This letter is in response to “Man accused of threatening Nelson cop,” September 19 the editorial, “Answers are elusive,” September 21, and the CBC news report of September 25 of a severely mentally ill 24-year-old killing his mother during a psychotic episode... and on and on and on.
How many more?
From personal experience and involvement, I know that millions of taxpayers’ dollars were spent by government...endless time and effort was exerted by people living with mental illness, their family caregivers and mental health workers in the 1990s at hearings throughout the province to come up with best practises and recommendations to make life bearable for people living with mental illness, their family caregivers, and to assure law enforcers and the general public of safety.
My own nephew was bludgeoned to death by someone he had befriended when the person was in a psychotic state.
Where are those reports now? Why aren’t the recommendations being implemented? What can we, as private citizens, do to make this happen? Why do we have to re-invent the wheel and spend more money, time and effort to do so? We, every one of us, can start by making our voices heard through our MLA.
Evelyn Kristiansen
Nelson