The Final Chapter

As I finished writing my research paper I sat back and felt the weight of the world lift from my shoulders. I have never told my story before and looking at it now I see so many aspects left out. But I wanted to keep my paper objective and in that left out the inner growth I have experienced along with my own transformation. Though faith is a very important element, it is by no means the only one, and being that faith relies upon something bigger than us, I left it alone in favor of empirical evidence and observation.

And as I reflect on what more I could do I stop and seriously ponder the plight of the mentally ill. I cannot help but wonder how many children are in the system because of a missed diagnoses. As I prepare my final version, tweaking parts and awaiting verifications from others, I think of future projects I could do to help create awareness but I must remain focused on being an active force in the creation of a Disabilities Study program that could be included in college curriculum. I feel very strongly in that.

On the subject of faith I have but a few words to say, we each have a relationship with the universe in whatever format of worship that may be, but in the end it does no good if we do not help our fellow human to achieve their fullest potential.

Incarcerate NOT Rehabilitate

In doing this project I had no idea how much things had changed, on the surface, and how very little has been done by way of word usage. We still use terms that denote the disabled person as having created the disability themselves, the phrase “you’ve overcome it” comes to mind most often. Though I know people mean it well, it resonates deeply in the mind of the person who has disabilities.

But what I have noticed even more is that even with laws in place to help disabled people integrate, like the A.D.A. and A.D.E.A., it is rarely enforced and programs that would help those help themselves are constantly under attack by various levels of government. It seems wrong that we pass these laws and yet cut the funding, in favor of other pork-barrel projects, and leave the disabled to fend for themselves.

One thing I have seriously looked at is teens and mental health. With the cut backs from local communities, like Grays Harbor, they are shutting down facilities to help those who may have mental health issues. What happens to those children then? How are we supposed to get them the help they need?

Something is wrong when we start looking at human life through the lens of dollar value. These children could become productive people, if they had the services to help them out, instead, we close these facilities that could help them and they end up on the streets, angry and alone. I spoke with a gentleman who works at a local youth detention center and he spoke of how many have anger issue. When asked if they may have mental health issues he responded with a yes.

How is that morally right? How is it we have become a society that preaches our connection with Christ, and turn our backs on the ones who need help? Once you are in the system you become “institutionalized” and criminality is something you become. But how do you break this old cycle of incarceration for these youth? How do you overcome the prison machine who favors money and jobs over true rehabilitation? I won’t be able to answer that, not in this project, but maybe I’ll do some project later down the road to address this.