The photo here (from the Texas Department of Public Safety) is of Seth Ator -- the 36 year-old white man who killed seven people and wounded dozens of others in Midland/Odessa last Saturday.We don't know why he did that, but he was recently fired from his job. He was also the owner of an AR-15 assault-style weapon (which he used in the mass shooting).
Donald Trump, and other Republicans, were quick to blame the shooting on mental illness. But there is no history of Ator being mentally ill.
Mental illness is just an excuse that Republicans now use to avoid doing anything about the epidemic of gun deaths in this country. It's a rather pathetic excuse.
The United States doesn't have more mentally ill people than other developed nations, and most of the mentally ill are not a danger to other people. If the cause was mental illness, and gun laws cannot prevent many of these shootings, then why is the United States the only developed nation that has this problem with mass shootings and gun deaths.
We know why -- and so does Trump, Republicans, and the NRA leadership. It's because there are too many guns in this country, and they are accessed too easily by those who should not have them. The GOP just doesn't want to admit it -- afraid they'll lose NRA money for their next election.
Don't let the Republicans get away with blaming mental illness for our gun problem.
A man angry at losing a job is not mentally ill.
A young white man angry at losing his white privilege is not mentally ill.
Racism is not a mental illness.
White supremacy is not a mental illness.
Trump said none of the recent shootings would have been prevented by background checks. That's not the point. We do not want dangerous people being able to buy any kind of gun and as much ammunition as they want. And banning assault-style weapons could have prevented many of those shootings, since those are the weapons used in nearly all mass shootings.
Demand Congress take action -- on the real problem (the easy access to guns).
