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So, thanks to a Slashdot thread and Wikipedia, I stumbled across the
story of
Nellie Bly
and her book
Ten Days in a Mad-House, which I put on my "to read" list. I finally
got around to reading it.
Wow.
I laughed. I cried. I laughed again. I shook my head at how we humans operate. How we judge without even realizing it.
I read in shock at the conditions.
I marvelled at the manners of people in those days, at the work ethic, and at Nellie Bly's determination to finish her mission and her sense of humour in the most downtrodden of situations.
I was moved by the compassion. I was dumbfounded at the lack of it. I understood the fear. I applauded the courage. I cringed at the food. I got angry at the cruelty.
And when I thought it couldn't get worse, the next chapter would blow my mind.
In short, this is a book that needs to be read, and needs to be read today. Not because the exact conditions of the asylums are the same as today, but because the conditions of the heart are the same today.
Seventeen chapters. It will take a while to get through, but it's worth it.