Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.

It’s a phrase typically used by gun-owning Americans interested in limiting gun legislation.

But since the men involved in the recent slew of killings rightfully owned guns, we should take another look at the gun-toting citizens’ battle cry.

According to the Second Amendment, citizens have the right to bear arms.

Perhaps it is time to stop focusing our attention on how to limit the amount of guns, and instead we should analyze why we use them in violent ways.

We should attempt to understand what causes people to kill their families, coworkers or complete strangers.

A thorough discussion of mental health in this country is necessary.

Mental illness is pervasive and affects a large portion of the population.

Yet mental-health problems continue to provoke fear.

They are not spoken about.

They are often hidden from close friends and relatives and those suffering often feel alone, and as if they will be ostracized if their problems are exposed.

Perhaps we should work to make more Americans understand that the discomfort surrounding mental health issues is unnecessary and problematic.

If people are embarrassed to talk about their problems, the problem will continue to fester inside their brains, not allowing them to get the help they need.

If we start changing the stigma, maybe more people could get the assistance they need.

Changing the context in which mental-health problems are discussed could complete this.

In addition to talking about drugs and alcohol in appropriate language with children, we could include a discussion of mental health problems at a young age.

Explain, in well-crafted ways, how you can notice that you are in need of some assistance.

 Describe how to reach out for help and tell them where they can get what they need.

Maybe then we can make mental difficulties seem less distressing and more like a problem that can be dealt with.

Although accepting mental-health issues is only part of the solution for ending nonsensical violence, maybe we would all be better off if we, as a group, become more willing to empathize with those dealing with mental illness.