Attitudes to mental health

[Derek McMillan]

Attitudes to mental health

"Bonkers" was the measured and compassionate response of the Home Secretary to

the release of a man driven mad by imprisonment.  With characteristic New

Labour doubletalk, Blunkett mocked the released man, giggling on national

television when he used his childish schoolboy abuse, he said "other people"

would think this was bonkers.  

Imprisonment without trial. Imprisonment without knowing when or whether you

will be released. Imprisonment without any reason being given. These are

circumstances actually calculated to induce trauma, depression and mental

illness. It would be interesting to see how long in solitary confinement

would cause Blunkett to cease giggling about mental illness.

The pretext of opposing terrorism is a complete fake. The real targets of

anti-terrorist legislation were revealed when at a meeting with the American

governors on February 23, George W. Bush's Secretary of Education Rod Paige

called the National Education Association, which is a teachers' and educators

union,a "terrorist organization."  Paige reflects the Bush Administration's

contempt for workers, viewing any resisitance to their anti-union agenda as

unpatriotic.

In particular the campaign of trade union teachers in America to oppose the

persecution of muslim pupils or pupils from muslim countries on the pretext

of terrorism has angered Bush.

If trade unions do not oppose imprisonment without trial for "suspects" today,

the same weapons will be used against us tomorrow.

[Rowena Hopkins]

You might be interested to know that in Canada rewards are being offered, by a mental health charity, to people who spot the use of offensive and degrading references to people with mental health problems in the media.

The result has been two fold. A backlash by those in favour of 'free speech' who see nothing wrong with calling people 'nutters' 'mental' 'bonkers' or whatever, and increased awareness of mental health issues.

I think its a great idea. Why is it bad to call someone a 'paki' or 'n' or 'spastic' but perfectly OK to laugh at the idea of someone being 'loopy'? It certainly provides opportunity to examine our prejudices.

Rowena

[Derek McMillan]

The result has been two fold. A backlash by those in favour of 'free speech' who see nothing wrong with calling people 'nutters' 'mental' 'bonkers' or whatever, and increased awareness of mental health issues.

I get this from pupils. My view is that freedom of speech is not an excuse for being downright rude. I use the opportunity to patiently explain something about mental illness. Changing attitudes is a long slow business.

With public figures like the home secretary however I have no patience