An Open Letter to President Donald Trump

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: schuyler

Yep, cause I am definitely a loner. I just prefer not to interact with most people. They tend to make things messy and complicated. It's simpler to confine my interactions to the few people I know very well and truly care about for the most part.

But none of that means I'm about to go out and massacre everyone else, either.

I'm not thinking this is about you at all and I apologize if you are taking it personally. That was not my intent. You are a Loner; I am a Loner. Neither one of us committed any kinds of violence today. What I AM saying is that a lot of attitudes that are commonly attributed to Bad Guy(tm) shooters are the same as attitudes frequently expressed here. What these 'loners' have in common is a disdain of authority, a hatred of those they perceive to be in power, a decided mindset against the status quo, etc. And that fits the ATS mindset very well, IMO.

And I have a problem with this.

My problem is that I do not want myself, you, or anyone here to be lumped into that characterization unfairly because although I think the similarities are there, that does not mean the accurately portray the Bad Guys(tm). There is more going on there. But a lot of folks seem to feel that, for example, if they take away everyone's guns everything will be all better. The Left, in particular, would love to use these incidents as excuses to repeal the Second Amendment, which is really the Gorilla in the room, is it not? And they could get a lot of nervous Nellies on that bandwagon because these people have not really thought the matter through and will lump ANY gun owner in with these Bad Guys(tm), this despite the fact that 100 million gun owners with hundreds of millions of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition apiece did not kill anyone today, or this week, or year, or ever.

What I have repeatedly said here is that if you think we need more mental health facilities to take care of mental illness--and by extension--get these loonies help before they do something bad, then HOW are you going to do that? HOW are you going to determine who is "at risk" and HOW are you going to, for lack of a better term, force a pill down their throats because you think they have potential to "be bad" when they don't think they are mentally ill at all, any more than we here at ATS believe we are mentally ill.

And NOBODY has been able to answer those questions. As DB pointed out, these mental health issues are not going away. Well, neither are these questions and you're going to have to answer the questions first before you can actually address mental health.

a reply to: schuyler

Oh no, not taking it personally. I am just realizing that you're right this is a slippery slope potential. At the same time, there is no doubt that our mental health system is in shambles.

I know from experience and from knowing people in this predicament that the kinds of medications that treat mental conditions will work very well ... but only so long as you continue to take them, and many are like my migraine meds - they'll stay in your system and provide lingering benefit for months after you've stopped taking them.

So the mentally ill person takes their meds, feels great, decides they don't need meds because most people don't like being chained to them, stops taking them and continues to feel good, and simply slides gradually back to where they were before they notice it.

originally posted by: schuyler


And NOBODY has been able to answer those questions.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I haven't because I don't know the answers.

The first person Trump aught to have treated in this wonderful new hypothetical mental illness program is himself!

I hope he’s at the head of the line

a reply to: DBCowboy

Personally, I think something at the root of our society is twisted.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: DBCowboy

Personally, I think something at the root of our society is twisted.

Yeah. This has been a problem and it's only getting worse.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Well.. Assuming he can read, comprehend, understand or even care (which he doesn't)... Just get him another large piece of pie.. and more suckers he can nosh on before bed

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: DBCowboy

President Trump is a busy man, so perhaps a Cliff's Notes version of this would be beneficial.

Dear President Trump,
Perhaps it is time to reopen the lunatic asylums this country used to operate. If one's shell is cracked enough that possession of a firearm would pose a danger to others, why are they even allowed on the street, let alone allowed to have driver's licenses, own knives, or interact with normal, healthy Americans outside of a controlled environment? Reopen the asylums and right this wrong.
Sincerely,
America

Always blunt and to the point, burdman! In some regards I understand and agree with you. I wouldn't want the abuses within that system to return but the asylums did have their uses. My partner worked as a psych nurse for almost a year in the state mental hospital. The push for patients rights has caused a disturbing trend in our country. Don't get me wrong. In no way do I want people to be abused but, it has actually gone so far in the other direction that the safety of staff and the patients themselves has almost been abandoned. I could give numerous examples of incidents of seriously dangerous situations that legally the staff has no recourse because of patients rights issues. Serious understaffing to the point of agreeing to be employed there requires agreeing to mandatory overtime. As much as 3 double shifts per week resulting in 16 hour days with barely 4-5 hours sleep before having to return for another shift. The staff is pushed to the max which will imo eventually result in a catastrophic error due to fatigue.

a reply to: DBCowboy

The truth is there is help for the mentally impaired,most often the mentally impaired wish to live on their own,and a lot got there from drug and alchohol addiction,but very true if hospitals aren't getting paid for patients have seen where they dump them off in ghetto,money has become too much of an object,Drs now become Drs because they make bank,from kickbacks from Pharmaceutical companys,to high prices of surgery