"We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there 'is' such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and postive action."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
This week, President Obama announced a comprehensive plan to address the scourge of gun violence that has plagued the nation for many years, with too many innocent victims, that includes a $500 million investment to expand access to mental health care across the country. This is a remarkable move for any world leader. For a U.S. president to stand up and discuss mental health openly and acknowledge that it is our responsibility to care for those living with mental illness is unprecedented.
Even more unprecedented is Obama's talk of suicide and the discrimination around this civil rights issue. "High-profile mass shootings," he says, "tend to shine a light on those few mentally unstable people who inflict harm on others. But the truth is that nearly two in three gun deaths are from suicides ... If we can continue to de-stigmatize mental health issues, get folks proper care, and fill gaps in the background check system, then we can spare more families the pain of losing a loved one to suicide."
We believe that this is an important move in the right direction and look forward to more specific details on his plans and hope for a focus on enforcing mental health parity laws. We also hope for more unity on this issue as it was disheartening to see all of the divisive commentators criticizing him on every side of this complex debate. In particular - ridiculing the president for tearing up during his speech? He should be tearing up; he should be crying. WE SHOULD ALL BE CRYING, because in the face of so much violence and destruction, being visibly upset is a healthy and normal response.
For Obama to not cry would be an indication of a much worse reality -- that we have forgotten the value of human life. A few months ago, after the shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, Obama said, "We've become numb to this." Many months later, he, again, reinforces the idea that we have become numb to these senseless deaths. "First graders," he reminds us, because we have forgotten. The victims in Newtown, Connecticut, were only first graders, filled with potential and happiness and lives that were laid out brightly in front of them.
On the recent anniversary of the unthinkable tragedy in Newtown, I wrote about how we could we continue to move forward. We must acknowledge our grief and outrage and turn it into action. It's easy enough to forget the victims of mass shootings when they are not people we know, but the truth is that this kind of tragedy could happen to anyone of us at anytime. Indiscriminate violence affects us all, and that means we all have to be a part of the solution.
Obama stands up at the podium, and he sees his own children in the Newtown first graders; his children in the teen Zaevion Dobson; his wife, Michelle, in the victims of the San Bernardino massacre. This is an example to follow: We can understand that kind of loss, that kind of pain. And we all have to mourn for those lost, because we are, in part, to blame because of our inaction. I often say, The gold is in the grief, because feeling the pain, truly acknowledging what we have lost, is the catalyst to breaking out of our paralysis and moving towards action and change.
At the Flawless Foundation, we have a very lofty goal -- a vision of revolutionizing the way the world perceives, prevents, and treats people with brain health challenges -- a goal of creating a world where everyone is embraced and feels flawless. Let's join our fearless leader in bringing brain health issues out of the shadows by owning up to our responsibility and by coming together in solidarity and action with our volunteerism, our hearts and our vote.The time IS now...... As Martin Luther King's words from 1967 remind us, tomorrow is today!
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If you -- or someone you know -- need help, please call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you are outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of international resources.