Opening Up

A tragedy is not an accident.  It is the result of a chain of events or factors.  A person, for example, determines to hide a mentally sick son or daughter or boyfriend or girlfriend from the public and doctors.

'This is my child, I love him.  I'm not alllowing anybody to take my child from me and put him in some hospital for the mentally ill or a house for crazy people.  All the poor thing needs is just for someone to love him, and can't anybody understand him and love him as I can because I'm his mother.  I brought him into the world.  He's mine.  I raised him and know him better'n any psychologist or psychiatrist.

'So what if he's just a little different from other kids -- and sometimes a little embarrassing for me -- I can just keep him out of the public's eye, keep him home.  I can teach him better'n some of these schools.  He'll grow out of some of these problems he seems to be having.

'Some people think that a woman can't teach a boy how to be a man, can't tell him about women the way a man can.  I'll show 'em.  It's not like a man trying to teach a girl to be a woman.  A man can't do that.  I'll teach him how to shoot a gun, like a man.

'Besides, there're these parents getting checks from the State for some child diagnosed as "disable" with mental problems, and if that child does anything wrong the courts hold the parents or guardians responsible.  I'm not getting involved in that . . . if people know he has a mental problem that'll just open him up to ridicule and make his condition worse.  I'm not opening my family up to all that . . . nobody says anything about all these nuts walking our streets and riding our buses everyday or on jobs and in our schools . . . .'