The Crazies Are Coming

Articles of the Day: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/02/05/army.suicides/index.html

http://www.salon.com/news/special/coming_home/2009/02/10/coming_home_two/index.html

The more I identify myself as a 'people person' the more outcast I become in the workings of this society. The managerial class, those including politicians, base their values and actions on numbers, undoubtedly preceded by a dollar sign. To give a homeless person a quarter is considered wasted revenue in that mindset.

Recently, it was announced that four mental health clinics were to be closed in the city with the laying off of 54 professionals dealing with patients. It's a money decision, no more no less, in the mind of the budget director. That action severely affects the minds of many of our most helpless citizens unable to readily deal with drastic change in their routine. Making them leave the safety of their community to cross town for treatment might as well be considered denying them treatment. And where will they go? To self medication or nowhere, wasting away, spinning down into depression and suicide. The community will not be safer because of it.

So they marched on the mayors' office... as the elevator doors opened ten more of THOSE people appeared, not only confused by the surroundings but angry as well. Each and every elevator brought another load of humanity and not the rich and famous. And they chanted and hollered and threatened to vote him out of office, ironically enough. I was suspicious of the motivations of some of these political wannabe candidates speaking - were they using these people for an instance to bash the mayor? I want to believe someone in the system cares and that a political and money solution is possible, but the problem is much deeper than that. Capitalism doesn't value humanity in any of its' forms, especially the mentally ill. We need a system that takes care of the bottom up first and the bankers last.

Oh yes... the elevator doors will be opening in your life as well. Somewhere, sometime today you will see someone on the street that hasn't been in treatment for some time. Will you avert your eyes and pretend he or she is part of the backdrop? Puff up your chest in a pique of chauvinistic normalcy and construe a blaming scenario to get through the moment? How 'bout throwing the person a quarter and a kind word?

Google video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2110080531030654083&hl=en