A field trip from mentality

The cops finally caught the mental patient who escaped from the Interstate Fair late last week.

What does one say to that?

I think the most galling of commentary on the situation came from the Department of Social and Health Services talking head - "I think Spokane could use this as an opportunity to better understand mental illness."

Come again?

Not one, but all 31 of the fairgoing mental patients had been declared criminally insane.

The mental hospital administration took 2 hours to report the missing criminal.

The inmate brought packaged meals and changes of clothing with him on the fair field trip in a backpack.

Yes, we should be using this as a opportunity to reflect on the injustices done to this man who brutally murdered an old woman.

The PR spin on behalf of the DSHS has been amazing. I'm sure area colleges will be teaching this in public relations classes for years to come. How do you justify the unjustifiable? Is there ever a point where a business/organization/individual can throw their hands up and say, "Okay, I messed up"?

This brings to mind a certain president and a certain ill-conceived war, made worse by years of attempts to justify the action.

I, for one, would have had a lot more respect for him had he said, "We made a mistake, now let's fix it."

Something tells me that, like last time, that ain't going to happen here.