Bill Packard’s column in Talk, “A troubling election season”, says in part: While I may not agree with some people holding political office, I don’t consider many of them morons or idiots. Is there the slimmest chance that people whose political views are opposite of ours are just normal everyday people who see things differently than we do?

“Could that be, or are they all wicked, evil people who hate everything that is good and right and will stoop to any level to destroy the world as we know it?”

 Mr. Packard says, “Reality doesn’t exist. Reality is what we perceive."

 I’d like to agree with Mr. Packard about the idea that reality is what we perceive. Also I agree that  people who hold public office are not necessarily morons and idiots;  But what are they…Well,

 Lets look at some information from the National Institute of Mental Health. The mission of the N.I.M.H. includes the best statistics currently available on the prevalence, treatment, and costs of mental disorders for the population of the United States.

 Research on mental health from its web page shows that mental disorders are common throughout the United States, affecting tens of millions of people each year and that overall, only about half of those affected receive treatment. 

In 2012, there were an estimated 9.6 million adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. with serious mental illness. This represented 4.1 percent of all U.S. adults. It is fair to say that, mental illness prevalent in the United States and only about half of those souls receive treatment, might suggest that “perception” of reality is questionable among tens of millions of  the electorate?  Undoubtedly some of these disturbed people will drive automobiles, attempt to have and raise children, vote, and some will seek political office.

Are they morons and idiots? No, but are they sharing a different perception, a different reality than many? I think one must conclude that if millions are suffering from mental illness and without treatment, their thinking and behavior will match their separate realities. 

While there is liittle trust in elected officials these days as is seen in Congress’s popularity or President Obama’s ratings, It seems clear also that there is no reliability on the will of the electorate. Reality is how you see it, right? 

I must disagree with Mr. Packard when he asks, "is  it possible to see people who have political views opposite ours are just ordinary people who ‘see things’ differently"?

No, I do not think serious mental illness is classified as ordinary, or just different. Some people's perception is  plainly self-destructive. Others are confused and deluded.

How else can we explain people repeatedly voting against their own self interest ?

Mr.Packard asks, are they all wicked evil people?  No but they may not be seeing things clearly.

Some who seek elected office's perception of reality is so different than ours, they wind up making things worse for the commonwealth. We ought not demonize them but offer them treatment and not reelect them.

Steve Collins lives in Northport