Obama’s plans for guns put focus on mental health of the young

In the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting that has launched a prolonged debate about gun control and the risk of mass violence, President Obama has signed a series of executive orders proposing that gun violence be addressed in a number of ways. One is to focus on the mental health of the young. Typically, in mass shooting incidents, the shooters exhibit some symptom of mental illlness; some 50 percent of all mental illness starts before the age of 14. Obama’s plan, which requires Congressional approval, calls for mental health first-aid training for teachers, and would set up a referral system for children with mental health and behavioral problems.