I have had my time of silence for the victims and families of this latest tragedy. It is now time to voice outrage!
There is one thing clear in this latest mass killing and even if it hasn't been released yet it is absolutely clear. This latest tragedy has one thing in common with all the others in recent history. It is not guns. The possession of guns long outdate this more recent dark time in American history. There is one common factor in all the senseless killings and it should be of outrage to all Americans, instead it is hidden.
There have been mall shootings, school shootings, a theater and political rally shooting; there have also been multiple stabbings, drowning in bathtubs and lakes, grenades tossed and the list goes on and on. The gun/knife/grenade and drowning is the means, not the cause. There is one common factor, it is known, and it is obviously not guns.
Gun ownership has existed since the invention of the gun and by many Americans since the Bill of Rights gave them that right. These senseless mass killings have been more recent and correlate in time, as well as have a common factor with, the spiked use of mind altering drugs! In every single instance the killer has been on a mind altering drug; psychotropic drugs such Ritalin, Prozac, Zoloft, Adderall, Paxil and others! Some will argue gun control of which there is clearly a missing link. Some will say these people are mentally ill. History will show that the under-diagnosed (or misdiagnosed) and mistreatment of these individuals with these dangerous drugs that carry a warning label (although buried in the fine print) that they can cause irrational behavior, suicidal thought and psychosis are absolutely at fault for this dark time in American history! Even if the chance is minute the pharmaceutical companies have shown it is there. There was a huge spike in use of these drugs from 1992 to 1996 that continues to rise yearly.
There are at least 5 million kids on Ritalin or amphetamines today and America consumes 90 percent of these worldwide. If 2 percent of these have psychotropic reactions that would be 100,000; if one fourth of 1 percent of these took a gun to school that would be 100 acts of violence per year! Sure would make the news, and it is! They are just misplacing the blame.
You can not poison the young minds of our children with these drugs that can cause suicidal thoughts and psychotic rages and expect any different than what you are seeing on the news. History will tell what I already know and one by one Americans should be outraged!
Dr. Eric Freed
Belpre
