The man who took hostages today at the Rochester, NH, Clinton campaign office was seeking care for his mental illness. He didn't intend to hurt anyone, since he wasn't wearing a bomb, and not carrying a gun. The poor guy was a desperate drunk, apparently.
This whole situation is a bit ironic, in that the only reason this made the news is because of the office he choose to walk into. The sad truth is that desperate souls just like Lee Eisenberg go untreated every day. The walking wounded are mostly the silent, too. That is why they're so easy to ignore. Until the day when people like Lee Eisenberg act out, until Seung-Hui Cho decides to unleash a gun on nearly 40 unsuspecting students, until Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris decide to go crazy on other people.
How does this relate to politics, other than the obvious connection to Hillary Clinton? I'll tell you, and it's the reason that I don't have a very high opinion of former president Ronald Reagan. As governor of California, he started closing state mental hospitals, and as president he continued along the same path. Basically, it was the beginning of the current cycle we are experiencing: Homelessness, petty crime, brief jail stays, release and back on the street to fend for themselves without medication or counseling. These people will never get well in the criminal justice system.
It's time that we have universal health care, including treatment for mental illness and substance abuse. We all pay for the consequences of the chaotic system that currently exists. Mr. Eisenberg is just the latest headline.
I completely support Hillary, her staff and the law enforcement. I've worked in those offices myself. Trust me, I know how it is. But I also have a person in my past who has suffered greatly from mental illness, and wanted to make that connection for my readers. Thanks for chiming in. I appreciate it.
Posted by: Claire Celsi | December 1, 2007 4:55 AM | Permalink to Comment