We can debate how stricter gun control laws might have prevented the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School until we're blue in the face, but the reality is that we need to be talking about another issue: mental health, which most of have been ignoring for way too long. The reality of raising and living with a child with mental illness in no walk in the park–as exposed in a poignant and eye-opening article written by the mom of a teen son currently dealing with this issue that has gone viral in the wake of the elementary school massacre.
I first learned about Liza Long, a single mother of four, through one of my Facebook friends earlier today. As soon as I read her very personal post, I had to stop and re-analyze everything I had been thinking about Friday's Sandy Hook killing spree.
Long talks openly about her unbelievable struggle as the mother of a mentally ill 13-year-old son. In her article, Long shares how only a few weeks ago, her son–whose IQ is off the charts–got a knife and threatened to kill her and then himself. The incident ended with Long taking her son to the ER because the mental hospital was full that day.
"I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me," Long says. "This problem is too big for me to handle on my own." And that seems to be a sentiment shared by many parents dealing with similar issues with their children. Long goes on to say:
I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza's mother. I am Dylan Klebold's and Eric Harris's mother. I am James Holmes's mother. I am Jared Loughner's mother. I am Seung-Hui Cho's mother. And these boys—and their mothers—need help… I agree that something must be done. It's time for a meaningful, nation-wide conversation about mental health. That's the only way our nation can ever truly heal.
And I agree wholeheartedly with her. I've been feeling so helpless since Friday's tragedy, but Long has helped me realize that one way I can make a difference is by spreading the word about the need for us to stop ignoring the mental health issue–especially among the Latino community where this topic seems to be such a huge taboo.
Image via Chicago Tribune
