During the last weekend, more than 30 people lost their lives in two mass shootings that occurred in the regions of Texas and Ohio in the United States. The attacks, which took place in the cities of El Paso and Dayton respectively, add to the 16 mass shootings that have occurred in the United States so far this year, with at least 101 deaths and 80 injuries according to CNN.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, responded this week to these events by demanding that mental health laws in his country be “reformed” in order to “more effectively identify people with mental health problems who could commit violent acts”. He also added that these individuals should be subject, “when necessary, to involuntary commitment.” “It is mental illness and hate that pull the trigger, not the gun,” he stated.
Lamentablemente, las declaraciones de Trump solo contribuyen a reforzar este estigma. La discriminación no evitará que ocurran tragedias como estas; los esfuerzos en Estados Unidos deben concentrarse, de acuerdo a las sugerencias del Comité de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas, en que el gobierno proteja a los ciudadanos contra “los riesgos a que da lugar la disponibilidad excesiva de armas de fuego”.
Es importante que podamos aprender de estas experiencias y evitemos caer en este tipo de prejuicios que solo contribuyen a la discriminación. Los problemas de salud mental no son sinónimo de violencia.
#EveryoneForMentalHealth
