I hate, hate, hate good intentions.
The most egregious wrongs in this world are perpetrated by those with “good intentions.”
It was “good intention” policies championed by liberal organizations like the NY Times and here in California, the LA Times, that resulted in legislation making it all but impossible for family members to commit relatives to state mental hospitals. Subsequently, nearly all the California state mental hospitals were defunded — for lack of patients! — and closed in the 1970s.
Why, no one had any idea that so many mentally ill would end up homeless and dying on the streets! Why, who could have predicted they would get no treatment whatsoever? Why, this wasn’t what we intended at all! We had good intentions! Didn’t everyone see “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?” What about their RIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTS?
I love that your complicity in these tragedies goes unmentioned in this article, New York Times. You and your lib mindset buddies condemned the mentally ill to life on the streets in this country. Reap/sow. Stop sounding so appalled and astonished.
But it costs money to hospitalize mentally ill patients.
We need that money to provide welfare, education and health care for illegals. Oh yes, cell phones, food and cars too.