This article deals mainly with Miriam Carey's family's reactions to the news that she was shot in a high-speed chase in Washington, D.C. on October 3rd. Ms. Carey apparently rammed into a barricade at the White House prior to being chased by the police. She had her one year old daughter in the car with her, and though Ms. Carey was shot and killed, her daughter was uninjured. Her family stated that Ms. Carey had been diagnosed with post-partum depression with psychosis and had been on medication for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Ms. Carey had been not taking her medication recently, however, and she told her doctors that she "had been feeling fine recently." According to this article Ms. Carey had also talked about delusions she had in which she believed President Obama was eavesdropping on her and spying on her town.
This article relates to AP GOPO because it demonstrates that the sad consequences of mental illness can have an enormous impact on many people, including people in our government. Clearly this woman was unbalanced and had problems even while on medication and should not have been taken off of her medication. She may have been functioning normally while on her medicine, but that should not have meant that her doctors trusted her enough to take her off medication. I think we're just fortunate that she wasn't able to harm anyone other than herself on this incident.
I think this is a sad and frightening article. It's crazy to think that someone with problems can get so close to harming innocent people. I'm shocked that this woman's doctors took her off of her medications because clearly she was very sick in several ways. Schizophrenics can be dangerous enough, but add bipolar disorder and PPD to that? I'm honestly shocked that no one other than her was hurt because she was clearly not in her right mind. I also wonder, though, if shooting her was the only answer. Even if Ms. Carey was dangerous, the police could have maybe tazed or tranquilized her before putting her in prison. I'm just sad for that little child, though the article makes me think that she has a caring extended family who will hopefully take care of her.
I completely agree with you. Mental illness is a serious problem, and more awareness needs to brought to the severity of it. I also definitely think Ms. Carey should not have been taken off of her medicine at all. In the end, as you said, it is just very sad for the little girl.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very well written! I also agree with what your opinion on this issue is. More people should know about mentall illnesses and do more things to stop them. It is very sad that the little girl was taken off her medication. I think it should be a law that they have to be kept on medication after something of this sort happnens.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Waverly, i think that more people need to know about mental illnesses. They should have known that this girl was only acting normal becasue she was on her medication. If they knew that she wouldn't have been taken off of it and she wouldn't have been shot.
ReplyDeleteIt is very unfortunate that this woman was killed, however the security of others and the president should never be compromised. i am surprised that her doctors and her family did not notice her instability. It just goes to show how someone can appear to be fine on the outside, but be a wreak on the inside. I am also hoping that the child can lead a normal life in the wake of this tragedy
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