Fear of Being Persecuted and Schizophrenia

There are many things people fear in this world. Most fears are due to lack of knowledge or understanding about someone or something. Those with abnormal behavior have always been feared and persecuted. During ancient times, abnormal behavior was seen as evil spirits taking its toll on the human body. In order to release those evil spirits, a form of surgery called trephination was discovered, in which an instrument was used to cut a circular hole in the skull. Along the years, other forms of methods were used to cleanse the body of evil spirits. In the middle ages, those seen with abnormal behaviors were given exorcists, and if this did not work, then torture was found as another means. There were many women who were accused of witchcraft because of their strange acts, which were caused by mental disorders. These women were dunked under water continuously, until they confessed to witchery. As time has passed, there has been greater research and improvement in the treatment of people with mental disorders, but it is nowhere near perfect.

Kelly Thomas was a 37-year-old homeless man living on the streets of Santa Ana, California. On July 11, 2011 his life was taken from him when two police officers beat him to death. Thomas was mentally ill and suffering from schizophrenia. A call was placed to the police stating that a scruffy man was jiggling the handles of parked cars. The incident was caught on surveillance, which showed one of the police officers, Ramos, asking for the homeless man’s name and searching his backpack. “When Thomas doesn’t comply, Ramos puts on a pair of Latex gloves, makes two fists and tells Thomas, ‘Now you see my fists? They’re getting ready to (expletive) you up’”(Flaccus). Thomas tried to run, but was ove...

... middle of paper ...

....

Crisis Intervention Team programs educates the law enforcement on how to confront the mentally ill and how to handle the “sticky” situations, which can have a great impact on the outcome of the crisis. These programs inform the officers that deadly force is not the answer, but provide other ways to control the crisis. Lastly, these programs teach officers how to understand those with mental disorders and raise awareness on the misconception of those with these abnormal behaviors. The point of CIT is to not give special treatment to those with mental illnesses, but do look at a situation in a different perspective The major concern for these programs is the cost, but should the safety of others and preventing potential deaths have a price? The benefits of these programs outweigh the cost, but how many more deaths will it take in order for there to be a change?