Since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012 where twenty-six young children, teachers and administrators were killed, there have been seventy-four school shootings across the United States.

The U.S. Congress is again debating gun laws. But this time the debate is narrower. It does not involve every issue related to gun control, which divides legislation along party lines.

Lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, are placing their attention on the relationship between gun violence and mental illness. Laws barring the mentally ill from gun ownership already exist in the U.S.

The question is -- do they go far enough?

The gunman in the Santa Barbara shooting was Elliot Rodger. Unlike other recent gunmen, the parents of Elliot Rodger warned police about the possible threat posed by his mental illness.

At a meeting on Capitol Hill, U.S. Representative Tim Murphy says that all the recent mass shootings have one thing in common -- the accused killers all suffered from some sort of mental illness.

"All had untreated or under-treated serious mental illness. All spiraled out of control within a system that lacked the basic mechanisms to help."

Representative Murphy has introduced legislation that would make it easier for families to have seriously ill relatives hospitalized against their will. The condition in the legislation is that they must also be found to be a threat to themselves or the community.

A parent of a mentally ill child says he supports the bill. Edward Kelley says his severely mentally ill son refuses help and often has often ended up living on the streets. He describes his son's life. He describes it as a "descent into madness."

"Our resume as a family covers 15 years of dealing with our son descending into a madness that is just impossible to describe."

Most experts agree there is not enough space in mental hospitals. Experts also agree that the seriously ill often end up in crowded emergency rooms or homeless. D.J. Jaffe of the Mental Illness Policy Organization said the U.S. also needs to change its spending priorities.

"My one message is we have to stop ignoring the most seriously ill."

Democratic lawmakers are proposing a separate bill that would ban people who have been involuntarily hospitalized from buying guns.

Former Representative Gabrielle Giffords survived a 2011 mass shooting in the area of Arizona that she represents.

(One of the 911 Emergency Calls for Arizona shooting.)

"911. Where is your emergency?"

"Near the Safeway (a store). There's some shots fired."

"Okay. We have reports of that. Deputies on our their way. Thank you."

"Giffords has been hit."

While campaigning she was shot in the head by a gunman who, according to medical experts, suffers from severe mental illness.

Ms. Giffords has become a powerful advocate.

"We must do something. It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act."

Some lawmakers say they believe Republicans and Democrats can agree, or find common ground, on the issue of guns and mental illness. Both parties say they want to prevent future tragedies.

This story was written with reporting by VOA Congressional Correspondent Cindy Saine reporting from Capitol Hill.

I'm Christopher Cruise.

I'm Anna Matteo.

What do you think about the debate involving guns and the mentally ill? Share your views in our comment section.

词汇解析

campus

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

n.校园;场地

adj.校园的

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

The new library was built in the centre of the campus.

新图书馆建在校园的中心。

用作形容词 (adj.)

The campus life is very wonderful.

校园生活多姿多彩。

debate

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.辩论;讨论

vt.争论;思考

vi.辩论

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

We had a long debate as to whether we should spend so much money on space technology.

至于我们要否花那么多钱在太空技术上,我们辩论了很久。

用作及物动词 (vt.)

He debated buying a new car, but didn't in the end.

他思量很久是否买辆新汽车,但最后还是没买。

用作不及物动词 (vi.)

This is a question that they have often debated.

这是个他们常讨论的问题。

involve

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

vt.包含;使忙于;牵涉;使卷入;使陷入

参考例句

用作及物动词 (vt.)

A letter of credit will involve unnecessary extra charges.

信用证包含有不必要的额外开支。

mental

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.思想的;心理的;精神的;脑力的

n.精神病患者

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

It's clear that mental activity does not stop when we're asleep.

很显然,我们熟睡的时候,思想活动仍然不会停下来。

用作名词 (n.)

The hospital cares for some fifty mental patients.

这家医院照料五十名左右精神病患者。

ownership

难度：1星畅通词汇，属常用20000词

英汉解释

n.所有权

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

She disclaimed ownership of the vehicle.

她放弃了这辆车的所有权。

The ownership of the land is disputed.

那土地的所有权有争议。

resume

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

v.重新开始;再继续

n.简历;履历;摘要

参考例句

用作动词 (v.)

We resumed our work after a rest.

休息之后我们重新开始工作。

用作名词 (n.)

I enclosed my resume in my letter.

我在信里附上了我的简历。

comment

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.注释;评论;闲话

v.评论;注释

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

The comment is recorded in the event log.

此注释将记录在事件日志中。

用作动词 (v.)

He commented that it was an excellent film.

他评论这电影很精彩。