re: blamed that on Reagan
That’s one of those “Big Lies” that started as spin and then assumed a life of its own. It was the Left that led the charge to close mental hospitals on the grounds it was against a person’s rights to keep them their against their will.
To this day I encounter people who blindly repeat the “Reagan’s Fault” mantra and have no idea what they’re talking about.
Specifically, the ACLU was a guiding force in the movement.