 I’ve
made this statement
repeatedly this week condemning the violence in the
Sacramento area,
for both cases — the shootings in Nevada City and the
suicide at the Capitol, involving the semi truck.
Apparently, my comments have either been misunderstood,
or perhaps we just
have a difference of opinion, which in this country,
thank God, we’re still
allowed to have.
The
acts of violence perpetrated, in both cases,
in Nevada City
and the Capitol are acts that need to be condemned,
and the people
responsible, should be held responsible
and punished. Society needs to be
protected from people like this,
and they need to be held accountable. The
fact that someone was,
is or may be mentally ill does not absolve them from
their responsibility for their actions — period.
As to there future status with the courts
in relationship to mitigating
factors, that [is] for the courts, the attorneys
and the client.
However,
to use the issue of violence and the mentally ill the way
Helen Thomson and NAMI are continuing to do is unfair,
and just not right. Most
people of good will and sound mind understand
and believe that
the majority of the mentally ill are no more violent
then the rest of the population. To
manipulate these tragic events,
once again, with the media and polarization
of the issues of forced treatment,
is a disservice and will only lead to more
finger pointing; [it] will not address the real
issue of access to tolerant,
respectful treatment options.
This
is the issue. There are arguments to be
made from both sides. One could argue
the 1.8 billion dollars in forensic mental health
is pretty bad, and I’d agree.
One might argue this man on a suicide mission,
should never been let out of Patton in the first
place. Not so sure about that.
If you listened to what his parents said on
the news last night, he wanted his five mins. of fame,
he wanted some attention.
He needed someone to talk to.
Well,
nobody ever talked to me when I
was locked up in maximum security mental health prisons,
except for my
attorneys, the Rabbi,
and the damned screws who used to beat the living
daylights out of me to [get me to] take medication,
and break me psychologically and
spiritually. From my experience as a professional
going into the same kinds
of facilities,
people are being warehoused.
What is wanted here? A nation of
zombies, and mental health forensic consumers doing life
on the installment
plan?
The
man got out. He was a parolee,
he was in violation of his parole for a
criminal charge. Want to blame someone?
Blame .. how about the Corrections
Dept. for not properly monitoring him?
Or picking him up on that
violation, and putting him back in prison?
What
you fail to understand or accept is first,
there will always be tragic
events.
Second, we need to rationally
look at them in proper prospective:
The act of force and fear,
will only be effective for so long,
and then people will
rebel and do the opposite,
The trauma and victimization, the fear, will again
keep people away, and out of treatment.
Yesterday,
it has been learned that a security guard,
at the Wingart,
multi-service center on skid row, who had employed a private
Pinkerton security guard,
choked to death
someone, on their property.
Skid row is a tough place; the security people there
are not too open to
“harm-reduction training.” The
newly elected district attorney, Steve Cooley
has empanelled a grand jury,
for the May of 99 killing of Margaret Laverne
Mitchell accountability.
Could
any of these tragic affairs
been predicted
and kept from happening?
As I look into my crystal ball, it’s a bit foggy.
What is not though, is we can’t lock-up everybody.
Despite what some would
like, I’ve seen people in treatment go off,
and do very bad things as well as
people not in treatment do the same.
My
experience on this planet
has taught me a little, and one thing is an act
of kindness, to open your heart, to be patient and tolerant
respectful. This
approach to the people we’ve described —
I seriously wonder how much of a
difference this would have made in their lives. Yes we as a
society have a responsibility to act when people
can no longer make appropriate decisions. I
understand this,
my own father has been on a respirator for a solid week
right now. But we wait,
we pray, respect his wishes, and act responsibly. That’s
what is needed right now. Not to act out
in the passion of mob-like
mentality, because another mentally ill
person has committed a terrible act.
There have been over 275 murders this year alone in South Central
Los Angeles.
Do we put up barricades around that community,
place the National
Guard on the perimeter,
no-one in or out, because of the gangbangers?
I think
I made my point. I hope you can
appreciate this without any
malice, but with
respect, and hope that things calm down.
Gerald Minsk
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