Outrage in Florida.
And my outrage over Trump's response: http://metro.co.uk/2018/02/15/donald-trump-blames-mental-health-florida-school-shooting-7316104/
As I watched Trump address the nation following the latest school massacre in the US, I felt alarmed at the emotional insincerity of his tone and body language. The non-verbal messages he was sending simply seemed to undo the words he was expressing.
But then he delivered the blow that left me reeling.
Mental Health was the area he pinned as the problem area needing to be addressed.
Oh boy!
My counsellor heckles rose at that.
What a miserable scapegoat to choose as a means to avoid the elephant-in-the-room of the US' inadequate gun laws.
Instead of naming the problem that is screaming to us all, he chose a group in Society which has limited ability to defend itself. He chose a group in Society which is often misunderstood. He chose a group which, for the most part, is too low in energy and most resources to do much more than hold their own life together.
And. In one blow. He undid the good work that has occurred internationally, and over the course of many years, to reverse the poisonous and punishing stereotypes and stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Interestingly, this is at least the second time that Trump has levelled the blame for a gun massacre on mental health management. See this link for the way he highlighted mental health as the main issue when he responded to the church massacre in Texas in Nov 2017: https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-comments-on-te…/4102355.html
Clearly, anyone who resorts to such horrific acts of violence is tragically unwell. However, it is an error in logic to locate the source of this monstrous problem with this absolute minority of the much bigger group of those who suffer daily with mental health issues.
It's an error in logic that brings a world of trouble and misunderstanding to all those embedded in a struggle.
Especially since the WHO has identified that one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. That's 25% of us who will experience this struggle.
I strongly hope that wise minds will realise the damaging view that Trump has opted for. I strongly hope that wise minds will clearly see that Trump has perpetuated years of stigma and misunderstanding by using mental health issues as a scapegoat. I so strongly hope that Trump's perspective will be rejected.
Mental Health does deserve more attention. More resources. More positive focus.
More of everything.
But not because this is a group we must fear.
We must pour in attention, resources and positive focus because this group of those with Mental Health issues represents us.
Our families.
And our loved ones.
Arohanui.
Contact me: Lorraine Dodd: Counsellor in Howick, Auckland 0221 874 057, through the contact section http://lorrainedodd.wix.com/lorraine-dodd by email nurturinghope@gmail.com or Private Message me through Facebook
