Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

[kenimpzoom]

In light of the recent nutcases shooting others I often wonder about the current policy of medicating the lunatics vs the old school way of locking them up in a mental hospital.

I have three cousins that are crazy, one finally killed himself after getting arrested for making a bomb, one is a drug addict living off the taxpayers money, and the other is still living at home living off the taxpayers money and on all kinds of meds.

I have seen the last one in action and if he is off his meds, I can see him doing harm to others.

What are your thoughts?

Ken

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

Blame Ronald Ray-gun.......
He did it as a co$t cutting measure,,,,,
As a society, we have to deal with them one way or another, but iti is way cheaper to not have them in custody.....JK

 

[JB]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

"Lunatics" is a very broad brush. It covers everything from habitual bad behavior to homicidal psychoses.

How do we know the differences between a simply bad person genetically disposed to evil and one who is ill with a treatable or even curable disorder?

Then there are those like the shooter in PA. This guy seemed okay in almost every way, but nursed an overwhelming rage for 20 years. . . or was it a trivial incident that was dredged up by an onset of psychosis? Will we ever know?

We know too little about why people behave in ways dangerous to lives and property of others, or that others perceive as dangerous.

Until we know better than we do now I say if they commit crimes, lock 'em up. If they don't commit crimes, try to treat/cure them.

Hmmm. That's pretty much what we do now.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

My question was, we used to lock them up where they could do no harm, now he medicate them and let them go home.

Now the drugs allow them to act semi-normal, but there can be triggers that set them off despite the medication. Also, many (like my cousin) stop taking the meds and then have episodes.

I have personally seen him in action. He scared the crap out of me. I left him during his episode and wasnt coming back, but I came back after 10 minutes cause I knew his parents were coming home and I didnt want him to meet them in his state of mind. I convinced him to go with me and the matter was difused by him getting arrested.

Andrea Yates... classic example. She was a nut but the meds let her act semi normal.

No, I dont know if these shooters were on medication, but I do know the first one should have been locked up. He obviosly had mental issues.

Ken

 

[Gone]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

Golly, I don't know. What do we do to rotties and pit bulls when they attack humans?? Why is that?? Because no one wants to take a second chance. I feel the same way about child molesters. I don't think that they can ever be rehabilitated.

CD

 

[tommays]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

Is anybody in jail for a violent crime sane ??

not in my book :devil:

Tommays

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

Locked up you know where they are and who they can affect.

On meds, IF they are taking them the same cannot be assured.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

Blame Ronald Ray-gun.......
He did it as a co$t cutting measure,,,,,
As a society, we have to deal with them one way or another, but iti is way cheaper to not have them in custody.....JK

Yeah, right.

What I remember was lawsuits claiming the gov't had no authority to lock them up.
Backed by liberal politicians, liberal lawyers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and liberal judges.

Given that you can't hold a person accountable that killed when they were "crazy", how could you lock up a person that hadn't killed?


Hmmmm, why weren't these do gooders fighting to euthanize these people? Oh wait, the assisted suicide topic wasn't on the agenda yet.


I believe this was decided long before Reagan.

So they opened the doors, let them out, gave them a bag of pills, and a disability check.

Job security for the police, judges, shrinks, etc.

 

[crunch]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

That pretty well sums it up...

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

No one is qualified to draw the line. I believe people can be insane on a temporary basis and others that are always in that state.

My wife works with adults in a residential care facility. They all have some sort of "mental" problems and they are all VERY medicated. Some residents have jobs and fruitful lives (at their level) and to see them in public or at work .... a normal person can not tell. They all have bad days and good days.

Honestly, I would not know how to make the decision. I believe that if they are violent they should be locked up. The people you describe can not be just medicated and sent home. There has to be supervision and constant control when it comes to medication being administered.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

Do neither,,,,,,,,,make em into organ donors to benefit others.

 

[Firestar]

Re: Medicating lunatics vs locking them up

lobotomize..........Vote for me......I'll set you free!