I am so tired of living in an insane asylum; in a social experiment (Seattle: high school, professionals)

[heavymind]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

women people.

Eeewww! What are those? LOL

[FordBronco1967]

Originally Posted by Lodestar

What Regan did was implement President Kennedy's Community Mental Health Act which hadn't been put into motion yet. No one seems to know that.

The responsibility to this day lays with legislators on both sides who don't allocate enough money to provide adequate services. And the fact of the matter is all the tax money could go toward mental health and we still couldn't solve all the social problems involved.

Minnesota is one of the leaders in provision of services and still we fall short. The horror stories are seldom reported but they are abundant.

We have that fear of securing people for their own and the public's own good. In Minnesota we actually free our most dangerous wards of the state for independent shopping trips downtown as incentives for good behavior. Makes you wonder who is the most mentally ill.

This is what happens when you have decision-makers with no knowledge of psychiatric issues. I think we need to start there, with candidates spending time in the facilities - not just a tour to admire the lunchroom, but in the trenches, hands-on time.

Thank you!!! It seems few people know the origins of this come from President Kennedy, and it was more of a reaction to the horror stories from institutions than funding. Of course, it was the wrong reaction to have, as reform would have produced better results.

Anyways, while some people in this thread, presumably liberals/Democrats, were busy blaming this on President Reagan, a few dozen people overdosed on fentanyl-laced drugs nationwide. Given that the reason we are here is bipartisan, can we please stop talking about the past and focus on today and tomorrow?

The fact of the matter is that some humans are not fit to be out in the world with the rest of us. We need to bring back institutions and build more mental hospitals, with proper regulation to ensure patients are treated ethically and humanely.

The second thing we need is a culture change. I realize I'm commenting on Seattle issues so my particular point may not go over well, but we need more religion. People need something to believe in that's more than just themselves. A thriving society is one that is filled with people who's first concern is everyone around them. A devolving society is one that is filled with people who's first concern is themselves. We need more family. We need more religion. We need less egotism. Happy and content people do not seek drugs. Sad, empty, and depressed people do. We need to focus on why people are more sad, empty, and depressed. Polls show more Americans than ever are sad, empty, and depressed. The rising number of drug-addicted people is just one example of that.

[jabogitlu]

Nah. Many of us living here actually managed to escape from religion-led societies. I can share lots of direct horror stories from the way of life that religion creates.

If you want to create less sad and depressed people, then take the capital that is being held by the richest people and reinvest it into everyone else in the form of childcare, stabilized food and housing prices, stabilized transportation costs, and basic and preventative medical/dental/optical costs.

[heavymind]

Originally Posted by FordBronco1967

The second thing we need is a culture change. I realize I'm commenting on Seattle issues so my particular point may not go over well, but we need more religion. People need something to believe in that's more than just themselves. A thriving society is one that is filled with people who's first concern is everyone around them. A devolving society is one that is filled with people who's first concern is themselves. We need more family. We need more religion. We need less egotism. Happy and content people do not seek drugs. Sad, empty, and depressed people do. We need to focus on why people are more sad, empty, and depressed. Polls show more Americans than ever are sad, empty, and depressed. The rising number of drug-addicted people is just one example of that.

Yes, we do. But I disagree that "more religion" is the answer. Which religion? Any of them? That then creates a whole new set of social problems where certain groups give preference to 'their own kind' when it comes to work, business, housing, etc. Jews and Mormons are notorious for this.

All your other comments are spot on, but I don't know what the solution is, if there even is one at this point. Our culture is so cutthroat and competitive, and obsessed with making money at any cost, rather than just living life and being content with what you have. It seems like half the country is strung out on drugs (pharma & street) just trying to hang on to a lifestyle and facade that simply isn't sustainable (or even attainable, for many).

[southking500]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Nah. Many of us living here actually managed to escape from religion-led societies. I can share lots of direct horror stories from the way of life that religion creates.

If you want to create less sad and depressed people, then take the capital that is being held by the richest people and reinvest it into everyone else in the form of childcare, stabilized food and housing prices, stabilized transportation costs, and basic and preventative medical/dental/optical costs.

Good plan, since the billions of $$$ Seatttle and King County have spent on freebies for lazy druggies and vagrants has done wonders so far. And you are right they do seem less sad or maybe that is just because they are more stoned on the drugs they bought with the cash they got for selling their food stamp cards in Chinatown and the $417.00 a month no questions asked welfare payment.

[rodentraiser]

Originally Posted by Sand&Salt

This is a great post. I wish YOU were in charge. I think the reason there is no "will" to change, is the usual. Follow the money. There is a huge industrial complex of various homeless "help" and lots of money being made off their backs. Of course, nothing really gets done, no improvements.

Interestingly, we retired to a "developing" country where most are poor, but there is zero homelessness.

I did read about the Danish citizens are up in arms at being "taken over" by foreigners, some of whom are dangerous. They've had it. For example, the school cafeterias were prevented serving pork, just to mollify the Moslems. Come on!

Thank you, but, well, no. I pretty much lean to liberal on most issues. I'm not liked by a lot of people because of that. And it's one thing to throw out solutions. It's something else to get other people to support those solutions.

I did see this the other day, though:

"In a rational society, the purpose of building houses would be to house people. In our society, the purpose of building houses is profit. If housing less people is more profitable, then we simply don't house them."

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by rodentraiser

Thank you, but, well, no. I pretty much lean to liberal on most issues. I'm not liked by a lot of people because of that. And it's one thing to throw out solutions. It's something else to get other people to support those solutions.

I did see this the other day, though:

"In a rational society, the purpose of building houses would be to house people. In our society, the purpose of building houses is profit. If housing less people is more profitable, then we simply don't house them."

Good point. The same thing is what's wrong with our medical system: it's become geared toward profit. Before deregulation, a lot of hospitals were non-profit. Things went nuts after deregulation. And they're about to get worse, as medical clinics and hospitals become acquired by REIT's or similar investment instruments.

[heavymind]

Originally Posted by rodentraiser

"In a rational society, the purpose of building houses would be to house people. In our society, the purpose of building houses is profit. If housing less people is more profitable, then we simply don't house them."

It's like watching a dystopian movie in real time, all the tent cities and street zombies increasing in numbers. I'm on their side, and fully comprehend why one might want to drop out of the game and no longer participate. What we're seeing is the result of societal greed and a sickening compulsion to make more money, always more money, by choosing to commodify a basic human need: shelter.

[MechAndy]

FordBronco1967 ya know I was right there with you until you went and tossed in that religious stuff.
You do know that lots of us do have a decent set morals that didn’t come from religious fears.
Right?

[CalWorth]

Originally Posted by FordBronco1967

The fact of the matter is that some humans are not fit to be out in the world with the rest of us. We need to bring back institutions and build more mental hospitals, with proper regulation to ensure patients are treated ethically and humanely.

Yes, that’s the essence of it.

It’s not going to happen.