[Vision2020] How Many More Jared Loughners? America's MentalHealth Crisis

[Joe Campbell]

Again I didn't say that there weren't examples of inappropriate rhetoric
from the left; I said that there are MORE examples from the right than the
left. And the examples are from folks who work at Fox NEWS or who are
candidates for public office, not comedians; they are examples of people
trying to get folks to vote one way or the other, not people telling jokes.

As for Obama, I already said that was WRONG. I don't have a problem with
telling folks on the left that they are sometimes wrong. It doesn't excuse
Palin. In fact, it means she's wrong too.

On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 10:47 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:

> Bill Maher - " Why couldn't he have croaked fro it instead of Heath Ledger"
> Ed Schultz- Lord take him to the Promised Land, Dick Cheney's heart is a
> political football. We ought yo rip it out and kick it around and stuff it
> back into him"
> Charles Bouley- About Tony Snow "How could a cancer not grow in you? Work
> for Fox News.. and how could your guts not rot?"
> Montel Williams on Mechele Bachmanm "Slit your wrist. Go ahead.. Move that
> knife up about two feet.O mean start at the collarbone".
> Obama- It they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun"
> Several commentators have said. Try Bush and Cheney for war crimes and hang
> them"
> There have been very few comments on the right that have reached this leave
> of hate. I personally do no think Obama's statement should be taken
> literally, as most of the statements on the right should not be. You my be
> right about the level of notoriety of those on the left that make such
> statements, with the exception of William, Maher and Obama. Most of these
> statements by the left were explicit calls for the death of someone.
> Everyone on both sides  uses military metaphors. These should not be taken
> literally. While I would like to see a decrease in such language I do do
> think that it can be blamed for the acts of someone like Loughner. Violent
> Video games TV and Music that call for cops to be killed have much more of
> an effect.
> Roger
> -----Original message-----
> From: Joe Campbell philosopher.joe at gmail.com
> Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:26:03 -0800
> To: lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] How Many More Jared Loughners? America's
> MentalHealth Crisis
>
> > Fine, Roger. First, it is worth noting that Michael O'Neal is very
> > offensive. All of his articles are filled with anti-left bashing,
> > distortions of the truth, and over-the-top rhetoric. As several Daily
> News
> > letters-to-the-editor have pointed out, his last column was guilty of
> > exactly what he accused folks on the left of doing: exploiting a tragic
> > situation for political gain.
> >
> > My point is that the right is worse than the left wrt the kinds of things
> > Nick is talking about. I understand you disagree and that some on the
> left
> > like to say "we're all to blame" but that strikes me as bunk. Folks like
> > Rush, Beck, Palin, and others are far worse in this respect --
> > disrespectful, angry, hateful, distorted comments about their political
> > opponents -- than any of the folks on the left. I'm not saying all the
> blame
> > goes to the right. This is a comparative claim.
> >
> > Again, you're free to prove me wrong by illustrating the kinds of
> examples I
> > note below. I doubt you can do it but I'm willing to listen. But there
> > really is no comparison.
> >
> > On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 6:16 PM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I said nothing about any school. Nether did Nick for that matter. He
> > > referred to Rush in particular. My comments were on the broad spectum
> of the
> > > left vs right as were Micheal O'Neal's.
> > > Roger
> > > -----Original message-----
> > > From: Joe Campbell philosopher.joe at gmail.com
> > > Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:54:56 -0800
> > > To: lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com
> > > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] How Many More Jared Loughners? America's
> Mental
> > > Health Crisis
> > >
> > > > Every bit as violent? I'm sorry Roger but you're wrong. Name one
> school
> > > which has on the front page of it's website an example of the kind of
> > > rhetoric that NSA has on it's website. Name one potential Democratic
> > > candidate for president who had a poster like Palin's with crosshairs
> > > designating Republican candidates. Name two liberal/progressive radio
> talk
> > > show hosts who regularly portray Republicans as Nazis (or whatever the
> > > rightwing equivalent of Communists is).
> > > >
> > > > Be honest, Roger. Of course you can find examples on both sides but
> they
> > > are hardly equal in number or volume.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Jan 26, 2011, at 11:10 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Nick
> > > > > I agree with you that we should take care of the mentally ill and
> the
> > > disabled. I just wish  that you could find it in your heart to be a
> little
> > > more even handed in parcelling out blame. As the Michael O'Neal article
> > >  points out, the rhetoric coming from the left is every bit as violent
> if
> > > not more so than that from the right. I personally think violent video
> > > games, TV and rap music have more of an impact that that of
> politicians. I
> > > have seen research reports that say these things have no effect. I
> think
> > > something is wrong with their research. A constant bombardment of these
> > > things can not help but deaden the senses. Particularly for the
> mentally
> > > unstable.
> > > > > Roger
> > > > > -----Original message-----
> > > > > From: nickgier at roadrunner.com
> > > > > Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:21:38 -0800
> > > > > To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> > > > > Subject: [Vision2020] How Many More Jared Loughners? America's
> Mental
> > > Health Crisis
> > > > >
> > > > >> Dear Visionaries:
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Below is my radio commentary/column for this week.  The full
> version
> > > is attached.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Nick
> > > > >>
> > > > >> HOW MANY MORE JARED LOUGHNERS? AMERICA’S MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Jared Loughner, the gunman who killed six and wounded 14 at a
> Tucson
> > > Safeway, has all the symptoms of someone who is mentally ill.  Even
> though
> > > anti-government rhetoric was found in his writings, many people want us
> to
> > > believe that Loughner’s actions are exclusively those of a deranged
> mind.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> In a heart-wrenching letter in the Daily News, a father wrote
> about
> > > his autistic son, who listens to Rush Limbaugh every day and sends
> > > frightening e-mails to his father. He confesses that he “can easily see
> how
> > > Eric might decide to make himself instantly famous with the aid of a
> gun.
> > >  Violent rhetoric can indeed have violent consequences.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Mental health professionals are reminding us that not all those
> who
> > > have a mental disorder are violent individuals.  In fact, the mentally
> ill
> > > are more often the targets of abuse not perpetrators.  It is estimated
> that
> > > only 40,000 of 4 million mentally ill Americans can be considered
> violent> > >>
> > > > >> Loughner should have been referred to a mental health clinic, but
> he
> > > most likely would not have received treatment.  In his own Pima County
> 45
> > > percent of those in mental health programs were disenrolled in 2009
> because
> > > of budget cuts.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> A 2007 study in the British medical journal The Lancet estimated
> that
> > > 67 percent of Americans with mental disorders do not receive any
> treatment
> > > (vol. 370: 878-89).  As with other social and health statistics—such a
> teen
> > > births and infant mortality—U.S. mental health care compares with Third
> > > World countries.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Fox News’ psychiatrist Keith Ablow states that “in most states,
> the
> > > mental health care delivery systems have been gutted by
> disproportionate
> > > cuts that leave them reeling, understaffed and unreliable.”
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Ablow also blames private health insurers “who routinely deny
> > > comprehensive services (like hospitalization) to people, even if they
> are
> > > psychotic and drug addicted and even if they have expressed very
> serious
> > > thoughts of violence.” But Ablow and his friend Glenn Beck condemn the
> > > civilized world’s socialized medicine that offers much better mental
> health
> > > coverage.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Republicans now control the House and the most state legislatures
> > > ever, and they will make sure that economic inequality increases and
> funding
> > > for social and health programs decreases.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> The GOP mantra of “No New Taxes” will prevent the implementation
> of
> > > the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health’s recommendations. Set up
> in
> > > 2002 by then President George W. Bush, the commissioners bemoaned the
> > > collapse of the nation’s mental health services and proposed increased
> > > federal funding in this area.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> The advocacy group America Mental Health makes a strong pitch to
> the
> > > nation’s business leaders by reminding them that “untreated and
> mistreated
> > > mental illness costs the United States $150 billion in lost
> productivity
> > > each year, and U.S. businesses foot up to $44 billion of this bill.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> American Mental Health proposes that “many considerations—ranging
> from
> > > social justice to economic self-interest—make it imperative that the
> federal
> > > government assume a major, focused, coordinated role in mental health
> > > policy, a role both different and larger than it currently plays.”
> > > > >>
> > > > >> In his state of the state address Idaho Governor “Butch” Otter
> > > encouraged families to gather around the kitchen table to solve their
> > > problems rather than relying on “soul-crushing” state and federal
> programs
> > > to help them.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Even the strongest families are helpless in the face of the
> challenges
> > > posed by the Jared Loughners of the nation. Even the wisest fathers and
> > > mothers on limited Idaho budgets must admit that government subsidized
> > > mental health is the only way their troubled children are going to get
> the
> > > help they need.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Gov. Otter is not calling for cuts in Health and Welfare in his
> FY12
> > > budget, but the department has suffered a 21 percent reduction over the
> past
> > > three years.  In mental health alone 49 positions have been eliminated
> in
> > > the adult and youth divisions.  In 2009 a Pocatello man, who had been
> > > removed from a mental health program, shot and wounded a man near his
> home.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> When I travel to India it is depressing to see so many beggars on
> the
> > > streets and so many people that are obviously mentally ill.  The US
> > > Conference of Mayors estimates that 40 percent of America’s 1.6 million
> > > homeless people are mentally ill.  This is a national disgrace and an
> > > international embarrassment.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> No amount of Otter “table talk” is going to solve these basic
> social
> > > and psychological problems. Far too many souls have already been
> crushed and
> > > fallen through the huge holes in America’s social safety net.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Nick Gier taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31
> years.
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >
> > > > > =======================================================
> > > > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > > > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > > >               http://www.fsr.net
> > > > >          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > > > > =======================================================
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
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