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Show I TMIE SALT LAME PULSE By BOB HICKS For years, in fact for centuries the problem of mental illness was treated as more of a crime than a disease. Those afflicted were put away from society and tortured or in other ways maltreated. mal-treated. In recent years we have taken a much more realistic and humane attitude toward these unfortunates in our midst and have realized that with proper care many of these people can be made useful, productive citizens citi-zens once again. Although I am not an authority in the field, I would like to reiterate re-iterate some of the things written writ-ten in this column a week ago. Retarded children among us need a great deal more than just a passing expression of someone feeling sorry. We would never think, for instance, of ridiculing a person or crutches or in a wheelchair. Our expressions of sympathy naturally follow. Yet in other areas we have been grossly negligent towards those whose handicap is mental rather than physical. : , Most of these children can be rehabilitated and restored to normal life, if proper facilities can be provided. This writer is convinced they can be provided, with the united effort of the state and the community to undertake un-dertake this problem, which is directly affecting all of us. . Emotionalism aside, there rest in Utah a great chance ot set an example to the rest of the country coun-try by tackling this problem in a bold manner. We hear so much against tax increases and spending spend-ing and if I were running for office (which I most certainly am not) I might shy away from this issue, because people hate being hit in the pocketbook, but it seems to me a penny here and there would soon provide a way to build new facilities for these children. A recent tax increase in the legislature has set up sources for funds in other fields. It's time to start something for these neglected neg-lected children even if another take from the public purse is necessary. Utahns have always generously over-subscribed to cancer drives and other worthy causes. It is time now to move ahead in the field of giving retarded re-tarded children a real start in life. |