Whether it’s Colombine High School, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Orlando, Las Vegas, or last month’s tragedy in Parkland, Florida, when you hear news reports of mass shootings or other violent acts involving firearms, what’s the first thought that comes to your mind? Ron Honberg is Senior Policy Advisor for NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization dedicated to raising awareness, and providing support and education, about mental illness and mental health issues. Mental health advocates and professionals like Ron Honberg are trying to fight the commonly-held perception that there is a strong link between serious mental illness and gun violence. “I certainly understand that when something horrific happens, people react with horror and they say, ‘nobody in their right mind would do something like this!’” Honberg says. “But the fact is that, overall, the contribution of mental illness to violence, including gun violence, is quite low in this country. A significant number
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