THIS ISSUE has 15 brief alerts on: NAMI
scandals... Exposing media lies... NY shock resistance...
Vancouver protest... Your oral history... UN Day for
Torture Survivors... Free sample of MindFreedom... NARPA
deadline... California news... Margot Kidder Award...
Michigan resistance... TV show fall-out... Media
coverage... Still flying over the cuckoo's nest!...
(1) ANNOUNCING -- "NAMI-WATCH"
IS ON THE WEB: INVESTIGATING RECENT SCANDALS AND COVER-UPS
INSIDE THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL
The National Alliance for the Mentally
Ill has itself become a deeply troubled organization.
A new site on the web now monitors NAMI controversies,
cover-ups, secrets and scandals.
The latest: A top-level NAMI ofÞcial has admitted the
organization will continue to lobby the Bush administration
to "terminate federal funding" for certain
"psychiatric survivor" organizations. This
long-standing NAMI blacklist policy was supposed to stay a
secret... but MindFreedom.org exposed it.
ACTION: You are encouraged to express your concerns through
a civil message to new NAMI Executive Director Richard C.
Birkel, PhD: E-mail: <WelcomeRick@nami.org>
See: http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/namiwatch.shtml
(2) THE MEDIA WATCHDOG GROUP -- FAIR
-- HAS EXPOSED THE "TREATMENT ADVOCACY CENTER"
NEW YORK CITY -- A group critical of
mainstream media has published an article exposing media
lies about people labeled with psychiatric disorders.
The media watchdog group -- FAIR -- is especially critical
of an organization run by psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey,
Treatment Advocacy Center.
FAIR's investigation -- published in their magazine _Extra!_
-- concluded that, "Part of TAC's successful strategy
for linking mental illness with violence rests on a press
corps that has welcomed stale soundbites used for political
purposes."
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/news/010608_b.shtml
(3) NEW YORK STATE CHALLENGES
ELECTROSHOCK HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, WINS MEDIA COVERAGE
The New York State Assembly held a
special hearing about electroshock, including the 73 percent
increase in forced electroshock in New York State
psychiatric institutions. You can read testimony from the
May 18, 2001 hearing.
The hearing was followed by a successful May 21 rally of 433
people, according to ofÞcial police estimate. Radio
personality Gary Null was a featured speaker.
Read coverage of the NY State electroshock controversy in
recent articles in _Village Voice_ and _NY Post_.
On June 26, Paul Henry(i) Thomas and another electroshock
survivor take their battles to stop their involuntary
electroshock to an appellate court hearing. Support
Coalition activists will be at the courthouse steps.
See: http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/paul.shtml
(4) PLANS TO PROTEST THE GLOBALIZATION
OF PSYCHIATRIC HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ARE SHAPING UP --
BOOK YOUR LODGING!
Events in Þve nations will mark
"Mad Pride Month" in July to protest globalization
of psychiatric human rights violations.
More than a dozen international speakers have already been
lined up for a Sunday, July 22, 2001 rally in Vancouver,
Canada, outside the opening of the World Congress of the
World Federation for Mental Health, at the Vancouver
Convention Center, 3 pm to 5 pm.
Find the best prices for lodging while you're in Vancouver.
See: http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/madpride/
(5) SUPPORT COALITION INTERNATIONAL
GATHERS "ORAL HISTORIES" OF PSYCHIATRIC SURVIVORS
Oryx Cohen is a psychiatric survivor,
University of Massachusetts graduate student and an intern
in Support Coalition's ofÞce. Oryx wants to hear *your* Mad
Pride oral history story, and it may be published via the
web, video and _MindFreedom Journal_.
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/news/010604.shtml
Or welcome Oryx and ask about the project by e-mailing to:
<stories@mindfreedom.org>
(6) JUNE 26 IS UNITED NATIONS
INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE
It's ofÞcial: The United Nations has
granted Support Coalition International
"Non-Governmental Organization Consultative Roster
Status" -- the Þrst such human rights group primarily
run by psychiatric survivors.
Support Coalition International will be marking the United
Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
with two events on June 26, 2001:
In New York: At the Paul Henry(i) Thomas hearing that day
(see above).
In Oregon: With a free cultural celebration of resistance to
human rights violations called MindFest 2001, with music and
performances.
See: http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/mindfest.shtml
To read how feminist/author Kate Millett represented SCI at
the UN, see: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/kate.shtml
(7) ONE MORE CHANCE FOR YOU TO GET A
FREE SAMPLE OF THE NEW SUMMER ISSUE OF _MINDFREEDOM JOURNAL_
Interested in human rights in
"mental health"? Then why not get a free sample of
_MindFreedom Journal_, and then join!
The summer issue of _MindFreedom Journal_ #44 (formerly _Dendron_)
has 64-pages. The special theme this issue is "Youth in
Psychiatry." Also read news, letters, cartoons, poetry,
resources and more.
See the cover here: http://www.MindFreedom.org/
For a sample, e-mail your postal address soon to: <ofÞce@mindfreedom.org>
. Limited time only.
(Offer good for USA residents. Outside USA, please pledge to
join SCI first, or purchase a single copy by Visa/Mastercard.)
(8) REMINDER: IF YOU WANT TO PRESENT
THIS YEAR AT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR RIGHTS PROTECTION
AND ADVOCACY, THE PROPOSAL DEADLINE IS JULY 2, 2001
The 20th annual NARPA conference is
from November 1 to 4, 2001, in Niagara Falls USA.. (Followed
by the AGIDD - SMQ conference in Montreal.) The deadline for
NARPA proposals to present is July 2.
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/news/010602.shtml
(9) A DECENT PSYCHIATRIST TAKES ON
"NURSE RATCHED"
Dissident psychiatrist Loren Mosher
gave a speech at a California protest earlier this Spring.
He called Assembly Woman Helen Thomson -- a former
psychiatric nurse -- "Nurse Ratched." And he
condemned her anti-rights bill AB 1421, that would expand
forced psychiatry even into Californians' own homes.
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/mosher.shtml
Meanwhile, Sally Zinman takes on the same bill in a guest
column in the _San Jose Mercury News_ on May 29, 2001:
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/zinman.shtml
(10) ACTRESS MARGOT KIDDER IS THE
FIRST RECIPIENT OF AN AWARD FROM SAFE HARBOR
A sponsor group in Support Coalition
International has created an award in honor of Margot
Kidder, and she is the Þrst recipient.
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/kidder.shtml
(11) ATTENTION ALL MICHIGAN RESIDENTS
-- SUPPORT COALITION/MICHIGAN BRANCH IS ORGANIZING AN
ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN TO FREE MICHAEL ROWE, A DISABLED MAN WHO
IS BEING DRUGGED & HELD CAPTIVE
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/michigan.shtml
(12) YOUR REACTION TO A NATIONAL PBS
TV SHOW ON "FORCED PSYCHIATRY" IS STILL ENCOURAGED
In a national television show, PBS-TV
aired a segment about forced psychiatry that included
several Support Coalition International activists. You can
read the transcript and e-mail your reaction directly to the
producers.
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/pbs_3.shtml
(13) PROFESSOR CHALLENGES
"AUTOCRACY" OF PSYCHIATRIC PROFESSION --
_BALTIMORE SUN_ COLUMN
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/judith.shtml
(14) SURVIVOR OF EXTREME PSYCHIATRIC
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BREAKS THE SILENCE IN HER HOME
NEWSPAPER.
Support Coalition International
activist Jody Harmon has been through the psychiatric
mill... But that hasn't silenced her. Jody's guest column
was printed in the _Corvallis Gazette Times_:
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/harmon.shtml
(15) ONE IS *STILL* FLYING OVER THE
CUCKOO'S NEST...
When a Broadway production of
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" re-opened,
Support Coalition International activists leaþeted those
entering the theatre with this news: Forced electroshock is
still going on right there in New York State. The cast and
crew were supportive. You can join Rita Dicarlo and other
leafleters.
See: http://www.MindFreedom.org/mindfreedom/nest.shtml
