The debate on gun control and mental health has picked up once again. This is a call to action for Congress and lawmakers to act on it. 

I am not trying to make a political statement here. It has nothing to do with whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent. I am merely just saying how I feel and what you are about to read are just suggestions. 

We have had many mass shootings these past few years. First it was Columbine; then Newtown, Connecticut; Las Vegas and now at a school in Parkland, Florida. There were many more shootings in between.

After each shooting, the debate on gun control and how it should be dealt with picks up again. Then there is a debate on how the tragedy could have been prevented. Then the tragedy gets buried in the news cycle.

It is the same cycle every time and the American people are tired of it. 

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The physical wounds will go away, but the psychological wounds will likely take many years to overcome. There are many options that Congress can choose; they can arm teachers, put police in schools, have stricter background checks, ban bump stocks and/or ban certain weapons, just to name a few.

How can we make students and teachers feel that they are in a safe environment without making them feel like they are in a prison? Even if Congress fails to act, many states can go ahead and make their own laws. Many states have done that– including New York and Connecticut after Newtown. 

            Something must be done about gun control. We cannot keep letting this happen.

Another topic that has come to light is most of the suspects have had some history of mental illness and were not treated for it. This is another debate: Should it be gun control or mental health counseling/treatment that should be addressed or a combination of both?

            If you look at it from a mental health perspective, there were many loopholes when it came to the suspects buying a weapon. In my opinion, if a new healthcare bill is ever passed, more funding should be given to combat mental illness, including more funding for mental health counseling and treatment.

            If there is ever a gun control bill that is passed, I think that another component should include stricter and universal background checks across the board. These background checks should also include some sort of red flag if the person has a history of mental illness or if they have been treated for it. I know this would cause privacy concerns, but the specifics of that person’s diagnoses would not have to be explained—it could just be solely on whether there is a history of mental illness. There are a lot of possibilities that can be included in a gun control bill, but the debate will be likely to continue.

Either way, we’ll have to see what happens.

To contact The Ionian’s Matthew Ricker, email him at [email protected].