From Newsday, Letters, Nov. 12 2017
The Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing of 26 innocents, including eight children and a pregnant mom, is a grim reminder and prelude to the fifth anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings [“Church massacre,” News, Nov. 6].
At the same time, as President Donald Trump paid his respects to the fallen, ordering flags flown at half-staff, he was quick to label the tragedy as a mental health problem. This is despite the fact that he advocated for a repeal-and-replace national health insurance policy that would strip away insurance coverage parity for mental health care.
When the president advocates for limiting access to care, it compounds the public health challenges of mental illness.
Think about it: After the Sandy Hook shootings, there was not one parent who was able to escape the tyranny of imagining his or her child being killed in the neighborhood school. Now, Sutherland Springs affirms that the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, is not isolated.
Our leaders can support the constitutional right to bear arms while taking steps to prevent gun violence and passing legislation that supports the emotional well-being of all of our citizens.
Andrew Malekoff, Long Beach
Editor’s note: The writer is the executive director of the nonprofit children’s mental health agency North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights.
