OK. so, there is a story in the local news, in my area...

a middle-aged man (early 50s) was waiting for a psych evaluation at a local hospital. he did some vandalism, he's now in jail. and...

i'm kind of wondering, honestly...a couple things. im wondering if being labeled and treated by the psych system -sometimes- erodes self-control and such in some people, sometimes...which contributes to this sort of behavior...

and I'm also wondering what is up with our culture, because if he's scheduled for an evaluation and he does this, shouldn't they just send him off to a hospital and keep him there?

it could also be a reflection not so much of US culture -as a whole- , but of the red state 'conservatism' (complete with budget cuts) that reigns supreme where I live. I'm kind of thinking...

this dude is probably below middle class, because based on my own experiences w/ 'mental health professionals' in this general area...

it isn't until one hits the middle class that treatment becomes less controlling and punitive. and then above that, treatment can actually be humane.

what do you all think?