Advice: I had an altercation with a homeless person

[Anonymous]

Defintely report it, but sadly it may not do much. The person will be arrested and released immediately as it's a minor (to them) crime and there was a big push in the last year to get rid of cash bonds as it disproportionatlely affects poor people, so people just get out on own recognizance. That person will be back on the street by the following morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would tell your son that the man's brain is broken/injured/sick. It made him take an action that was not right. That there is nothing your family did to cause his behavior, it was the problem inside his brain.

You can say let's hope that he is able to go to a special kind of doctor that can help him get better.

Most people are not like that and you don't think that will ever happen again to your family, because it never happened before to you and you are all safe.

I would not say the last part because it may just not be true. I think it is wiser to teach kids to have empathy but ALSO to protect themselves, keep a distance, etc.

The point of the end is that "right now we are all safe," (kids need that reassurance).

Also, this type of event is random and low frequency. No guarantees can be given, but you can assure the kid (especially a kid who is lucky enough to live in a "safer" environment), that most people and most days do not contain such incidents. It is a feeling you are trying to give a 6 year old, not some legally binding promise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This could have been my brother, OP. He’s mentally ill and on the street. My family will gladly pay for his treatment and life in a hospital but federal law says he can’t be held against his will. And yes, for that you can thank the Republicans and Ronald Reagan. He can’t be forced to stay on his meds and he can’t be forced to even stay in a shelter. We’ve tried paying for apartments for him but he won’t stay in them because he thinks the government is trying to poison him or we’re trying to suffocate him or any number of crazy ideas.

Interestingly, when our grandmother developed Alzheimer’s we could get her into a locked memory center where she was safe and clean and fed. Why can’t we do this with mentally ill family members?

Such a good point! Perhaps because people with dementia don't come in and out of it, with the ability to organize and lobby when they are well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a learning experience for your child that homeless people who are loitering on streets are often mentally ill or using drugs and should be avoided.

This.

Look at what happened to poor Elizabeth Smart, when her family tried to be charitable to a mentally ill man who was down and out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was spit on by a homeless lady years ago (during the Obama administration!) and it was terrible and clear we had a problem with mentally ill homeless then. It has only gotten worse and the reason for this problem is that mentally ill people are left on the streets to their devices. This isn’t a DC politician problem but a problem created by Ronald Reagan.

Plenty of mentally ill people don't assault others. These are bullies.

No, there is a good chance that they are mentally ill and believe the person they assaulted were out to harm them. It is called paranoia and it is a dangerous state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cities like DC attracts mentally ill homeless people due to all the government provided amenities. The result is lots of mentally ill homeless people.

If it were up to me, I would ship them all out of the city.

To where?

You remind me of Greg Abott. Shipping real humans (in this case, disabled humans) into someone else's backyard, instead of recognizing them as your neighbors and stepping up to fix a social problem that is happening where you and they live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was spit on by a homeless lady years ago (during the Obama administration!) and it was terrible and clear we had a problem with mentally ill homeless then. It has only gotten worse and the reason for this problem is that mentally ill people are left on the streets to their devices. This isn’t a DC politician problem but a problem created by Ronald Reagan.

Plenty of mentally ill people don't assault others. These are bullies.

These mentally ill people, peaceful or not, should not be living on the streets. Reagan did cause this. The problem lies in the fact that these sick people cannot be forced into hospitals even by loving family members who want them safe and clean. No one deserves to live like this.

+1

People this ill need to be institutionalized.

I wish people would stop saying this. Being institutionalized is not a magic bullet. I work in an inpatient mental health facility. It is a revolving door of patients in and out. They will receive treatment, stabilize, and get discharged. They leave, go off their meds, commit another crime, and are right back where they started. We can’t hold these people forever. And once they leave, we can’t force them to take their meds. There is really no good answer.

Decriminalization has also meant that many who in the past would be jailed for misdemeanors or who might be offered mental health treatment or addiction treatment instead of a longer custodial sentence now are just out on the street with a notice to appear. The sidewalks are functioning as open air psychiatric facilities and jails.

Perhaps drugs are given too much "credit" for behavior change in this era since they cannot be compelled unless in patient. So it's the only "go to" and really isn't one in reality. We used to have long term facilities, but without the laws changing and serious money being spent to create long term alternatives (and there are genuine civil liberties concerns), it's just a never ending cycle until a serious crime is committed and they are held in a prison. When the facilities were closed the idea was that community resources would be created, that did not happen. And without laws that compel treatment, it's all somewhat moot.

Right? How come we are willing to invest in prisons but not humane psychiatric treatment facilities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m so sorry. Try to remember it was one person not a category of people. If you need support look for a desensitization counselor. Don’t read more into it than it is. Not minimizing for you just don’t want you to making bigger than it is.

Don’t act like homeless people are equally likely to randomly assault you on the street as someone with a middle class job. The category of person is 100% related.

If you look at crime offender statistics, you could also say that certain races are more likely to be perpetators also. Should one cross the street when they are approach by someone of that race also?

A person who is psychotic is unpredictable (and some are dangerous). That is different than judging someone based upon their skin color.

[Anonymous]

Always be aware of your surroundings, OP. You put yourself and your child in a potentially dangerous situation by not being aware. Don't be a victim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Always be aware of your surroundings, OP. You put yourself and your child in a potentially dangerous situation by not being aware. Don't be a victim.

You’re an idiot. As if OP or anyone for that matter can predict that a homeless person is going to throw shit at them. She has a right to walk down the street as much as our policies make it a right to not house the mentally ill. Op needs to carry acid next time and walk down the street confidently. Don’t make the homeless person innocent for he is not. OP did the right thing by going to get help. And added benefit is to call 911 immediately. Anyone is a victim with the mentally ill walking around like free birds.

[Anonymous]

Stop electing liberals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop electing liberals.

So Ronald Reagan was a liberal?!! I never knew! He’s the one who opened the mental hospitals and dumped these people on the street and Republicans have never - not once - done one thing to help the situation. Their answer is to move to the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop electing liberals.

So Ronald Reagan was a liberal?!! I never knew! He’s the one who opened the mental hospitals and dumped these people on the street and Republicans have never - not once - done one thing to help the situation. Their answer is to move to the suburbs.

+1. Idiots always try to blame liberals and it’s ridiculous. This problem is all on Republicans.

[Anonymous]

OP, it sounds like you let yourself get distracted. Not blaming/shaming, but that’s a disadvantageous mode to be in on the street. DC Impact runs practical self defense courses where students get to beat the hell out of a man wearing protective gear in realistic scenarios. They also talk about situational awareness, which essentially keeping alert for both the good and the bad, being able to identify specific potential threats, and having a plan to react if you are targeted. You may want to check them out. As for your child, it sounds like you did the best you could. You getting past the event will help your child do so.

You don’t have to hate or fear people, even homeless and/or crazy people. But it’s important to keep your wits about you, just as you would anywhere else potential danger might lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop electing liberals.

Really? What solution have the Republicans ever had to this problem? Name one. We’ll wait.