An Interview with Dr. Lou Brown

Dr. Lou Brown: And so we said, "If we're going to make it work, you know, you've got to remember that ultimate functioning. If we're going to make… You can spread… You can do a little bit here, a little bit here, a little bit here and you've got a whole lot of little bits, which really don't amount to anything." Or we could say, "Let's put all our energy and resources and time and get people charged up about developing community services." And that's what we've done.

So now… I mean, I've taken my heat, you know, questions like you're asking: Don't I care about those people? Not true, not true at all. Like, I opposed a community in family living activity because they're talking about residuals. They're talking about let's get these people out in 15 years. Well, I think that's too long. Two years would be fine. And they're talking about, well, you will always need some. Some will always have to stay there, so let's leave 10 or 12 or 15. And lawyers and legislators and bureaucrats are sitting down trying to say, well, come up with a percentage of people that will be left in these places ad infinitum. Well, to me, that's immoral. To me, that's no, no, no, no. Anybody that doesn't know now that living in the community is better than living in an institution ward, should be living on an institution ward. They shouldn't be in positions of authority and power making decisions about people's lives.