also, do we have any wonder why there is so much stigma surrounding mental illness?  When mass shootings happen, everyone blames it on the person having a mental illness.  The vast majority of us are not violent, but rather will be the victims of a violent act in our lifetimes.  People are scared of others with mental illness, and when you blame shootings on us, it just perpetuates the stigma that we are bad and people fear us more.  

So, how about we actually listen to what those with mental illness have been saying for decades: Fix the system.  End the stigma. Treat mental illness like any other illness and stop the blame.