You Are IGNORANT.

I thought I was going to get into a fight in my Creative Writing class today. My teacher gave us a very serious prompt; Write a letter to the parents of the Sandy Hook victims addressing what can be done to prevent something like this from happening again.

The majority of the class was spent talking about these issues. I mentioned Mental Health Awareness. It's still such a taboo thing; it's like people think if it's ignored, it'll go away. Well it doesn't. Things like Columbine, Virginia Tech, the Aurora movie theater, and Sandy Hook happen. PEOPLE. NEED. HELP.

Someone said to me "that's no excuse for what he did. Are you defending him?"

I nearly choked. No, I WAS NOT DEFENDING HIM. I WANT YOU TO REALIZE MENTAL HEALTH IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

I know it isn't an excuse. No, I don't think, had he lived, that he should have walked free. Prison and extensive therapy is what he needed. He needed help.

No one knows that I suffer from mental disease. They don't know how badly it strikes a nerve or how close to home it hits when they say "he was just crazy, he deserved to die."

No. He didn't. He needed help. And had he gotten it, he would not have killed 20 children and numerous other adults.

But because most of America chooses to shield their eyes and stay ignorant, many more tragedies will take place and you'll continue to ask why when the answer is right in front of you and you choose to ignore it.

Pat yourself on the back, America. 20 more futures gone because you're afraid of what happens in your own mind.