The Measure of a Civil Society: The Soloist and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

This is "The Soloist", Mr. Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a mentally ill homeless man in Los Angeles who is a gifted musician originally trained as a bassist at Julliard. Mr. Ayers has been made famous by L.A. Times writer Steve Lopez. Clearly the movie, "The Soloist",starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. has put the spotlight on both Ayers and Lopez. But more importantly Lopez's story of Ayers' plight brings to the forefront the issue of how our society cares for those who do not have the capacity to care for themselves.

Not since the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"have we as a society been so boldy confronted with our failure to care for the mentally ill. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" not only won Jack Nicholson best actor of 1976, it literally lead to mental hospitals across America being emptied of many many patients. At the time we thought that emptying those mental hospitals meant increasing individual rights for mental patients. We thought that it meant that we were finally showing respect for the rights of the mentally ill to determine how they would live their lives, as long as they posed no physical threat to themselves or others. And we were right it did mean those things. However, it also has turned out that these same polices have come to mean that gifted individuals, like Mr. Ayers, cannot be forced to submit themselves to treatments or therapies that could change their lives for the better. I am not sure what the right answer is but, I am certain that we as a society have not found the right answer, yet. We need to think this one through and give it our best shot. How a society treats and cares for those who are most vulnerable is the true measure of a society.