greenInk

Pfff…that’s easy for you to say…what BS.

Were you one of the many whose homes were burglarized during this spree, property damaged, items taken? I was–twice. If he wants to live alone in the woods, more power to him, but that doesn’t justify invading the sanctity and privacy of personal spaces. It would be the same as if I saw that my neighbor wasn’t home and I decided to go break in and see what he had that I wanted.

Get a life.

BS? Maybe. But strawmen are worse, it seems to me. Nowhere did I say he wasn’t guilty or that it was OK for him to break in and take whatever he wanted. You lack perspective, which is understandable given your stated position as burglary victim. I’m fine with that.

It would have been better, perhaps, if he would have begged some work in trade for stuff he needed. I’m not sainting the guy. Point is, the stuff Mr. Como allegedly burgled is pretty small potatoes when compared to the offenses we all commit every day just to live within the “civilization” that we have created.

I think you miss my point. Dollar value, yes, small potatoes. Invasion of my privacy…as far as I’m concerned, no price can be put on that.

Sure, I can see that.

So what would be an appropriate remedy, in your view?

An appropriate remedy would be for the legal system to run its course, and for him to stay the hell out of my house.

The latter’s a given. We could have a long discussion about the nature of privacy and private property, etc., but leaving that aside, I’m interested to know what you think should be the result of the legal system running its course.

Let it run its course, meaning that whatever the verdict, it is what it is. I don’t have a preference one way or the other what it “should be”. Either way, I don’t expect him back in my neck of the woods. My purpose has been served.

Sure this guy was wrong for breaking into someones summer home, but cant we appreciate what he did for so many years. I think everyone is just jealous that he was living the way he wanted to. This man has all of my respect and more. I would like to find out when he gets out and tell him that he could live on my property anytime. I’m sure I would be pissed if I found out someone broke into my camp, but if I found out that it was this man, I would easily forgive. Its not like be broke in while you were there and held you up with a gun….. He took only what he needed. AT least the snowshoes were put to good use like they were crafted to. haha. I am jealous of the way that he gets to live. Consider me a FAN.

Too much romanticizing of this guy. Now that we know more, his motivation was mental health issues, not to be the great idealized hermit.

“Mental health issues”? That rather seems like a cop-out typical of anyone who doesn’t understand or approve of another’s mode of living. He lived alone in the woods, therefore he had “mental health issues”. He stole, therefore he had “mental health issues”. Aside from the obvious non sequiters, doesn’t the attempt to classify another without knowing his mind seem a tad presumptious?

Geoff, come on, dude. Don’t you get it? Anyone who’s not just like the other 87.3% of society has “mental health issues.” Different = crazy. I can see the shrink now, with his DSM IV open on his desk, muttering the words … “Hmmm, obvious sociopathic tendencies, lacking in proper levels of empathy, primarily concerned with self … well, he’s either a nutcase or a likely presidential candidate.”

Dear Greenink:
Ha! I couldn’t agree more with your description of the “wise” old therapist passing judgment on his “patient”. (Oddly enough, with an extra space the word “therapist” becomes “the rapist”, but that might be a little unfair). It’s odd and rather frightening, to me at least, that a field where subjective judgments dictate official policy has such sanctioned power over so many. Did you know the DSM-IV even has an entry in its litany of “mental problems” for those who disagree with the doctor’s diagnosis? Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy!
What really tickles me, though, is that clinical psychologists claim scientific bases for their theories and “validating evidence”, without recognizing certain scientific principles that their work lacks.
Sorry to get off track. I hope Mr. Como’s adaptability isn’t dulled by the sterile familiarity of routine during his incarceration. With any luck, he’ll be able to return to his previous way of life without the need to steal.

Let me tell you, anyone who cares more about man than their property may be able to understand Alan (Mr. Como). I don’t believe that theft is correct but I believe it’s more of a crime to value ones own possessions over the needs of others. I’d gladly leave a care package for a man how chooses to live his life in the wild or even offer a place to stay the night. I myself have spent many days and nights in the Norther Adirondack area, in all seasons and have even been out there for a month straight so I know how hard it can be. I can’t begin to understand what it would be like to live that life for years. Alan has my respect. I don’t know when he gets out but I would like to see him visit the Northern Adirondack area. DeKalb, NY. Is there anyone who knows how to contact Alan?

Rev. J. W. Power

To all who seem so interested in Alan Como. Try not to assume to know what he was thinking or why he lived the way he did. If you bother to search you will see his reason for the woods, in an article when he went to court in front of the Judge. His reason said he was trying to get away from the man who was following him. Now I will not go further into this other than to say, Alan has been missed and missing from his family now for almost 30 years. We are happy to have found info on him, and are now doing what we can to reunite him with his family. does he have survival skills? Some thank to US Military training. Is he a petty thief, by normal natural nature (is this his normal behavior- NO) He went to college, has an education and served his country. I can’t believe that we have been looking here, there, etc… noone cared. He’s found living in the woods, and everyone all over wants to know how, why, etc…We’re happy he’s alive, and hoping he will be able to join his family in peace.

To all of you above- I thought you should know- Alan G. Como has been missing from our family for about 30 years. He was diagnosed with Mental Health illnesses over 30 years ago, and it appears that this is genetic, since another member (much younger than Alan) has also been diagnosed with the same/similar things. I’m sorry if people felt that their private spaces had been invaded. I’m sorry if people feel some kind of loss over antique snowshoes or whatever else. But I will not be sorry, that he took clothes, or food, if it helped him to survive. We are grateful he is alive. Some online need to be grateful that this hasn’t happened to them or one of their loved ones.

Well I’ve spent the day, sending emails, and making desperate phone calls to the New York Prison (Hudson Correctional Facility). Spoken with a woman there who represents the Parole Board. It appears according to them, that since my uncle says (or has no recollection of family) he has no family/brothers, therefore the prison, can’t or won’t give us information. They also informed me of the “famously quoted privacy rights under HIPA/HAPA laws”. So I asked this woman if they had a Mental Health Unit at this Correctional Facility. She informed me that they do not. This tells me that my Uncle/Godfathers mental health disabilities/issues have pretty much been left untreated while he’s been incarcerated for the last 2.5 years for cutting down trees in a forest to build a small shack/shelter in the Adarondak mountains, to survive.

I contacted some agencies today to try to find some kind of Advocacy to help us, to make sure that my uncle is not released from the correctional facility without some kind of proper strict supervision & to try to force the New York Prison system to look at and start dealing with the mental health side of this case. So far one agency has someone that is going to try to help. God Bless this man!! But this guy also did a search into the New York Corrections info bank on prisoners, and found that it looks like my uncle is scheduled for a “conditional release” tomorrow, Sept 9, 2009!” This means that if my uncle even agrees to go stay at a homeless shelter, & meet with his parole officer, he could be walking the streets again tomorrow, and head straight back into some mountains, where he may not be seen or heard from again, until more burglaries occur to more homes for things like warm clothes, canned foods, snow shoes, etc. This outlandish behavior by my uncle could be stopped if New York Corrections were forced to actually look into Alan G. Como’s medical background. Which I guess they didn’t bother to do, since he’s been housed in a regular facility, and not one for persons with diagnosed severe mental illness.

Now our family is expected to sit back, and just watch as our missing family member of 30 years, maybe be allowed to just disappear back into his world of delusional & hallucinational thinking all over again. Thank You New York State Correctional Facilities, and in Particular- Hudson Correctional Facility!

If you don’t want him released on Wed, Sept 9, 2009…well then pick up your phones and call Hudson Correctional Facility and let em know!

Sincerely,
Arorasky
relative of Alan G. Como