Re: Re: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdown

January 10, 2011

Sorry, Jim, but neither hunting nor personal protection requires the ability to fire 30 rounds within a few seconds. Our founding fathers surely did not foresee such a capability when the Constitution was drafted. We do not need additional gun laws, though, as the 22k+ on the books now would suffice, if only enforced. It's a slippery slope some of our elected officials are proposing. To deny guns to, as I heard one propose, "anyone who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder" will disqualify MANY cops, federal agents, law-abiding citizens. I am a definite moderate on gun issues. Right-to-bear balanced with reason.TerrySent via BlackBerry by AT&TFrom: Jim <mofunnow@...>Sender: SSRI medications Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:07:07 -0600<SSRI medications >Reply SSRI medications Subject: Re: Re: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdown , Please understand most original settlers of America had guns forhunting and protection and are used to them and their kin do not want togive them upor the tradition.I grew up eating fresh meat and guns hung over the inside of mygrandfather's front door for easy reach on the way out.It's a part of life here for many but there are many who havenever held a gun also and don't care for them.In Arizona you can carry your AK-47 around on your shoulder or apistol on your beltor concealed with no training/certifications. I think you musthave some training in common sense handling of firearms or there will be preventable accidents.Add violence causing drugs and we get mass killings. Banning gunsor clip sizes is not looking at the real problem, it's justreducing more freedoms for the rest of us, a typical response.There can be extremists anywhere I guess but that's like thinkingall Irish were bombing British buildings and fighting with the IRA, it's just not so.JimOn 1/10/2011 4:15 PM, jeremy9282 wrote:TerryI've lived in N Ireland for more years than I care to remember & I haveseen sights during the troubles that leave an indelible mark, but thevast majority view of the people here is that they would not care to ownpersonal protection even if it were legal so to do.It is interesting to see, something I could have never predicted, thatthe extreemists have been brought in from the cold & now form part ofthe government.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blackberry/p.html?id=806381ï¿¼ï¿¼Noel Irwin Hentschel: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdownâ January 9, 2011 13:38:21The tragic and devastating attack in Tucson, Arizona on U.S.Representative le Giffords and other innocent victims includingthe killing of a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge was, sadly,preventable if the exceedingly ineffective mental health laws inAmericawere changed. America's mental health system is undeniably broken andmust be fixed to ensure that those who need treatment be required toreceive it for the safety and well being of society as a whole.If any good is to come out of this horrifying event it must be forlegislators on federal, state and local levels to undertake immediatein-depth hearings that lead to a definitive change of America's lawsfortreating mental health patients. Insurance companies must be requiredtoprovide the same health benefits for mental disease as they do for allother illnesses so that patients can be properly treated. Legislatorsmust publicly interview expert witnesses who deal on a daily basiswiththe overwhelmingly bureaucratic and legal obstacles in their effortstotry to help people with mental diseases. To this end, legislators mustlisten to family members, law enforcement, medical professionals andtheNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); these are the ones whoknowthe solutions as well as the obstacles.As information of this chaotic episode, initially referred to asan"assassination attack," evolved and was shared by the media, mostpeoplerushed to the conclusion that either drug cartel gangsters orterroristsfrom Mexico, the Middle East or our own homegrown extremists wereresponsible. It was only when the perpetrator was finally identifiedasa young 22-year-old white male and his irrational Internet rants wereread that the media began to describe him as "one of the crazies" or"nuts."This label is particularly painful for those who are advocates forproactively treating people with mental disorders. Loughner'sclassmatesare reported as stating that he was "consistently disruptive in class"and "obviously very disturbed." Yet who reported this troublingbehaviorto any officials that could have tried to help him and what steps ifany, were taken, one must inquire. The bar is so high for provingsomeone is a threat to themselves or to others that they literallyhaveto already be in the middle of a horrendous act like this viciousattackfor law enforcement, family or medical professionals to be able toprovide treatment to the disturbed person. What a travesty of justicefor all concerned!Throughout the day the focus of the media was understandably onthecondition of Representative Giffords presuming that she was theprimarytarget which is probably why the main experts commenting, at leastinitially, have been from the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Securityandother government officials as opposed to interviewing mental healthexperts to better understand the how and why this happened. Mentalillness may not be an excuse for crimes but it certainly can be whatcaused and motivated someone to commit a crime if the person goesuntreated. Begging one to consider who is ultimately responsible forthese heinous acts and to discuss if there is any culpability by thosethat ignore the dire need and calamitous consequences of leaving thecurrent mental health laws we have unchanged.There is a critical breakdown of mental health care in Americabecause it is not considered a disease that is popular to address andthere is a definite stigma attached to admitting mental illness. Wecanand must do something about it before more innocent lives are lostincluding the lives of the sick and untreated, some who may becomeperpetrators of crimes. Laws must be enacted that allow for thehospitalization and proper medical treatment for the amount of timenecessary for recovery followed by compassionate care in aprofessionallocked or unlocked facility depending on the condition of the patientuntil they are able to function in society and they should be assistedto become a contributing member of the community.Seventy-two hours, 14 days or even 30 days is not adequate fortreating mental health or substance abuse patients, so they constantlyare walking through a revolving door. One of those revolving doors forasick person can be into a local market armed with violent thoughts,until we change the laws. There must be legal avenues that are notonerous and debilitating emotionally and financially for families tohelp their loved ones. It is critical that there be ongoingcounseling,therapy and monitoring of the compliance of proper medication beingtaken by the patient to treat the chemical imbalance that causesmentaldiseases such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bi-polardisorder. For the record, many times this chemical imbalance istriggered by the use of illegal drugs -- especially marijuana andecstasy are culprits particularly if there is any hereditarypre-disposition according to in-depth studies and analysis by leadingpsychiatrists in Switzerland and Germany. It's worth noting thatLoughner is reported to have a long history of marijuana use. Anothercountry with a long history of how the mental health system shouldworkis Ireland where there are a high proportion of families who havelovedones with a mental disease. I have participated in numerousconferenceswith the most respected psychiatrists in these countries and havefoundtheir experience to be enormously helpful for America to embrace.According to mental health professional and expert F. FullerTorreyin his 2008 research book called The Insanity Defense: How America'sFailure to Treat the Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens weare informed that 4,000,000 Americans are believed to have severepsychiatric disorders with a subset of 400,000 homeless and untreatednot complying with their needed medications and another sub-sub set of40,000 considered the most dangerous, not being treated or taking medsand demonstrating very violent behavior. This count does not includethevast numbers who are not properly diagnosed in our nation.Prisons have become the new mental health institutions acrossAmerica. A perfect example of this is the Twin Towers Jail in downtownLos Angeles. It was built in recent years to house prisoners butinsteadit is the solution for housing patients that have committed crimesbecause they are free to do so of their own volition instead of beingrequired to comply with mental health treatment. There are more than100,000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles that are homeless.Recent studies undertaken by U.S.C. and provided by First AME ChurchinLos Angeles indicate that more than half of these fellow citizensshouldbe in health care facilities being treated for mental disease, drugaddiction and substance abuse.For as long as I can remember I have worked to help those withmental diseases and addictions both within my family as well as caringfor those who are on the streets. I have personally witnessed everyaspect of the mental health debacle in California and in our nationfromthe nineteen sixties until today including the defunding and the pleasfor help by the people and families affected directly by it.Unfortunately, the overwhelming consensus by these distressedfamilies,frustrated law enforcement and medical field professionals is that theACLU by fighting and providing funding for laws that supposedlyprotectthe rights of those afflicted with mental diseases have actually donemore to ruin their lives than to help them.Funding for mental health, or more accurately the lack of fundingfor it, is one of the major hurdles that must be overcome. Ournation'seconomic woes make it an even greater challenge for the 112th Congressthat Speaker of the House Boehner recently swore RepresentativeGiffordsin to serve. However as a nation with a conscience if we do NOT investthe time and resources on the critical breakdown of mental health carein America, today's violent tragedy in Arizona will be repeatedsomewhere else, in some way, tomorrow and the day after until wechangethe laws. The mental health researcher Torrey points to the killing offormer Congressman Allard Lowenstein on March 12, 1980 by Stanfordgraduate Dennis Sweeney who shot him and was diagnosed with paranoidschizophrenia but left untreated.As a businessperson, I know what it means to make tough fiscalchoices and as a mother I know what it mean to use "tough love"measures. We need new legislation that encompasses both of theseconsiderations. For the families who lost their loved ones and tothosewho found theirs injured, our thoughts and prayers are with them. Wecontinue to pray for le Giffords, whose recovery thus far froma"bullet to the brain" is nothing short of miraculous. We should alsoconvey our sympathy for the family of Loughner who may have seenthe signs of his illness as illustrated in his delusional rants andnonsensical ramblings on the internet but like all who have tried tohelp loved ones, they may have found it to be disheartening andimpossible until the critical breakdown of America's mental healthcareis addressed and the laws are changed to protect the victims andpro-actively treat the sick perpetrator.There were many heroic efforts in Tucson of people helping to savelives and comfort the afflicted as a result of this tragedy; hopefullythese words from The Book of Job are an inspirational reminder duringthis time of deep sadness in Arizona and across America:"When I smiled on them they were reassured; mourners took comfortfrom my cheerful glance, I chose out their way and presided; I took aking's place in the armed forces. Whoever heard of me blessed me;thosewho saw me commended me. For I rescued the poor who cried out forhelp,the orphans, and the unassisted; The blessing of those in extremitycameupon me, and the heart of the widow I made joyful. I wore my honestylike a garment; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to theblind, and feet to the lame was I; (Job 29:24-25,11-15)."Noel Irwin Hentschel serves on the Board of Governors ofCedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles and is a former Advisory BoardMemberfor Mental Health for the U.K. Royal Society of Medicine. She isChair/CEO of Americantours International and The Noel Foundation basedin Los Angeles with offices throughout North America and China andhumanitarian programs in 70 countries. She specializes in WorldReligions and Global Ethics at the Franciscan School of Theology.Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T------------------------------------

January 10, 2011

Sorry, Jim, but neither hunting nor personal protection requires the ability to fire 30 rounds within a few seconds. Our founding fathers surely did not foresee such a capability when the Constitution was drafted. We do not need additional gun laws, though, as the 22k+ on the books now would suffice, if only enforced. It's a slippery slope some of our elected officials are proposing. To deny guns to, as I heard one propose, "anyone who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder" will disqualify MANY cops, federal agents, law-abiding citizens. I am a definite moderate on gun issues. Right-to-bear balanced with reason.TerrySent via BlackBerry by AT&TFrom: Jim <mofunnow@...>Sender: SSRI medications Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:07:07 -0600<SSRI medications >Reply SSRI medications Subject: Re: Re: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdown , Please understand most original settlers of America had guns forhunting and protection and are used to them and their kin do not want togive them upor the tradition.I grew up eating fresh meat and guns hung over the inside of mygrandfather's front door for easy reach on the way out.It's a part of life here for many but there are many who havenever held a gun also and don't care for them.In Arizona you can carry your AK-47 around on your shoulder or apistol on your beltor concealed with no training/certifications. I think you musthave some training in common sense handling of firearms or there will be preventable accidents.Add violence causing drugs and we get mass killings. Banning gunsor clip sizes is not looking at the real problem, it's justreducing more freedoms for the rest of us, a typical response.There can be extremists anywhere I guess but that's like thinkingall Irish were bombing British buildings and fighting with the IRA, it's just not so.JimOn 1/10/2011 4:15 PM, jeremy9282 wrote:TerryI've lived in N Ireland for more years than I care to remember & I haveseen sights during the troubles that leave an indelible mark, but thevast majority view of the people here is that they would not care to ownpersonal protection even if it were legal so to do.It is interesting to see, something I could have never predicted, thatthe extreemists have been brought in from the cold & now form part ofthe government.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blackberry/p.html?id=806381ï¿¼ï¿¼Noel Irwin Hentschel: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdownâ January 9, 2011 13:38:21The tragic and devastating attack in Tucson, Arizona on U.S.Representative le Giffords and other innocent victims includingthe killing of a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge was, sadly,preventable if the exceedingly ineffective mental health laws inAmericawere changed. America's mental health system is undeniably broken andmust be fixed to ensure that those who need treatment be required toreceive it for the safety and well being of society as a whole.If any good is to come out of this horrifying event it must be forlegislators on federal, state and local levels to undertake immediatein-depth hearings that lead to a definitive change of America's lawsfortreating mental health patients. Insurance companies must be requiredtoprovide the same health benefits for mental disease as they do for allother illnesses so that patients can be properly treated. Legislatorsmust publicly interview expert witnesses who deal on a daily basiswiththe overwhelmingly bureaucratic and legal obstacles in their effortstotry to help people with mental diseases. To this end, legislators mustlisten to family members, law enforcement, medical professionals andtheNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); these are the ones whoknowthe solutions as well as the obstacles.As information of this chaotic episode, initially referred to asan"assassination attack," evolved and was shared by the media, mostpeoplerushed to the conclusion that either drug cartel gangsters orterroristsfrom Mexico, the Middle East or our own homegrown extremists wereresponsible. It was only when the perpetrator was finally identifiedasa young 22-year-old white male and his irrational Internet rants wereread that the media began to describe him as "one of the crazies" or"nuts."This label is particularly painful for those who are advocates forproactively treating people with mental disorders. Loughner'sclassmatesare reported as stating that he was "consistently disruptive in class"and "obviously very disturbed." Yet who reported this troublingbehaviorto any officials that could have tried to help him and what steps ifany, were taken, one must inquire. The bar is so high for provingsomeone is a threat to themselves or to others that they literallyhaveto already be in the middle of a horrendous act like this viciousattackfor law enforcement, family or medical professionals to be able toprovide treatment to the disturbed person. What a travesty of justicefor all concerned!Throughout the day the focus of the media was understandably onthecondition of Representative Giffords presuming that she was theprimarytarget which is probably why the main experts commenting, at leastinitially, have been from the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Securityandother government officials as opposed to interviewing mental healthexperts to better understand the how and why this happened. Mentalillness may not be an excuse for crimes but it certainly can be whatcaused and motivated someone to commit a crime if the person goesuntreated. Begging one to consider who is ultimately responsible forthese heinous acts and to discuss if there is any culpability by thosethat ignore the dire need and calamitous consequences of leaving thecurrent mental health laws we have unchanged.There is a critical breakdown of mental health care in Americabecause it is not considered a disease that is popular to address andthere is a definite stigma attached to admitting mental illness. Wecanand must do something about it before more innocent lives are lostincluding the lives of the sick and untreated, some who may becomeperpetrators of crimes. Laws must be enacted that allow for thehospitalization and proper medical treatment for the amount of timenecessary for recovery followed by compassionate care in aprofessionallocked or unlocked facility depending on the condition of the patientuntil they are able to function in society and they should be assistedto become a contributing member of the community.Seventy-two hours, 14 days or even 30 days is not adequate fortreating mental health or substance abuse patients, so they constantlyare walking through a revolving door. One of those revolving doors forasick person can be into a local market armed with violent thoughts,until we change the laws. There must be legal avenues that are notonerous and debilitating emotionally and financially for families tohelp their loved ones. It is critical that there be ongoingcounseling,therapy and monitoring of the compliance of proper medication beingtaken by the patient to treat the chemical imbalance that causesmentaldiseases such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bi-polardisorder. For the record, many times this chemical imbalance istriggered by the use of illegal drugs -- especially marijuana andecstasy are culprits particularly if there is any hereditarypre-disposition according to in-depth studies and analysis by leadingpsychiatrists in Switzerland and Germany. It's worth noting thatLoughner is reported to have a long history of marijuana use. Anothercountry with a long history of how the mental health system shouldworkis Ireland where there are a high proportion of families who havelovedones with a mental disease. I have participated in numerousconferenceswith the most respected psychiatrists in these countries and havefoundtheir experience to be enormously helpful for America to embrace.According to mental health professional and expert F. FullerTorreyin his 2008 research book called The Insanity Defense: How America'sFailure to Treat the Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens weare informed that 4,000,000 Americans are believed to have severepsychiatric disorders with a subset of 400,000 homeless and untreatednot complying with their needed medications and another sub-sub set of40,000 considered the most dangerous, not being treated or taking medsand demonstrating very violent behavior. This count does not includethevast numbers who are not properly diagnosed in our nation.Prisons have become the new mental health institutions acrossAmerica. A perfect example of this is the Twin Towers Jail in downtownLos Angeles. It was built in recent years to house prisoners butinsteadit is the solution for housing patients that have committed crimesbecause they are free to do so of their own volition instead of beingrequired to comply with mental health treatment. There are more than100,000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles that are homeless.Recent studies undertaken by U.S.C. and provided by First AME ChurchinLos Angeles indicate that more than half of these fellow citizensshouldbe in health care facilities being treated for mental disease, drugaddiction and substance abuse.For as long as I can remember I have worked to help those withmental diseases and addictions both within my family as well as caringfor those who are on the streets. I have personally witnessed everyaspect of the mental health debacle in California and in our nationfromthe nineteen sixties until today including the defunding and the pleasfor help by the people and families affected directly by it.Unfortunately, the overwhelming consensus by these distressedfamilies,frustrated law enforcement and medical field professionals is that theACLU by fighting and providing funding for laws that supposedlyprotectthe rights of those afflicted with mental diseases have actually donemore to ruin their lives than to help them.Funding for mental health, or more accurately the lack of fundingfor it, is one of the major hurdles that must be overcome. Ournation'seconomic woes make it an even greater challenge for the 112th Congressthat Speaker of the House Boehner recently swore RepresentativeGiffordsin to serve. However as a nation with a conscience if we do NOT investthe time and resources on the critical breakdown of mental health carein America, today's violent tragedy in Arizona will be repeatedsomewhere else, in some way, tomorrow and the day after until wechangethe laws. The mental health researcher Torrey points to the killing offormer Congressman Allard Lowenstein on March 12, 1980 by Stanfordgraduate Dennis Sweeney who shot him and was diagnosed with paranoidschizophrenia but left untreated.As a businessperson, I know what it means to make tough fiscalchoices and as a mother I know what it mean to use "tough love"measures. We need new legislation that encompasses both of theseconsiderations. For the families who lost their loved ones and tothosewho found theirs injured, our thoughts and prayers are with them. Wecontinue to pray for le Giffords, whose recovery thus far froma"bullet to the brain" is nothing short of miraculous. We should alsoconvey our sympathy for the family of Loughner who may have seenthe signs of his illness as illustrated in his delusional rants andnonsensical ramblings on the internet but like all who have tried tohelp loved ones, they may have found it to be disheartening andimpossible until the critical breakdown of America's mental healthcareis addressed and the laws are changed to protect the victims andpro-actively treat the sick perpetrator.There were many heroic efforts in Tucson of people helping to savelives and comfort the afflicted as a result of this tragedy; hopefullythese words from The Book of Job are an inspirational reminder duringthis time of deep sadness in Arizona and across America:"When I smiled on them they were reassured; mourners took comfortfrom my cheerful glance, I chose out their way and presided; I took aking's place in the armed forces. Whoever heard of me blessed me;thosewho saw me commended me. For I rescued the poor who cried out forhelp,the orphans, and the unassisted; The blessing of those in extremitycameupon me, and the heart of the widow I made joyful. I wore my honestylike a garment; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to theblind, and feet to the lame was I; (Job 29:24-25,11-15)."Noel Irwin Hentschel serves on the Board of Governors ofCedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles and is a former Advisory BoardMemberfor Mental Health for the U.K. Royal Society of Medicine. She isChair/CEO of Americantours International and The Noel Foundation basedin Los Angeles with offices throughout North America and China andhumanitarian programs in 70 countries. She specializes in WorldReligions and Global Ethics at the Franciscan School of Theology.Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T------------------------------------

January 10, 2011

Sorry, Jim, but neither hunting nor personal protection requires the ability to fire 30 rounds within a few seconds. Our founding fathers surely did not foresee such a capability when the Constitution was drafted. We do not need additional gun laws, though, as the 22k+ on the books now would suffice, if only enforced. It's a slippery slope some of our elected officials are proposing. To deny guns to, as I heard one propose, "anyone who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder" will disqualify MANY cops, federal agents, law-abiding citizens. I am a definite moderate on gun issues. Right-to-bear balanced with reason.TerrySent via BlackBerry by AT&TFrom: Jim <mofunnow@...>Sender: SSRI medications Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:07:07 -0600<SSRI medications >Reply SSRI medications Subject: Re: Re: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdown , Please understand most original settlers of America had guns forhunting and protection and are used to them and their kin do not want togive them upor the tradition.I grew up eating fresh meat and guns hung over the inside of mygrandfather's front door for easy reach on the way out.It's a part of life here for many but there are many who havenever held a gun also and don't care for them.In Arizona you can carry your AK-47 around on your shoulder or apistol on your beltor concealed with no training/certifications. I think you musthave some training in common sense handling of firearms or there will be preventable accidents.Add violence causing drugs and we get mass killings. Banning gunsor clip sizes is not looking at the real problem, it's justreducing more freedoms for the rest of us, a typical response.There can be extremists anywhere I guess but that's like thinkingall Irish were bombing British buildings and fighting with the IRA, it's just not so.JimOn 1/10/2011 4:15 PM, jeremy9282 wrote:TerryI've lived in N Ireland for more years than I care to remember & I haveseen sights during the troubles that leave an indelible mark, but thevast majority view of the people here is that they would not care to ownpersonal protection even if it were legal so to do.It is interesting to see, something I could have never predicted, thatthe extreemists have been brought in from the cold & now form part ofthe government.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blackberry/p.html?id=806381ï¿¼ï¿¼Noel Irwin Hentschel: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdownâ January 9, 2011 13:38:21The tragic and devastating attack in Tucson, Arizona on U.S.Representative le Giffords and other innocent victims includingthe killing of a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge was, sadly,preventable if the exceedingly ineffective mental health laws inAmericawere changed. America's mental health system is undeniably broken andmust be fixed to ensure that those who need treatment be required toreceive it for the safety and well being of society as a whole.If any good is to come out of this horrifying event it must be forlegislators on federal, state and local levels to undertake immediatein-depth hearings that lead to a definitive change of America's lawsfortreating mental health patients. Insurance companies must be requiredtoprovide the same health benefits for mental disease as they do for allother illnesses so that patients can be properly treated. Legislatorsmust publicly interview expert witnesses who deal on a daily basiswiththe overwhelmingly bureaucratic and legal obstacles in their effortstotry to help people with mental diseases. To this end, legislators mustlisten to family members, law enforcement, medical professionals andtheNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); these are the ones whoknowthe solutions as well as the obstacles.As information of this chaotic episode, initially referred to asan"assassination attack," evolved and was shared by the media, mostpeoplerushed to the conclusion that either drug cartel gangsters orterroristsfrom Mexico, the Middle East or our own homegrown extremists wereresponsible. It was only when the perpetrator was finally identifiedasa young 22-year-old white male and his irrational Internet rants wereread that the media began to describe him as "one of the crazies" or"nuts."This label is particularly painful for those who are advocates forproactively treating people with mental disorders. Loughner'sclassmatesare reported as stating that he was "consistently disruptive in class"and "obviously very disturbed." Yet who reported this troublingbehaviorto any officials that could have tried to help him and what steps ifany, were taken, one must inquire. The bar is so high for provingsomeone is a threat to themselves or to others that they literallyhaveto already be in the middle of a horrendous act like this viciousattackfor law enforcement, family or medical professionals to be able toprovide treatment to the disturbed person. What a travesty of justicefor all concerned!Throughout the day the focus of the media was understandably onthecondition of Representative Giffords presuming that she was theprimarytarget which is probably why the main experts commenting, at leastinitially, have been from the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Securityandother government officials as opposed to interviewing mental healthexperts to better understand the how and why this happened. Mentalillness may not be an excuse for crimes but it certainly can be whatcaused and motivated someone to commit a crime if the person goesuntreated. Begging one to consider who is ultimately responsible forthese heinous acts and to discuss if there is any culpability by thosethat ignore the dire need and calamitous consequences of leaving thecurrent mental health laws we have unchanged.There is a critical breakdown of mental health care in Americabecause it is not considered a disease that is popular to address andthere is a definite stigma attached to admitting mental illness. Wecanand must do something about it before more innocent lives are lostincluding the lives of the sick and untreated, some who may becomeperpetrators of crimes. Laws must be enacted that allow for thehospitalization and proper medical treatment for the amount of timenecessary for recovery followed by compassionate care in aprofessionallocked or unlocked facility depending on the condition of the patientuntil they are able to function in society and they should be assistedto become a contributing member of the community.Seventy-two hours, 14 days or even 30 days is not adequate fortreating mental health or substance abuse patients, so they constantlyare walking through a revolving door. One of those revolving doors forasick person can be into a local market armed with violent thoughts,until we change the laws. There must be legal avenues that are notonerous and debilitating emotionally and financially for families tohelp their loved ones. It is critical that there be ongoingcounseling,therapy and monitoring of the compliance of proper medication beingtaken by the patient to treat the chemical imbalance that causesmentaldiseases such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bi-polardisorder. For the record, many times this chemical imbalance istriggered by the use of illegal drugs -- especially marijuana andecstasy are culprits particularly if there is any hereditarypre-disposition according to in-depth studies and analysis by leadingpsychiatrists in Switzerland and Germany. It's worth noting thatLoughner is reported to have a long history of marijuana use. Anothercountry with a long history of how the mental health system shouldworkis Ireland where there are a high proportion of families who havelovedones with a mental disease. I have participated in numerousconferenceswith the most respected psychiatrists in these countries and havefoundtheir experience to be enormously helpful for America to embrace.According to mental health professional and expert F. FullerTorreyin his 2008 research book called The Insanity Defense: How America'sFailure to Treat the Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens weare informed that 4,000,000 Americans are believed to have severepsychiatric disorders with a subset of 400,000 homeless and untreatednot complying with their needed medications and another sub-sub set of40,000 considered the most dangerous, not being treated or taking medsand demonstrating very violent behavior. This count does not includethevast numbers who are not properly diagnosed in our nation.Prisons have become the new mental health institutions acrossAmerica. A perfect example of this is the Twin Towers Jail in downtownLos Angeles. It was built in recent years to house prisoners butinsteadit is the solution for housing patients that have committed crimesbecause they are free to do so of their own volition instead of beingrequired to comply with mental health treatment. There are more than100,000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles that are homeless.Recent studies undertaken by U.S.C. and provided by First AME ChurchinLos Angeles indicate that more than half of these fellow citizensshouldbe in health care facilities being treated for mental disease, drugaddiction and substance abuse.For as long as I can remember I have worked to help those withmental diseases and addictions both within my family as well as caringfor those who are on the streets. I have personally witnessed everyaspect of the mental health debacle in California and in our nationfromthe nineteen sixties until today including the defunding and the pleasfor help by the people and families affected directly by it.Unfortunately, the overwhelming consensus by these distressedfamilies,frustrated law enforcement and medical field professionals is that theACLU by fighting and providing funding for laws that supposedlyprotectthe rights of those afflicted with mental diseases have actually donemore to ruin their lives than to help them.Funding for mental health, or more accurately the lack of fundingfor it, is one of the major hurdles that must be overcome. Ournation'seconomic woes make it an even greater challenge for the 112th Congressthat Speaker of the House Boehner recently swore RepresentativeGiffordsin to serve. However as a nation with a conscience if we do NOT investthe time and resources on the critical breakdown of mental health carein America, today's violent tragedy in Arizona will be repeatedsomewhere else, in some way, tomorrow and the day after until wechangethe laws. The mental health researcher Torrey points to the killing offormer Congressman Allard Lowenstein on March 12, 1980 by Stanfordgraduate Dennis Sweeney who shot him and was diagnosed with paranoidschizophrenia but left untreated.As a businessperson, I know what it means to make tough fiscalchoices and as a mother I know what it mean to use "tough love"measures. We need new legislation that encompasses both of theseconsiderations. For the families who lost their loved ones and tothosewho found theirs injured, our thoughts and prayers are with them. Wecontinue to pray for le Giffords, whose recovery thus far froma"bullet to the brain" is nothing short of miraculous. We should alsoconvey our sympathy for the family of Loughner who may have seenthe signs of his illness as illustrated in his delusional rants andnonsensical ramblings on the internet but like all who have tried tohelp loved ones, they may have found it to be disheartening andimpossible until the critical breakdown of America's mental healthcareis addressed and the laws are changed to protect the victims andpro-actively treat the sick perpetrator.There were many heroic efforts in Tucson of people helping to savelives and comfort the afflicted as a result of this tragedy; hopefullythese words from The Book of Job are an inspirational reminder duringthis time of deep sadness in Arizona and across America:"When I smiled on them they were reassured; mourners took comfortfrom my cheerful glance, I chose out their way and presided; I took aking's place in the armed forces. Whoever heard of me blessed me;thosewho saw me commended me. For I rescued the poor who cried out forhelp,the orphans, and the unassisted; The blessing of those in extremitycameupon me, and the heart of the widow I made joyful. I wore my honestylike a garment; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to theblind, and feet to the lame was I; (Job 29:24-25,11-15)."Noel Irwin Hentschel serves on the Board of Governors ofCedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles and is a former Advisory BoardMemberfor Mental Health for the U.K. Royal Society of Medicine. She isChair/CEO of Americantours International and The Noel Foundation basedin Los Angeles with offices throughout North America and China andhumanitarian programs in 70 countries. She specializes in WorldReligions and Global Ethics at the Franciscan School of Theology.Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T------------------------------------

January 10, 2011

Sorry, Jim, but neither hunting nor personal protection requires the ability to fire 30 rounds within a few seconds. Our founding fathers surely did not foresee such a capability when the Constitution was drafted. We do not need additional gun laws, though, as the 22k+ on the books now would suffice, if only enforced. It's a slippery slope some of our elected officials are proposing. To deny guns to, as I heard one propose, "anyone who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder" will disqualify MANY cops, federal agents, law-abiding citizens. I am a definite moderate on gun issues. Right-to-bear balanced with reason.TerrySent via BlackBerry by AT&TFrom: Jim <mofunnow@...>Sender: SSRI medications Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:07:07 -0600<SSRI medications >Reply SSRI medications Subject: Re: Re: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdown , Please understand most original settlers of America had guns forhunting and protection and are used to them and their kin do not want togive them upor the tradition.I grew up eating fresh meat and guns hung over the inside of mygrandfather's front door for easy reach on the way out.It's a part of life here for many but there are many who havenever held a gun also and don't care for them.In Arizona you can carry your AK-47 around on your shoulder or apistol on your beltor concealed with no training/certifications. I think you musthave some training in common sense handling of firearms or there will be preventable accidents.Add violence causing drugs and we get mass killings. Banning gunsor clip sizes is not looking at the real problem, it's justreducing more freedoms for the rest of us, a typical response.There can be extremists anywhere I guess but that's like thinkingall Irish were bombing British buildings and fighting with the IRA, it's just not so.JimOn 1/10/2011 4:15 PM, jeremy9282 wrote:TerryI've lived in N Ireland for more years than I care to remember & I haveseen sights during the troubles that leave an indelible mark, but thevast majority view of the people here is that they would not care to ownpersonal protection even if it were legal so to do.It is interesting to see, something I could have never predicted, thatthe extreemists have been brought in from the cold & now form part ofthe government.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blackberry/p.html?id=806381ï¿¼ï¿¼Noel Irwin Hentschel: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdownâ January 9, 2011 13:38:21The tragic and devastating attack in Tucson, Arizona on U.S.Representative le Giffords and other innocent victims includingthe killing of a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge was, sadly,preventable if the exceedingly ineffective mental health laws inAmericawere changed. America's mental health system is undeniably broken andmust be fixed to ensure that those who need treatment be required toreceive it for the safety and well being of society as a whole.If any good is to come out of this horrifying event it must be forlegislators on federal, state and local levels to undertake immediatein-depth hearings that lead to a definitive change of America's lawsfortreating mental health patients. Insurance companies must be requiredtoprovide the same health benefits for mental disease as they do for allother illnesses so that patients can be properly treated. Legislatorsmust publicly interview expert witnesses who deal on a daily basiswiththe overwhelmingly bureaucratic and legal obstacles in their effortstotry to help people with mental diseases. To this end, legislators mustlisten to family members, law enforcement, medical professionals andtheNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); these are the ones whoknowthe solutions as well as the obstacles.As information of this chaotic episode, initially referred to asan"assassination attack," evolved and was shared by the media, mostpeoplerushed to the conclusion that either drug cartel gangsters orterroristsfrom Mexico, the Middle East or our own homegrown extremists wereresponsible. It was only when the perpetrator was finally identifiedasa young 22-year-old white male and his irrational Internet rants wereread that the media began to describe him as "one of the crazies" or"nuts."This label is particularly painful for those who are advocates forproactively treating people with mental disorders. Loughner'sclassmatesare reported as stating that he was "consistently disruptive in class"and "obviously very disturbed." Yet who reported this troublingbehaviorto any officials that could have tried to help him and what steps ifany, were taken, one must inquire. The bar is so high for provingsomeone is a threat to themselves or to others that they literallyhaveto already be in the middle of a horrendous act like this viciousattackfor law enforcement, family or medical professionals to be able toprovide treatment to the disturbed person. What a travesty of justicefor all concerned!Throughout the day the focus of the media was understandably onthecondition of Representative Giffords presuming that she was theprimarytarget which is probably why the main experts commenting, at leastinitially, have been from the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Securityandother government officials as opposed to interviewing mental healthexperts to better understand the how and why this happened. Mentalillness may not be an excuse for crimes but it certainly can be whatcaused and motivated someone to commit a crime if the person goesuntreated. Begging one to consider who is ultimately responsible forthese heinous acts and to discuss if there is any culpability by thosethat ignore the dire need and calamitous consequences of leaving thecurrent mental health laws we have unchanged.There is a critical breakdown of mental health care in Americabecause it is not considered a disease that is popular to address andthere is a definite stigma attached to admitting mental illness. Wecanand must do something about it before more innocent lives are lostincluding the lives of the sick and untreated, some who may becomeperpetrators of crimes. Laws must be enacted that allow for thehospitalization and proper medical treatment for the amount of timenecessary for recovery followed by compassionate care in aprofessionallocked or unlocked facility depending on the condition of the patientuntil they are able to function in society and they should be assistedto become a contributing member of the community.Seventy-two hours, 14 days or even 30 days is not adequate fortreating mental health or substance abuse patients, so they constantlyare walking through a revolving door. One of those revolving doors forasick person can be into a local market armed with violent thoughts,until we change the laws. There must be legal avenues that are notonerous and debilitating emotionally and financially for families tohelp their loved ones. It is critical that there be ongoingcounseling,therapy and monitoring of the compliance of proper medication beingtaken by the patient to treat the chemical imbalance that causesmentaldiseases such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bi-polardisorder. For the record, many times this chemical imbalance istriggered by the use of illegal drugs -- especially marijuana andecstasy are culprits particularly if there is any hereditarypre-disposition according to in-depth studies and analysis by leadingpsychiatrists in Switzerland and Germany. It's worth noting thatLoughner is reported to have a long history of marijuana use. Anothercountry with a long history of how the mental health system shouldworkis Ireland where there are a high proportion of families who havelovedones with a mental disease. I have participated in numerousconferenceswith the most respected psychiatrists in these countries and havefoundtheir experience to be enormously helpful for America to embrace.According to mental health professional and expert F. FullerTorreyin his 2008 research book called The Insanity Defense: How America'sFailure to Treat the Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens weare informed that 4,000,000 Americans are believed to have severepsychiatric disorders with a subset of 400,000 homeless and untreatednot complying with their needed medications and another sub-sub set of40,000 considered the most dangerous, not being treated or taking medsand demonstrating very violent behavior. This count does not includethevast numbers who are not properly diagnosed in our nation.Prisons have become the new mental health institutions acrossAmerica. A perfect example of this is the Twin Towers Jail in downtownLos Angeles. It was built in recent years to house prisoners butinsteadit is the solution for housing patients that have committed crimesbecause they are free to do so of their own volition instead of beingrequired to comply with mental health treatment. There are more than100,000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles that are homeless.Recent studies undertaken by U.S.C. and provided by First AME ChurchinLos Angeles indicate that more than half of these fellow citizensshouldbe in health care facilities being treated for mental disease, drugaddiction and substance abuse.For as long as I can remember I have worked to help those withmental diseases and addictions both within my family as well as caringfor those who are on the streets. I have personally witnessed everyaspect of the mental health debacle in California and in our nationfromthe nineteen sixties until today including the defunding and the pleasfor help by the people and families affected directly by it.Unfortunately, the overwhelming consensus by these distressedfamilies,frustrated law enforcement and medical field professionals is that theACLU by fighting and providing funding for laws that supposedlyprotectthe rights of those afflicted with mental diseases have actually donemore to ruin their lives than to help them.Funding for mental health, or more accurately the lack of fundingfor it, is one of the major hurdles that must be overcome. Ournation'seconomic woes make it an even greater challenge for the 112th Congressthat Speaker of the House Boehner recently swore RepresentativeGiffordsin to serve. However as a nation with a conscience if we do NOT investthe time and resources on the critical breakdown of mental health carein America, today's violent tragedy in Arizona will be repeatedsomewhere else, in some way, tomorrow and the day after until wechangethe laws. The mental health researcher Torrey points to the killing offormer Congressman Allard Lowenstein on March 12, 1980 by Stanfordgraduate Dennis Sweeney who shot him and was diagnosed with paranoidschizophrenia but left untreated.As a businessperson, I know what it means to make tough fiscalchoices and as a mother I know what it mean to use "tough love"measures. We need new legislation that encompasses both of theseconsiderations. For the families who lost their loved ones and tothosewho found theirs injured, our thoughts and prayers are with them. Wecontinue to pray for le Giffords, whose recovery thus far froma"bullet to the brain" is nothing short of miraculous. We should alsoconvey our sympathy for the family of Loughner who may have seenthe signs of his illness as illustrated in his delusional rants andnonsensical ramblings on the internet but like all who have tried tohelp loved ones, they may have found it to be disheartening andimpossible until the critical breakdown of America's mental healthcareis addressed and the laws are changed to protect the victims andpro-actively treat the sick perpetrator.There were many heroic efforts in Tucson of people helping to savelives and comfort the afflicted as a result of this tragedy; hopefullythese words from The Book of Job are an inspirational reminder duringthis time of deep sadness in Arizona and across America:"When I smiled on them they were reassured; mourners took comfortfrom my cheerful glance, I chose out their way and presided; I took aking's place in the armed forces. Whoever heard of me blessed me;thosewho saw me commended me. For I rescued the poor who cried out forhelp,the orphans, and the unassisted; The blessing of those in extremitycameupon me, and the heart of the widow I made joyful. I wore my honestylike a garment; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to theblind, and feet to the lame was I; (Job 29:24-25,11-15)."Noel Irwin Hentschel serves on the Board of Governors ofCedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles and is a former Advisory BoardMemberfor Mental Health for the U.K. Royal Society of Medicine. She isChair/CEO of Americantours International and The Noel Foundation basedin Los Angeles with offices throughout North America and China andhumanitarian programs in 70 countries. She specializes in WorldReligions and Global Ethics at the Franciscan School of Theology.Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T------------------------------------

January 11, 2011

This would be bad. My PCP diagnosed with me with GAD, because I had trouble sleeping when faced with my second deployment in less than a year. I carried a 9mm Baretta and was in charge of a check point with two other M16 gunners. I know how to use a gun, and if I felt like I needed one for protection, or if the US woke up and realized a REVOLUTION was in order, I would hope that legislation wouldn't prevent me from getting a gun. Turns out I was not GAD, it was just a ploy to prescribe me medication that destroyed my sense of self, and nearly my entire life.

I could only imagine if a similar situation happened to me, and I was not able to return fire on this person. I feel so sad for the parents of that 9 year old girl, and the families of all that were injured and or killed. My hearts and prayers go out to them. This will probably be the most difficult thing that could happen to anyone, except, maybe, being prescribed psychotropic medications.

What we can learn from ALL OF THESE ATROCITIES MIND ALTERING DRUGS KILL. Prescription, Illegal, Legal, ALL OF THEM ARE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE BRAIN AND BODY and should be avoided at all costs. Today's illegal drugs were yesterday's miracle pills.

From: "nandtbearden@..." <nandtbearden@...>SSRI medications <SSRI Medication >Sent: Mon, January 10, 2011 6:54:02 PMSubject: Re: Re: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:America's Mental Health Breakdown

Sorry, Jim, but neither hunting nor personal protection requires the ability to fire 30 rounds within a few seconds. Our founding fathers surely did not foresee such a capability when the Constitution was drafted. We do not need additional gun laws, though, as the 22k+ on the books now would suffice, if only enforced. It's a slippery slope some of our elected officials are proposing. To deny guns to, as I heard one propose, "anyone who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder" will disqualify MANY cops, federal agents, law-abiding citizens. I am a definite moderate on gun issues. Right-to-bear balanced with reason.Terry Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

From: Jim <mofunnow@...>

Sender: SSRI medications

Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:07:07 -0600

ReplySSRI medications

Subject: Re: Re: Loughner Attack on le Giffords: America's Mental Health Breakdown

, Please understand most original settlers of America had guns for hunting and protection and are used to them and their kin do not want to give them upor the tradition.I grew up eating fresh meat and guns hung over the inside of my grandfather's front door for easy reach on the way out.It's a part of life here for many but there are many who have never held a gun also and don't care for them.In Arizona you can carry your AK-47 around on your shoulder or a pistol on your beltor concealed with no training/certifications. I think you must have some training in common sense handling of firearms or there will be preventable accidents.Add violence causing drugs and we get mass killings. Banning guns or clip sizes is not looking at the real problem, it's just reducing more freedoms for the rest of us, a typical response.There can be extremists anywhere I guess but that's

like thinking all Irish were bombing British buildings and fighting with the IRA, it's just not so.JimOn 1/10/2011 4:15 PM, jeremy9282 wrote: Terry

I've lived in N Ireland for more years than I care to remember & I have

seen sights during the troubles that leave an indelible mark, but the

vast majority view of the people here is that they would not care to own

personal protection even if it were legal so to do.

It is interesting to see, something I could have never predicted, that

the extreemists have been brought in from the cold & now form part of

the government.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blackberry/p.html?id=806381

Ã¯Â¿Â¼

Noel Irwin Hentschel: Loughner Attack on le Giffords:

America's Mental Health Breakdown

Ã¢ January 9, 2011 13:38:21

The tragic and devastating attack in Tucson, Arizona on U.S.

Representative le Giffords and other innocent victims including

the killing of a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge was, sadly,

preventable if the exceedingly ineffective mental health laws in

America

were changed. America's mental health system is undeniably broken and

must be fixed to ensure that those who need treatment be required to

receive it for the safety and well being of society as a whole.

If any good is to come out of this horrifying event it must be for

legislators on federal, state and local levels to undertake immediate

in-depth hearings that lead to a definitive change of America's laws

for

treating mental health patients. Insurance companies must be required

to

provide the same health benefits for mental disease as they do for all

other illnesses so that patients can be properly treated. Legislators

must publicly interview expert witnesses who deal on a daily basis

with

the overwhelmingly bureaucratic and legal obstacles in their efforts

to

try to help people with mental diseases. To this end, legislators must

listen to family members, law enforcement, medical professionals and

the

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); these are the ones who

know

the solutions as well as the obstacles.

As information of this chaotic episode, initially referred to as

an

"assassination attack," evolved and was shared by the media, most

people

rushed to the conclusion that either drug cartel gangsters or

terrorists

from Mexico, the Middle East or our own homegrown extremists were

responsible. It was only when the perpetrator was finally identified

as

a young 22-year-old white male and his irrational Internet rants were

read that the media began to describe him as "one of the crazies" or

"nuts."

This label is particularly painful for those who are advocates for

proactively treating people with mental disorders. Loughner's

classmates

are reported as stating that he was "consistently disruptive in class"

and "obviously very disturbed." Yet who reported this troubling

behavior

to any officials that could have tried to help him and what steps if

any, were taken, one must inquire. The bar is so high for proving

someone is a threat to themselves or to others that they literally

have

to already be in the middle of a horrendous act like this vicious

attack

for law enforcement, family or medical professionals to be able to

provide treatment to the disturbed person. What a travesty of justice

for all concerned!

Throughout the day the focus of the media was understandably on

the

condition of Representative Giffords presuming that she was the

primary

target which is probably why the main experts commenting, at least

initially, have been from the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security

and

other government officials as opposed to interviewing mental health

experts to better understand the how and why this happened. Mental

illness may not be an excuse for crimes but it certainly can be what

caused and motivated someone to commit a crime if the person goes

untreated. Begging one to consider who is ultimately responsible for

these heinous acts and to discuss if there is any culpability by those

that ignore the dire need and calamitous consequences of leaving the

current mental health laws we have unchanged.

There is a critical breakdown of mental health care in America

because it is not considered a disease that is popular to address and

there is a definite stigma attached to admitting mental illness. We

can

and must do something about it before more innocent lives are lost

including the lives of the sick and untreated, some who may become

perpetrators of crimes. Laws must be enacted that allow for the

hospitalization and proper medical treatment for the amount of time

necessary for recovery followed by compassionate care in a

professional

locked or unlocked facility depending on the condition of the patient

until they are able to function in society and they should be assisted

to become a contributing member of the community.

Seventy-two hours, 14 days or even 30 days is not adequate for

treating mental health or substance abuse patients, so they constantly

are walking through a revolving door. One of those revolving doors for

a

sick person can be into a local market armed with violent thoughts,

until we change the laws. There must be legal avenues that are not

onerous and debilitating emotionally and financially for families to

help their loved ones. It is critical that there be ongoing

counseling,

therapy and monitoring of the compliance of proper medication being

taken by the patient to treat the chemical imbalance that causes

mental

diseases such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bi-polar

disorder. For the record, many times this chemical imbalance is

triggered by the use of illegal drugs -- especially marijuana and

ecstasy are culprits particularly if there is any hereditary

pre-disposition according to in-depth studies and analysis by leading

psychiatrists in Switzerland and Germany. It's worth noting that

Loughner is reported to have a long history of marijuana use. Another

country with a long history of how the mental health system should

work

is Ireland where there are a high proportion of families who have

loved

ones with a mental disease. I have participated in numerous

conferences

with the most respected psychiatrists in these countries and have

found

their experience to be enormously helpful for America to embrace.

According to mental health professional and expert F. Fuller

Torrey

in his 2008 research book called The Insanity Defense: How America's

Failure to Treat the Seriously Mentally Ill Endangers Its Citizens we

are informed that 4,000,000 Americans are believed to have severe

psychiatric disorders with a subset of 400,000 homeless and untreated

not complying with their needed medications and another sub-sub set of

40,000 considered the most dangerous, not being treated or taking meds

and demonstrating very violent behavior. This count does not include

the

vast numbers who are not properly diagnosed in our nation.

Prisons have become the new mental health institutions across

America. A perfect example of this is the Twin Towers Jail in downtown

Los Angeles. It was built in recent years to house prisoners but

instead

it is the solution for housing patients that have committed crimes

because they are free to do so of their own volition instead of being

required to comply with mental health treatment. There are more than

100,000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles that are homeless.

Recent studies undertaken by U.S.C. and provided by First AME Church

in

Los Angeles indicate that more than half of these fellow citizens

should

be in health care facilities being treated for mental disease, drug

addiction and substance abuse.

For as long as I can remember I have worked to help those with

mental diseases and addictions both within my family as well as caring

for those who are on the streets. I have personally witnessed every

aspect of the mental health debacle in California and in our nation

from

the nineteen sixties until today including the defunding and the pleas

for help by the people and families affected directly by it.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming consensus by these distressed

families,

frustrated law enforcement and medical field professionals is that the

ACLU by fighting and providing funding for laws that supposedly

protect

the rights of those afflicted with mental diseases have actually done

more to ruin their lives than to help them.

Funding for mental health, or more accurately the lack of funding

for it, is one of the major hurdles that must be overcome. Our

nation's

economic woes make it an even greater challenge for the 112th Congress

that Speaker of the House Boehner recently swore Representative

Giffords

in to serve. However as a nation with a conscience if we do NOT invest

the time and resources on the critical breakdown of mental health care

in America, today's violent tragedy in Arizona will be repeated

somewhere else, in some way, tomorrow and the day after until we

change

the laws. The mental health researcher Torrey points to the killing of

former Congressman Allard Lowenstein on March 12, 1980 by Stanford

graduate Dennis Sweeney who shot him and was diagnosed with paranoid

schizophrenia but left untreated.

As a businessperson, I know what it means to make tough fiscal

choices and as a mother I know what it mean to use "tough love"

measures. We need new legislation that encompasses both of these

considerations. For the families who lost their loved ones and to

those

who found theirs injured, our thoughts and prayers are with them. We

continue to pray for le Giffords, whose recovery thus far from

a

"bullet to the brain" is nothing short of miraculous. We should also

convey our sympathy for the family of Loughner who may have seen

the signs of his illness as illustrated in his delusional rants and

nonsensical ramblings on the internet but like all who have tried to

help loved ones, they may have found it to be disheartening and

impossible until the critical breakdown of America's mental health

care

is addressed and the laws are changed to protect the victims and

pro-actively treat the sick perpetrator.

There were many heroic efforts in Tucson of people helping to save

lives and comfort the afflicted as a result of this tragedy; hopefully

these words from The Book of Job are an inspirational reminder during

this time of deep sadness in Arizona and across America:

"When I smiled on them they were reassured; mourners took comfort

from my cheerful glance, I chose out their way and presided; I took a

king's place in the armed forces. Whoever heard of me blessed me;

those

who saw me commended me. For I rescued the poor who cried out for

help,

the orphans, and the unassisted; The blessing of those in extremity

came

upon me, and the heart of the widow I made joyful. I wore my honesty

like a garment; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to the

blind, and feet to the lame was I; (Job 29:24-25,11-15)."

Noel Irwin Hentschel serves on the Board of Governors of

Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles and is a former Advisory Board

Member

for Mental Health for the U.K. Royal Society of Medicine. She is

Chair/CEO of Americantours International and The Noel Foundation based

in Los Angeles with offices throughout North America and China and

humanitarian programs in 70 countries. She specializes in World

Religions and Global Ethics at the Franciscan School of Theology.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

------------------------------------

January 11, 2011