Sandi K W. (Sandiinmississippi) reviewed In the Best Liberal Diatribe Tradition on 7/2/2009 + 265 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

The author uses this situation, which involves Reagan's lawyer's family, to 'prove' his decision to close many mental hospitals in CA was supposedly disastrous. Somehow, he reaches the conclusion that the murder and the mental state of the lawyer's children related to reducing the number of people warehoused for life for peculiar behavior. As usual with liberal reasoning, it doesn't hold water.

The story is gripping, and I liked how the author included details about the family and their ineffective efforts. Their older son commits suicide after being admitted to a mental health ward, so they shy away from treatment of the same type for their second mentally ill son. The author fails to explain how their decision would have been any different if institutions closed by Reagan were still there. He also shows clearly that help was still available for families with mentally ill members as witness their ability to place their first son. He even takes a cheap shot at Reagan criticizing his decision not to turn the victim's funeral into a media circus by attending. It appears the author chose to take this tragic situation to drive home his liberal agenda and pick at Reagan. However it doesn't spoil the book - you just have to consider the convoluted reasoning of the author.

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