November 22, 2009
UTNE READER

Shelf Life: A Criminally Insane System

(Page 3 of 3)

November-December 2008
by Danielle Maestretti 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

The American Prospect puts forth a decidedly wonky but commonsense proposal: Let the new president create a federal Office of Mental Health Policy. It seems ridiculous that one doesn’t already exist, given that close to half of all Americans experience some form of mental illness or substance-abuse disorder at one time or another. It’s clear that the disjointed, disconnected systems allow “far too many opportunities” for people to slip in and out of well-being.

RELATED CONTENT

Writing for High Country News (March 31, 2008), Ray Ring dreams of something a bit more ambitious, and controversial, than mental health courts and new federal agencies. In an unreserved and heartrending essay, Ring leads the readers of the Western politics magazine through the story of his “crazy brother” John, who drifted in and out of treatment, jail, and coherence until he committed suicide at 47. “If I were in charge,” Ring writes, “my program for crazy people would include a decent apartment, a good burrito, movies, hikes. And cats and dogs and whores, so the crazy people can touch and be touched physically, without judgment. And a place for hammering things to smithereens, without endangering other people.”

 

For every issue, Utne Reader combs its library of more than 1,500 independent publications to bring you the best of the alternative press.

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • Harold W. Ard 11/5/2008 4:11:23 PM

    “If I were in charge,” Ring writes, “my program for crazy people would include a decent apartment, a good burrito, movies, hikes. And cats and dogs and whores, so the crazy people can touch and be touched physically, without judgment. And a place for hammering things to smithereens, without endangering other people.”

    The statement above is correct. I, being an alcoholic/manic depressive, and being in the presence of many with the same illness believe this is the only method to be helpful to the mentally ill.

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!