Chaperones for our mentally ill

A clearly disturbed woman up front on the bus was frantically

    - and rather loudly - summing up her wretched life for the bus

    driver...." don't  go to those psychiatrists... don't take their

    drugs... I'm so confused today... "

              While I was standing in line at Citizen's Bank the poor

    woman came through the door and immediately made a pathetic scene.

    Oh my, the line was too long. She would be late for her 2 o'clock

    appointment downtown. A kind lady let her get ahead :

            " Thank you... God will bless you .... Where is

    everybody nowadays. I feel so lonely ... I feel so lonely . "

               Mental health care in Rhode Island ! I reflected.

         Does not the state perceive the necessity to at least

    provide chaperons  for " functional " mentally ill. Such

    confused people as this woman - " I wanted a nice house and kids

    and a family too ... didn't happen ... " - cry out for

    everyday assistance , even when they are living alone.

         Does anybody care ? Any compassionate DEMOCRATS in

    Rhode Island ?