I still have my license to practice social work in New York. So I decided to give out free diagnoses for the mentally ill, that are interfering with the ongoing debate on Health Care.
One of the things that was required to obtain a Masters degree in social work was a course on cultural differences and how they could interfere in a clear diagnosis of mental illness. If you were interviewing a possible mentally ill person, and your personal life experiences was the criteria that was considered to be normal, it would not be fair to let that determine whether or not a person whose life experience was different from your own to be considered abnormal, because they didn't think like you. That sounds fair.
I had the pleasure of meeting my extended in-law family living in Kalispell, Montana, while I was still in school. It was like being dropped off on Mars. It was there and then that I realized that if these people were to come for counseling, I would have to consider institutionalizing them. It was a real "eye opener" for me to see that process come to life. I just didn't understand anything about them. I did realize that it would be important to not let that get in the way of working with all kinds of people. Since I really believed that we all wanted the same basic things and there would be some common ground somewhere. I don't believe that anymore.
I do believe at that time, there were mental hospitals for long term cases that had very little chance of recovering and becoming functioning members of society. Nowadays, those places cease to exist and there are people out there that clearly should be "Baker Acted". They are wandering around and even sitting in Congressional seats. They are running for office and hosting cable news network shows. These unstable refugees are forming policy, opinions and are being taken seriously by uninformed clearly crazy gangs of loose maniacs. This is a real problem.
They yell louder than sane people, They have nothing better to do then get out there and voice their uninformed opinions with visual aids, like signs, T- shirts and guns, that say what they stand for. The cable news networks get over there, wherever they may be and give a platform, pick out the biggest nut they can find and interview that person for your viewing pleasure. Remember "Joe the Plumber" case in point, the phony plant at an Obama rally, whose career soared as he began campaigning with the McCain/Palin ticket. I heard he was going to run for office, maybe. And why not?
I haven't forgotten that class on cultural differences. And for years, while working with the mentally ill, I had to remind myself of that many times before I stopped myself from jumping over my desk and strangling someone.
It doesn't work for me anymore. These people out there, they're crazy alright. And there are cultural differences. It's like a dual diagnosis. A personality disorder combined with ignorance and rage. They don't even really know what they are fighting for. It doesn't matter, just give them a sign and a cause. They are the "Birthers, Deathers, Tea Baggers, Tenthers" whatever, and they're ready to fight for it.
Lets start health care reform and add another small but very important piece in the final bill. Lets open up those old hospitals for the terminally crazy. We can create jobs for the unemployed and get these assholes off the streets.