Many folks are treating the Parkland students as though they can do no wrong, but there are multiple elements of their work that need to be examined.

Here are just two examples from their manifesto.

Change privacy laws to allow mental healthcare providers to communicate with law enforcement As seen in the tragedy at our school, poor communication between mental healthcare providers and law enforcement may have contributed to a disturbed person with murderous tendencies and intentions entering a school and gunning down 17 people in cold blood. We must improve this channel of communication. To do so, privacy laws should be amended. That will allow us to prevent people who are a danger to themselves or to others from purchasing firearms. That could help prevent tragedies such as the Parkland massacre.

“Change privacy laws to allow mental healthcare providers to communicate with law enforcement…”

The first, about changing privacy laws, ought to be moot. There is already mandated reporting for patients/clients who are at risk of harming themselves or others.

I do believe that it would be a good idea to enact a federal law that uniformly applies to all jurisdictions instead of allowing the states to decide their own mandatory reporting laws, however, I don’t believe that’s what is being called for.

Should the existing privacy laws be expanded, we could be facing a nationwide registry of people who have sought help for their mental health. Such a registry will discourage many people from accessing treatment and it will discourage providers from working with potentially violent patients due to possible liability. It will also create a database of people who will be harassed, scapegoated, demonized, and essentially branded with a scarlet letter.

This is not a good idea, yet because so many are clamoring for change on the federal level, this just might happen.

Dedicate more funds to mental health research and professionals Federal and state government should earmark more funds specifically for mental health services. Those with mental health issues, especially those who express aggressive, violent, suicidal and/or homicidal thoughts should have the opportunity to receive the help they need regardless of their economic status. Schools specifically should receive more funds in order to hire more psychologists and guidance counselors who can aid students suffering from PTSD, depression and other debilitating mental illnesses. Many of those who commit mass shootings suffer from these kinds of illnesses. It is essential that more funds be dedicated to mental health research.

“Dedicate more funds to mental health research and professionals…”

The second, about providing more funding to mental health research and professionals, is equally misguided. Mental health research is already funded more than almost any other condition. It doesn’t need more funding because we already know that this statement, taken from the manifesto, is false:

“Many of those who commit mass shootings suffer from these kinds of illnesses. It is essential that more funds be dedicated to mental health research.”

Less than 15% of people who have committed mass shootings from 1966-2015 were found to have had serious mental illness. Folks with serious mental illness annually commit 4% of incidences of interpersonal violence and less than 1% of all gun-related homicides.

The most common factors among mass shooters? They are almost all cis-male and they are almost all awash in hatred for the “other.” The other, depending on the shooter, has been Jewish, LGBTQ, black or of color, Muslim, etc.

This country seems to be eager to persecute people with mental illness for crimes we are not committing because that narrative provides a diversion from the real problems: this country’s deep-rooted bigotry (and acceptance of that bigotry) and its continual misguided support of “alienated” cis-males.