Today's headline:
South Carolina Shooting: Police Discover 6 Bodies Inside Greenwood County Home
The victims were two children, three adults, and the shooter, who suffered from depression and was suicidal.
The gun advocates blame the problem on the mentally ill. I have a suggestion on how to address that. I believe it's time for every State to levy an excise tax on weapons and ammunition.
Every gun sold in America, and every bullet sold in America should be subject to a State Excise Tax included in the price of the product.
Just like with gasoline or tobacco or Internet or telephone service, a tax should be imposed on gun and ammo sales for the explicit funding of mental health, NOT TO REPLACE THE CURRENT FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING, but to increase the services available, and improve accessibility for residents.
Every State has suffered from some kind of gun violence, and it's time to do something real about the problem. We the people should not be subjected to living in the cross-hairs of every person with a gun, and the gun owners all claim they're the good guys.
Every State is suffering from lack of funding for mental health resources. The mentally ill do not have jobs, or money, often no support, no family, no job. They cannot afford to help themselves, and they are hurting themselves and others, and the community.
The only other alternative is a national gun registry, but even if we had a gun registry, we never can predict when a good guy with a gun is going to need mental help.