O'Malley made a false step associating 'mental illness' with the Charleston shootings

[bigtree]

Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley had a lot to say about the role of gun control and mental services in addressing mass shootings like that one that took place in Charleston during his appearance on Morning Joe Friday. But when it came to the question of race, his answer could use some serious work.

Asked to what extent the shooting “gets at the core of some racial history that we still have,” O’Malley said that while the facts are “still evolving,” it would “appear that the racial motivation was certainly a big part of it.” But then he was faced with the follow-up question of how we, as a country, address those issues — not exactly an easy question to answer.

At this point, things went downhill:

“We do it by — we do it by — by, uh — acknowledging the racial legacy that we share as Americans. And I don’t know exactly how we — how we – how we address this, Walter. I mean, look, we — as Americans, all share a very painful racial legacy. And we need to acknowledge it and we need to take actions to heal it. But, I don’t think anybody figured out the magic solution to that — ”

read: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/martin-omalley-stumbles-through-comments-on-race-in-charleston-shooting/


“We need to reignite the conversation on a national basis because we suffer from a horrible epidemic of gun violence,” the former Maryland governor said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” calling for “common-sense legislation” and “better mental health coordination.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/06/19/omalley-says-charleston-church-massacre-should-be-call-to-action-on-guns/


...if I thought Martin O'Malley had sufficiently addressed the racism apparent in the Charleston shootings, I would have highlighted it here, like I've done for other statements I think he's been correct on. He did not. If O'Malley expects to attract people of color to his campaign, he'll need to say more than a smattering of patronizing lines about race, with the baffling conclusion he made here that he doesn't 'think anybody figured out the magic solution' to it all.

Even more disappointing was the knee-jerk statement about 'mental health' without any evidence that was even an issue in what appeared to be a premeditated hate crime, or domestic terrorism.

While Gov. O'Malley saw overwhelming support in his elections in my state - and while he certainly has a good record of material support and relationships with the black community (as all of our Democratic candidates do) in Maryland - much more discussion on the campaign trail is going to be needed to address specific interests and concerns related to the black community; economics; job discrimination; health disparities; voting rights; and more.

As for this statement Friday, it's clear that he needs more preparation and needs to be more direct and assertive on these issues in his campaign rhetoric.

[Gregorian]

1. I really feel that hate is a form of mental illness. Isn't there an array of states of wellbeing?

I don't like the notion that mental illness is confined to some special category that separates out those who need a straight jacket versus those who are happy and healthy.

Healthy people don't do this kind of thing. But if we're going to only assign the notion of illness to the most severe cases, then it seems we're missing most of the problematic segment of society.

I honestly believe that a huge fraction of the world's population is not mentally well. Voting for a republican may very well fit my definition of not being mentally well.

I really am scared to post my opinion on this since it seems to be so charged with emotion. There's no reason for that. If someone has kidney disease, we don't harass them with some negative label. They just need help.

[HassleCat]

2. A fine line

It's possible to see these raging, overt racists as mentally ill. Their beliefs, and sometimes their actions, are based on irrational paranoid delusions. Most of the cult figures we associate with these extreme beliefs are obsessively paranoid, and surround themselves with security guards, stock up on weapons, etc. Sometimes, when trouble doesn't come looking for them, perhaps in the form of someone like Trayvon Martin, they go looking for trouble, as did George Zimmerman. Does the craziness cause the racism? Or does the racism cause the craziness? I'm not sure, but I do know the hate-based websites and extreme organizations are throwing gasoline on the fire.

[HooptieWagon]

8. I agree.

It may not be a clinical definition of mental illness, but I think there's def something wrong in their heads. Only a small percent of the population is so filled with hate. A minuscule percentage of gun owners commit mass shootings. The intersection of those two groups is even smaller... One or two per year out of 300 million. Why? What happens to create this?

[RiverLover]

3. "baffling conclusion he made here that he doesn't 'think anybody figured out the magic solution'"???

Is there a magic solution? I'm baffled you believe his incredibly honest answer is baffling.

Or someone has found a solution to it all, and maybe I missed the headline?

[bigtree]

4. I think he could have offered more

...in fact, I know for a fact that he could.

This forum is far too insulated. It's unfortunate that there is such limited view of these issues expressed here. Now, O'Malley can do better than the 'magical solution' dodge. I sincerely hope he will.

[RiverLover]

5. He has fantastic positions on gun control/reform. But what exactly is the magic solution to racism?

And can it be summed up in a sound bite?

Even our black president hasn't solved the problem.

[bigtree]

6. point is

...we know there isn't a 'magic solution.' But there certainly are measures that we can take short of magic. Saying that without mentioning any is a dodge, for whatever reason. mental block at the time? I happen to believe he's smarter and more capable of discussing the issue than waving it off with his 'magic' wand.

By the way, I'm actually echoing the sentiments of my family members and some of my peers. They make a good enough case for me to criticize him on this here, I think.

[Koinos]

7. You raise some very good questions (as usual), bigtree.

After listening to the discussion, I felt some of the disappointment you felt when I heard O'Malley's responses. Here are some of my "idle" speculations:

I sensed that O'Malley himself was not satisfied with his response, but I believe we will hear more from him when he has a chance to think it through a bit more. One thing I like about O'Malley is that he does not say things that he does not believe and/or he has not thought through sufficiently. I believe that he was so focused on gun control and the need to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill and criminal persons that he momentarily "forgot" the issue of its being a racially motivated attack. Then he was caught off guard with the question of how to solve racism. I think your idea of a "mental block" kind of fits the situation. But I wish he had done better with the opportunity to address this issue.

Perhaps O'Malley could have said more about the causes and characteristics of racial tension, as well as the inherent difficulties of finding a solution. It is indeed a very hard problem to solve, and the election of Obama has been a new opportunity for ugly racists and their republican provocateurs to engage in hate speech via every sort of media. I believe that the republican party is more than partially responsible for stirring up the hate that drove Roof to his premeditated racist homicides.

Is racial hatred a mental illness? Is hatred a mental illness? Buddhists would say it is. I think that hatred of any kind requires a great deal of ignorance and misdirected anger. I believe that no intelligent person in his or her "right mind" would be so consumed by racial hatred, but I also do not think Roof would get very far with an insanity plea. Personally, I believe that, along with "fake religions," our nation is seriously infected with mental diseases of greed, hatred, and ignorance. And we are faced with a coming election whereby the insane are endeavoring to take control of all branches of government.

I hope to hear more from O'Malley about this issue, but I do not think it is a problem that any president can solve by himself. Perhaps he will show the same intensity about "right" versus "wrong" in matters of race that he displayed in his moral argument against deporting children.