On July 23, 2015 the Dallas Morning News published an article by Michael Nagle titled Abbott sided with Conspiracy Theorists to Kill Mental Health Law. In this article, the author discusses the Senate Bill 359
that Governor Greg Abbott decided to veto. The Senate Bill 359 would have given
hospitals the power to hold a patient for 4 hours if doctors felt that the
patient was thought to be in danger to themselves or others. These 4 hours
would have given law enforcement enough time to evaluate the patient before he
was released from the hospital. So why would Governor Greg Abbott decide to
veto this bill if the senate and house passed it and if it could potentially help
protect individuals from harm?
According to the author, Abbott said there were constitutional concerns with this bill and sided with fear mongering and a coalition group called the Citizens Commission on Human Rights instead of valuing medical expertise. The author’s intended audience is for doctors, law enforcement, and the mentally ill which this bill would have helped if it were passed. I agree with the author that this bill would have provided a safer environment for both the patient and the society that they encounter. Abbott wrote that only law enforcement should have the right to detain someone but not doctors who are medically trained and experienced to know if someone could be of danger to others. The author makes a valid point that this puts law enforcement at risk, the patient, and society if this patient is psychotic and is released without being evaluated before hand. The author uses other sources to validate his point. If a conspiracy is more important than providing authority to hold patients that present immediate danger, than our legislation is placing more danger into our society and is not focusing on the real problem.
According to the author, Abbott said there were constitutional concerns with this bill and sided with fear mongering and a coalition group called the Citizens Commission on Human Rights instead of valuing medical expertise. The author’s intended audience is for doctors, law enforcement, and the mentally ill which this bill would have helped if it were passed. I agree with the author that this bill would have provided a safer environment for both the patient and the society that they encounter. Abbott wrote that only law enforcement should have the right to detain someone but not doctors who are medically trained and experienced to know if someone could be of danger to others. The author makes a valid point that this puts law enforcement at risk, the patient, and society if this patient is psychotic and is released without being evaluated before hand. The author uses other sources to validate his point. If a conspiracy is more important than providing authority to hold patients that present immediate danger, than our legislation is placing more danger into our society and is not focusing on the real problem.
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