President Trump’s July 24 executive order on expanding civil commitment of the mentally ill homeless has sparked debate over whether we should compel people living on the streets into treatment. Trump’s stance lines up surprisingly well with the direction of liberal states like Oregon, California, and New York. Committing severely mentally ill people, those unable to care for their basic needs, into treatment does not violate liberty: it secures it and even sets conditions for expanding Americans’ freedoms.
Our laws have long recognized that the insane must be cared for and cannot exercise the same rights that sane, competent adults enjoy. All states allow those who are a danger to themselves or others to be committed; the debate is whether those unable to care for their basic needs should also qualify.
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