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On January 7, 2017,

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I was at Fort Lauderdale[br]Airport in Florida,

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and I was absolutely terrified.

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Just a day before, Esteban Santiago Ruíz

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had opened fire in the baggage claim[br]and killed five people.

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While the security in the airport[br]was completely amped up,

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I still felt insecure being there.

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While I was waiting for my luggage,

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I imagined the people[br]in the same spot the day before me,

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before experiencing

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possibly the most traumatic[br]and terrifying event of their lives.

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I wondered what the killer[br]must have thought

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moments before opening fire[br]on innocent civilians.

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And I wondered what[br]would come next for him.

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The media was going absolutely insane,

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suggesting that Esteban Santiago himself[br]was mentally unstable.

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It was in this moment that I questioned

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how mentally ill individuals[br]are prosecuted in the justice system.

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Most people tend to judge[br]mentally ill individuals

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and are quick to want a harsh punishment.

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However, they rarely ask[br]what led the criminal to commit an act.

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The first thing that must[br]be taken into consideration

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is that those who are considered[br]mentally unstable

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do not think like you or I do.

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Their perception of reality[br]is drastically different than ours.

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Thus, their consequences[br]should be treated differently as well.

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In recent years,

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the amount of mass shootings[br]has increased dramatically.

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A study conducted by[br]the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange

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has found that 79%[br]of mass shootings since 2011

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have been perpetrated by individuals

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with demonstrated signs

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of continuous behavioral health issues[br]and mental illness.

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However, most of these criminals[br]are thrown into prison

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and not treated[br]according to their sickness.

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Mentally ill individuals should not[br]be prosecuted as a normal person would be,

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as they are often denied[br]the help they need.

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There are not enough mental hospitals,

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and prisons are seen as dumping grounds[br]for psychiatric hospitals.

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According to the Department of Justice,

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nearly 1.3 million people are incarcerated[br]in state and federal jails

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compared to only about 70,000 people[br]being served in mental hospitals.

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If these people are not getting[br]the help they need,

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it is irrational to prosecute them

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and condemn them for acting[br]in ways they cannot control.

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One of the reasons why[br]they are denied this help they need

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is because of the lack[br]of mental hospitals.

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According to the Huffington Post,

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there are the same number[br]of psychiatric hospital beds

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as there were in 1850.

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This is a huge issue[br]because there are not the same number

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of crimes committed[br]by mentally ill individuals

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as there were in 1850.

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Not only are there not enough beds[br]due to little funding,

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they will often get turned away [br]at hospital doors,

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and it can take months[br]to get an outpatient appointment.

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Esteban Santiago Ruíz,[br]the Fort Lauderdale Airport shooter,

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is a perfect example[br]of getting turned down

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at a hospital door.

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According to CNN, he had gone[br]to a mental hospital to check himself in,

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as he was suffering from hallucinations

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and hearing voices[br]that said to fight for ISIS.

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However, after two days, he was released,[br]and they returned the gun to him as well.

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This shows the recklessness[br]of the doctors that were treating him.

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Considering the recent events[br]linked to terrorism,

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they should not have given such a weapon

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to an ex-veteran who stated[br]he wanted to fight for ISIS.

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Now, Esteban Santiago faces prison time

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instead of getting help[br]in a real institution.

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Jails are often seen as dumping grounds[br]for mental hospitals.

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Joe Parasceva, a mentally ill man,

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voluntarily admitted himself[br]into a hospital,

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where two days later,

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he was transferred to a prison cell[br]after he tried to escape the ward.

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There was an unavailability of medication[br]and improved outpatient treatment,

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but most of the change[br]is no more than a switch

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from a mental institution to a prison.

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This is an issue, as instead[br]of dealing and tackling

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with the real issue[br]behind the mental instability,

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they just treat the patients[br]with medications

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or send them to prison[br]in order not to deal with them.

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This unveils a huge issue[br]within our society,

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one that demonstrates

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that mentally ill individuals[br]are seen as a burden.

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While many people may state

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that mentally ill indivduals[br]are a danger to society,

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they are a danger to themselves.

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In fact, according to CNN,

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people with serious mental illnesses

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are three times more likely[br]to commit an act again

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compared to those[br]who are not mentally ill.

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This is an area of concern,

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as people with mental illness[br]are starting to commit suicide.

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According to the Centers[br]for Disease and Control Prevention,

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61% of all firearm fatalities[br]in the United States

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were not only suicides,

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but were committed[br]by mentally ill individuals.

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This contempt toward these people

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often leads them to want[br]very serious consequences

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for the mentally unstable,

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and they do not consider[br]the disorders that they are dealing with.

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This issue is something[br]that is a recurrence,

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and appropriate measures should be taken.

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The government's role in this,

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in mental health,

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is to facilitate a person's needs[br]by providing services,

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research, and protecting the rights[br]of every individual,

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allowing them to receive[br]the support they need

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to achieve their life goals[br]and contribute to society.

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While it is completely reasonable

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to want justice for the victims[br]of mass shootings,

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it should also be considered

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that the person behind the trigger

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also is a victim.

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If they act in such ways[br]because of their mental illness,

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they should be getting help[br]and not be punished in jails.

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Most of these people[br]are afraid of their own minds

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and what they are capable of.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)