Albany Times Union, December 10, 2014
Now we learn that Adam Lanza did not get the help that
was needed and that might have prevented his murderous rampage (“Chances to
help were lost as killer evolved,” Nov. 23).
Think about it: After the Sandy Hook shootings, there
was not one parent who was able to escape the tyranny of imagining his or her
child being murdered in the neighborhood school. How many more children will be
taken from us before lawmakers devote the same energy and resources it takes to
launch their re-election campaigns to safeguarding our children?
New York state has ensured easy access to mental
health care for Medicaid recipients and neglected the needs of underinsured
middle-class families.
The gun lobby is formidable and well-heeled. Children,
on the other hand, don’t have a voice until they are in the ground. Children
are killed, grieving parents become tireless advocates and laws are passed in
their children’s names. Timothy’s Law (mental health parity), Megan’s Law
(making information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders)
and Katie’s Law (making aggravated vehicular homicide a crime) come to mind.
We need our lawmakers, elected and appointed
officials, to wake up. Our children are suffering and dying; families are
struggling and desperate. Our leaders can support the constitutional right to
bear arms while taking steps to prevent gun violence and providing adequate
funding for community-based mental health centers to support the emotional
well-being of all of our children.
Andrew Malekoff
Executive director, North Shore Child and Family
Guidance Center, Roslyn Heights
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