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Problem needs to be addressed

2 min read

Are stricter gun laws really needed, or do we need to address the real problem, which is mental illness and the involuntary commitment process?

What disturbs and upsets me is when I am reminded that a person who possesses some type of mental illness slaughtered innocent students or adults.

In the mid to late eighties, the Pennsylvania legislature decided to close mental health hospitals throughout Pennsylvania for the following reasons.

• That these patients could be placed into a community setting where there is adequate medication to control their mental illness disorder and also the mental health agencies could monitor, provide supervision and counseling to help to control their mental illness disorder. The hope was that medication could free victims from their illness and restore their dignity, free will and meaningful exercise of their liberties.

• As a result, it would save millions of dollars in implementing this concept. But what the legislature did not foresee is that these patients would either over-medicate or just not take their medication as directed. Also, that there was not enough funding to fund the concept.

• The mental health agencies could not adequately monitor, supervise or counsel all of the patients placed in the community setting. So, as a result, the community would be in imminent danger from these patients. As of today, this has been proven over and over.

Robert Ted Pritchard

Fairchance

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