Slow the Murderous Madness running rampant in our Nation
Jeffery S. Williams
May 17, 2008
Angry men are prone to violence. Unstable men are liable to murder.
Unless we change the existing laws, the carnage will never cease, and only increase in our schools, our businesses, and our homes. Try Googling "murder-suicide"; you´ll get nearly 1 million hits — the majority committed by adult men and teenaged boys. A week doesn´t go by that there isn´t another tragedy added to the long list.
The scenarios are so familiar they´re nearly a cliché:
An emotionally unhinged man tracks down his estranged wife, kills her, kills their kids, kills relatives and then kills himself. Sure, the ex-wife or girlfriend had a court order against him. For sure, he violated it. And for sure, the police investigated and told the frightened woman there was nothing they could do until he did something violent.
An unstable student plots a bloodbath on his school campus and takes as many innocent victims as he can with him to the grave. Sure, the school administrators and counselors know he has a history of mental illness. For sure, he has given off warning signs, but until he does something really violent, everyone has to sit on their hands and wait to become a target.
Police officers, educators, and business owners — everyone´s hands are tied, except for the gun-toting madman. The warning signs are almost always apparent, but with the current laws there´s almost nothing that can be done. We just have to hope the man doesn´t go "postal."
According to a report "American Roulette: The Untold Story of Murder-Suicide in the United States" the Violence Policy Center in Washington DC, claims "murder-suicide" is a growing public health problem…and no national database or tracking system exists to help document the death toll." Here are few mind-numbing figures:
The center estimates there are between 1,000 and 1,500 murder-suicides a year — more than 10 a week.
Ninety-three percent of murder-suicides are committed by men — and 94 percent of those men use guns.
Seventy-five percent of murder-suicides involve men killing an intimate partner before taking their own lives.
It´s been a year since Seung-Hui Cho massacred 32 students at Virginia Tech before turning the gun on himself. The enormity of the tragedy is rare, but there are Cho-esque murder-suicides being planned and taking place with alarming frequency. Last March Steven Kazmierczak shot five students at Northern Illinois University before turning the gun on himself.
When the horror of Cho´s and Kazmierczak´s annihilations were splashed across TV screens and computer monitors, I facilitated discussions in my classes about the catastrophes. Most of my students are college bound seniors, and accepted the surreal event with a combination of shock, stoicism and helplessness.
What can be done about the Cho´s this world? They asked. These are the risks of living in a free society, some said. I´m just hoping it doesn´t happen to me, all of them added. That´s what we´re settling for?
I am not suggesting some Orwellian Police State, but we need to give law enforcement and mental health authorities more teeth to slow the murderous madness that persists in America. Colleges have already begun taking steps to make their campuses safer.
But the reality is that mental health services across the nation are being reduced, not bolstered. The standard 5150 law, which holds an individual considered dangerous to himself and/or others, can keep a person in a mental health center for a maximum of 72 hours. That law is too flimsy. Even the half-crazy know the right things to say to be set free. And followup? It´s a joke. The laws need amending, and those enforcing need more funding (and yes, Republicans that would probably require a tax hike — but only in the name of public safety).
Let´s make a call for the following: If a man is apprehended for actions that show signs of mental-emotional instability, 1) the first time he is held for five days instead of three in a mental institution and carefully monitored 2) he must report to a mental health official once a week for the next three months. Failure to do so would result in incarceration 3) he can never legally buy a gun ever again 4) the man´s home is searched for firearms 4) if the man stalks or threatens someone, he is jailed with mandatory therapy 5) if the man breaks the law again, he is imprisoned for at least a year, giving spouses, students and employers a chance to relocate if necessary and make preparations for their safety.
Aren't we worth the investment?
Unless we change the existing laws, the carnage will never cease, and only increase in our schools, our businesses, and our homes. Try Googling "murder-suicide"; you´ll get nearly 1 million hits — the majority committed by adult men and teenaged boys. A week doesn´t go by that there isn´t another tragedy added to the long list.
The scenarios are so familiar they´re nearly a cliché:
An emotionally unhinged man tracks down his estranged wife, kills her, kills their kids, kills relatives and then kills himself. Sure, the ex-wife or girlfriend had a court order against him. For sure, he violated it. And for sure, the police investigated and told the frightened woman there was nothing they could do until he did something violent.
An unstable student plots a bloodbath on his school campus and takes as many innocent victims as he can with him to the grave. Sure, the school administrators and counselors know he has a history of mental illness. For sure, he has given off warning signs, but until he does something really violent, everyone has to sit on their hands and wait to become a target.
Police officers, educators, and business owners — everyone´s hands are tied, except for the gun-toting madman. The warning signs are almost always apparent, but with the current laws there´s almost nothing that can be done. We just have to hope the man doesn´t go "postal."
According to a report "American Roulette: The Untold Story of Murder-Suicide in the United States" the Violence Policy Center in Washington DC, claims "murder-suicide" is a growing public health problem…and no national database or tracking system exists to help document the death toll." Here are few mind-numbing figures:
The center estimates there are between 1,000 and 1,500 murder-suicides a year — more than 10 a week.
Ninety-three percent of murder-suicides are committed by men — and 94 percent of those men use guns.
Seventy-five percent of murder-suicides involve men killing an intimate partner before taking their own lives.
It´s been a year since Seung-Hui Cho massacred 32 students at Virginia Tech before turning the gun on himself. The enormity of the tragedy is rare, but there are Cho-esque murder-suicides being planned and taking place with alarming frequency. Last March Steven Kazmierczak shot five students at Northern Illinois University before turning the gun on himself.
When the horror of Cho´s and Kazmierczak´s annihilations were splashed across TV screens and computer monitors, I facilitated discussions in my classes about the catastrophes. Most of my students are college bound seniors, and accepted the surreal event with a combination of shock, stoicism and helplessness.
What can be done about the Cho´s this world? They asked. These are the risks of living in a free society, some said. I´m just hoping it doesn´t happen to me, all of them added. That´s what we´re settling for?
I am not suggesting some Orwellian Police State, but we need to give law enforcement and mental health authorities more teeth to slow the murderous madness that persists in America. Colleges have already begun taking steps to make their campuses safer.
But the reality is that mental health services across the nation are being reduced, not bolstered. The standard 5150 law, which holds an individual considered dangerous to himself and/or others, can keep a person in a mental health center for a maximum of 72 hours. That law is too flimsy. Even the half-crazy know the right things to say to be set free. And followup? It´s a joke. The laws need amending, and those enforcing need more funding (and yes, Republicans that would probably require a tax hike — but only in the name of public safety).
Let´s make a call for the following: If a man is apprehended for actions that show signs of mental-emotional instability, 1) the first time he is held for five days instead of three in a mental institution and carefully monitored 2) he must report to a mental health official once a week for the next three months. Failure to do so would result in incarceration 3) he can never legally buy a gun ever again 4) the man´s home is searched for firearms 4) if the man stalks or threatens someone, he is jailed with mandatory therapy 5) if the man breaks the law again, he is imprisoned for at least a year, giving spouses, students and employers a chance to relocate if necessary and make preparations for their safety.
Aren't we worth the investment?