Quote:
Originally Posted by tater
There is a system to help, but as a citizen he has to avail himself of it. If he doesn't because he has a frank mental illness, then his liberty to decide about his own health needs to be taken away. The US used to do this, but complaints about institutionalizing people lead to that stopping. Removing this basic human right from people (their very freedom) is something Americans are loathe to do (sorry if that is a "simple" solution, but taking away someone's freedom is a last resort, not a first one).
I've seen the cycle personally, as my brother was schizophrenic. Being schizophrenic doesn't make you dangerous, but there is overlap between those that ARE dangerous and those that are not (even if the dangerous are a tiny minority). Requiring treatment means taking away their personal freedom. Requiring people to take meds pretty much requires incarceration (since unless you watch them swallow the meds, you have no way of knowing if they take them).
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First i want to say that my post wasnt ment as a offense.
Well and if you didnt want to take away the freedom of an mentally ill person, there still would be the possibility for day care centers like we have it in Germany, they work with very good results.
Here in germany you can be put in medical facilities against your will, but this has to be ordered by a judge. Its not so easy either.
But if a mentally ill one is a danger for public safety, it was and will be done.
This is my personal point of view also its not ment as an offense:
The public safety in my eyes is also a basic freedom and has always to be put in a higher level than the freedom of a human beeing which maybe isn't anymore capable to decide for himself.
And if a ill person becomes a danger to public safety, yes his personal freedom should be taken, maybe for a limited amount of time or for ever.
But for such a decission there should be a very high juridically and medical standard.
As you said "my brother was" i hope he is well.