Abbott calls Texas school shooting a mental health issue but cut state spending for it

[RandySF]

UVALDE, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the Uvalde school shooter had a "mental health challenge" and the state needed to "do a better job with mental health" — yet in April he slashed $211 million from the department that oversees mental health programs.

In addition, Texas ranked last out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia for overall access to mental health care, according to the 2021 State of Mental Health in America report.

"We as a state, we as a society, need to do a better job with mental health," Abbot said during a news conference at Robb Elementary School, where a gunman shot and killed 19 children and two teachers on Tuesday.

His remarks came just a day after an outraged Connecticut senator called out lawmakers opposed to gun control who seek to blame mental illness for the most recent school shooting and others before it.

In rejecting suggestions that stronger gun control laws could have prevented the tragedy, Abbott conceded the slain 18-year-old suspect had no known mental health issues or criminal history but said, "Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge.”




https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/abbott-calls-texas-school-shooting-mental-health-issue-cut-state-spend-rcna30557

[UTUSN]

1. K&R

[ck4829]

2. K&R

[tulipsandroses]

3. All of us that work in mental health, do a collective eye roll

when they blame gun violence on mental illness. We know the conditions we have to work in. Thanks to their actions or inaction.

[kacekwl]

4. Abbott really has no

leg to stand on does he.

[ShazzieB]

5. Biggest. Freaking. Hypocrite. EVER.

[tanyev]

6. You doing anything to keep AR-15s out of the hands of people with "mental health challenges", Gov?

Nope, thought not.

[BillyBobBrilliant]

7. It Is A Mental Health Issue!

The right-wing voters and the politicians are Fucking Crazy

[pfitz59]

8. Absolutely

sociopaths and psychopaths, all

[VWolf]

9. So let me get this straight ...

His argument is, essentially: Well he had no known mental health issues, but "Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge.”

So rather than restricting gun ownership, we should just wait for someone to shoot up a school to see if they've got issues? Is that really where you want to go, Greg?

[azureblue]

10. indeed it is a menttal health issue - no doubt at all

and the GOP is bonkers crazy for not only enabling these murders, but trying to blame others for it.. Abbott should be locked up and examined for advanced self delusion and reality detachment.

[IronLionZion]

11. Republicans are mentally ill

by making it ever easier to get guns and removing any checks or balances.

So what's more concerning: that we have so many mentally ill dangerous murderers everywhere or how easy it is for them to get killing machines? A mentally ill person can only do so much damage with his fists.

[Claire Oh Nette]

12. Religion may be the illness, then "Conservatism"

Conservatism is just code for White Male patriarchy pissing their pants about change.

Abbott ... said, "Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge.”

Then remove the guns.
IT's the GUNS, Abbot. you said it yourself.

Wanting a gun outside a shotgun or hunting rifle, is a sign of anxiety disorder and fear based limic system thinking. IT's a cry for help.

[Crowman2009]

13. GOPers have been gutting the funding of mental health since Reagan.

Just total bullshit lies non-stop coming from the pricks.

[DFW]

14. A four letter word could go a long way to improving the Texas mental health problem. It's spelled:

B E T O

[highplainsdem]

15. +1,000,000

[Javaman]

16. my absentee gov for all to witness.

he is bereft of credibility. he is nothing more than typical right wing opportunist self serving coward.