I happened to read a very reasonable proposal about a way to reduce the death toll that guns bring to our society.
I wish it was an original idea, but it came to me from Michael Smith, the chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon's Gun Owners Caucus. (Yes, Virginia, the Democrats do have a Gun Owners Caucus).
His proposal is deceptively simple and I believe could be remarkably effective. It is to wholeheartedly support SB 704. SB 704 establishes an Universal Health Plan Governance Board and directs that board to create a comprehensive plan for implementing Universal Health Plan beginning in 2027.
4 out of 5 gun deaths are the result of suicides. A Universal Health Plan would make mental health coverage available to more people that have a mind-set that prompts them to consider suicide. A Universal Health Plan would also relieve some of the stressors that drive people to taking their own lives.
It's not a perfect solution. There are no perfect solutions, but it's a start. This crazy hodge-podge mix of insurance coverage which consists of what employers deem fit to provide to some, mixed with what the unlucky can afford, and none at all for the remainder clearly is not working.
Jim Heffernan
3345 Nielsen Rd.
Tillamook, OR, 97141
503-842-2935