Village had a chance to do the right thing

Monday night the Village of Arlington Heights trustees had the chance to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of families in their village.

These are the families who live every minute of every day with the painful fact that one or more of their family members has a mental illness that keeps them marginalized and discriminated against by the greater part of society.

The vote of 4-3 against the building of a supportive housing apartment complex on Boeger Drive in Arlington Heights for persons with mental illness was another step in this discrimination and marginalization process. Gratefully, the mayor and two trustees voted for the project.

Of those who voted against the project, some stated that it was because of the density of the complex. Yet in downtown Arlington Heights we have skyscrapers that were voted into existence years ago.

So, "normal" people can live in densely populated quarters, but when it comes to a person struggling "valiantly to regain a sense of self that is lost with such a damning illness" as Nancy Kehoe writes in her book, "Wrestling with Our Inner Angels," then a three-story 30-unit apartment building on a lot in a suburban community is "too dense."

Maybe what we really need is more "density" in the education of our community as far as what the true needs are of those persons with biological brain disorders, aka mental illness. They need a sense of self-worth like all people. They need a place to call home.

Venus Gintowt

co-President

Northwest Suburban NAMI