CreateDebate


Debate Info

8
15
Yes No
Debate Score:23
Arguments:19
Total Votes:23
More Stats

Argument Ratio

side graph
 
 Yes (7)
 
 No (11)

Debate Creator

HoldTheMayo(5913) pic



Would you pay higher taxes for mental health support, to stop a shooting now and then?

Yes

Side Score: 8
VS.

No

Side Score: 15
No arguments found. Add one!
3 points

I would pay higher taxes for mental health support, period. However, mental illness does not actually have a causal relationship with shootings.

"Mental disorders are neither necessary nor sufficient causes of violence. Major determinants of violence continue to be socio-demographic and economic factors. Substance abuse is a major determinant of violence and this is true whether it occurs in the context of a concurrent mental illness or not. [...] Members of the public exaggerate both the strength of the association between mental illness and violence and their own personal risk. [...] Too little is known about the social contextual determinants of violence, but research supports the view the mentally ill are more often victims than perpetrators of violence." (Source)

It is positively reprehensible that the only thing galvanizing mental health care reform after decades of systemic neglect is the misdirected and prejudicial attack on the those living with mental illness; it is, of course, far easier to falsely target a group than to actually address the real issues in our society.

Side: No

Mental disorders are neither necessary nor sufficient causes of violence.

Of course. And being hungry is neither a necessary nor sufficient cause of eating.

Major determinants of violence continue to be socio-demographic and economic factors.

OK, then let's change the question to whether you would pay higher taxes to improve mental health and socio-demographic and economic factors.

Substance abuse is a major determinant of violence and this is true whether it occurs in the context of a concurrent mental illness or not.

You can add substance abuse to the question above then. Substance abuse is very broad though - are there specific drugs that are more likely to induce mass violence?

research supports the view the mentally ill are more often victims than perpetrators of violence.

Yes, there are more victims than perpetrators in general, because a perperator usually shoots more than one person.

Side: No
2 points

OK, then let's change the question to whether you would pay higher taxes to improve mental health and socio-demographic and economic factors.

Hey, maybe you should have read his first sentence:

"I would pay higher taxes for mental health support, period."

Side: No
Jace(5222) Disputed
1 point

Of course. And being hungry is neither a necessary nor sufficient cause of eating.

This argument makes no sense in light of the source I cited. If you care to actually provide any evidence whatsoever that your presumed causal relationship between mental illness and shootings is legitimate then we can have an actual debate. Otherwise, my point stands that your presumption was fallacious and prejudiced.

OK, then let's change the question to whether you would pay higher taxes to improve mental health and socio-demographic and economic factors. & You can add substance abuse to the question above then. Substance abuse is very broad though - are there specific drugs that are more likely to induce mass violence?

Yes, I would pay higher taxes to improve all three so long as I thought the revenue would be appropriately and effectively directed. I would do this independent of the shooting aspect, but with substance abuse and poverty would consider said aspect an additional compelling motivation (in a way that I would not for mental illness, given the lack of evidence to support that association).

Yes, there are more victims than perpetrators in general, because a perperator usually shoots more than one person.

You have completely missed the point here. Rather than being more likely to commit acts of violence against others, those living with mental illness are more likely to be targets of violence by others. Your conceptions of the relationship between mental illness and violence are opposite of what the evidence supports.

"A recent study of criminal victimization of persons with severe mental illness showed that 8.2% were criminally victimized over a four month period, much higher than the annual rate of violent victimization of 3.1 for the general population." (source)

Side: Yes