TEXAN
PSYCHOLOGIST ESTIMATES THAT ONE MILLION KIDS ARE NOW ON
PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS IN TEXAS!
TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO HOLD SPECIAL PUBLIC HEARING
ON NOVEMBER 1, 2000
ACTION: E-MAIL
TO CHAIR OF TEXAS BOARD OF ED. TODAY (TEXAS IS ALSO ONE OF SIX
U.S. STATES WHERE ADULTS CAN RECEIVE INVOLUNTARY PSYCHIATRIC
DRUG DELIVERIES TO THEIR DOOR, EVERY DAY, "TO ASSURE
MEDICATION COMPLIANCE"!)
TEXAS -- What's it
like to get a psychiatric label in Texas? If you're an adult,
and you don't want to take psychiatric drugs, you might get to
see "Big Government" at its worst; Texas is one of six
U.S. states that have this double whammy: Texan adults can be
court ordered to take psychiatric drugs in their own home. And
if you refuse, there's a state-wide program that can make daily
deliveries of psychiatric drugs to make sure you ingest your
daily drugs as prescribed. To seen animated videos of the
"Program of Assertive Community Treatment," click on
the photo at this site: http://mindfreedom.org/homeFeatures/PACT/PACT1.html
WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?
According to Texan
psychologist and author John Breeding, one million kids in his
state are on psychiatric drugs. He is very glad a public hearing
will be held this November 1, 2000. Below, Dr. Breeding asks
*you* to help these kids "just say no."
A
TEXAN PSYCHOLOGIST SPEAKS OUT
by John Breeding,
PhD <john@wildestcolts.com>
Austin, Texas, USA
Dear friends,
I am writing to ask
you to lend your help to the current
surge of people standing up in outrage against
the fact that we are drugging millions of our
precious school-age children with potent, toxic psychiatric
drugs (eg., U.S. congressional hearings, major
class action lawsuits, etc.). Specifically, I want
you to write or call members of the Texas State Board
of Education, thank them for holding a November 1
special hearing on psychiatric drugs in the schools,
express your opinion on the matter, and ask them
to pass a resolution expressing concern. Chase
Untermeyer of Houston is the Board chairperson,
and he makes final decisions on the agenda
and on matters of voting. It would be particularly
helpful for him to hear from you.
Here is a sample letter, but
please do express your own concerns
in your own words. You may also email him at
the address below.
E-mail to Chair of Texas Board of Ed.
(and/or fax, write,
phone)
Chase Untermeyer
Chairman, Texas State Board of Education
P.O. Box 692000-110706
Houston, TX 77269-2000
e-mail: <rjohnson@tmail.tea.state.tx.us>
telephone: (281) 518-1093
fax: (281) 518-1106
optional: use
"bcc" to e-mail Dr. Breeding a copy of what
you write at <john@wildestcolts.com>
SAMPLE
MESSAGE -- USE YOUR OWN WORDS
Dear Mr. Untermeyer,
Thank you for your
decision as chairman of the Texas State
Board of Education to hold a special hearing on the
issue of psychiatric drugs in the schools on November
1st. I am deeply troubled by the consequences
of our society's decision to give these dangerous
drugs to so many of our precious, developing
school children. I strongly feel that these
drugs harm our children, and that there are much
better ways to respond to the needs and differences
of our children. I am encouraged by your decision
as an influential, authoritative educational body
to look seriously into this matter. I fervently hope
that you and your fellow board members will make
a strong public statement about this issue, expressing
your concern, and encouraging educators to
use authentic educational methods for teaching our
children. Such a statement will make a significant
difference.
Read on for
information about the hearing and other specifics
on how to help. Contact me at john@wildestcolts.com
if you have a question or comment,
or go to my website at http://www.wildestcolts.com
for more information; our
group is called Texans For Safe
Education. Please spread the word, and if you are
in or near Austin, please come to the hearing!
In defense of our
children,
John Breeding
Psychiatric
Drugs in the Schools: A Special Hearing of the Texas State Board
of Education
November 1, 2000
The Texas State
Board of Education is holding a special
hearing on the issue of psychiatric drugs in Texas
schools. It has been reported that an estimated 1,000,000
school-age children in Texas, approximately 15%
of the state's school children, are taking psychiatric
drugs today. Board members are concerned about
the effects of these drugs on Texas children, and
on the educational environment. The Board has decided
that it is their responsibility as overseers of
our state's public educational system to make a serious
inquiry into this matter, and to express an opinion
on the role and influence of psychiatric drugs
in the schools. In so doing, the Texas State Board
of Education is joining many other significant,
authoritative educational and governmental
entities who are examining the greatly expanded
practice of using psychiatric drugs with children
in the United States.
There will be a
number of important witnesses giving testimony
to the Board. These include:
William Carey, MD
Professor of Pediatrics at University
of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine; Clinical
Director of Behavioral Pediatrics at Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Carey is a prolific
researcher and writer on temperamental variations
in children. He was an expert witness at the
1998 NIH Consensus Conference on ADHD.
Fred Baughman, MD
One of our country's eminent neurologists,
Dr. Baughman has testified at the NIH Consensus
Conference on ADHD, and to the U. S. Congress,
state legislatures, state school boards, and
in many courtrooms across the country on the subject
of this hearing.
John Breeding, PhD
Psychologist in private practice, Director
of Texans For Safe Education. Gretchen
Feussner Pharmacologist, Drug Enforcement Administration(DEA),
author of 1998 DEA report entitled,
"Diversion, Trafficking, and Abuse of Methylphenidate."
Milton Cardwell, MD
Department of Pediatrics, Scott and
White Hospital, Temple, Texas.
Jeff Black, MD
Pediatrician, Luke Waites Child Development
Center, Dallas, Texas.
Glen Pearson, MD
Child psychiatrist in private practice,
Dallas, Texas.
We
invite you and all concerned citizens to attend this historic
event.
Date and time: Wednesday,
November 1, 2000, 1:00 p.m.
Location: Texas
State Board Of Education William
B. Travis Building 1701 N.
Congress Avenue, Room 1-104 Austin,
Texas.
Contact: John
Breeding, PhD, (512) 326-8326; e-mail:
john@wildestcolts.com
HOW YOU CAN HELP?
CALL OR WRITE MEMBERS OF THE STATE BOARD
OF EDUCATION: It is important to call or write board
members (especially from your district, but from
any and everywhere is helpful because this is a state,
national and international issue). They need to
hear your concern about giving psychiatric drugs to
our school children. Encourage them to make a strong
statement on this issue to protect the well-being
of our children and our schools. Let's educate,
not medicate. The names, addresses and phone
numbers of the members of the Texas State Board
of Education are listed below.
Texas State Board of
Education
Rene Nunez, El Paso, District 1
819 Lakeshore Drive
El Paso, TX 79932
915/584-5644
Mary Helen Berlanga,
Corpus Christi, District 2
2727 Morgan Avenue
Corpus Christi, TX 78405 361/881-1029
Joe Bernal, San Antonio, District 3
6410 Laurelhill Drive
San Antonio, TX 78229 210/342-2182
Alma A. Allen, Ed.D.,
Houston, District 4
3717 Cork Drive
Houston, TX 77047 713/892-6800
Robert H. Offutt,
San Antonio, District 5
1519 Spanish Oaks
San Antonio, TX 78213 210/344-3577
Chase Untermeyer,
Houston, District 6
P.O. Box 692000-110706
Houston, TX 77269-2000 281/518-1093
David Bradley,
Beaumont, District 7
615 North Fifth Street
Beaumont, TX 77701 409/838-9919
Grace Shore,
Longview, District 8
1802 Chestnut
Longview, TX 75604 903/759-1163
Don McLeroy, Bryan,
District 9
3707 Tanglewood
Bryan, TX 77802 409/846-0287
Will D. Davis,
Austin, District 10
720 Brazos
Austin, TX 78701 512/478-5671
Richard B. Neill,
Fort Worth, District 11
4701 Alta Mesa Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76133 817/292-8080
Geraldine Miller,
Dallas, District 12
1100 Providence Tower West
5001 Spring Valley Road
Dallas, TX 75244-3910 972/419-4000
Rosie Sorrells, Ed.D.,
Dallas, District 13
5506 Glen Forest Lane
Dallas, TX 75241 214/374-1521
Richard Watson, Gorman, District 14
P.O. Box 249
Gorman, TX 76454 254/965-9007
Judy Strickland,
Plainview, District 15
1012 Jefferson Drive
Plainview, TX 79072 806/293-0726
My new e-book,
"The Necessity of Madness and Unproductivity:
Psychiatric Oppression or Human Transformation,"
is now available! Read about it on my
website, http://www.wildestcolts.com
DENDRITE is a public Internet alert system about human rights in psychiatry, sponsored by Support Coalition
International, sending out notices to thousands of concerned people, many of whom take ACTION NOW!
Support Coalition International is an independent non-profit federation of more than 70 groups in 11 countries united
to WIN campaigns for human rights in the "mental health system." For info on Support Coalition, see the web site:
www.efn.org/~dendron
