But in current-day America “hospitalized” never means detained as much as temporarily delayed from returning to vagrancy and violence. America is struggling to deal with violent, mentally ill homeless people living on the streets of its major cities. The situation the country finds itself in is the result of irresponsible laws written out of the pretense of compassion and enlightened values. Ronald Reagan shares some blame in this due to legislation he enacted as governor of California, as do films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and the pop singer Britney Spears, for creating America’s distorted view of mental illness.