Saturday, May 1, 2010

More Bad Craziness

They just can't help themselves. Another madman attacked a kindergarten class with a hammer, then doused himself with petrol and set himself alight. He died, but fortunately all the kids survived.
The government is calling for better security. The schools around here are already gated, with security guards, but their training and abilities to stop an armed nut may be lacking. The deeper problem is the lack of mental health care in this country. Like the US, people who should be institutionalized are wandering the streets, left to their own devices. There is also a tremendous lack of any psychological counseling of any sort. It's as much a cultural issue as anything.
The Chinese are tough. They are self reliant and tend to internalize in order to present to the world a good face. Face is the all important thing, and it would be a terrible loss of face to admit to emotional or psychological issues, let alone to seek help. As far as I know, there are only a handful of practicing mental health professionals in our city, and all are employed by hospitals. The media have been discussing this issue lately, especially with the rash of school attacks. 50 years ago in the US a person would be stigmatized for seeking help for psychological issues, now it is much more accepted. I think that China will see a growth in this field, too.
In the meantime we will all be more vigilant at school, watching for the next maniac.