We are hearing a lot from the "grieving family" of recently deceased James Chasse. They are describing James as "a gentle, mentally ill man." James Chasse died in police custody.
And, like all grieving families do, they immediatly hired an attorney and are pursuing an "independent investigation" into his death.
The question I have for this family is why, when clearly you have all the time in the world for press conferences/independent investigations/legal consultations/media interviews/etc, did you not have time for your mentally ill family member last week BEFORE THIS TRAGEDY OCCURED?
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN HE NEEDED HELP? Why has family contact between him and you been described as "erratic" and why was he living in a halfway house instead of being cared for by family? You care now that you have a potential lawsuit but where were you when he was wandering around with an apparent mental illness?
Where you too busy for him then? Was his illness a nuisance for you? Did you expect someone else to take care of him? Too much work for you?
I know it's easier to blame someone else but what responsibility do you have for your own family? Are you willing to help take care of him or you just expect "society" to do that for you?
Instead of putting him in a situation where he, by your own accord, couldn't function appropriately, why didn't you step up and help him before this tragedy occured?
14 comments:
If we were allowed to lock up the crazies as we once did our world would become a lot safer.
As it is now, we the sane must lock ourselves behind closed doors so we can protect ourselves from the crazies the Libs want to protect from having their Rights violated.
This crap is going to drive some people to become extremists of some kind so as to regain their lost rights.
Perhaps a few more floaters in the Columbia?
This post certainly does not advocate killing people. I am asking why families don't do more to care for their family members before tragedy strikes.
Whether it is mentally ill people (this case) or crack addicts (Kendra James) let's have some family involvement BEFORE the death.
Daniel, you've finally managed a post with which I agree completely and utterly.
My brother suffers from mental illness, and I take offence to anonymous 6:37. My brother lives with me, and I take care of him. Daniel is right, that families need to be responsible, and not after the fact. Now they sue and get money, when they should of been doing something in the first place. Nobody asks to be mentally ill, but if you ask me, this family was negligent and all of sudden wants to be rewarded.
Becky
Kaelri, Woohoo!
Becky, thank you for caring for your family. We all must love our family members (and our neighbors) regardless of mental capacity or handicap and do what is in our power to help them live the best lives they can.
Getting an attorney after they are dead is no help at all.
lest we forget, the lefty, feel good crowd was behind the closure of the facilities designed to protect these people. "normalization," "freedom," "abuse," and other specious nonsense was their mantra. Will the liberals step up and admit their foolish errors? < crickets >
We need to re-open facilities to care for the mentaly ill. These should be well monitored privately owned facilities.
There is no reason the mental patients should be running the streets hurting themselves and others. Why are we not safe on the streets? Why are we not protected from mental patients? Why are mental patients not protected from theme selves?
And yes Daniel, families should do what it takes to care for family.
It is the families that are making our streets dangerous and hurting the mentaly ill.
Getting an attorney after they are dead is no help at all.
It's a help to the family that needs some cold hard cash. What better opportunity to get some by profiting off a mentally ill family member's death!
I hear anger and fear and hostility in this thread. Responsibility? How about the responsibility of those who are "Sworn to Protect/Dedicated to Serve"? They did neither in the life of James Chasse Jr.
"Lest we forget" Bear...
It was the Regan administration that closed all the "social care" facilities and dumped the mentally ill on American streets forcing many into poverty, early death, and the criminal justice system.
It wasn't the "lefties" is was the religious righties.
I knew Jim for about 25 years and his family could be said to be a good consrvative christian home. I disagree with some of their desicions, in fact some of them were devistating to Jim's mental health, but I cannot allow it to be said that the Chasse's did not try their best for him at all times.
When lucid Jim was quiet and timid. When ill he became more quiet and reclusive. He had no record of acting aggressively.
Perhaps he did need rounding up that day. It had happened before without any major trouble.
But what does his illness have to do with him getting beat to death. How is it OK for someone to be kicked repeatedly by the police while hogtied on the ground. Then having a tazer used on him 4 times. All while hog-tied.
This just in:
"This means no fewer than 12 ribs were crushed and splintered, both in front and in back, so severely that his lung was punctured and he suffered massive internal hemorrhaging."
Where was the family is a good question, but it may be that he refused there help? Where was the mental health community? Did you see this? http://psychlaws.blogspot.com/2006/10/finger-pointing-in-oregon.html I don't always agree with them but this is right on track.
I'm grateful to see some thinking people posting on this topic.
I posted my own comments in another forum in which I basically asked the same question (i.e."Where was the family before this happened?") and whoo-doggies...I was blasted as though I were a thug loving Nazi.
ANYTIME the police are involved in an incident that results in a death there should be an investigation and families and others most certainly have the right and perhaps even obligation to probe into the matter to insure that justice is done but when we just automatically take the stance "Cops bad...psychotic guy wandering the street good" we don't help anyone.
Thanks for posting all of your thoughtful comments.
It's good to see some folks who can be compassionate AND thoughtful at the same time!
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