John Oliver: Oregon Shooting Terrible Time To Talk Mental Health
John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight, took a different approach to discussing the Oregon shooting. Oliver noted that often mass shootings are followed by a mental health discussion, specifically, speculation as to whether or not the shooter was or is mentally ill. According to John, as quoted by USA Today, the aftermath of tragedies like Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon is probably the worst time to hold such discussions.
“The vast majority of mentally ill people are non-violent, and the vast majority of gun violence is committed by non-mentally ill people…So the fact that we tend to only discuss mental illness in a mass shooting context is deeply misleading.”
John Oliver notes that Americans are extremely uncomfortable discussing mental illness, despite the fact that an “estimated 43.8 million American adults” are coping with mental health issues. He said that unfortunately, this topic is most likely to be discussed after a shooting like the one in Oregon, and often as a red herring: The topic that should be discussed at such times is gun control.
Said Oliver, “It seems there is nothing like a mass shooting to suddenly spark political interest in mental health.”
He particularly noted that Republican candidates were the ones pushing the blame for the Oregon shooting and other mass shootings on mental illness while actively denying the importance of gun control in the United States. Their arguments are countered by a rather powerful observation by John.
“The vast majority of mentally ill people are nonviolent, and the vast majority of gun violence is committed by non-mentally ill people.
“Mentally ill people are far likelier to be the victims of gun violence than the perpetrators.”
Considering the fact that such persons are more likely to be victims of shootings than perpetrators, it’s rather distasteful that Americans continue to treat those with mental health issues as “ticking time bombs” and inevitable dangers to society. It’s also important to note that members of the public are quick to speculate about the mental state of someone behind a shooting, but there’s no actual proof that such persons are mentally ill.
John Oliver Slams GOP for Blaming Mass Shootings on Mentally-Ill, Avoiding Gun Control Talk http://t.co/jkjCPu8Dnb pic.twitter.com/3HCuBWsJHw
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 5, 2015
John Oliver said that since the public wanted to discuss mental health issues in the wake of the Oregon shooting, then he would do so while addressing the rather stark picture of mental health services today. According to John, severe mental illness affects nearly 10 million Americans, but the current treatment system is “ineffective, expensive, and dangerous.” Much of the burden for these services are provided by ill-equipped nursing homes, prisons, and apparently “Greyhound buses.”
Tragically, in America, mental health is something more commonly known, as John Oliver quipped, as “a great way to win an Oscar.” The public admires someone who pretends to be insane but has no time or compassion to push for real solutions. Oddly enough, not even in the wake of mass shootings. Like gun control, apparently this important topic is something to be kicked around but otherwise largely ignored.
John Oliver said of this behavior that “if we’re going to constantly use mentally ill people to dodge conversations about gun control, then the very least we owe them is a plan.”
John Oliver breaks down America’s problem with gun violence and mental illness http://t.co/J3vsc5I0rq pic.twitter.com/b4E0evj9ql
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) October 5, 2015
It will be interesting to see if the politicians that John Oliver referred to, including Donald Trump and Ben Carson, eventually lay down a solid plan for coping with mental health. Democratic candidates for president have directly attacked the issue of gun control in the wake of the Oregon shooting. Perhaps they too can offer plans to aid in advancing America’s mental health system.
What do you think of what John Oliver had to say about mental health discussions following the Oregon shooting? Why do you think Americans are uncomfortable talking about mental illness (except for after mass shootings)? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!
[Image Credit: Screengrab from YouTube/LastWeekTonight]
