Mental patients can marry -- and cast votes

To the editor:

In response to the Speak Out comment objecting to my marriage to Rodney Yoder at Chester Mental Health Center: At one time, the so-called mentally ill were sterilized and victims of eugenics. Nazi psychiatrists first practiced eugenics on the mentally ill before moving on to Jews.

Unlike many criminals in prison who are allowed family visits, mental patients are not allowed conjugal visits. Do the public and psychiatry think mental patients are not capable of being loved and loving and would not benefit from both romantic and physical love?

Perhaps readers should be more concerned that their tax dollars are spent on a man like Rodney, feeding and housing him like a child, when he is quite capable of earning a living, preparing his own meals and doing his own laundry. Illinois spends around $150,000 a year to keep Rodney imprisoned.

On the other hand, unlike felons, mental patients can vote. If it bothers readers that Rodney married, I bet it will really irritate them that Rodney votes by absentee ballot, as he did in the last state election.

Rodney Yoder may be the only mental patient in America who has his wits about him to engage in both marriage and electing politicians.

MILLIE STROM YODER

Vancouver, British Columbia

Canada