There has been robust discussion in the past several years about the role mental illness plays in the increasing number of mass shootings American society has experienced. Theories abound as to why there is more violence, and particularly gun violence in America. There are no easy answers, of course, and one of the factors often discussed includes the proliferation of guns in American society- particularly military type weapons which are automatic or semi-automatic weapons.
There is also discussion of the extremity of political division and lack of tolerance of divergent viewpoints. Extremists are often led by fear of the unknown, or belief that they will lose power, status or prestige to another group. There have been many racially motivated shootings, powered by racial animus, and social alienation.
Finally, there is the discussion of the role of mental illness. Here is where I would like to weigh in. Gun violence, of course, is fueled by more than one motivator. It is complex, and I would suggest that evil is at play. Yes, there is evil out there.
In Biblical times, and up until even into the 20th century, some people would conflate evil, or demon possession, with mental illness. While evil exists, and mental illness exists, they are not one and the same. When someone decides to murder numbers of people indiscriminately, I suggest that evil is more likely the culprit than mental illness. Again, this is not to suggest that the two are mutually exclusive to one another. However, it is simply too easy to write off violent behavior to the effects of mental illness.
Mental illness in human beings has been around since the beginning of time. There was minimal treatment for mental illness until the 20th century, yet America was not beset with mass murders many decades ago like we see in our current American society.
What has changed? More anger and division in society; the breakdown of family structure; more availability of all types of weapons; the process of change in society, including media and technology, which feels threatening to some; and fear of the outsider, witnessed by fears of immigration.
So, I say all this to say that mental illness is a glib response to the travesty of our violent society. Until we can look at ourselves and say that social structures are broken, let’s not just identify mental illness as the easy answer to a complex social moral problem.
Mental illness does not equate to violent behavior. Indeed, some people who are mentally ill are violent. More frightening to me is the presence of unfettered anger and rage, which allows evil impulses to rule the thinking of those who would see violence as a justified response to their own inadequacy.
Tomorrow, I conclude with an expanded view of mental illness.
Reflections of a Counselor 