Which do we change?

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

As some of the smoke and pain of the AZ shooting starts to clear. And the pundits have all gotten the quick one liners out of the way. I have a real question.

 

What should really change? Do we take more rights away from law abiding citizens because if we do not some nut will manage to buy a gun and reek havoc on the rest of the world? I hope not. Because if it would come to that I don't want to live in that world.

The issue here isn't even a nut hurt someone with a gun... ( it could have been a knife or a bomb). The real issues here.. is a mentally challenged person went un-treated.

I have a little first hand experience with this as I am a diagnosed and treated bi-polar disorder patient. I am now waiting to hear heckling from some (off color) members of other sites we see here.

But here are some facts. Very few insurance companies cover mental health issues at at and the ones that do cover at an outstandingly low 50%.

If you do happen to have insurance that covers at more than this more often than not the drugs are not covered.

Because dangerous mentally ill patients as such a low minority in terms of advocacy and lobbying it is on no one in the governments radar to actually address the real problem which is real-time diagnosis and treatment for those who fit into the category of "Being a danger to ones self or others".

I find it completely ludicrous, that the liberal mindset of some, was to take more freedoms from responsible adults in the form of guns rights or even speaking ones mind in the public arena. Only to ignore an increasing problem that I feel may have been created by those in this same category.

The music in the back ground of a mental health spot but out by the government uses a tune "say what you need to say" in its awareness campaign. Yet some on the left want any speech they deem as negative, or over the top, and they even go as far as to call it hate speech. If this guy would have received treatment and said what he needed to say to a counselor. The nightmare that unfolded probably would not have happened. I say this for several reasons. One If mental illness was really being treated correctly medically. The guy would have been under some ongoing and probably incentive Medical and psychotherapy.

If we really want to change a law that might make sense the guy should have been on a list somewhere in the bowels of a data base placing a flag on his ability to legally own a fire arm.

This was one of the rare times when it was a legally purchased firearm that did damage. However the screaming on the left was not to prevent a mentally ill patient from owning one. That would have made too much sense. Instead it was for already supposedly non Ill adults from even speaking their minds.

[AQUAMAN]

The true trouble was stated earlier by Masonco. She knows the laws on this subject, and they are just plain over the top hogwash. First they went over the top in putting too many in mental hospitals for any rhyme or reason, not with good treatment or good conditions, then decided to opt for no mental hospitals practically. Now the NUTS run virtually unchecked in the USA, to everyone's risk everyday. Until these laws and regulations are rechecked and fairly appraised and reintroduced in the near future, the sameo will continue to haunt this society. Btw, the way current thought is on the subjects of bi-polar and dysfunctional families, seems almost anyone could fit the description, also bad applications imho.

[masonco]

Aqualman

 

You said it exactly. At one time, they thought anyone born with any type of physical or mental challenge should be institutionalized so society would not view these people. They automatically removed baby making parts from young children so they would not procreate. There are many horror stories about children and adults who "were not normal" and locked up for life.

 

It was so bad, a husband could just say the wife was unable to care for herself, and she would be locked up in an institution while the very slow wheels of justice turned. Meanwhile the wife would miss out on the children growing up.

 

So the system was abused. Then they went the other extreme of rights for mentally and physically challenged. HIPPA was created so family members often could not even help their challenged family member make wise choices. Now they have right to refuse to take medications and no one can do anything.

 

I heard statistics that over 40% of those in prisons are there because they commuted crimes while not on medications. 90% of homeless are mentally challenged and unable to remember to take or even afford medications. Many self medicate with drugs and alcohol.  But these people have rights...no one can access their mental health records even with a warrant. Mental health records are almost completely destroyed as soon as a patient leaves a psychiatric hospital. For this reason, many lone rangers who can and will harm others are roaming the streets until they commit a crime that puts them in prison.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

I agree with your Homeless and Prison statistics mason... The problem is even with the high cost of incarceration of the mentally ill it is still less expensive than mental health facilities that we have gotten away from.

[masonco]

Meanwhile these mentally ill (usually schizophrenics but sometimes those in manic stage) will continue to hear those inner voices that tell them to kill someone. Voices they would never hear or respond to if they were on their medication.

 

Mason county has a great program for integrating our mentally ill people to be able to function in the community. They give them a weeks worth of medications sorted out with times to take them. Sometimes they do daily visits if not daily phone calls to be sure the client is taking meds. These people can and do hold jobs while in these programs.  If there were enough funding for programs like this, prisons would be smaller and more people would be able to hold jobs and contribute to society without being in prison or being homeless.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

I could be wrong... but wouldnt even paying someone to simply remind, and coach a schizophrenic to take the meds, be less expensive that the big union prison guard to watch all the unmediated people incarcerated today?

[masonco]

Yes but then again it's politics. I was surprised last week when I heard the program was still running. I thought Granholm had eliminated it when she reduced so much of mental health care.

 

Runnin late...ttyl