Who's to blame?
Doug Tjapkes, HFP President, was invited to participate in an awards ceremony at the Michigan Capitol today honoring Lois DeMott, who fought for the past year to release her mentally-challenged juvenile son from the Michigan Prison System. HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS participated in that case. Doug’s comments:
If I were to be arrested, charged with a crime, and brought to court, the documents would have these words on the top: Plaintiff, the People of the State of Michigan. Defendant, Douglas J. Tjapkes.
Think about that: They’re talking about you and me! We are the people of the State of Michigan!
If that’s the case, then it’s time that we started assuming some of the blame for the very conditions that we condemn.
Let’s start at the bottom of the ladder.
When juveniles are arrested on questionable charges, we blame the police. Who hires the cops? The Chief of Police. Who appoints the Chief of police? Our elected officials. If it’s a county sheriff’s department, we elect the sheriff. If it’s the Michigan State Police, we elect state representatives, state senators, and the governor. I submit that we, the people of Michigan, are to blame!
If a warrant is authorized, containing charges that a mentally challenged youngster may not even understand, we blame the county prosecutor. How do you think that prosecutor gets into public office? The prosecutor is not appointed in the state of Michigan…the prosecutor is elected by us…the people of the State of Michigan. WE are to blame!
When a cold-hearted and calloused judge sentences a juvenile to 9 to 15 years in prison, we say the judge is no good, and shouldn’t be on the bench. Back to my point: how did he get there? He or she was elected, and we, the people of the State of Michigan, put that judge in office and allowed that judge to stay there! We are to blame!
When the State of Michigan shuts down mental institutions and juvenile detention facilities, we find all kinds of people to blame: Those in charge of care for the mentally ill, the Michigan Department of Corrections, the State Attorney General, all the way on to the top---Governor Jennifer Granholm. We cannott keep foisting the blame onto someone else…some other agency, some other person. The buck stops here: WE are the People of the State of Michigan!
And so, in conclusion, Kevin DeMott, I apologize to you for all that you had to endure for more than a year…I apologize on behalf of the People of the State of Michigan, and I accept my share of the blame. It should not have happened!
And to Lois DeMott, wonderful warrior for your son, a fighter who never, ever gave up…never even backed up an inch in your quest for justice and humanity, I have this to say: “Isn’t it a shame that we have to give an award to a mother for doing something she never should have had to do in the first place…for doing something simply because we, the People of the State of Michigan, fell short?"
Your case is a wake-up call to the People of the State of Michigan.
-When we take the time to find out where our local, state and national leaders stand on the issues that are important to us---
-When we ignore political party affiliation, and vote our conscience---
In other words, when we step up to the plate and accept full responsibility for this and many other unacceptable situations in the judicial and corrections categories, then this episode will not have been in vain!
I conclude with a statement by Larry Hirst, Chaplain of the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, which perhaps best explains why my organization stands side-by-side with Lois DeMott and others to continue the fight:
You see, the mentally ill are people, they have bodies and souls, they have hopes and dreams, they are every bit as precious to God as anyone else. So what we can do is change our attitudes toward them. What we can do is choose not to discriminate against their illness. What we can do is offer the same compassion to those who suffer from a mental illness as we do to those who suffer from a physical illness.
May God help us to do just that!
If I were to be arrested, charged with a crime, and brought to court, the documents would have these words on the top: Plaintiff, the People of the State of Michigan. Defendant, Douglas J. Tjapkes.
Think about that: They’re talking about you and me! We are the people of the State of Michigan!
If that’s the case, then it’s time that we started assuming some of the blame for the very conditions that we condemn.
Let’s start at the bottom of the ladder.
When juveniles are arrested on questionable charges, we blame the police. Who hires the cops? The Chief of Police. Who appoints the Chief of police? Our elected officials. If it’s a county sheriff’s department, we elect the sheriff. If it’s the Michigan State Police, we elect state representatives, state senators, and the governor. I submit that we, the people of Michigan, are to blame!
If a warrant is authorized, containing charges that a mentally challenged youngster may not even understand, we blame the county prosecutor. How do you think that prosecutor gets into public office? The prosecutor is not appointed in the state of Michigan…the prosecutor is elected by us…the people of the State of Michigan. WE are to blame!
When a cold-hearted and calloused judge sentences a juvenile to 9 to 15 years in prison, we say the judge is no good, and shouldn’t be on the bench. Back to my point: how did he get there? He or she was elected, and we, the people of the State of Michigan, put that judge in office and allowed that judge to stay there! We are to blame!
When the State of Michigan shuts down mental institutions and juvenile detention facilities, we find all kinds of people to blame: Those in charge of care for the mentally ill, the Michigan Department of Corrections, the State Attorney General, all the way on to the top---Governor Jennifer Granholm. We cannott keep foisting the blame onto someone else…some other agency, some other person. The buck stops here: WE are the People of the State of Michigan!
And so, in conclusion, Kevin DeMott, I apologize to you for all that you had to endure for more than a year…I apologize on behalf of the People of the State of Michigan, and I accept my share of the blame. It should not have happened!
And to Lois DeMott, wonderful warrior for your son, a fighter who never, ever gave up…never even backed up an inch in your quest for justice and humanity, I have this to say: “Isn’t it a shame that we have to give an award to a mother for doing something she never should have had to do in the first place…for doing something simply because we, the People of the State of Michigan, fell short?"
Your case is a wake-up call to the People of the State of Michigan.
-When we take the time to find out where our local, state and national leaders stand on the issues that are important to us---
-When we ignore political party affiliation, and vote our conscience---
In other words, when we step up to the plate and accept full responsibility for this and many other unacceptable situations in the judicial and corrections categories, then this episode will not have been in vain!
I conclude with a statement by Larry Hirst, Chaplain of the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, which perhaps best explains why my organization stands side-by-side with Lois DeMott and others to continue the fight:
You see, the mentally ill are people, they have bodies and souls, they have hopes and dreams, they are every bit as precious to God as anyone else. So what we can do is change our attitudes toward them. What we can do is choose not to discriminate against their illness. What we can do is offer the same compassion to those who suffer from a mental illness as we do to those who suffer from a physical illness.
May God help us to do just that!
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