4,224 Comments for Northampton State Hospital

My ancestors killed Jewish people during WWII. In addition, some of my other ancestors fought and killed Nazi's during WWII, knowing that they were related to some. If I am to be held accountable for what one group did, it damn well better take into account what the other group did too.

Then again, since I personally had no part in what either side did, how can I be accountable for it? And if it wasn't done to you specifically (not you, Me, just a general sort of "you") how can you hold me accountable? But America isn't run on logic, so I still have people who were born in the 80's (like me) try to make me feel like I personally injured them during WWII. I generally tell them to fuck off, and walk away. It's easier than arguing. :D

"Life isn't in the past, it's in the future. Would you like us to hold you responsible for things your ancestors did?"
But isn't THAT what America is all about? What our ancestors have done?
(At least that is the mindframe of most americans)

No, Luke, I'm a piece of crap to people like you. And I don't mind that one bit, considering the source. [beams happily]

"Who cares how you treat patients nowadays" <-- now that's a piece of work, y'all. 8`-)

Ok, so it's something we use to beat ~Me with? :D
Luke: you're an idiot. Life isn't in the past, it's in the future. Would you like us to hold you responsible for things your ancestors did?

I thought my other post had too little content. Maybe you didn't see -- this building opened its doors in the early 19th century. It's now the 21st century. Things change over a century. Who cares how you treat patients nowadays -- these buildings are far older than you or modern humane treatment.

God you're full of yourself Lynne.

I hope someone is listening. Tough work, crappy hours, rotten pay, being aggressed against on an intermittent (if you're lucky) basis by some very dangerous people, and then being treated like dirt by "outsiders" who think all that ever happened was torture, mutilation, abuse, and murder. It's enough to piss a body off some days.

As well, when people act like the folks who lived in these places were nothing more than innocent souls whipped off the streets for the fun and amusement of the staff, it degrades the people who were sent here to live. The majority of these folks had some pretty serious issues going on. Years ago it was fairly easy to get committed somewhere. That has not been the case for many a long year. In the past several years I have sometimes spent weeks trying to get even a temporary commitment for someone who was suicidal/homicidal. The irony is that had the person gone through with the act before I was able to get them committed, *I* was the one who would have been sued. [Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California]

Institutions - not always a fun place to work, not always a fun place to live. Sure beats the streets and shelters most of the time, and the folks who did their good deed by "freeing all the inmates" now get to hear about them dying by the truckload every winter down by the railroad tracks or under the local bridges, assuming their deaths even make it on the news.

Yes, yes, yes, lots of nasty stuff happened in these places. Some people shoulda gone to jail for it. That's a fact. However, the jerks who never gave enough money to these places shoulda gone to jail with the staff who were abusive. At least the abusers only hurt one or two people at a time. The people who denied funding to these places hurt/killed thousands of people at once by their penny-pinching antics. Now the abuse happens on the streets with no one to watch it happen and precious few people to intervene.

Once again, rather than being a little Johnny-one-note and bitching and whining about what hell-holes/ghost pits these places were/are, I am hoping to Christ y'all (especially those of you who constantly come on here and bleed about this) are getting off your asses and getting out there and doing something about it. If you're gonna talk the talk, walk the damn walk.

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This was your evening "public service rant du jour". We now return you to your regular programming where you can talk about how morbid and gruesome and pitiful these places are, how many tortured souls' ghosts you see floating about, and about how all the developmental centers sucked - you just don't care what the people who worked there say - they were obviously all assholes anyway. :-)

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The ward was upper four south and that room was about par for the rooms for that ward. I worked at NSH. for fourteen years in the 60"s and 70's and I thought many times to bring in my polaroid and take photos of the patients in seclusion in those rooms where the temp. was about 60deg. and they were in wrist and ankle and pretty much in b'cou dicomfort. The whole deal was not romantic and ghosts did not abound at that time, but a lot of suffering did exsist . But I remind you a lot of good works by compassionate dedicated staff who at there own peril, put themselves out to these poor souls. The emphasis is on ghosts, it's romanticism and didn't exist at the time. At that time it was basic, raw , reality. Not unlike being in a war. The doors were metal and all the dampness just kind of bled rust. I do remember the poors souls behind those cold doors. If I had my wish I would raze all those buildings by fire just to purify them. There was a requeim back in the 90's to put all the souls to rest and they are. It's all the jerks who continually break in to the old place are shamefull. Let these souls rest in peace. It's no less than breaking into mausoleums and desacrating graves. Bless all my past friends on the hill, they deserve respect. John.

There seems to be so many becuase the shutter was open for about 12 minutes, so those are the amount of fireflies passing through the shot in 12 minutes.

those dont make me think of fireflies but more like ghosts.. like i dont see that many fireflies goin off at 1 time.. i dont know y either but it reminds me of spirits!

in this picture i kinda see someone standing in one of the windows.. i know it is just the lighting in the window but in the window all the way to the right of the building 2nd row up from the ground 2nd window in.. it looks like a lady with her hair up lookin out the window..haha thats what i see

niice shot.. reminds me of like ghosts flyin in the air.. weird but thats what comes to mind.. haha

very interesting picture.. again it reminds me of a scary movie!

this is a very creepy lookin picture.. like one from a movie!! its very interesting..

shame such beautiful architecture is slated for demolition, you dont see work like this anymore due to cost and time constraints.