Justice for Kelly Thomas – What Has Changed?

I’ve been feeling restless lately, like the only way to find peace is to pack my bag and leave the country. I even toyed with the idea of moving to somewhere in South or Central America. But the more I look into it, the clearer it becomes that trading one crisis for another isn’t a solution. Many of those nations are under the thumb of dictatorships or cartels—exchanging the frying pan for the fire.

Still, I can’t help but understand why some of my friends read the headlines and wonder if the grass might be greener elsewhere. We’ve seen a wave of talented, committed people walking away from the United States, convinced that no matter how flawed we are, maybe the alternatives would be worse. And yet, I find myself looking inward, refusing to pack up my dreams or my pen.

Yes, our politics are torn apart, and it feels like every day there’s a new outrage. But I’ve come to a strange kind of respect for the chaos—especially when it comes to our highest-profile figures. At least with a controversial president, we know exactly where he stands. There’s no operating in shadows, no fine-print deals hidden from public view. In a weird way, that transparency reminds me we’re still a democracy, however clumsy and uneven it may be.

I refuse to let fear of a single officeholder drive me out of my own country. I will stay, not just for me, but for the causes I care about—chief among them, justice for Kelly Thomas. His tragic death at the hands of those sworn to protect us remains a painful scar on our collective conscience. Almost fifteen years on, what has really changed? Too many institutions still treat mental illness like a nuisance rather than a crisis. Too many people who need help are instead met with handcuffs or eviction orders.

My quest isn’t to overhaul the nation overnight. I’m not naive enough to believe I can rip out systemic failures with a single blog post. What I hope to change is the culture—how we think about and talk about mental health and addiction. Our strategies, from ‘tough love’ policies to punitive housing bans, are often just making things worse. Homelessness isn’t a cure for mental illness; it’s an accelerant. Anger and isolation don’t heal—they shatter.

Both parties must recognize that people are dying, literally dropping off the map, because we refuse to treat mental health crises as the emergencies they are. We need compassion, community resources, and safe housing first—and policies that prioritize human dignity over budget cuts or political point-scoring.

I won’t be leaving any time soon. My fight for Kelly Thomas—and everyone like him—demands that I stay right here, in the heart of the chaos, pushing us toward real change. People deserve more than excuses. They deserve justice.

by Dan and Bonkers

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