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Steven Alvarez
Professor Noh
English 114
8 December 2015
Freedom to Protect
Mental Illness by definition means a wide range of conditions that
affect mood, thinking, and behavior. Throughout history there has been
many debates about whether mental illness and mental disorder are
correlated to each other. Some psychologist believe that mental illness isnt
real and is really impossible to diagnose. In the book everyday A himself
even questions mental illness when he inhabits the body of Kelsea Cook in
which he says It is, they believe, something that you have some choice over
(Leviathan 119).
The world today has changed vastly from what it was 100 years ago.
Mental illness has been given more public light from the media. Most people
with mental illness arent really well treated, that isnt to say seeing as how
most are just given prescription medication and or sent to mental health
facilities. The sad fact is most people with mental illness end up homeless
and or in these mental illness facilities that arent well kept and are terrible
to communities as they arent well kept (Nemade 2).
A our main character in the book Everyday By David Leviathan as
our main character the ability to embody a different teenager everyday he

wakes up. Our main Character A enters the body of a girl named Kelsea who
is suffering from depression and other forms of emotions most teenagers her
age face. A has a great sense of understanding a persons emotions through
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their eyes literally and can somewhat understand what Kelsea is going
through and tries not to interfere much with her day to day ritual being in her
body. An understands that most people dont understand mental illness so he
doesnt try to force an explanation of what exactly is happening to Kelsea to
the reader.
This issue is being greatly emphasized into todays society in that we
can see mental illness being a great excuse for most people that are pro gun
control with the many school shootings across America. A perfect example
would be the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in which the gunman
who shot the elementary students was said to be suffering from Aspergers
disease and somehow got a hand of a huge armory of weapons from his
family and his own by buying guns at a gun shop.
An argument for gun owners could help such as in the article The
Economist intelligence the author says guns are backed by the second
amendment (Anonymous 1) which is a strong yet vague argument. The
author fails to see how destructive this statement can be and that any
person with a few bucks can legally buy firearms in the United States. This is
however a counter argument in that still no matter what our freedom to do
as we please should be affected by a few bad apples.

Many People in todays society are pro gun control which isnt bad but
they are pro gun control for the wrong reasons. When people talk about
banning guns and having to strict rules many dont realize that compared to
100 years ago we have stricter rules on guns in todays society than before.
Most people also seem to point to guns as being the main cause of why

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people do bad things in the world but its not guns that kill people its people
that kill people, its more of the form and way of murdering someone people
go about it.
Guns to many people are a form of protection that they have against
attackers in this world. In the article Gun Laws Proliferate by Sharp James,
the author argues that gun owners should be allowed to carry guns
wherever even at work (James 1). I can honestly say that I dont feel the
strongest on this subject seeing as how a work environment should be that
only a work environment and there shouldnt be a need for 24/7 protection. I
can see that for some people who work at liquor stores which the
news/media always portrays these workers or people that work at these job
titles are always getting robbed, a liquor store worker might need some
protection while on the job to protect his store and customers from robbers
and other people looking to harm their property.
Guns dont kill people, people kill people. That is a statement I truly
believe in seeing that with the many anti guns advocates out there are using

gun violence as an excuse to ban guns, but the main culprit is mental illness
which should be the top priority in this country. The reason this isnt being
talked about as much and why I brought gun control debate into the essay is
because of the growing concern people are having with the rising events with
shooting in this country which all have some form of mental illness to be
associated with such as the Isla Vista shooter who suffered from mental
illness and received intense psychiatric treatment as a youth.
The real issue is people with mental illness that need the attention
which most Americans are oblivious to and blame the weapon but not the
person who committed the
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crime. We should take mental illness more seriously and look to better our
mental health facilities and create better resources for those suffering from
mental illness instead of just prescribing prescription medication and hoping
for the best.
The issue with mental illness is that it effects everyone in the world
whether you like it or not. Many people that are mentally ill live their life
almost never getting the treatment or care they need and are shrugged off
by society or given medication such as anti depressants. In the book
Everyday A even comes across mental illness and questions whether he
himself believes in it. He understands depression but sees it more as an
emotion than a disorder. In the novel mental illness is an issue that A
himself overlooks which isnt right and is a point proven that it doesnt

receive the attention it should. The problem with mental illness also ventures
in other forms of society most popular in todays society is the correlation
with guns and the stricter or even ban of guns in the United States because
of the increase of mass shootings. Many times these events end with finger
pointing and as a society instead of blaming somebody we should instead
help somebody and change the way we treat the mentally ill and try new
forms of treatment to those who are deemed sick in the mind.

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Works Cited
James S. Brady Statement by the President on the Shootings at Umpqua
Community College, Roseburg, Oregon. Whitehouse.gov Web. October 2015

Rashmi Nemade Historical Understandings Of Depression

www.Mentalhelp.net Web. September 19, 2007

Sara Sidner Oregon shooting: Medical examiner rules gunman killed self
www.cnn.com Web. October 4, 2015

Anonymous A shot and beer Economist Intelligence unit N.A. Incorporated

web. May 3, 2014

Anonymous Colorados dark knight Media Business Insight web. 2012

Sharp James Gun laws Proliferate Mining Media, Inc web. October 1, 2008