5/5 MFI News: Madness, College, Asian Americans: Community & Virginia Tech Tragedy

Sat May 5 17:03:08 CDT 2007

MindFreedom International News - Cinco de Mayo 2007
May is "Nonviolent Revolution in Mental Health" Month - please forward
[To get OFF this e-mail list see instructions at the BOTTOM.]

    Next MindFreedom International Free Internet Radio -- Listen and  
Call In LIVE!

    Neil Gong on "Madness, College & Asian Americans: Create  
Community in Response to the Virginia Tech Tragedy."

    [PLUS at BOTTOM: News about MindFreedom Virginia... Electroshock  
protest in Montreal, Toronto, Ireland... Oregon activism...]

Neil Gong has important insights on what our society can learn from  
the Virginia Tech tragedy. Neil is a community organizer on college  
campuses supporting students who are diagnosed with psychiatric  
disabilities.

Neil's studies include how mental health issues impact Asian American  
communities.

You may listen and phone in LIVE to this Internet radio show *this*  
Wednesday, 9 May at 4 pm ET at http://prncomm.net. Host is David Oaks.

Neil is an intern with the Icarus Project's New York University on- 
campus organizing team. The Icarus Project is a radical, community  
based mental health support network that is a sponsor group of  
MindFreedom. The NYU chapter has worked to create mental health  
support alternatives to the conventional college counseling center.

The college campus networks Neil works with seek to create community  
by providing a space for open discussion of madness and difference.  
Neil is studying cultural theory and critical approaches to  
psychiatry, with a particular interest in how mental health is  
understood in Asian American communities.

"The tragedy at Virginia Tech has unfortunately been exploited to  
promote policies like the President's New Freedom Commission on  
Mental Health," said Neil. "The President's Commission recommends  
that most of the USA  population, including students of all ages, be  
screened for 'mental illness.'"

Neil would like society to learn from the tragedy at Virginia Tech.  
without a backlash against people labeled with psychiatric problems.

Said Neil, "Everyone wants to prevent another college shooting. We  
need to remember that positive social support and mental health  
support can create community, open dialogue, and prevent violence.  
However, stigmatization, exclusion, and forced treatment contribute  
to the alienation troubled students already feel."

This is radio for a nonviolent revolution in the mental health  
system, hosted by psychiatric rights activist David Oaks, director of  
MindFreedom.

If you listen LIVE to the MindFreedom News Hour jot down the toll  
free call-in number for the USA or the special call-in number for  
outside the USA as it is given during the show. Please keep trying,  
sometimes it takes more than once to get through.

You may e-mail at any time before or during the show to  
radio at mindfreedom.org. Your comment or question may be read on the air.

If you miss the live show this Wednesday at 4 pm ET at http:// 
prncomm.net the recent shows of the MindFreedom News Hour are  
archived by Progressive Radio Network on an all new web site:

http://oaks.progressiveradionetwork.org/

~~~~~~~~~~

Upcoming MindFreedom Internet Radio Show:

16 May 2007 - Jim Gottstein: Psychiatric survivor. Crusading  
attorney. Harvard Law School graduate. Founder of PsychRights.org.  
Hero. Jim is back by popular demand, LIVE! Hear the latest about  
Jim's ongoing fight to hold Eli Lilly accountable for their criminal  
cover-up and mis-marketing of the psychiatric drug Zyprexa. Jim will  
also keep us up to date on his numerous other projects, campaigns and  
lawsuits.

~~~~~~~~~~

Other MindFreedom online news related to Virginia Tech tragedy:

* On 2 May 2007, MindFreedom Virginia filed an official Freedom of  
Information Act Request with the Virginia Medical Examiner in order  
to obtain any toxicology or autopsy reports, in the public interest.  
A copy of the FOIA letter along with an MFI public statement are now  
online.

* Link to a new _National Journal_ article, quoting MindFreedom point  
of view, about debate over forced psychiatric drugging emerging from  
Virginia Tech tragedy.

* Link to and text quotes from the National Public Radio interview of  
MindFreedom director David Oaks.

* Activist Judi Chamberlin challenges bias at 60 Minutes on coverage  
of mental health issues in wake of Virginia Tech.

* Read statements by Bazelon Center, Peter Breggin, MD and National  
Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations about the  
Virginia Tech tragedy.

Go to:

-- MFI Info Center on Virginia Tech is here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/youth-mental-health/virginia-tech

or use this web address: http://tinyurl.com/yrbkzv

Also:

-- Media Center on Virginia Tech & Mental Health is here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/youth-mental-health/virginia-tech/media- 
seung-hui-cho

or use this web address: http://tinyurl.com/2v6lb5

~~~~~~~~~~

Mother's Day Protest of Electroshock Grows!

Now Montreal and Ireland will join Toronto in protesting the use of  
electroshock on women. They're this Mothers Day, Sunday, 13 May 2007.  
For this and other electroshock protest news go to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/electroshock

~~~~~~~~~~

Do you live in Oregon?

Check out the activity, networking, videoconferencing, bills and  
other news in a special Oregon news folder. If you live in Lane  
County, see the special Lane folder about a new Opal Network and  
arrival of Road to Freedom national disability bus tour!

http://www.mindfreedom.org/as/act/us/or/

~~~~~~~~~~

All this and lots more that's new at the MindFreedom News Web Site:

http://www.mindfreedom.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And while you're on the web site... click on the button on the RIGHT  
to join or donate now, or go directly to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

Be a member now, or renew your membership! Build united strength in  
numbers!

Do you want to...

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health?

* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry?

* Support self-determination of psychiatric survivors?

* Promote safe, humane, effective options in mental health?

MindFreedom is for people who care about human rights who want to unite!

MindFreedom is a nonprofit human rights group that unites 100 sponsor  
and affiliate groups with individual members, and is accredited by  
the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with  
Consultative Roster Status.

MindFreedom is one of the very few totally independent groups in the  
mental health field with no funding from governments, drug companies,  
religions, corporations, or the mental health system. While most of  
MindFreedom's members are psychiatric survivors, *all* who support  
human rights are invited to join and become active leaders.

Be part of the Spring '07 Member Recruitment & Fundraising Drive TODAY:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

For hard-to-find books and gear go to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mad-market

MindFreedom International Office: 454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB  
11284; Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

web site: http://www.mindfreedom.org
e-mail: office(at)mindfreedom(dot)org
office phone: (541) 345-9106
toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDe or 1-877-623-7743
fax: (541) 345-3737

Please forward.

"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted." -  
Martin Luther King, Jr.

~~~~~~~~~~~

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