Andrew Yang: "Yes, mentally ill people have rights, but you know who else has rights? We do!"

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

[Archae]

1. He's absolutely correct.

[smirkymonkey]

2. Have to agree with him here.

"Mental illness" is starting to become too much of an excuse.

Some of these people are just anti-social, angry, miserable assholes.

They shouldn't all be given a pass for being "mentally ill". Too many innocent people are being attacked and there has to be some way to legally hold these people responsible or take them off the streets.

[brooklynite]

3. Ray McGuire (African-American) and Diane Morales (Hispanic) had a sniping match in the debate

McGuire said that New Yorkers of color didn't agree with the "Defund the Police" mantra. Morales said he couldn't speak for people of color.

Link to tweet

[RegularJam]

4. There should be no transition.

Yes, they have rights. We will protect those rights while implementing a compassionate plan to deal with a serious problem. We are our brothers keeper and we will clean up by lifting them up.

Be it the severity of the problem in major cities or the behind closed door problem it is in many areas, this should be an easy general answer question for progressives. Then only one or two short and ambiguous details and you nailed it.

[bahboo]

7. thank you...

[TraceNC]

5. He's right.

Having the right to walk down the street “without fearing for safety” applies no matter who is causing the problem, though. But yeah, he’s right. We don’t do nearly enough for mental illness in this country. We should. Not just for those who need help, but for society as a whole.

[Yavin4]

6. Here's his full response.

Anyone who has a problem with it is just trying to pander and not solve the actual problem.

Link to tweet

[JI7]

9. i wonder if this response will bring his support back up

[dalton99a]

11. +1

[True Dough]

13. The clip from the OP is pretty much a "gotcha" set up

Perhaps Yang was a little ham-handed in how he presented it, but it's not like he doesn't care about people suffering from mental illness.

Link to tweet

[Scrivener7]

14. Lol! Cupp's response accuses him of saying the opposite

of what he said.

[JI7]

8. Don't think he should be Mayor but I don't see the problem with what he said

[torius]

10. You can't lock someone in an institution

Unless you can prove they are a danger to themselves or others. Nor can you forcefully medicate them unless you can prove that.
Not all of them are violent.

They need housing, a home. Food and treatment. Ongoing support. A halfway house with services for instance.

He is being incredibly vague.

Bloomberg as Mayor actually put a lot of resources into homelessness but the issue is still there. And in New York, he’s talking about places where people have been harassed but some of them are dealing drugs or just scaring people by existing. It’s important to separate the ones who really cause probles from the ones wealthy people just don’t want to look at.

[JI7]

12. He isn't being vague. He is clesrly talking about those causing problems

like attacking people. He even gives an example if it.

[torius]

18. I was referring to his

solution of “adding psych beds” as being vague. More beds are needed, permanent housing is also needed.

The homeless people in hotels are now being moved back to dorm housing, some say they’d be safer on the street.

Most attacks are NOT by mentally ill—only 5% are. Some attackers claim mental illness after attacks.

I’m a longtime NYer who has worked w homeless teens and volunteered in an adult/family shelter and am also Asian and understand and feel fear too but the issue is not only about homeless mentally ill—some are violent, but there’s more to the issue. The public needs protection from all kinds of crime, not only crimes committed by homeless.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

16. Really gross to see responses buying into the "us vs them" in his answer.

[BannonsLiver]

17. I agree with Yang

And I like it more after seeing some here call it “really gross.”

[Rustyeye77]

19. We know we have rights....that's not the point .

A caring society doesn’t play “we have rights too”

It looks for answers to help those less fortunate.

I don’t have all the answers and probably neither do you but hopefully some smart people do.

[Polybius]

20. He'd be a great Mayor OF NYC

He's my choice after Adams.