Lack of services for mentally ill

Dear editor,

Like troublesome wildlife, due to lack of government funding available to conservation efforts, more and more we are seeing wildlife simply killed rather than conserved.  As awful as that has been to read on an escalating level, is this next degrading step in human evolution creating targets of mentally-ill or challenged people now? 

After reading yet another sad story of the death of a BC man who had threateningly been swinging a 2x4 in the Vancouver area this weekend, it's horrifying how people across Canada are now being simply shot to death when they are exhibiting troublesome behaviour in public. 

I understand when it's a matter of life and death situation sometimes law enforcement has no choice in the situation, but what concerns me is that this line that is being crossed seems to becoming more and more blurred, and are mentally ill people being killed unnecessarily?

Is it from lack of funding resulting in the shortage of proper care and placement for the mentally ill, improper training, impatience of attending officers and/or just due to their overwhelming numbers on the streets that the life of what might be considered by law enforcement a "nuisance" human being, has become of such little value? 

It seems there are countless aftermath "investigations" already ongoing in BC alone with no end in sight. 

Given all of the above there is an obvious need for a dramatic and immediate increase in government funding tax to help those in need where they can live safely and receive the resources they need to survive as a valued member of our society. 

I hope the government sees this need and acts upon it without further 

-Cynthia Preston