Mental health makes its way into the 'national dialogue' via a newspaper column

After Sandy Hook, the focus by the Obama administration and congressional Democrats to reduce gun violence has been on guns control. Many Republicans and conservatives, meanwhile, said mental health was something that needed to be discussed.

President Obama has been very public about his support for gun control legislation and has said very little about mental health. But, throwing Republicans a bone, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius writes in USA Today:

President Obama has called for a national dialogue on mental health that will be kicked off in the coming weeks. This dialogue will seek to address the culture of silence and negative perceptions of mental illness that keep so many of our nation's young people from seeking care. It will challenge each of us to do our part to create communities where young people and their families understand how important mental health is to positive development and feel comfortable asking for help when they need it.