Comparisons Part 1- The Fou

Here in West Africa we use the term fou(pronounced "foo") to refer to anyone that has any psychological disorder. Sometimes a noun and sometimes an adjective. Chapter one came to me because lately all the fous have been coming to me. There was the woman that came to my concession (house) looking for a groupement (co-op). I did my best to help her, but then she started offering me gifts, such as a syringe or a papaya. Then she started coming over to clean my concession when I wasn't home...Now I definately know she's fou. Second encounter was with the "singing fou" he was visiting from a nearby village. But would sing around the village at 4 am. This was no humming down the street singing, no it was more like Broadway with out any mocrophones. I kept of thinking I was missing something important til finally someone communicated that it was a fou. Then finally there was Pépé (name changed of course). He was chained up for 7 months in his brothers house because he threatened to kill his brother's wife. The other day I was with a friend when a man dressed in a suit came into my concession to great me. At first I thought it was my counterpart (since I hadn't seen him in several months). He was missing most of his teeth and was missing a good portion of his tongue. Once he asked me for my new journal I immediately relized it was the chained up fou. Several day he would come out and hang out in my concession. At first I tried to conversate to be polite, but finally I stopped leaving my hut to greet him. He then left a letter on my porch to send to "Bill Gates- president of 'microsoff'"
Inside he asked for internet and gave a "BEST OF THE BEST USA PRESIDENTS" which included Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy, Bill Clinton, then of course Tony Baire, Bill Gates, and lets not forget the Amadou Diallo years! Anyways Mr. Pépé is chained up again. The reason i brought this up because I realize how different we treat people with mental disorders. Most of the people that roam the streets here would be locked up in some institution in the states. A special neighborhood where all your neighbors are a little "off." Sure maybe it protects them from the cruel society that doesn't want to have any interaction with them, but is that really helping anyone? Don't know the answer, just wondering...