Empathy is Dangerous for People with Mental Health Problems

I believe that mentally unstable individuals should NOT be allowed to have a firearm.

This is most likely because, the way I see it, mentally ill people are not able to control some of their actions and are more likely to show very defensive reactions, with or without any sort of empathy. Some people with mental health problems lack empathy. With little to no empathy, there is a higher likelihood that harming others can occur. A lack of empathy is dangerous when it comes to people with mental health issues, mostly because it blinds them to the reality of how their behaviors and actions can affect themselves and others around them.

For example, if the mental health issue is of a nature where the person hates themselves, they might choose to harm others whom they blame for their feelings, bringing violence to both themselves and those around them. They may wrongly believe that their firearm will be the solution for any problem that arises.

There is a common misunderstanding about the Second Amendment. It states that we have the right to bear arms to form a militia — it does not promise people the right to possess a firearm. Owning a gun should be a privilege, not a right. People who are mentally ill should be kept away from guns for public and personal safety. Nevertheless, if the government were to actually consider giving a mentally challenged individual access to firearms, they should have to subject that individual to some kind of test before issuing a gun.

The Second Amendment shouldn’t exactly come into play when someone who is “mentally unstable” uses a firearm inappropriately. We draw the line when issuing firearms to those who cannot handle the responsibility of these destructive tools, like someone who cannot control their actions and emotions and decides to use the gun as the solution to their problems.

In December 2012, a 20-year-old man named Adam Lanza, who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, shot his mother in the head before heading off to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he killed many children between the ages of 5 and 10. He then shot himself in the head when the police arrived. Although Lanza's motives were unidentified, his classmates frequently labeled him as "fidgety" and some even claimed he was “mentally disturbed."

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