[SoftwareMaven]

For functioning people with mental illnesses (well treated or not severe), it has gotten better. For non-functioning people, it has gotten worse, for them and for society. I have a loved one with functioning schizophrenia. She has great care and good support through her family (including one of the most loving big brothers I've had the pleasure to meet), her friends, her church and her school.

But I know if she has a true psychotic break, there is little to no support available beyond a 72 hour evaluation. Jail has become the defector storage place outside of the underside of bridges because there are far too few beds for people who need longer term care.

The state hospitals of the 50s were horrid places, but in dismantling them, we've done away with almost all long-term care for people who can't function due to mental illness. And that comes with a huge cost to society. There was a middle ground of "let's improve the care and treatment" that was completely ignored.

But, as a society, let's not talk about that. Let's talk about whether 11 bullets or 14 buckets are too many, even if a fire extinguisher can be shown to be a horrid weapon to somebody ill enough.