The GOP plan is to blame mental illness instead of guns for gun violence … while doing everything to end access to mental healthcare. I wrote for CNN.
On Tuesday morning, House Speaker Paul Ryan made his first remarks about the mass shooting in Las Vegas.
He said nothing about guns, but traded easily in false stereotypes linking mental illness with mass murder. He said that “one of the things we’ve learned from these shootings is often underneath this is a diagnosis of mental illness.” He touted the 21st Century Cures Act, which passed with wide bipartisan support in the waning days of the Obama administration.
Let’s be clear. Only 3% to 5% of all violent crimes involve people with psychiatric disabilities, including conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. People with such conditions make up more than 18% of the American population. These individuals are 10 times more likely to be victims of violence than those without mental illness.
Talking about mental illness, whether it’s relevant or not in a given case — and it is often not — is an attempt to dodge talking about guns.
It’s long since time to separate conversations about mental health and gun violence.
Since President Donald Trump took office, every Republican attempt to replace Obamacare has proposed stripping away community and medical supports from people with mental health needs. If the GOP has its way on health care, insurance companies would have the right to raise premiums and potentially even deny care based on pre-existing conditions. People with mental health needs would either have to hide their conditions or go broke trying to pay for care.