GUNS: the Haves and the Have Nots
From the days D. J. Jaffe called for “Safety from Mentally Ill Assassins,” the media relished showing photos of stunned, bug-eyed young men staring at a news camera. Anyone could tell those people were insane! It was a shame that all perpetrators couldn’t be caught, tried and punished. Most shot themselves before being captured after killing and wounding others. A cry went up for more “beds and meds” and tougher gun laws for “the crazy” and foreigners. Back in the 1970’s, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, in collusion with The Treatment Advocacy Center, told the press that one out of every five persons in the US had a brain disease even though there were no lab tests to confirm this diagnosis. One fifth of the members of every mega church, homeless shelter, and Star Wars convention were potentially dangerous assassins. They should be prohibited from owning a gun. more
Sharp Tongues
One day, in the center of my old, over-watered sansevieria I discover a young, lighter green shoot. Sometimes referred to as “Snake Plant” after the clever barbing words that tricked Eve, it was called the “Mother In-Law” plant in Georgia where I grew up. I thought that meant that a small piece of frond put in her food would kill her, but it actually refers to her sharp tongue. A bite of the succulent will kill her and also cats and dogs, but according to folklore, carrying a piece in your pocket is protection against negative energy. I had half entertained the idea of sticking the ugly Snake Plant in the garage where some light comes in from the glass. more
The Morton Salt Girl
I was three years old when my daddy died in 1947, but he saw me learn to crawl, to walk holding his hand, then walk by myself. Relatives said “Lordy, how he loved that baby!” He imagined me older, running forward with direction and wonder. He never knew that I was always falling down, skinning my knees covered with Band-Aids. He couldn’t know that I walked with my head down because I was near sighted in fourth grade and afraid of stumbling on cracks in the sidewalk. Yet, in my mind, my back was straight and I could balance a book on my head and glide across a room. My daddy understood how I really was, but I didn’t at the time, know who he was. more
He's a Boy Not Counted in the Census
When Arthur calls, he gets his parents’ machine,
Arthur needs the quarters for the Laundromat.
But if he washes his clothes that stink
he’ll be naked under florescent bulbs.
In a blanket from a woman living in a grocery cart
he wraps his pale legs, his projecting ribs,
and his head where tunes start over and over and over…
He thinks he’ll start the New Year right, clean up his act. more
ON OUR OWN TOGETHER: Peer Programs for People with Mental Illness
"Our drop-in [for those with mental illnesses and frequently homeless] creates in many ways the outside world that we wish existed. As many of us reach a state of recovery and stability, we can begin to serve on boards where policy is made and write thoughtful letters to legislators. Credible advocacy requires more than the energy of anger. Advocacy requires knowing (service) providers’ points of view, listening to all stakeholders, and being able to appeal to the best actions of people who can make change. Our presence supporting our peers dispels the prejudices against us. We are the agents of change – after we take the risks to practice being whole persons and not merely people with a label." p.90