I agree that stricter firearm accessibility needs to be enforced. However, the common denominator in all these shootings seems to be the mental health status of the individuals. Back in the mid-1990s mental health care advocates were able to change how these individuals were able to choose whether to have treatment or medications. We have seen more and more of these and other terrible events take place since this change.

I understand if someone has diabetes or high blood pressure and they choose not to take their meds or adhere to treatment; they are mostly only hurting themselves. Yet untreated mentally ill individuals could hurt others by their choices. Most of these individuals have been on the radar of family, friends, law enforcement, even the FBI, but let go, choosing no treatment, and we are allowing it, and now we are paying for it with the lives of others.

I can’t even begin to think of a total solution to this problem, but having worked in the mental health field for over 25 years and seeing how things were then and how they have landed us now, I know things have got to change.

if I knew how to tweet and all, I’d be trying to contact President Donald Trump and Gov. Paul LePage to get at a roundtable to mull over some of these ideas.

Beverley Hayward

Gardiner