Letter to the Editor: Is there another color?

To the Editor:
Recent news and world reports have us talking a lot about Islamic terrorists, illegal aliens, Black activists, refugees, white supremacists, etc. We tend to identify the various factions of our society according to race, color and religion. When there is a need to talk about “scary” people that don’t fit into those categories, we have another very colorful group referred to as the ‘mentally ill’.
Persons with mental illness are typically invisible until something happens that draws attention to them, and then they stick out like the sore thumbs of our society. Battered and bruised they fumble at survival by trying too hard, giving up all together and everything in between. They can become far removed from being a productive member of society they lash out at themselves and/or others.
The mentally ill frequently choose to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, magnifying their symptoms. They will also engage in other addictions and activities that find these folks in jail where they are simply housed at taxpayers’ expense without being provided treatment.
Our Iowa Governor Branstad has chosen to close state treatment options for the chronic and persistent mentally ill. According to his office it is “cheaper to have them in jail”. Unfortunately, law enforcement personnel are not trained to handle the mentally ill and will understandably do whatever necessary to get these folks out of the prison system.
Medical professionals and hospitals are also eager to transfer the responsibility for a mentally ill individual to any person or agency available to free up their beds. There may be an added bonus for any willing caregiver of being able to access social security benefits for these patients. If prescription drugs and anonymity can keep them under control, a chronically mentally ill person can be a very vulnerable and valuable commodity.
In our rural areas there are very few options available for the mentally ill. Dwindling local services, funding and the lack of adequate safeguards on gun control can sadly result in some dangerous fireworks. It is only then we talk about what could or should have been done to avoid incidents of suicide, destruction and homicide involving mentally ill individuals.
It is important to note, statistics show the mentally ill are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent acts.
Even though a person with mental illness doesn’t necessarily fit into the commonly used categories for profiling of race or religious affiliation, these individuals can be quite colorful. Due to reductions in locally available services and support, the mentally ill tend to be heard about very little and seen only after it is too late.
Please think about it,

Ann A. Gallagher
"Catfish Annie"
Lansing