I read with interest the Aug. 29 letter to the editor by Jack McLaughlin (“Mental health treatment, not gun control, is key to stopping tragedies”).
One sentence in the letter really struck me. It stated that “liberals and the American Civil Liberties Union closed most of these mental health facilities” – but contrary to Mr. McLaughlin’s point of view, “liberals” and the ACLU weren’t at fault.
The Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 was one of President Carter’s final achievements. It dedicated $800 million for the expansion of government services, research and training of professionals to treat the mentally ill.
The measure was far from perfect, but it was a giant step in the right direction; it passed 277-15 in the House of Representatives and 93-3 in the Senate.
Within a month of being sworn in as president, Ronald Reagan gutted the National Institute of Mental Health. Reagan went on to cut the budget, eliminate training, stop research and cut services.
I totally agree with Mr. McLaughlin’s point that more should be done to help the mentally ill, but the blame for the current situation isn’t with “liberals and the ACLU.”
Ben Emery
Old Orchard Beach
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