- Human Rights Alert: Involuntary Electroshock
-
- If it's Wednesday, then Ray Sandford is Getting
- Escorted from His Home for Another Forced Electroshock
-
- Minnesota Resident Gets Involuntary Electroconvulsive
- Therapy (ECT) On A Weekly Ongoing *Outpatient* Basis
-
- ACTION: How You Can Easily E-mail Minnesota Governor
-
- by David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International
-
- The past Wednesday morning after the historic USA
election what were
- you doing?
-
- I know what Ray Sandford, 54, was doing.
-
- Each and every Wednesday, early in the morning, staff
shows up at
- Ray's sheltered living home called Victory House in
Columbia Heights,
- Minnesota, adjacent to Minneapolis.
-
- Staff escorts Ray the 15 miles to Mercy Hospital.
-
- There, Ray is given another of his weekly
electroconvulsive therapy
- (ECT) treatments, also known as electroshock. All
against his will.
- On an outpatient basis.
-
- And it's been going on for months.
-
- Ray says the weekly forced electroshocks are "scary as
hell." He
- absolutely opposes having the procedure. He says it's
causing poor
- memory for names such as of friends and his favorite
niece. "What am
- I supposed to do, run away?" Instead, Ray phoned his
local library's
- reference desk to ask about human rights groups, and
the librarian
- referred him to MindFreedom International.
-
- Ray called me at our office here at MindFreedom
International about
- two weeks ago. At first I wasn't sure I believed him.
-
- Of course, MindFreedom International has documented
proven cases of
- electroshock against the expressed wishes of the
subject all over the
- world, including in the USA. MindFreedom succeeded in
having the
- United Nations World Health Organization call in
writing for a global
- ban on all involuntary electroshock.
-
- But this is the first time I've been on the phone with
someone
- getting court-ordered forced shock while living out in
the community,
- on an outpatient basis.
-
- This is the ultimate double whammy.
-
- I confirmed Ray's story by calling two staff at
Victory House as well
- as his court-appointed conservator, Tonya Wilhelm of
Luthern Support
- Services of Minnesota.
-
- Ms. Wilhelm said, "We are following the letter of the
law." She said
- the State of Minnesota had secured a variety of court
orders that
- require Ray to have forced electroshock against his
expressed wishes.
- Ms. Wilehlm says it's all legal and she can't do
anything about it.
-
- Krista Erickson, chair of MindFreedom's Shield
Campaign, sees it
- differently. "This is terrible. This is a serious
human rights
- violation that should stop. I hope MindFreedom members
and supporters
- speak out. Even if Minnesota is following the letter
of the current
- law, the law ought to be changed. And Ray has not had
the legal power
- to appeal to higher courts."
-
- I pointed out to Conservator Wilhelm that the public
-- when they
- find out about forced electroshock -- is passionately
opposed to
- their taxpayer money being used to force such
brutality on citizens.
- Ms. Wilhelm did let slip that what is happening to Ray
-- involuntary
- outpatient electroshock -- is not that uncommon in
Minnesota.
-
- But when Ms. Wilhelm found out we at MindFreedom are
issuing one of
- our public human rights alert to you and others, at
Ray's repeated
- request, she said something chilling.
-
- Ms. Wilhelm claimed she had a legal right to stop
MindFreedom!
-
- Ms. Wilhelm told me, "Only I can give you permission
legally to say
- anything publicly about this."
-
- I pointed out we are not a medical facility, and that
if she falsely
- claims we're doing anything illegal then this is
defamation. Which
- really is illegal.
-
- Ms. Wilhelm laughed loudly in the phone, said "let our
lawyers talk,"
- and hung up on me. I hope she hung up to read the
First Amendment.
-
- Let's disobey Ms. Wilhelm!
-
- Spread Ray's alert far and wide! Speak out against
this electrical
- torture, now!
-
- Because... Remember... While the world marvels at the
power of USA
- democracy:
-
- If it's Wednesday morning, then Ray Sandford is being
led from his
- home -- which is supposed to be his castle -- to get
another weekly
- forced procedure that can cause brain damage and wipe
out memories.
-
- - David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Mind your freedom. Disobey Ray's conservator now!
-
- Forward this alert to all appropriate places on and
off the Internet,
- IMMEDIATELY!
-
- And take the *below* actions. Thank you. Ray and I are
counting on you!
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- * * * ACTION * * * ACTION * * * ACTION * * *
-
- You can do this in a moment. It's free! DO IT NOW!
-
- E-mail your firm but polite message to Minnesota
Governor Tim Pawlenty.
-
- SAMPLE MESSAGE -- your own words are best:
-
- "Investigate the weekly involuntary outpatient
electroshock of Ray
- Sandford. Every Wednesday morning, MindFreedom says
Ray is brought
- from Victory House in Columbia Heights, Minnesota to
Mercy Hospital
- for forced electroshock. Stop all forced electroshock
today! Taxpayer
- money should not fund torture!" [Your name/contact.]
-
-
- Or use this handy web form:
-
-
- or this link:
-
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- * * * ADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO SUPPORT RAY! * * *
-
- 1) E-mail a complaint to Luthern Social Services of
Minnesota (LSSMN)
- about Ray's conservator.
-
- Sample message:
-
- "Investigate allegations that LSSMN employee Tonya
Wilhelm tried to
- stop a public human rights alert by MindFreedom
International about
- her client, Ray Sandford, who is receiving weekly
outpatient
- involuntary electroshock at Mercy Hospital in
Minneapolis. If
- verified, please reprimand, fire and replace Ms.
Wilhelm, and please
- place this in her permanent personnel record. Please
support human
- rights." [Your name/contact.]
-
- Use LSSMN's web page:
-
-
- Or phone Luthern Social Services at: (218) 726-4888
-
- You can copy your message to headquarters of The
Evangelical Lutheran
-
- From ELCA's web site about their church: "It’s a story
of a powerful
- and patient God who has boundless love for all people
of the world,
- who brings justice for the oppressed."
-
