The murders of 20 children and seven adults in Newtown, Connecticut have raised all kinds of questions and comments about gun regulation, but 1st District Congressman Paul Ryan said Monday that with all these mass shooting cases, mental illness is a common denominator, and questioned whether people with mental health issues are being adequately identfied and offered help. “And then you also have to talk about our culture. What is coursening the culture in such a way that people even think of doing such things.?”
AUDIO: Rep. Paul Ryan (:55)
The Janesville Republican believes the conversation needs to go beyond the typical gun law debate for a few weeks, and then that’s it. Ryan noted that he and his wife gave extra thought to sending their kids off to school on the first day after the tragedy. “There’s just no good explanation for it,” Ryan said. “I wish there was an easy answer.”
Ryan said he’s heard the calls for banning assault rifles, like the one used in Connecticut, but doesn’t think it will make a difference. “I’d hate to see us just think we could appease ourselves by thinking some law change like that, which I don’t think would make a big difference, would fix the problem,” he told WRJN.
Tom Karkow, WRJN