Mental illness wounds tens of thousands of families

[lissafay]

I love this article. Gordon Sinclair says a lot of what I have been thinking about this case.

Winnipeg Free Press

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EDIT: Clearly, the Free Press's ShareThis app isn't working properly.  Here is the actual link to the article: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/mental_illness_wounds_tens_of_thousands_of_families-40769397.html

Comments

[fireglade]

when i say,
"stupid white people"
i actually feel angry,
i hate that white people have privileges
that have existed for hundreds of years...
and that racial disparity still exists
and i often feel ashamed to be linked to that...
but i guess that is sort of like children
or grandchildren of Nazi supporters under Hitler's regime...
the Holocaust is not not their fault,
they aren't responsible for the actions
of their parents, or grandparents...
but there is a shame and silence there that is deafening....
at least that was what i felt when i went to Germany in 1997...
oh my god! that's TWELVE YEARS AGO!!!
fuck i'm old...

but do i feel apologetic about my blinding whiteness?
i think i kind of hate it...
so i try not to think about it?
haha...
no, i know there are nasty people in all walks of life,
and that there are even maybe one or two decent white people left...

but what i absolutely hate the most
about the derogatory aspects of white mentality is,
PATERNALISM!
i fucking hate it when white people swoop in
to *save* other races from themselves!!!
i know that people all over the world live in deplorable conditions,
that lead to starvation, and epidemics of sickness...
but why can't we be more like this,
we want to help lessen your misery,
what would help you?
the best way to help is to ask what they think their biggest problems are.
share knowledge that will allow people to retain independence...
well-building, food crops that will grow in arid conditions,
knowledge about diseases, and how they are spread,
and how to prevent the spread of disease...
without all the moral bullshit!
fuck all you people who try to convert the "heathens"
i hate that shit!
that is not help, that is,
"oh you poor ignorant people!
if you don't convert to Christianity, or Mormonism or whatever,
you will be lost forever in the fiery pits of damnation!
we help you out of the love that we have from our superior faith!
so convert, so you can be better, like us!"

or some other manipulative, paternalistic fear-mongering crap!
GAH!
i hate it when religion is used by such ignorant people to
bring guilt, and self-hate to places where they already have enough
terrible strife-ridden circumstances to deal with...

so after all my foaming-at-the-mouth ravings,
i guess i have to admit to feeling guilty and apologetic about that too...
and so i should!
stupid white people...grr

[fireglade]

umm...
i didn't answer your question really, did i?
oops.
i got all rant-y...
sorry...
i guess i feel like,
"hey i'm mentally ill, but i won't kill you, i promise!
cross my heart, hope i die, i'm just self-destructive...
and you know, that puts me in the majority...
only a very, very small percentage of mentally ill people are
outwardly violent, but it's always *big news* if it does happen...
there are way more violent acts committed by people
who drink to excess, fight and/or attack and fatally injure someone...
and there is very little reporting on people who are ill,
and doing well...it's just not newsworthy, is it?"