Quote:
Originally Posted by elchivito
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Thinking the Unthinkable
In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk about mental illness.
Three days before 20 year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother, then opened fire on a classroom full of Connecticut kindergartners, my 13-year old son Michael (name changed) missed his bus because he was wearing the wrong color pants.
“I can wear these pants,” he said, his tone increasingly belligerent, the black-hole pupils of his eyes swallowing the blue irises.
“They are navy blue,” I told him. “Your school’s dress code says black or khaki pants only.”
“They told me I could wear these,” he insisted. “You’re a stupid *****. I can wear whatever pants I want to. This is America. I have rights!”
“You can’t wear whatever pants you want to,” I said, my tone affable, reasonable. “And you definitely cannot call me a stupid *****. You’re grounded from electronics for the rest of the day. Now get in the car, and I will take you to school.”
I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me...
Full post here:
The Anarchist Soccer Mom: Thinking the Unthinkable |
This is the fundamental problem. There is no cohesive strategy to deal with mentally ill children who pose a
potential threat to themselves and/or society. At the present time, there is no facility for long term care of such individuals, even if the parent were willing to commit said child to the facility............which is by no means a certainty.
The government will not be involved in the affairs of a private citizen and the mental illness of a private citizen unless there is a crime committed.