Dear Mr. President,
I don't pretend to know everything about politics. Quite the contrary. I know some, but certainly not all.
Republican, Democrat, Libertarian...it doesn't really matter to me. At the end of the day, we're all human and therefore, far from perfect. I could take this opportunity to go into what I feel you and Congress should do to fix so many things that are not working as they should. But that would take away from my original intention in writing this and realistically, you know more about this than I do (or you certainly, obviously should). I could take this opportunity to discuss how I feel our federal government system structure is flawed, at best, and how it works against any semblance of an efficient and productive system. But, I won't, as again, there are others out there who know more, and that's not why I am writing you at this time. I will also refrain from classifying myself into any of the aforementioned parties (or any that weren't mentioned) due to the fact that for starters, I'm not sure I identify with any of them. And once again, not the point of this correspondence. It also isn't really anybody's business but my own.
I will say that I know for certain that I do not want your job. There was a time that my professional/career goal was to be the first woman president. Knowing what I know now, let's just say that my goals have changed directions a bit. I have 3 main jobs: My professional one, and my most cherished and important ones: My familial ones of wife and mother. The family and the home that my husband and I have built and will continue to build are at the end of the day, the vast majority of the reason that we do what we do.
I imagine that you and the First Lady had many of the same feelings that so many parents did on Friday, December 14, 2012. (It's funny to me that I remember the day of the week considering I have no ties to the event - personal relationship, locale, or otherwise. Like the vast majority of the rest of the country, I knew then (and likely know now) what was covered by the media. But, I digress.) I watched/listened/read in absolute horror as the events and story unfolded. And the end result is one that still makes me want to take both of my beautiful babies in my arms and never let them go. Never let them go to school, even, which seems so unfair. Their minds yearn to be educated and filled with the ideas of endless opportunities. They deserve to flourish and yet, in the one place that they should be able to do so, their security isn't guaranteed. My heart still hurts for anyone and everyone associated with Newtown, CT, and as I write this particular part, tears burn my eyes and stream down my cheeks. The first responders, who will never be the same after seeing what they had to see. (My husband is a volunteer firefighter/paramedic, so we are more than all too familiar with the possibilities here.) The school staff members - those who were killed, may they rest in peace, and those who were spared. Those beautiful babies whose lives were taken so violently and senselessly, may they also rest in peace. May those lives rest in peace, and may those who are now destined to live with their emotional scars find a peace that I can't even begin to try to understand how one goes about finding. The school staff members whom have had to continue on with their daily professional routines since then with a sense of insecurity and fear that has to be gripping and at times, I would imagine unbearable. But more importantly, may their lives also not have been lost and/or ripped apart in vain.
And this is part of the reason why I'm writing to you now, but make no mistake when reading this particular paragraph, this correspondence is not about gun control. I live in Texas and most of my friends/network do, as well. So, it likely comes with little surprise that most of my friends/network are licensed gun carriers and/or owners. That being said, I have a relatively large network of connections so certainly not all of them are gun carriers/owners. The amount of gun control propaganda that has come across my social media news feeds and/or email inbox, for either side/argument, in the last 3 months has been at times, overwhelming. And while I feel that there are factors within not only the Newtown situation, but also Aurora, CO, and Virgina Tech, and the far too many others that could be discussed here that relate back to gun control, I'm not anywhere near convinced that this is the only factor. This is far too complex of a situation to have that simple of a solution.
As a society, the United States is not known for its upstanding care of some of its most in-need citizens: The elderly, the poor, veterans of war, or the mentally unstable. I certainly don't feel that the first 2 groups I just mentioned are factors in these mass shootings. But evidence will more than support that the 4th group is the largest one. (I will address the veterans of war momentarily.) Like most others, I have family members who live daily with mental illness, all to varying degrees. These family members are in my life to varying extents so their mental illness/instability affects me accordingly. When faced with the decision of what to do at various times over the past few years in response to different events involving these individuals, we have found that our options in helping these individuals get the assistance they need are limited, at absolute best.
After Newtown, one of the suggestions I saw in my social media news feeds was one in which veterans of war be placed at our schools in volunteer positions as armed guards. I strongly support our military members and their families, and anyone who knows me well will tell you that this is the case, to the extent that I don't feel that I need to defend my thoughts on that at this juncture. But my first thought was that while it is unquestionable that their hearts would be in it (as they risk their lives to defend and protect ours in such unimaginable ways away from home), they don't get anything close to the mental health support they need after returning from war. And some people think it's a good idea to put them in schools? With guns?! (I will also take this opportunity to say that mental health resources for first responders are nonexistent. Which, ultimately, is unacceptable, for either of these groups.)
The evidence is overwhelming when it comes to mental health needing our attention, now more than ever. How many more lives have to be lost at the hands of mentally unstable men and women - with or without guns - before we stop and take a seriously good look at our currently sad excuse for mental health support system and say, "We have let our citizens down in this regard, and we need to fix it?" I beg of you and Congress to take the time to do this. I say this as yes, a tax-paying citizen, but more importantly as a mom. And wife. And sister. And daughter. And niece. And friend.
I get that your job is a busy one. One of many reasons that, as I previously mentioned, I wouldn't want it. It certainly doesn't help that the time of any president is limited so the work cut out for you and the deadlines associated with it are likely a little unfair. Factor in politician egos (which, don't even get me started on this) and maturity levels (or immaturity levels, as the case may be), and the deck is even further stacked against whomever is running the ship at any given time. But you do have resources at your fingertips that would likely assist in constructing a system that is at least adequate and ultimately, what our citizens whom are affected by mental illness/instability and their friends/family deserve (as the current one is neither of these things). As I currently have friends/colleagues who are in the mental health world, I am aware that there are people out there who are qualified and passionate enough to do whatever they can to assist in getting this job done. And its importance demands your attention. All you and Congress have to do is ask the right people.
It won't be an easy job. But I am confident that as this country has become great at the blood, sweat, and tears of those whom have just believed that we can and will be better in the end for the work we do now, this situation is no different. There is no reason that the United States of America and its citizens cannot come up with better than what we have currently. There is no reason that we cannot lead the world in developing a mental illness/health support system worthy of its citizens.
Challenge issued, Mr. President. I sincerely hope that you and Congress respond accordingly and begin working on finding a solution.
Respectfully yours,
Gretchen Rau - Wife of a Volunteer First Responder, Mom of Two Beautiful Babies, Family Member/Friend of Individuals With Mental Illness, and Lover of this Great Country
I don't pretend to know everything about politics. Quite the contrary. I know some, but certainly not all.
Republican, Democrat, Libertarian...it doesn't really matter to me. At the end of the day, we're all human and therefore, far from perfect. I could take this opportunity to go into what I feel you and Congress should do to fix so many things that are not working as they should. But that would take away from my original intention in writing this and realistically, you know more about this than I do (or you certainly, obviously should). I could take this opportunity to discuss how I feel our federal government system structure is flawed, at best, and how it works against any semblance of an efficient and productive system. But, I won't, as again, there are others out there who know more, and that's not why I am writing you at this time. I will also refrain from classifying myself into any of the aforementioned parties (or any that weren't mentioned) due to the fact that for starters, I'm not sure I identify with any of them. And once again, not the point of this correspondence. It also isn't really anybody's business but my own.
I will say that I know for certain that I do not want your job. There was a time that my professional/career goal was to be the first woman president. Knowing what I know now, let's just say that my goals have changed directions a bit. I have 3 main jobs: My professional one, and my most cherished and important ones: My familial ones of wife and mother. The family and the home that my husband and I have built and will continue to build are at the end of the day, the vast majority of the reason that we do what we do.
I imagine that you and the First Lady had many of the same feelings that so many parents did on Friday, December 14, 2012. (It's funny to me that I remember the day of the week considering I have no ties to the event - personal relationship, locale, or otherwise. Like the vast majority of the rest of the country, I knew then (and likely know now) what was covered by the media. But, I digress.) I watched/listened/read in absolute horror as the events and story unfolded. And the end result is one that still makes me want to take both of my beautiful babies in my arms and never let them go. Never let them go to school, even, which seems so unfair. Their minds yearn to be educated and filled with the ideas of endless opportunities. They deserve to flourish and yet, in the one place that they should be able to do so, their security isn't guaranteed. My heart still hurts for anyone and everyone associated with Newtown, CT, and as I write this particular part, tears burn my eyes and stream down my cheeks. The first responders, who will never be the same after seeing what they had to see. (My husband is a volunteer firefighter/paramedic, so we are more than all too familiar with the possibilities here.) The school staff members - those who were killed, may they rest in peace, and those who were spared. Those beautiful babies whose lives were taken so violently and senselessly, may they also rest in peace. May those lives rest in peace, and may those who are now destined to live with their emotional scars find a peace that I can't even begin to try to understand how one goes about finding. The school staff members whom have had to continue on with their daily professional routines since then with a sense of insecurity and fear that has to be gripping and at times, I would imagine unbearable. But more importantly, may their lives also not have been lost and/or ripped apart in vain.
And this is part of the reason why I'm writing to you now, but make no mistake when reading this particular paragraph, this correspondence is not about gun control. I live in Texas and most of my friends/network do, as well. So, it likely comes with little surprise that most of my friends/network are licensed gun carriers and/or owners. That being said, I have a relatively large network of connections so certainly not all of them are gun carriers/owners. The amount of gun control propaganda that has come across my social media news feeds and/or email inbox, for either side/argument, in the last 3 months has been at times, overwhelming. And while I feel that there are factors within not only the Newtown situation, but also Aurora, CO, and Virgina Tech, and the far too many others that could be discussed here that relate back to gun control, I'm not anywhere near convinced that this is the only factor. This is far too complex of a situation to have that simple of a solution.
As a society, the United States is not known for its upstanding care of some of its most in-need citizens: The elderly, the poor, veterans of war, or the mentally unstable. I certainly don't feel that the first 2 groups I just mentioned are factors in these mass shootings. But evidence will more than support that the 4th group is the largest one. (I will address the veterans of war momentarily.) Like most others, I have family members who live daily with mental illness, all to varying degrees. These family members are in my life to varying extents so their mental illness/instability affects me accordingly. When faced with the decision of what to do at various times over the past few years in response to different events involving these individuals, we have found that our options in helping these individuals get the assistance they need are limited, at absolute best.
After Newtown, one of the suggestions I saw in my social media news feeds was one in which veterans of war be placed at our schools in volunteer positions as armed guards. I strongly support our military members and their families, and anyone who knows me well will tell you that this is the case, to the extent that I don't feel that I need to defend my thoughts on that at this juncture. But my first thought was that while it is unquestionable that their hearts would be in it (as they risk their lives to defend and protect ours in such unimaginable ways away from home), they don't get anything close to the mental health support they need after returning from war. And some people think it's a good idea to put them in schools? With guns?! (I will also take this opportunity to say that mental health resources for first responders are nonexistent. Which, ultimately, is unacceptable, for either of these groups.)
The evidence is overwhelming when it comes to mental health needing our attention, now more than ever. How many more lives have to be lost at the hands of mentally unstable men and women - with or without guns - before we stop and take a seriously good look at our currently sad excuse for mental health support system and say, "We have let our citizens down in this regard, and we need to fix it?" I beg of you and Congress to take the time to do this. I say this as yes, a tax-paying citizen, but more importantly as a mom. And wife. And sister. And daughter. And niece. And friend.
I get that your job is a busy one. One of many reasons that, as I previously mentioned, I wouldn't want it. It certainly doesn't help that the time of any president is limited so the work cut out for you and the deadlines associated with it are likely a little unfair. Factor in politician egos (which, don't even get me started on this) and maturity levels (or immaturity levels, as the case may be), and the deck is even further stacked against whomever is running the ship at any given time. But you do have resources at your fingertips that would likely assist in constructing a system that is at least adequate and ultimately, what our citizens whom are affected by mental illness/instability and their friends/family deserve (as the current one is neither of these things). As I currently have friends/colleagues who are in the mental health world, I am aware that there are people out there who are qualified and passionate enough to do whatever they can to assist in getting this job done. And its importance demands your attention. All you and Congress have to do is ask the right people.
It won't be an easy job. But I am confident that as this country has become great at the blood, sweat, and tears of those whom have just believed that we can and will be better in the end for the work we do now, this situation is no different. There is no reason that the United States of America and its citizens cannot come up with better than what we have currently. There is no reason that we cannot lead the world in developing a mental illness/health support system worthy of its citizens.
Challenge issued, Mr. President. I sincerely hope that you and Congress respond accordingly and begin working on finding a solution.
Respectfully yours,
Gretchen Rau - Wife of a Volunteer First Responder, Mom of Two Beautiful Babies, Family Member/Friend of Individuals With Mental Illness, and Lover of this Great Country
You're right about the mental health aspect of this whole thing. I think right now these guys have a great way of dealing with it where they are:
http://faculty.samford.edu/~jlgoldst/