Sandy Hook: Gun Control or Psychiatric Control?

The Newtown, Connecticut massacre has generated endless debate on the extent of gun control necessary to prevent future incidents from occurring. But with political considerations making it difficult to imagine that legislation on gun control is close at hand, we might consider viewing Sandy Hook from a different perspective—while Adam Lanza perpetrated his horrifying crimes through the use of firearms, it was the hideous extent to which his mental health’s deterioration was ignored that ultimately resulted in the Sandy Hook tragedy.

In mistaking Sandy Hook for an incident that speaks to the ills of firearm use and the need for legislation curtailing it, American Citizens have ignored the fact the while Adam Lanza was equipped with firearms on the day of the shooting, he had been provided access to firearms by his parents, who ignored his mental health’s troubling state until it was too late. For example, we now know that Lanza’s mother indulged her son’s gruesome fantasies while also furthering the degree to which his sensitive mental state was susceptible to combustion. In turn, Adam Lanza denied all comers access to his bedroom, where he kept a treasure trove of violent video games and tools. And yet, Nancy Lanza tolerated her son’s fascination with gruesome killings and even supported his fascination with high-octane firearms.

Nancy Lanza, whose own troubled mental state contributed to the manner in which she furthered her son’s dangerous habits, so enabled her son’s psychosis that she was willing to fund his purchase of a high-powered rifle. What Nancy Lanza was not willing to fund was the consistent and reliable services of a mental health professional. Had she been seriously committed to this endeavor, it is unlikely that Adam Lanza would have committed his horrific crimes. To this end, both Nancy and Adam were inconsistently on various psychotropic medications, with extremely limited supervision.

Accordingly, Adam Lanza’s firearm-related violence was perpetrated as much through the use of firearms as by the failure of his caregivers to insist upon proper diagnosis and treatment of his troubled mental state. In other words, Adam Lanza would eventually have committed terrible crimes, with or without access to firearms. As such, it cannot be argued that gun control alone would somehow eradicate the future possibility of incidents like Sandy Hook. The only thing that might stand a chance of eradicating all potential of Sandy Hook Part II is a collective recognition of the troubling extent to which we ignore the psychiatric considerations at issue in most of the gun-related crimes committed in the country. As just one other example, James Holmes, the Colorado Movie Theater Shooter, was also provoked by an extremely troubled mental state, destined to commit atrocities regardless of whether he was provided access to firearms of any kind.

Ultimately, Adam Lanza should have been committed on an in-patient basis to any number of mental hospitals, at which he would never have been granted access to firearms or any other weapon of destruction. In focusing solely on the violent nature of the firearms employed by Lanza, we lose sight of that which actually provoked the violence that Lanza brought to bear on Sandy Hook that day—an extremely troubled mental state. Enhanced gun control through legislation might partially stem the tide of violent gun crimes, but such enhancement is difficult to achieve at the legislative level and may never be achieved. What can certainly be achieved is a heightened degree of attention to the manner in which we contemplate mental health and hygiene. Too often, those who should be under the supervision of mental health professionals are left to their own devices by selfish and troubled caregivers who do not properly attend to the apparent psychosis of their wards. If we can pay just a bit more attention to this reality, we will have come a long way towards preventing a second coming of the Sandy Hook massacre.

Bibliography

George Drinka. “When the Media is the Parent.” Psychology Today (2013). 1-8

Ingold, John. “James Holmes’ Lawyers Argue that He is Too Mentally Ill to Be Executed.” The Denver Post (2013). 1-2

Lopez, Ralph. “Sandy Hook Final Report: 'Privacy Laws' Limit Psychiatric Answers.” The Digital Journal (2013). 1-4