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MindFreedom International News -
04 March 2009
http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray
- Ray Sandford Gets Another Forced Outpatient Electroshock
Today
- Ask President Obama to Stop US Funding of Forced
Electroshock!
Protests in April and May!
Support MindFreedom Protest Fund
by David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International
Ray Sandford was woken up early again this Wednesday
morning, 4 March
2009, in his basement room in a small assisted group
home north of
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
As has happened about 40 times before, Ray is escorted
against his
will and under court order the 15 miles north to Mercy
Hospital. He
is put under anesthesia, given another involuntary
electroshock, and
sent home.
Ray is not a criminal.
Ray is not violent.
Ray's only offense is peacefully, clearly, repeatedly
and reasonably
saying "no" to his electroshock.
Join MindFreedom in sending your personal message about
Ray and an
out-of-control mental health system to President Barack
Obama at:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buzz Words vs. Reality
Today's "modern" mental health system has a lot of buzz
words:
Transformation. Empowerment. Recovery. Human rights. Self-
determination. Alternatives. Peer-driven services.
Trauma-informed care.
But here is
the reality.
This
morning, as happens about twice a month, Ray is getting
another
involuntary,
outpatient, maintenance electroshock over his objections.
President
Obama announced he spends time each day at his desk reading
at least
some letters from constituents. He needs to hear about the
USA mental
health system, today. Show national and international
concern!
If everyone
act, Ray may reach his personal attention. But no matter
what, your
message is forwarded to federal agencies.
Because of
you, the USA government can never say, "We never knew."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let
President Obama and the USA government know in your own words:
~~ Everyone
-- including President Obama -- must speak out against
forced
electroshock! Stand up for Ray!
~~ If you
have personal experience with mental health care --
personally,
as a mental health worker, or through a loved one -- let
him know.
Your brief personal story is powerful!
~~ "More
money" is not enough to change the mental health system:
What is your
vision?
~~ There is
a criminal waste of taxpayer money in mental health care
today.
~~ Real
change begins with what kinds of real choices we offer our
most
powerless citizens.
~~ Forced
electroshock is torture worse than waterboarding!
~~ Ask for a
reply about his position on federally-funded involuntary
electroshock!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* * * Action! * * *
Action! * * * Action! * * *
You can use an easy White
House web form to write in just seconds!
For all contact info for
President Obama including web, fax, comment
phone and postal mail,
click here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Extra actions:
~~ If you have a moment,
please also postal mail a copy of your
letter to the White
House. Double your chances!
~~ Please also e-mail a
copy of the text of your letter to
news@mindfreedom.org
for possible
posting on the MindFreedom web
site, and to be sent to
Ray.
No matter what, your
comments may be read by others, and give Ray
comfort!
As the President knows,
community organizing works! Act now,
together, everyone, by
the thousands!
~~ Please forward this
alert on and off the Internet to all
supportive people, now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April & May protests:
Ray's main request makes
sense: Protest!
MindFreedom activists
plan to go to Minnesota to join protests about
Ray Sandford at the end
of April. You may speak out about Ray
wherever you are. Or join
the MindFreedom protest in Minneapolis/St.
Paul. Or join ADAPT
protesters who are protesting about choice and
all disabilities at the
same time in Washington, D.C.
Groups are protesting
electroshock in Toronto, Montreal, Ireland and
elsewhere in May.
MindFreedom is protesting the American Psychiatric
Association Annual
Meeting in San Francisco. Watch for details and
join us! If you can't,
plan your own leafletting, vigil and/or
protests locally.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who Profits From Ray's
Forced Electroshock?
Lots of people, including
the owner of Mercy Hospital, where Ray gets
forced shock. This is the
enormous medical corporation based in
Minneapolis, Allina.
MindFreedom's Gloria Gervais investigates
corruption charges
against Allina here:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/shield/ray/allina-overbilling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ray on the Web:
Did you know there is a
"Frequently Asked Questions" [FAQ] page about
the Ray Sandford
campaign?
Have you wondered…
~~ Why Ray does not
escape?
~~ What the system's
"excuse" is for forcibly electroshocking him?
~~ What media coverage
there has been?
~~ How you can write Ray
and send your support?
To read Ray's FAQ, as
well as a campaign blog, this alert with
photos, past alerts, and
more, go through this gateway:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talk live on MindFreedom
web radio about President Obama's mental
health plans.
MindFreedom monthly live
free web radio show on Saturday, 14 March
2009, will feature Judi
Chamberlin and Dan Fisher.
Dan advised the Obama
campaign on mental health. You can call in.
Host: MFI Director David
Oaks. For more info click here:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/radio
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unite with others in the
Ray Campaign:
To further participate in
the MindFreedom campaign to support Ray,
current MindFreedom
members are invited to get on the busy
MindFreedom "zapback"
e-mail list about electroshock, click here:
http://www.intenex.net/lists/listinfo/mindfreedom-zapback
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Support Nonviolent Direct
Action and Protest of Mental Health Abuse!
Support MindFreedom
International Protest Fund
Donate, join or renew
early now!
http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate
Independence, mutual
support and strength in numbers are why
MindFreedom is one of the
few groups in the world to break the
silence about existence
of involuntary electroshock for over two
decades.
MindFreedom is the group
that got the World Health Organization to
come out against all
forced electroshock!
This people power is why
Ray had somewhere to turn, when he asked his
local library to find
human rights organizations! Take action.
Donate to the MindFreedom
International Protest Fund here:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need more reasons to
give?
Celebrating its 23rd
anniversary this year, MindFreedom International
is a 100 percent
independent nonprofit united to win activist
campaigns for human
rights and alternatives in mental health.
Times are tough, so that
makes it even more important that each and
every person give what he
or she can.
Benefits include
MindFreedom Journal, special web and e-mail
networking, discount on
http://www.madmarket.org
purchases,
MindFreedom Shield,
member services office... and a nonviolent
revolution in mental
health.
Support voices for
choices in mental health!
Mind Your Freedom!
Donate, join now or renew
early here:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please forward this alert
to all supportive people on and off the
Internet, now!
DENDRITE is a public Internet alert system about human
rights in psychiatry, sponsored by Support Coalition
International, sending out notices to thousands of concerned
people, many of whom take ACTION NOW!
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