April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
EDITORIAL

Bring on the vices

With New York State in the red, Gov. David Paterson now considers mixed martial arts as a possible source of tax revenue and economic activity. It would, he said recently, offset deep cuts in school aid and other funding.

Wow, great idea - cry havoc and let loose the violence. And count up the ticket sales.

Despite its brutal nature, "ultimate fighting" had already moved toward legalization in the state legislature. In this "sport," one contestant wins by punching and kicking the opponent into unconsciousness, or by choking (the so-called "submission hold"), with the same result. There are elbow blows to the head, knees to the groin and head, kidney punches and lots of blood, all evoking wild cheers from crowds and announcers.

This bloody spectacle is popular elsewhere - why yes, Las Vegas - and is a standard feature on cable TV and the internet. At least 38 states have legalized it and boosters want to add the big arena of New York.

Here, its proponents claim it will boost tax and gambling revenues. Naturally, it's being prescribed for depressed regions.

Has it not ever been so? We've seen gambling for the Catskills or Niagara Falls, untaxed tobacco sales for Iroquois reservations, and a statewide lottery for education that drains pockets disproportionately in poor neighborhoods.

We're all for taxing vices, such as tobacco, or luxuries, such as wine, liquor or Wall Street bonuses. But promoting a vice is another thing altogether.

"Violence begets violence," says Bob Reilly, the member of the State Assembly who has staged a lonely crusade in opposition.

We take so many steps to promote healthy living and discourage violence among our children. They're encouraged to smoke less, eat more vegetables and talk things out rather than gossip and fight. It will be odd, though, to eventually tell them, "Your school will stay open thanks to those guys in a cage beating each other."

Usher in humanity

St. Catherine's Center for Children in Albany now operates on a "sanctuary model" that recognizes the abuse or neglect most or all of their students have endured. In our Jan. 7 issue, Angela Cave reported on the change, three years in the making. "Sanctuary seeks to identify the root, not necessarily place the blame on somebody," ex-plained one of the 300 staffers trained in the method.

This is a welcome change, one that has slowly spread in the larger world of mental health services. For too long, another model has predominated, namely that mental illness and emotional troubles can be traced to an imbalance in brain chemistry. Though lacking firm proof, this hypothesis guides much psychiatric treatment these days.

Increasingly, adults and now children with mental disorders are prescribed drugs and, usually, little in the way of counseling. Professionals say they are restoring the brain chemistry. Instead, the approach has led to a widespread obesity and diabetes, increased mortality and other psychiatric woes. And often enough, more medications are prescribed to counter the hurtful side effects. Even that is a misnomer, since psychiatric medications work, by and large, by impairing brain function. That brings relief in the short run, which can help, but neglects the root of the problem.

Proponents counter that the trauma, or other causes, have changed the brain chemistry. Yes, but so do eating, sleeping, exercise, work and all the good and bad experiences of life. We deal with other problems at the cause. We should be treating people, not brains alone. St. Catherine's approach offers much more promise for these young souls.[[In-content Ad]]

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