Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Grainne who wrote (17837)	2/27/1998 1:25:00 PM
From: Rambi	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Christine, I believe it was Jack who felt that economics was the driving force behind deinstitutionalization, and I think he was right really. It was your use of the word-"most" and the general description of the process as a total disaster(with which I basically do not disagree) that prompted me to write of the experience I had to try to give a different perspective than yours and Jack's. Like the parable of the blind men and the elephant, we all see different parts and only by listening can we ever hope to arrive at a picture of the whole...if that's ever possible. As I said, the cities were a completely different story than the small rural country where I worked. One of the URLs you cited mentions two things that struck me as important: one is differentiating between ideology and science. This problem is at the root of most of the entitlement programs generally The other is that the concept required a neighborhood network of support, which obviously you won't (and didn't) find in large cities. Oh-also-I think that it was the release of the schizophrenic and mentally ill population that created much of the difficulty;our best scenario was the borderline retarded person who could work in the sheltered workshop and achieve some measure of independence. However, there were many times I would get a call at night that Stanley was out walking the streets or that Stanley couldn't remember where home was, and I would have to go get old Stanley. In a city, who would call? Who would know poor Stanley? So I really don't disagree with you. I only wanted to say that there was some good accomplished, but for some reason, we seem to lose all track of practicality and moderation when we start down these roads. Same with Welfare, AFDC, etc...