Keller @ Large: We Need To Talk About Mental Health
BOSTON (CBS) - In a Facebook post Wednesday, the widow of George Heath, the hero teacher who gave his life trying to stop the Taunton murderer's rampage Tuesday night, writes: "I don't want to discuss guns or mental health issues. I want to focus on my husband and the great life we shared together."
Out of respect for her, let's start by honoring Mr. Heath, a loving father and husband respected by his co-workers and students. The image of his bravery in the face of an appalling situation will always be remembered, and his survivors should always be supremely proud of him and the sacrifice he made.
But it is a sad fact of life that we do need to talk about mental health issues, and not just in connection with the Taunton nightmare.
Just a few days ago an apparently mentally-ill man slaughtered a Plymouth woman in her apartment. Who can ever forget the horror of the murder of Danvers teacher Colleen Ritzer, again by a mentally-disturbed assailant.
In an interview Wednesday with WBZ-TV's Lauren Leamanczyk, the head of the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems called the increase in recent years of demand for treatment of the violent mentally ill "incredible."
"Substance abuse, dysfunctional families - this is the world we live in," he said.
Yes, we'd better talk about this, about the way we deal or don't deal with mental illness, about how fear and litigiousness constrain us from addressing it, about what we can do to ease this plague.
If we don't talk about it, nothing will happen.
And the parade of horror will continue.
Listen to Jon's commentary:
