New York Institutions

By

Shannon E. Smith

After watching two documentaries via Amazon prime video during the Christmas

holidays has made me be very thankful that I wasn’t given away by my parents to

place me into an institution Asylum for idiots. Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s it was a

very difficult and scary time for the mentally retarded. They had little freedom and

little education. The asylum was horrible and terrifying for those who enter the

institution for their parent’s sake. They were given away because it was best known

for the parent’s to place their mentally challenge child there by the doctor’s who

diagnosed them. This particular path was repeated over and over until advocacy skills

was introduced to everyone even schools. Making a decision like placing your child into

a filthy place would have changed your mind very much a lot. I feel as if the

documentary taught me moral values and respect for those who were born retarded

and had behavior problems throughout their life. I also find that this century was

very sad and horrible for those who experienced the pain. Watching them get beat

and hit it was horrible for the parents to get little info about what was going on at

the asylum. Everything was hush hush. A secret that would change society forever. I

feel as if I have told a good story about the asylums that the horror that went on

back then and got rid of the asylums and institutions.