The NH GOP Senator's method of dealing with the Mentally Ill

One rather disturbing article published March 11 2011 explains the New Hampshire Senator Matin Harty's (R) way of dealing with mental health budgets.

Sharon Omand, a community health care center manager and resident of Stafford NH, called state senator Martin Harty to request more funding for community mental health programs and for the homeless. Harty's rather unsettling response to Omand's request is that the "world is too populated" and that there are "too many defective people." According to Harty, the 'real' way to deal with the defective/mentally ill people is to ship them off to Siberia. The one thing Hitler did right. Harty himself confirmed to making these comments to Omand ( http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/11/gop-senator-siberia/).

Omand says Harty then stated, “I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population.” Omand said Harty appeared to be serious. After Omand responded that his idea sounded like what Adolf Hitler did in World War II, Omand said Harty responded, “Hitler did something right, and I agree with (it).”

and later clarifies:

"I mean all the defective people, the drug addicts, mentally ill, the retarded — all of them,” the elderly lawmaker said when asked to specify what kind of people he was talking about.

(http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/15/eugenics-advocating-new-hampshire-lawmaker-resigns/#ixzz1HB9HnGE1)

Also according to Harty:

nature has a way of “getting rid of stupid people” and it’s a shame “we’re saving everyone who gets born.”

(http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/15/eugenics-advocating-new-hampshire-lawmaker-resigns/#ixzz1HB9kOfvt

While sending the mentally ill way to Siberia and agreeing with Hitler in matters of human welfare are disturbing on their own, it becomes more unsettling when looking at history and seeing this was also Joseph Stalin's method to dealing with the mentall ill along with other groups he despised. Stalin sent countless Polsih, chechens, dissidents, and other groups to Siberia to work in the bitter cold at camps. Millions have lost their lives because of it.

Republican State House Speaker William O'Brien comes to Harty's defense by saying: "at Harty's age (90 years old) he has earned the right to say what he thinks but he needs to appreciate that as a represenative, he will be held at a higher standard."  Harty apparently also served under General Patton and fought for his country in WW II against the dictators he would eventually agree with on taking care of such problems. (http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/15/eugenics-advocating-new-hampshire-lawmaker-resigns/)

Regardless of his age and sevices to our country Harty's comment was the type of alientation many mentally ill fear or are already being plagued by. And perhaps if he insulted another group, such as making a racist or sexist comment, there would be less excuses for him and much more coverage. His other presumed ideals like "it's a shame we're saving everyone who gets born" shows his lack of compassion and plenty of callousness regarding human life. Harty isn't alone with his ideals and the fact he was a person in such power as well leads to many to worry where else these people with these ideals can also be.

Not surprisingly Harty resigned only a couple of days later apologizing for his comments. (http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/15/eugenics-advocating-new-hampshire-lawmaker-resigns/)