ABQ should try to help the mentally ill

WHILE I’M not from Albuquerque or even from New Mexico, I felt the need to chime in. Hello, I’m a Portland Protester. An Antifa if you will. I know you only see Portland on the news on fire and riot shields, but that’s like two blocks of downtown on the extreme occasion. Normally it’s a beautiful city of people passionate about those in need.

Your retired police captain who penned “Plan will make more of ABQ look like Central: Hell” showed nothing but a blatant disregard for his community and flagrant ableism and flat-out hatred for people, who through no fault of their own, have mental illnesses. It’s not their fault our mental health system is in shambles. Often the homeless are people with physical disabilities and, shamefully frequently, it’s our veterans, used by the government, broken and tossed out.

I know. My husband is a veteran with a serviceconnected disability, and the VA nor any other agency could keep us from becoming homeless. We have kids with disabilities, physical and mental health. I don’t have time for a job. I’m not lazy. I’m a mom, secretary, nurse, PT, OT and chauffeur to and from medical appointments.

Would David Gilmore speak of my husband so hatefully?

If your city honestly wants to make itself better, maybe it should stop using the usual tactics of oppressing and criminalizing mental health and homelessness and try something that has actually been shown to work. Have social workers respond to mental health and homelessness calls. Have psychologists and social workers on call for domestic violence calls and welfare checks. Make clear and easy pathways for people to get help with mental illness, drug addiction, homelessness and any other health issues they might have.

Actually take care of your community.

ELSI NIELSEN Toutle, WA