Recent shootings have focused national attention on gun violence. The dramatic events in Newton, CT involved a young male. The Aurora, CO event involved a young male. The Tucson, AZ event involved a young male. Others were the same. And a connecting thread is that these young men were mentally ill, which is not a condition they voluntarily chose. These are failures of the nation's mental health system, not failures of gun control.
We should establish a $2 per handgun or long gun point of retail excise tax earmarked for mental health services to improve the state of the nation's capacity to identify and treat patients in need. These funds should not be part of the general fund, and this excise tax funds the benefit just like hunting licenses fund wildlife management.