AmyJ,
Really great to hear from you.
Yes, you are correct.
I was a kid when Reagan did that.
I remember it well.
It was a very painful time for many mentally retarded citizens of this country, and for their families and for their friends.
It was scary.
Its funny; the intent of my post was not to fault the Republicans.....but to point out that inappropriate thinking on the part of so-called normal people has led to some unpleasant consequences twenty years hence. Unfortunately the responses to my post were mostly political, the real problem all but ignored.
There's a lot about my background or my family's background you may not realize, but let me share some of it with you, since it directly applies to what you are discussing.
Important and interesting comment...I think the boards and threads by their very nature keep us from knowing too much.
The Republicans were involved in influencing this decision for certain cuts that directly impacted the mentally retarded citizens of this country, that pushed mentally retarded individuals out of group homes and into the streets or cold, faceless institutions.
My (way older) brother was a government Economist during Reagan's era, and he knew first-hand who the political influencers were on this particular decision, as well as the politics around it.
He was very aware of the behind-the-scene politics, who was influencing this decision. He could tell you their names.
Before this decision was made (but after the issue became public), he called my folks about it. He complained that the economic gains weren't significant enough to justify something so inhumane, and were arguably more costly in the long-term.
It makes me angry how we want to believe that the easy solutions, costing the least amount of money, will be effective. They never are and unfortunately there is always someone who pays for this stupid thinking. In the end we will have saved nothing.
During that time, I remember visiting "group homes" in our metropolitan area and I'll never forget one girl who was mentally retarded - she was a well-adjusted, happy girl. She was living in a warm, kind and caring group home, and she worked at Goodwill. She was a very gentle person. I remember the image of her face, her emotions, her feelings, her sadness, and her fear, when she was coping with the realities of the Republican cuts, which were putting her out of her home.
Many group homes were cut and closed during this period. It was a very sad time.
I remember it being a time that made me disappointed in humankind. The economics didn't seem to back this decision up when the long-term analysis was factored in.
In a weird way this episode reminds me of what happened with the Russian sub. While I don't know this for a fact, I sense that the Russian Navy and the rescue team made little effort to try and save the sailors that were trapped. I think they thought that with so few men who would care in Russia, let alone the world. They showed so little caring/compassion for their fellow man, it's disturbing. In the end this sub episode could result in the toppling of the current gov't.
In the same vein, I suspect the legislators who voted to cutback on the funding for the disabled and mentally retarded did not realize what the impact would be on our cities and how it would tarnish our reputation as a people. As with the Russians, where was the compassion?
Speaking about economics related to this area of topic. My sister called me and told me a friend of hers, "David is calling me too much - he called me 5 times in one evening." I asked her, has he always done this? She said no. I asked her when it started. She said a month ago. I asked her if there was anything new in his life that happened in the last month. She said, "yes, his Dad passed away." I said, "oh", and I asked her, is he lonely? She said, no, he's living with his step-mother, who married his Dad two years ago. I asked her if he was scared. She said, "yes, he's very scared they'll put him in an institution when his step-mother dies, because he doesn't know how to cook. He can't live by himself because he doesn't know how to cook." I asked her, "can you teach him how to cook and get his step-mother to help teach him how to cook?" She said, "I don't know." I said, "why don't you ask."
If you haven't already concluded, David is mildly mentally retarded. He's on the edge of being placed in a cold, institution, when his step-mother passes away, because his life-skills are on the borderline - he can't cook, and if he can't cook, he can't live in an independent living arrangement. I couldn't help but speculate how ironic it is to put someone like David in a cold, expensive institution (paid by the gov't), when his problem could easily be solved by teaching him how to cook, so he could work and live independently (funded by his step-mother), with other mentally retarded individuals, and lead a useful life, rather than sitting in a cold, lonely institution, without any sense of freedom nor rights.
If you haven't already concluded yet, my sister too is mentally retarded. She's very accomplished - she lives independently with other mentally retarded individuals. She used to work at Goodwill, but she got so good at her job, that she "graduated" into the real world, and so she is working at this toy store now, which was a big step for her, but she made it and she's very excited about it. She is very proud of the money she earns, her independence, and her own apartment. At the toy store, she helps out kids and their parents. She's a very caring person. She's a great source of strength for her neighbors. She's a very pure, sweet and practical person. She's a very special and valuable person in this world - and she makes the world a better place.
Your sister seems to be i/2 of the couple that were in movie on the subject...I can't think of the actors...they are both great and have been in a lot of stuff. The film is about two retarded people who fall in love with each other....one lives alone and is supported financially by his father who lives in another state, and the other with and by her parents. Eventually the two people want to live on their own and then marry, and that's when all the flack starts. Aside from the very Hollywood happy ending (not that that isn't possible, but in Hollywood, its all too predictable) and their very fortunate financial circumstances, I thought the two people themselves were portrayed fairly realistically. I am curious...did you see that film?
Managing independent living was a big step for her, but she made it. However, unfortunately, my parents just moved into a retirement community, and their transition is difficult for her, which concerns me, in addition to the fact, she's suddenly getting prank phone calls from one of the workers at the toy store (isn't that ironic? the mentally retarded are so kind, but the "normal" people, who are already so advantaged, make it even harder on folks like her?) The other week, I cried so hard for her and released so much pain I wasn't aware that I was holding within myself (I didn't even know, until now, that emotional pain could be felt so physically), so releasing it helped tremendously, and away the pain went, and I realized that I'll make it too : ) - one of those strengthening moments. My Grandpa always said the pain of growth is a gain.
On another topic, I have so many ideas I would like to implement to help the mentally retarded folks have more fulfilling and independent lives: a website so they may be connected to each other (10% of gov't group home residents experience abuse by their providers and this could uncovered by giving the mentally retarded people the power of communication into the community via a website); enablement of ecommerce for them (currently, they have to take difficult buses to get stamps at the post office - when this could be purchased from their home via the Internet if an easy-to-use transaction website service is created for them). I intend to do this, and many other ideas related to this.
About 2 years ago, I moved into a new neighborhood. At the local supermarket, there were the usual hischool baggers and the occasional senior. However there was one bagger who was in his early thirties. I was used to hischool and senior baggers but not someone his age...its seemed odd to me but who has time to think much beyond that. He was very good at the service he provided, seemed really into it and was incredibly helpful in finding certain things in the store...please note that I am dyslexic when it comes to grocery shopping since they do not seem put things into some kind of rational order and no two supermarkets are the same. After a few months I had had a couple of exchanges with this guy and I began to realize slowly, over time, that he was slow mentally. Not extremely so....but enough for me to finally get it. In the meatime he is a valuable, functioning member of the community.....and he is the one of the most helpful of the baggers....and they just gave him a raise and made him a bagger captain. I have said it before in other posts...I think we lose something extremely valuable when we deny or ignore the active participation of a group of people in our society whether it be women, minorities or the mentally challenged. We forget, I think, that every person has something important to contribute.
PS The girl I mentioned earlier in this post, was my sister's friend. We don't know where she is. The last time I saw her was at her group home, before Reagan's cuts took her away. Everything seemed so dark during Reagan's cuts for the mentally retarded - at least, for those who were aware of what was going on. Contrary to what "normal" people think, they are smart enough to know when their government is pushing them out. It makes them sad.
I am not surprised. However she is lucky to have a family and siblings that do not try to run from her, or try to hide her away....very fortunate indeed. :~))
ted |
