Not all mentally ill people go out and shoot others. There are many mentally ill people who do their best to function in today's society. It's a stereotype that all mentally ill people shoot people and lose it, mentally. Some do, some don't. It's not nice to stereotype mentally ill people by calling them "nuts" or crazy" either. But I do agree there needs to be more awareness on mental illness, because society doesn't know a lot about those who do have mental illness. Yes, this issue needs to be talked about. What works for each individual (no two people with mental illness are the same), the stereotypes, why the shootings are happening, and how we can include mentally ill people in society while teaching them that violence is not acceptable. This is an issue that matters to me because I have depression, seasonal affective disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. I also have high functioning autism, am mentally impaired (my I.Q. is 90) and have anxiety disorder. Not making this up or trying to get pity, just stating the obvious (my disabilities and how I am, and this issue on mental illness).