On My Mind Part I: Gun Control and Mental Illness

For the past few weeks, some heavy thoughts have been weighing on my mind. Thoughts so heavy, in fact, in took me a while to decide if I wanted to write about them and then more time to decide how I wanted to write about them.

The topic of gun control and mental illness has been on my mind quite a bit since the tragic January 8 shooting in Arizona, and even more so since a few of mine forwarded an article on states' lack of compliance with the mental health gun law from MSNBC.com, posted there on February 17.

This is a very personal issue for me and I'm about to share why. To protect the privacy of the two individuals involved, individuals that I know well and love, I will refer to them only as A and B. For those reading this that do know their identities, I ask that you please respect their privacy as well.

A had been dealing with a mental illness for some time, but was refusing treatment. Despite being involuntarily committed for observation and treatment several times, A was able to purchase a gun at a retail establishment. B was not aware of this. One night, A held B at gunpoint in their home and demanded money. Quick wits enabled B to escape the house without injury.

B then went to a police station for assistance. B was turned away. B went to three more police stations before finding officers who would provide assistance. A was taken to a mental health facility. B asked the officers if they would confiscate the gun. They would not. B took the gun into a police station to surrender it. The officer B spoke with would not accept it and advised B to "throw it in a dumpster or sell it."

I have the utmost respect for police officers, but this sadly true story highlights a number of challenges that friends, family members and authorities face when dealing with someone suffering from a mental illness.

- At the time of this incident, A should have been turned away when trying to purchase the gun. Clearly a background check was not performed, or if it was, it did not show incidents that should have prevented the sale.

- I believe that police officers are inadequately trained to deal with persons with mental illnesses. I don't know what the answer is here. They have so much to deal with already.

- I really don't understand why the gun was not accepted by the officers who responded or at the police station B took it to, and I really don't understand the advice B was given.

- It is the nature of mental illnesses that those suffering from them often do not believe there is anything wrong with them. This was one of the most frustrating, painful and difficult things for me to cope with while watching A suffer.

The MSNBC article I referenced above states that the Arizona shooter "was so mentally unstable that he was kicked out of community college." I find it very hard to believe that this is the reason on record. I'm sure there would have to be specific incidents that led to his expulsion. Regardless, where was the help for this young man? Help that possibly could have prevented the tragedy in Tuscon?

The answer's not that easy. It's extremely difficult to find real help for someone suffering from a mental illness. And by real help, I mean help that enables the person to become a functioning member of society, not just a resident in a mental health facility. There have been many advances in treatment that can help individuals suffering from the illnesses to have happy, productive lives.

I'm happy to report that A is doing just fine now...enjoying a happy, productive life. It wasn't easy to get there, but the dogged persistence of friends and family members made it happen.

How can we make things better for others in similar situations? What responsibilities can we reasonably place on educators, police officers and health care providers who can identify individuals suffering from mental illnesses who might pose threats to others?

These are hard questions and the answers won't come easy. My hope is to simply start a conversation about them.

Ads of the Big Game

With 30-second spots priced at $3 million to air during the Super Bowl, it's not the time for advertisers to play it safe. Here's my take on how this year's advertisers scored (or fumbled):

Touchdown:
I'm going to award the touchdown to Volkswagon's "The Force." It's memorable, funny and resonates well with the target demo. I'm also giving an honorable mention to Coca-Cola's "The Siege" because it looked like part of a great movie, and I wanted to see more.

Field Goals:
Best Buy "Ozzy vs. Bieber" - "What's a Bieber?" Heh.
Bud Light - Especially "Dog Sitter"
Bridgestone - Especially "Carma"
Coca-Cola
Chevrolet - Most of their ads were good, especially "Eco Misunderstanding"
Doritos
E-Trade "Tailor"
Mercedes-Benz
NFL "Super Bowl Celebration"
Pepsi Max - Especially "Torpedo Cooler"
Play60

Safeties:
Audi "Release the Hounds"
Kia "One Epic Ride"

Fumbles:
BMW
CareerBuilder - Funny, but they are still not demonstrating a clear understanding of the job climate.
Chrysler - Nice try at changing your image, Chrysler, but I don't think this ad is enough to drive a younger demo to your dealers.
Go Daddy "The Contract"
Go Daddy "The New Go Daddy Girl" - I would have given this ad a field goal for the surprise twist, but it doesn't seem to be resonating with consumers.
HomeAway - They get points for trying to push the envelope, but overall, this spot was a miss.
Hyundai
Lipton Brisk
Mars/Snickers - I was prepared to throw the penalty flag on this one, but it seems to be resonating with consumers. I just don't think it's anywhere near as good as the Betty White spot.
Mini Countryman - Not a good sign that I had to look up the product name for this spot
Motorola - They're not going to gain market share on the iPad with that spot.
Salesforce "Chatter.com Launch"
Stella Artois
Teleflora "Help Me Faith" - Not edgy enough

Penalties:
Budweiser "Wild West" - Flag on the play for inappropriate use of the storied Clydesdales
Skechers Shape-Ups - Really? THAT was their Super Bowl debut?

Replay Requests:
I've been referencing the Hulu AdZone as I write this post and I see by their list that Sony Ericsson and Cadillac ran spots during the game. I don't remember seeing these spots at all and I watched the commercials faithfully, taking breaks during the game itself. I think that pretty much covers the value of those spots.

Car Crash: The auto advertisers were out in full force for the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, their creative wasn't out in full force. Although I'm not normally in favor of Super Bowl advertisers running ads that aren't "new," I was pleased to see Honda run the Odyssey commercial with the Judas Priest music bed. The Super Bowl was the perfect venue for this ad. Volkswagon is the runaway winner in this category.

Head-to-Head:
Carmax vs. Cars.com - Carmax wins with memorable emphasis on customer service.

Coke vs. Pepsi - Personally, I like the Coke ads better but I have to give the nod to Pepsi. In ads, pain always wins over peace and harmony.

Groupon vs. Living Social - Living Social takes this one. The intro of the Groupon ads doesn't keep the viewers' interest long enough to get the jokes (which aren't all that funny anyway).

Check out the Super Bowl ads on Hulu's AdZone here:


Note: I chose not to include ads for films or television shows in my assessment.

Which was your favorite Super Bowl commercial this year?

A Delightful Surprise at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

This past Saturday, my mom and I visited the Cleveland Museum of Natural History because I discovered that they have otters there, and if you know me, you know I am obsessed with otters. I can watch them swim and play for hours.

We discovered that CMNH has a wonderful wildlife habitat in its backyard. We followed the beautifully serene wooded path and found owls, hawks, songbirds, deer, a turkey, vultures, crows, OTTERS, raccoons, foxes, rabbits and bobcats. (Eddie the groundhog was inside for Groundhog Fun Day.) Despite the cold, we enjoyed stopping to observe each animal. Here's a pic of one of the otters. I overheard one of the staff members or volunteers telling someone that this is Lucy, who likes to suck on her paw while she sleeps. Toots!



I had not been to CMNH for many years and had no idea that this gem was hiding there. I can't wait to go back in warmer weather!

Mom's Wish Come True

While I was growing up, my family wasn't very chatty. We ate dinner in front of the TV. One or more of us usually had our nose buried in a book...even while we were watching TV.

When I was 8 or 9, my mom decided that we should eat dinner at the dining room table so we could talk. What?! My dad and I behaved like spoiled brats - we didn't say one word in protest of this new development.

That was the first and last time my mom tried to make us eat at the dining room table.

Fast forward 24 years. I have dinner with my parents at least once a week now. We eat at their dining room table. And you couldn't shut us up if you tried.

I don't know if it's the challenges my family has faced over the years, or if it was my living in a different city for six years, or what, but whatever the reason, I'm glad we've become close and can really talk with one another now. I wouldn't trade the relationship I have with my parents for anything.

Love you Mom and Dad!

25 Years Ago Today

Remembering the Challenger: 25 Years Ago, Space Shuttle Exploded After Liftoff

I was in fifth grade. My class had gone on a field trip to see a performance. It was one of those weird ones where someone in a giant bag rolls around like a ball.

When we got back to school, our teacher was very upset and told us all to sit down at our desks and be quiet. From her tone of voice, we knew she meant BUSINESS. She grabbed a TV from the hallway and turned it on.

And then we saw.

RIP Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair Christa McAuliffe, and Gregory Jarvis. We will never forget you.

Dilemma Solved

It looks like I'm going to keep this little ol' blog going. Thanks for reading!

If you like, please check out my new personal blog "Waiting for Epitaph."

Two Years Ago Today

I stumbled across this list I put together two years ago. All still true except #24. I sold the PS2 - no time for Guitar Hero.

1. I will put up with discomfort so either or both of my cats can be comfortable.
2. I am incapable of correctly determining the age of any child younger than 10.
3. I have never changed a diaper and I never will, unless Chris breaks both of her arms and no one else is around.
4. I believe in John 3:16.
5. My favorite sound in the world is a cat purring.
6. My second favorite sound in the world is Rob Halford singing.
7. I have the best best friend in the whole world, and many other wonderful friends.
8. I am fiercely proud of my parents for many reasons.
9. I'm the Financial Secretary at my church.
10. I love my job and think my boss is totally cool.
11. My favorite TV show is Lost.
12. I listen to books on CD in the car and don't care that people make fun of me for it.
13. I hate driving. First thing I'd do if I won the lottery would be hire a chauffeur.
14. I'm addicted to Twitter.
15. I loathe the name Liam.
16. I used to have a crush on Evan Farmer, former host of TLC's "While You Were Out."
17. I am a grammar and spelling freak.
18. I get requests for my lasagna and my brownies.
19. It amuses me that people are shocked when they find out I listen to metal.
20. I don't believe that living in Ohio means you have to be an Ohio State fan.
21. I enjoy shopping with Chris on Black Friday.
22. I have had the Taboo game buzzer forcibly removed from my hand.
23. Hand me a microphone at your own risk. It will be quite some time before you get it back.
24. I own a PlayStation 2 just so I can play Guitar Hero.
25. I have stood on the top of an arena scoreboard.