Is it time to discuss "Mental Illness" in the U.S.?

Okay America, we can debate about gun control until the cows come home, but when will we have an honest discussion about "mental illness" in the country? In fact, have not we had enough "mental illness" killings in the country? For the record, it is true, there are too many guns on the street (possessed by known criminals), but how many more people have to be killed because a mentally ill person requires adequate care? Unfortunately, it is a double edged sword...mentally ill and carrying a weapon. Question: "How can we have presidential elections where spending billions of dollars on silly ads vying for our vote, but America, a wealthy country cannot invest in helping to get treatment for ill individuals, thus preventing them from going out to shoot innocent people Christmas shopping in a mall?"  It is embarrassing and shameful to watch the nightly news and hear them speak about gun control whenever there is a mass shooting in the country, but fail to speak on the real issue. Case in point, what about the fact "almost 20+ years ago the ACLU and President Reagan single handily changed the trajectory of mental illness in the country through misguided law suits, and cutting funding for mental health facilities. Why not simply reform mental illness services? Why did we have to shut down the facilities that clearly many mentally ill patients require?" In my humble opinion, the country needs to review the existing laws and make revisions, and it is time for America to wake up, speak out, and demand that your elected officials put forth "mental illness" legislation (with funding) to help those in need, and keep the rest of us free from harm. Last, a word to the media, "stop covering up the real issue in some of these mass shootings. Gun control is a political issue, to be sure, but helping to treat mentally ill people is a moral issue. Guns do not shoot themselves people are behind the shootings; unfortunately, some of these people are ill!" I'm just saying...