Loughner's Odd Behavior

I joined the country in a national moment of silence at the loss of six people, 14 critically injured, by Jared Loughner's mass shooting spree in Tuscon, Arizona. The most prominent being Rep. Gabby Gifford, a moderate blue dog Democrat, who remains in critical condition. My prayers are with her, the others injured and the family members who lost loved ones.

Politically speaking, I agree with many of the pundits that the current climate of hate from the extreme right and the decreasing support for gun control laws do bear some blame. Especially looking to Arizona, a place where so much anti-rhetoric clouded much of it's political discourse in 2010.

However, I am also drawn to speak on Loughner's behalf. To me he is simply a casualty of a failing health care system that has barely begun to recognize mental health as a real medical concern in need of attention. I am not even touching on the fact that Republican's are currently working to repeal all the progress made on healthcare reform so we can have more Loughner-type incidents.

It seems clear to me that the mental health care system failed Loughner just as much as lax gun control laws failed Gifford.