Too many times we hear on the news that a murder or mass murder was committed by someone – just today as a matter of fact in Las Vegas! What can we do to stop it?
One thing is that neighbors see something unusual is going on in the community, but the police can’t respond because nothing had happened yet. How true is that? At one of my Court appearances after my commitment to a psychiatric hospital my mother told the judge that she saw something happening with me but did not know where to go but was later instructed by the judge to get in touch with the Probation officer. In the case of Adam Stein – a real character in my book – to his recollection he was sitting at home reading the newspaper when a police officer came to the door with a warrant and took him away to the same maximum security psychiatric facility where I was committed. He had no idea why, but it was done.
“If you see something, say something” is great directive, but it is useless if there is nowhere to go.
One suggestion is to bring him to a hospital for a 30-day psychiatric evaluation, but who has the right to do that? From personal observation families have turned in family members, but what if they don’t want to do that or there is no family? Then we have a problem. Can we change that? Is it worth somebody’s life? Sometimes freedom is a little too free and brings about anarchy. It is important that we realize this, and don’t let it go that far