Guest guest Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 > Tue, 31 Aug 2004 13:45:01 -0700 > " www.MindFreedom.org Office " > <office > Michael Moore Needles Mental Health System? > > > MindFreedom News Alert - 1 September 2004 > http://www.MindFreedom.org - please forward > > Filmmaker Michael Moore May Target > Mental Health System in His Next Film. > > MindFreedom Declares Michael Moore > an " Honorary Psychiatric Survivor " ! > > How You Can Write to Michael > About His New Movie, " SICKO. " > > The Internet Movie Database reported that > Michael Moore is working on a new film > tentatively titled, " SICKO. " > > Said IMDB: " This film will focus on the > American healthcare system, and will look > at it through an inspection of the > system of mental health care. " > > David Oaks, director of MindFreedom International, > said, " We're naming Mike an 'honorary psychiatric > survivor. We're mailing Mike our new MAD > PRIDE KIT: An award certificate, t-shirt, > 'heal normality' poster, stickers, the works. " > > AT BOTTOM is a letter from MindFreedom to Moore. > > MindFreedom encourages Michael Moore to > look at more than just the funding of > the mental health system -- they want > him to probe what they call a " global > emergency " of human rights violations. > > Michael Moore's current film _Fahrenheit > 9/11_ has grossed more than $120 million, > so he ought to be able to pull off SICKO. > > The Associated Press reported, " Moore's > latest is inspired by a segment he did > on The Awful Truth, his series which > aired on the Bravo network. In the segment, > 'Funeral at an HMO,' Moore documents the > plight of a diabetic who urgently needs > a pancreas transplant and whose HMO > won't help out. Moore goes to the HMO's > headquarters and puts on a mock funeral > for the diabetic patient, making certain > to invite the company execs. Ultimately, > the HMO agrees to assist the patient > and make sweeping policy changes. " > > * * ACTION * * ACTION * * ACTION * * > > Write to Mike! > > Sample message - your own words & > personal story are best: > > " Dear Mike, congratulations on being > named an honorary psychiatric > survivor by MindFreedom International! > Please truly expose the mental > health system in your new film. This > is not about just getting more money > for mental health care. This is > about a global emergency of human > rights violations in that system! > We need a nonviolent revolution of > empowerment and self-determination! " > > POSTAL MAILING ADDRESS: > > Michael Moore > c/o Ariel Emanuel > Endeavor Agency LLC > 9601 Wilshire Blvd 3rd fl. > Beverly Hills, CA 90210 USA > > FAX TO MICHAEL MOORE: 310-248-5064 > > ~~~~~~~~ > > BELOW is an open letter sent from > MindFreedom International director > David Oaks to Michael Moore. > > Dear Michael, > > Many of our members -- from as far away > as Ireland -- are e-mailing me and > pleading with me right now that I write > a letter to you as soon as possible. And > I totally agree, so here it is. > > Why? > > Our members and I have heard the > superb news that your next documentary > will tackle the health system, perhaps > including the mental health system. > > I'm writing you from deep in the > grassroots, about as grassroots as you > can get. I direct MindFreedom > International. Our coalition unites 100 > groups working hard for human rights and > alternatives in a very oppressive and > increasingly powerful mental health > system. > > Most of our members have personally > experienced human rights violations and > other indignities in the mental health > system. We're the only group like us to > get accredited by the United Nations, > where we've been bringing up concerns > about globalization of psychiatry. I've > been a human rights activist in this > challenging field for 28 years. > > I want to emphasize something: > > MindFreedom is totally independent, for > better or for worse. Almost all groups > in this field have funding from some > mental health service, government > agency, drug company, church, etc. > > Not us. We're totally self-funded. > > Our people - those who have gone > through the mental health system - tend > to be marginalized, poor, discriminated > against and hated about as much as > terrorists. Yet by many economic > measures, the opponents we're taking on > - such as the drug industry - are among > the richest corporations in the history > of the world. > > Quite an imbalance. > > I'm writing to offer our pretty humble > services in any way, shape, or form. Do > you need leads? Background? > Perspectives? Footage? Books? Experts? > Survivors? Just ask. > > You may have already heard from some of > our members and myself who have been > sending information your way for years. > > In the big picture, our issue affects > everyone, because it's about democracy > getting " hands on " with the emotional > and mental well being of all people, > not just a percentage of people who > gets labeled. Psychiatric oppression > holds back all movements. > > Other progressives have sometimes had a > hard time tackling our issue because > they ended up in two camps: > > (A) Against absolutely everything about > the mental health care system. > > Or > > (B) Lobbying for more money for that > system. > > But we have a more complex approach > that has helped. For us, the issue is > all about choice. Empowerment. > Self-determination. Equality. Freedom. > Human rights. Those are our core > values. > > So our coalition is able to unite > people taking prescribed psychiatric > drugs, with others who absolutely hate > the stuff. There's enough room in this > movement for everyone. > > The documented, proven abuse in this > field is just so overwhelming that it's > hard to explain in a brief letter. For > instance, I've had heartbreaking phone > calls from people about to receive > forced electroshock against their > expressed wishes the very next day. > > Some of our members are under court > order to take powerful psychiatric > drugs while living in their own homes, > backed up by daily at home visits from > mental health " teams. " Some of these > forced drugs can be so powerful that > brain scan studies prove the drugs can > cause severe brain damage, such as > visible shrinkage of the frontal lobes. > > Many of our members and Sponsor Groups > are helping to provide alternatives for > recovery such as peer support, housing, > jobs, advocacy, community centers and > more. We're a coalition that protests > and does hunger strikes and speaks out > and wins. We have an e-mail alert > system that goes out to tens of > thousands of in our movement. > > Unfortunately, the Bush Administration > has been pretty closed to our > empowerment perspective. > > For instance, the Bush administration > appointed a psychiatrist - Sally Satel > - straight from the American Enterprise > Institute to a high level advisory > position. She wrote a book ( " PC, MD " ) > targeting our movement, our group and > me personally - a real honor. > > The Bush Administration is now pushing > a plan called TMAP (Texas Medication > Algorithm Project) that is kind of a > cookie cutter approach to pushing > psychiatric drugs. This Bush plan calls > for all - all - Americans, young and > old, to be screened for TMAP. > > See our web site www.MindFreedom.org. I > enclosed some back issues of our > journal. > > If we can help in any way, shape or > form, please just give me a call. > > Thanks. > > Sincerely, > > David Oaks, Director, > MindFreedom International > http://www.MindFreedom.org > > - end alert - > > ~~~~~~~~~~ > > Please forward this news alert. > > The majority of MindFreedom members have personally > experienced > coerced psychiatric procedures, but membership is > open to > everyone who supports human rights in mental health > and > includes advocates, professionals and family > members. > > KEEP YOUR MIND FREE! > > JOIN & DONATE TO MINDFREEDOM INTERNATIONAL **NOW**! > GO HERE: > > http://mindfreedom.org/join.shtml > > ~~~~~~~~~~ > > Please forward. > > ~~~~~~~~~~ > > To be added to this MindFreedom DENDRITE human > rights > public announcement list, e-mail: > office > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.