Special PROGRAMSGUNS & PUBLIC SAFETY
WRITTEN BY CYDNEY HARGIS
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
After back-to-back #massshootings over the weekend, conservative media and pundits immediately pivoted to blaming #mentalillness for the violence despite an abundance of research that says otherwise.
On August 3, a 21-year-old gunman reportedly armed with an assault rifle opened fire inside a Walmart store in El Paso, TX, killing at least 20 and injuring 26 before surrendering to law enforcement. The alleged gunman reportedly posted a four-page document filled with “white nationalist” language and “racist hatred toward immigrants and Hispanics” to the online message board 8chan just minutes before the massacre took place.
Less than 24 hours later in Dayton, OH, a 24-year-old gunman armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle opened fire in the downtown “Oregon District,” killing nine people and injuring 31 more. The gunman was reportedly engaged and killed by law enforcement “within thirty seconds” after he began firing. Police do not currently have a motive but have said a “preliminary assessment” does not indicate any racial or political reason for the shooting.
Predictably, conservative media pivoted to blaming #mentalhealth in an effort to avoid talking about gun safety legislation after the weekend’s massacres, even though research shows that those suffering from #mentalillness are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crime. People with severe #mentalillness do have an increased risk of violence, according to Vox’s Dylan Matthews, but the risk is not high — being male or having substance abuse issues are both bigger risk factors. In fact, Duke University professor Jeffrey Swanson estimates that based on a study from 1980-1984 by the #NationalInstituteofMentalHealth, even if you managed to wipe out serious #mentalillness — schizophrenia, major #depression, bipolar disorder — violence would fall by only about 4%. In reality, the biggest risk of firearms in the hands of someone suffering from #mentalillness is #suicide, which accounts for two-thirds of all gun deaths in the United States.
Yet right-wing pundits and TV show hosts insisted gun violence is a “#mentalhealth issue” caused by “overmedication” and said it requires a “#mentalhealth solution”:
Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth repeatedly said on the August 5 edition of Fox & Friends that the Ohio gunman had “shown the signs of #mentalillness quite early,” and co-host Steve Doocy added that “there were these warning signs that something was just wrong with” the El Paso gunman.
CNN contributor and lobbyist David Urban called for “#mentalhealth background checks” and said “you shouldn’t be able to get a weapon if you’re being treated for some sort of #mentalhealthissue.”
Former NRATV host Cam Edwards, now the editor of the pro-gun blog Bearing Arms, tweeted that gun safety laws aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of dangerous people do “nothing to ensure any sort of #mentalhealth treatment” and are “a gun control solution to a #mentalhealth issue.”
In a since-deleted tweet, conservative radio host Bill Mitchell called mass shooters ““kids who were bullied in school for being different and perhaps the internalized pain grew into a violent psychosis” before calling for “a #mentalhealth solution.”
Fox News contributor Sara Carter tweeted that “#mentalhealth and hate is a national emergency in our country” in response to a tweet by presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA).
One America News Network host and conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec tweeted that it’s “time for America’s #mentalhealth system to be rebuilt.”
Conservative podcast host Candace Owens tweeted that you have to have a mental health issue to “pick up a gun and slaughter 20 people.”
A pro-Trump meme maker known as Carpe Donktum tweeted, “If your reaction to a tragedy is to push some idea or policy OTHER THAN addressing the #MentalHealthCrisis in this country… You don’t care one bit about the victims.”
White supremacist Stefan Molyneux claimed, “Millions of #mentallyill people got dumped into society by the collapse of the American #mentalhealth system.”
Far-right conspiracy theorist and Infowars favorite Mike Cernovich called #mentalhealth “a national security issue.”
Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren blamed the shootings on a “youth #mentalhealth crisis” caused by “over-medication, absentee parents, and a culture that glorifies infamy and notoriety above God, family and community.”
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
