Rights of the Mentally Ill

Interesting post at Echidne of the Snakes titled The Insoluble Problem of The Rights of People With The Most Severe Mental Illness.

I would bet that almost every family in America has some experience with mental illness, either personally (oneself) or with family members. Currently, our system extends the same right to choose to every adult, including the mentally ill. The problem comes in when the mentally ill can't (or won't) make the best choices.

It's tough for family members to accept that the right to choose includes the right to make bad or irrational choices. These situations are painful, and not always in the best interest of the persons involved.