SOVIET STYLE MENTAL HEALTH COURTS IN U.S. [Free Republic]

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The Congress has quietly authorized establishment of not more than one hundred (demonstration) mental health courts in the United States. An amount of $40,000,000 (over four years) was authorized to set up the courts under the supervision of the US Justice Department.

The original bill (S1865) was sponsored by Sen. Mike Dewine of Ohio and co-sponsored by Sen. Domenici of New Mexico, both Republicans. However, it was rewritten by Sen. Orin Hatch (R. Utah) in his Senate Judiciary Committee and reported to the floor without a written committee report.

The bill passed the Senate on Sept 26, 2000 under “unanimous consent” (without objection). The House adopted it on Oct. 24th by voice vote under a suspension of the rules. President Clinton signed it into law on Nov. 13th.

Thus, there is no record of how anyone voted on the measure or how many were present at the votes.

The law would apply to all “preliminarily qualified offenders” defined as persons having, “previously or currently been diagnosed by a qualified mental health professional as having a mental illness, mental retardation, or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder, or manifest obvious signs of mental illness, mental retardation or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders during arrest or confinement or before any court..”

The term “mental illness” means a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that meets diagnostic criteria within the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association.

It provides for continuing judicial supervision, including periodic review of “preliminarily qualified offenders” who are charged (not convicted, but charged) with misdemeanors or nonviolent offenses. The list of offenses that would subject a person to the jurisdiction of these “mental health courts” is to be developed by the Attorney General in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and any other officials deemed appropriate.

The law also provides for “centralized case management” involving, “consolidation of all of a mentally ill or mentally retarded defendant’s cases, including violations of probation, and the coordination of all mental treatment plans and social services, including life skills training, such as housing placement, vocational training, education, job placement, health care, and relapse prevention for each participant who requires such services..”

Would opposition to a “Gay Rights city ordinance” be enough to bring one under the jurisdiction of a mental health court? You bet. For years the American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality as a mental disorder. About fifteen years ago they dropped that and added “homophobia” (disapproval of homosexuality) as a mental disorder. If this law were enforced as it is authorized to be, that would be evidence enough to make the person a “preliminarily qualified offender.” Off to mental health court he would go.

The author is a free lance writer based in Romulus, Michigan. He is a former newspaper editor and investigative reporter, a retired customs administrator and accountant, and a student of history and the U.S. Constitution.

If you would like to receive Medium Rare articles directly, please contact us at jimrarey@provide.net. Although not necessary, we would appreciate an indication of the city/state or country in which you are located to give us an idea as to where our message is being received.

This is the other shoe of "hate crime" legislation about to drop. Think about it. You know where it leads. And get ready for the pogroms...

Certainly being put under the jurisdiction of a mental health court would trigger the federal law prohibiting ownership or possession of a firearm.

Not really. It's a way to get you and the thoughts you're probably thinking out of circulation. Anyone who tries to take you away under these circumstances should be cut down where they stand.

Combine this with "thought-crime" and we can see where this leads.
What bothers me most is that it passed in the senate under “unanimous consent” and
"..The House adopted it on ...by voice vote under a suspension of the rules..."
(It certainly doesn't surprize me that clinton signed it, anything that deprives citizens
of their rights is something he is in favor of.)
Every one of them deserve to be charged for not upholding their oath of office.
It's long past time that we start bringing them to trial for that crime.
Yet another sneak attack on the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Thanks for posting this...

Note the reliance on the words"Soviet Style"in order to reassure the reader that THIS is not US; to distance the goodly citizen from any uncomfortable thoughts about who we REALLY are; and, even more disturbing, who is empowering these terrible people and their soviet style ideas. This must be something other than what we are--a temporary glitch. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Similarly we paid no attention during the Cold War to what WE were becoming in the process of defeating the Evil Empire. Something about motes in eyes and so forth.

Also, have you noticed how fervently the American Ruling Class has embraced myth of psychiatry as a replacement for the rituals of Religion? While Freud would have made a splendid literary critic, he certainly had nothing to reveal about human reality. And he loathed the United States. Yet, the scene of the enshrinement of his little joke into religious dogma is---the US.

How is it that we allow courts to routinely force citizens to submit to the ministrations of this crypto-religion? If judges ordered the accused to consult a voodoo priestess there would surely be an outcry (in spite of the fact that some people might actually be helped by old fasioned voodoo).

So, this bill isn't shocking, strange, or even "soviet". It's inevitable--as American as...well...as American shoving a scissors into the skull of a baby and calling it: "women's health."

I agree. I used the word "soviet" as you suggested, to catch the attention of lurkers.

It is true that this is being done to Americans by Americans, in this case by the "mole" Orin Hatch.

However, I dare say that some who may read it do not understand how "inevitable" these types of bills are unless there is a quantum change in Americans' values and understanding.

So, this bill isn't shocking, strange, or even "soviet". It's inevitable--as American as...well...as American shoving a scissors into the skull of a baby and calling it: "women's health."

The use of "Soviet" was extremely jarring ... particularly given the fact I get dogged for maintaining the continuity of "Soviet communism" despite the so-called collapse of the Union.

Agreed. The names may change but not the central reality. Of course to too many Americans (and others), the perception is the reality.

A post with a bunch of people who may soon be under "centralized case management"! In the worst tinfoil-hat scenario anyone who opposes certain agendas get huge doses of Prozac until they shut up?

Now that homosexuality and pedophilia have been mainstreamed, they're coming after the real threat to society...firearms.

I'm not holding my breath for any real change in Washington. I like the nomination of Ashcroft, but the rest of the cabinet (mostly CFR types) scares me.

:-)

medium i am reminded of the families waiting at the dockside on russia for news of their departed re the sunken/blown up nuclear sub recently. they began an outpouring of remorse and grief and anger at government inaction. as the people began to show grief and morn [each nationality having and showing different ways of this] the female relative of one of the supposedly deceased men near the dock was seen approached [on our australian tv coverage] by a female of certain strength and quickness, the arm went up and the hand with syringe went down [[all this in public and done unto a member of the defence forces family -who themselves in this category would be subjected to strict secrecy rules and supposedly protection "from/by" the state--]]---the mourning female went down like a light:..........Gorbachev allowed us around to see the evils[[al la sixty minutes, foreign affairs]] of the past regime of which he had been a part and instrumental in change of. The evils included the use of mental asylums for political purpose, but also was seen brave people trying to feed and keep alive persons altered either through medical predisposition or by their very being there or both, in these asylums: these asylums were now broke[california dreaming]]. ....see also Charlses Dickens "travels in America" and yesterdays proclamation of Mrs Bush at inaugaration "at msn yesterday" and her love for the russian author /philosopher/y 'dvoetsky,' who speaks on evil of man. Perhaps there may be an appeal to sense here. Those who aim at utopia see the use/misuse of psychiatry [and this includes modern western philosophers of this ilk] as a "legitimate means to the end " ,of gaining of that revolutionary end....

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About fifteen years ago they dropped that and added “homophobia” (disapproval of homosexuality) as a mental disorder.

The APA should be comitted for destroying our language. Phobia is "fear," not "disapproval." I disapprove of homosexuals, but I am NOT afraid of them. Quite the contrary, I hope God reaches down to them and teaches them the errors of their choice.

The wolves are sharpening thier teeth. The sheep are getting restless, an example needs to be made.

I have not had any respect for my own Senator Dewine for quite some time. And I am rapidly losing respect for Senator Orin hatch.

What is happening to the Republican Party? This law has no Constitutional basis.

Where is the doctrine of limited government that this country was founded on.

Is one of those laws passed in the dark of night with only the supporters of the bill on the floor?

Where is the integrity of statesmanship?

Another usurpation of states rights and a waste of taxpayers dollars.

Another demonstration of why Senators should be selected by the State’s Assemblies instead of by the people as the founders intended. Selection of Senators by the assemblies was intended to protect States rights from the federal government by making the Senators beholding to the Assemblies for their jobs.

This check of power was thrown out the window by direct election by the people.

I have not had any respect for my own Senator Dewine for quite some time. And I am rapidly losing respect for Senator Orin hatch.
Hatch losts me a while ago, I voted against Dewine in the primary

Another usurpation of states rights and a waste of taxpayers dollars.
Another day another usurpation.