At 08:33 PM 8/25/00 -0400, Phaedrus wrote:
>Don't get me wrong, if someone is a clear and present danger to other
>people, and locking them up is the only way to make them *not* a clear and
>present danger to other people then fine,
That's pretty much the law. If a state-licensed mental health prof
or a cop hears you seriously threaten someone or yourself, and you have the
means and opportunity (ranting about nuking Putin is not
a threat; wanting to kill your boss is not a threat; saying you're actually
going to kill your boss is a threat) you get kidnapped for up to 72 hours,
with periodical re-evals scheduled thereafter. In Calif its called a
5150, a reference to some part of the health laws. Otherwise you
can say anything to a shrink under doctor-patient privledge.
My wife has a little laminated card that says she can do this. (She's
never used it on me.)
Merely being stark raving mad is not of concern. Neither is eccentricity
or any of the diseases and discomforts catalogued in the DSM. Its only
when the street crazies start swinging things at people that they lose
their rights.
The abundance of street crazies indicates a lack of coercion to take
the drugs and the freedom to be dysfunctionally crazy so long as you don't
infringe others' rights, doesn't it?
(Not to say there aren't abuses, particularly when family members
declare someone unfit or suicidal.. but the law is aware of the abuse
potential and brings in others to check AFAIK)
