government is incapable of compassion. it falls to us, folks!

i'm sure they would love to round up anyone who dares 'show feelings of an almost human nature' too publicly or acts in any way unusual even if they cannot possibly be posing a threat to others. (as is the case 99% of the time).

 as for the 'danger to self' schtick - well, it isn't the role of the state to be saving people from themselves. that properly falls to the grassroots and further repression has no valid role in this. the problem being, people have been taught to thwart their own inclinations toward direct compassion in favor of leaving it to the 'professionals'.

government lacks the capacity for genuine compassion. its primary function is social control, and all its institutions - including health and 'mental health' care - reflect this function to at least some extent.

perhaps if state repression itself were to end (including the typical response to so-called 'mental health' issues) along with all the interpersonal abuse and violence in the world, you would see the occurrence of so-called 'mental illnesses' virtually disappear. the DSM would quickly be reduced to the size of a supermarket circular and the profession of psychiatry would go the way of the dodo bird.

these human phenomenon do not occur in a social vacuum, much as the medical profession would love to convince us they do. this isn't a medical issue or a 'personal defect' we are talking about here. and the system's reaction is predicated on irrational fear, which is unlikely to result in a fair, just, reasonable or'helpful' outcome.

 people are terrified of madness, insanity, 'mental illness' (call it what you will) and the human tendency has always been to ruthlessly crush what is frightening. and this is a very personal fear as everyone has the capacity within them to experience these things.

 it isn't bad genes or a 'chemical imbalance' or any of these things. it is HUMAN, and universal. no one gets off the hook. and this is why this particular prejudice is so pervasive (and widely accepted).

people believe they are acting with compassion when they really only want to subvert and crush what is frightening to them at a very personal level. the entire system which has been constructed toward this end reflects this in its presumptions, deception, coercion and violence directed toward vulnerable people. we need to be able to do better. otherwise we are all barbarians.