What We Should Learn from the Washington Navy Yard Tragedy September 26, 2013mindmenderEditLeave a commentGo to comments So do we need a security system to protect our Nation’s SECURITY SYSTEM in keeping US safe by keeping THEM SAFE? What is going on here? Our Protection System now seems to need protection! This is simply crazy! And so was this shooter. A certified mentally ill man caused 12 horrible deaths, and our very own military did not catch his madness before the senseless killings occurred! I am not saying he is innocent, but I am saying that he fell so far through so many “cracks” that we must begin to look at and actually DO SOMETHING ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS IN THIS COUNTRY! The Navy discharged him “honorably” knowing he was a problem. He was a waiter at a Thai restaurant in Texas and had a pistol in his waistband while serving customers, let go. He shot a hole and nearly missed his upstairs neighbor because they were “making too much noise,” ignored. He complained of “hearing voices” and of a “microwave machine” trying to control his thinking, reported it to police, and that was let go too! Why? This man was truly schizophrenic, meaning he had an extreme difficulty discerning between reality and delusion. Unlike many psychopathic killers that claim to be mentally ill after the fact of their crime, this man was truly sick and would qualify for a verdict of being “guilty by reason of insanity,” but many systems missed it and blew it and 12 innocent people are dead because of it. He had a job, a gun permit, served in the Navy, and came across as a very “normal, friendly and likable guy!” Meanwhile, in his head he heard voices, was paranoid, and when he sought help, he got none. This is too true of MANY Americans with mental illness today! Not all are potential killers, but suffer severe torture nonetheless. The fact that he played violent video games for 18+ hours at a time, only serves to confirm that people who are not mentally stable can easily become influenced by the content of a “game.” Reality and fantasy are indistinguishable to them. Violent movies, songs, games, etc. serve as lightning rods for unstable, delusional, potentially violent individuals! However, are they to blame? Probably not. The people who were hired to secure the Washington Navy Yard may have been low-paid, and unqualified individuals, prone to not be as attentive to security as they are supposed to be! Not unlike many mental health “professionals” in State and Civil Service positions who are usually overworked, underpaid, and quite frankly, lazy! I know this from personal experience as a Social Worker in a State System were people exist to get paid more and do less! The mental health system in America in lay terms, SUCKS. Insurance companies are organized criminals that only exist to “save the shareholders money,” the State and Federal Systems are far over-worked and under-motivated, and people who NEED HELP are simply “pushed along” as if they should be somebody else’s job….. Sad, dangerous, preposterous and simply WRONG! So went Alexis and so perished 12 innocent people! Our country does below bare minimum for the mentally ill, and should be ashamed! Perhaps even tried in court if innocent people die by their insane, untreated hands! Ask any family who has a severely psychotic member how the “mental health system” has helped them and you will know what I say is true! I do not condone Alexis’ acts, but I condemn our “system’s” lack of detection, action and care! As violence in the media and video games, etc. only increases, our “system” of help should be rising! Unfortunately, that’s not happening. Medicare and Medicade and in my opinion any Federally-sponsored health insurance plans pay very little and expect much more of providers. Therefore, the BEST providers are not going to participate with them. Private insurance companies are all about profit! So they too will make the best providers avoid them. The people who can afford to pay “out-of-pocket” fees will get the Best of the Best while the poor get the “bottom-feeders,” and State or Federal care, which usually adds up to little. Do I as a Provider of mental health services like this?! No. I left the State system because although I provided exceptional care and concern to clients assigned to me, and I worked far beyond my peers, I could not stand the “red tape” or nonsensical expectations of my supervisors and “powers-that-be” that served only to take valuable time away from my help to clients! I made up a very telling expression when I worked for the State at a psychiatric hospital, and it went like this…. Hello Mrs. Jones! Yes, your son is here. I’m not sure how he is doing, but his chart is looking great! Yes. It was like that! So America, speak up! If we want safer lives where our kids can go to school in peace, we can watch a movie at a theater, go shopping at the mall, eat at a restaurant or believe our military is safe from insanity and harm, contact your Senators and DEMAND MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS BE RESPECTED AND COMPENSATED ACCORDINGLY! Otherwise, only the rich will survive, and I believe we have all seen enough of that.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 00:18:29 +0000
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