MindFreedom International News - 01 May 2009

http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray

Today, Friday, 1 May 2009: Successful Protest Held Inside Minnesota

State Capitol Rotunda  to Stop Ray's Forced Shock

by David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International

 

St. Paul, Minnesota: For three hours today, several dozen participants 

successfully held a peaceful MindFreedom International protest of the 

ongoing forced electroshock of Ray Sandford, a 55-year-old resident of 

Columbia Heights, Minnesota. The loud protest was held directly inside 

the majestic Rotunda of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, 

Friday, 1 May 2009.

 

Speakers during a news conference, covered by both mainstream and 

alternative media, included myself (flying in from Oregon, thanks to 

donated air ticket by MFI member Darby Penney), plus:

 

* Louise Bouta, long-time psychiatric rights activist and  electroshock survivor.

 

* Al Galves, PhD, psychologist, author, mental health consumer,  and

MindFreedom board member, from New Mexico.

 

* Daryl Trones, mental health activist and father of a  psychiatric survivor.

 

* Janet Saugstad, author and psychiatric survivor of the Veteran's Administration.

 

* Amy Storbakken psychiatric survivor and promoter of alternative 

medicine for mental health.

 

* John Wilson, a psychiatric survivor running for Mayor of  Minneapolis.

 

* Jennifer Padelford, representing the Mental Health Consumer/

Survivor Network of Minnesota, who spoke out about the need to hear 

the voice of mental health consumers/psychiatric survivors.

 

Louis Kayser, a MindFreedom member, drove for hours from Iowa to 

participate saying, "I have always wanted to be in a MindFreedom 

protest. I want to go to more protests!" Louis made signs for the 

event, videotaped the news conference, and even carpooled speakers 

back to their homes.

 

For a few photographs of the MindFreedom "May Day for Ray" protest 

inside the Minnesota Capitol Rotunda, click here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/shield/ray/ray-sandford-may-day-minnesota

 

or go here: http://tinyurl.com/may-day-for-ray

 

A number of speakers told their stories, and expressed their support 

for Ray, during a public speak out.

 

Then, after a post-protest lunch, about nine MindFreedom activists 

visited a number of Ray's elected officials. The delegation discovered 

special interest from Ray's State Representative, Carolyn Laine, who 

met with the delegation for about half an hour. Ray is a constituent 

of Rep. Laine, who pledged to work with the new ECT Work Group that 

has been formed by several mental health agencies because of the Ray 

Campaign.

 

See Action below about how to thank Rep. Laine!

 

The reception was much chillier at the office of State Senator Satveer 

S. Chaudhary, who is supposed to represent his constituent Ray 

Sandford. To read about Sen. Chaudhary's "stonewall" positiion on Ray, 

click here: http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray-sandford-minnesota/satveer-s-chaudhary

 

A six-month campaign to stop Sandford's electroshocks has gained 

international attention. Sandford has been shocked more than 40 times 

on an outpatient basis under a court order even though he and his 

family have clearly stated his desire not to be shocked. Sandford 

lives in a residential group home and is under the general 

guardianship of Lutheran Social Services.

 

"It's amazing that a man who is supposedly being protected by 

Minnesota court-appointed guardians and who has been represented in 

court hearings by a Minnesota public defender is suffering this kind 

of human rights violation," said Dr. Galves.

 

Galves said that electroshock -- also known as electroconvulsive 

therapy or ECT -- subjects the patient to as much as 600 volts of 

electricity for between one-half and four seconds. "It disables the 

brain," Galves said.

 

MindFreedom International is an independent nonprofit coalition of 

psychiatric survivors and others who advocate for the increased 

availability of safe, humane and effective care for people who are 

experiencing psychiatric emergencies and who oppose involuntary 

treatment.  MindFreedom can be contacted at office@mindfreedom.org.

 

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

 

Action * Action * Action

 

Please *Thank* Ray's elected State Representative Carolyn Laine for 

personally meeting with the MindFreedom delegation, and agreeing to 

look into Ray's human rights!

 

Show Rep. Laine there is widespread support for her taking action, 

from throughout the USA and the world!

 

E-mail: rep.carolyn.laine@house.mn

 

phone: 651-296-4331

 

Postal mail:

 

Rep. Carolyn Laine

407 State Office Building

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155 USA

 

For more information on the Ray Campaign see:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray

 

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

 

Support nonviolent direct action?

 

Then Support MindFreedom International!

 

MindFreedom International is one of the few totally-independent 

nonprofit organizations in the mental health advocacy field, with zero 

funding from the mental health system, governments, drug companies or 

religions.

 

That means your membership and donation are crucial to MindFreedom 

International's campaigns for human rights alternatives.

 

Join or donate now: http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

 

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

 

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

 

TOMORROW Saturday, 2 May, 2009, MindFreedom Twin City Affiliate 

supporters meet in a strategy session at 10:30 am at 1450 West Lake 

St., Minnesota. All supporters welcome, free.

 

SUNDAY, 3 May 2009, at 8 am, peacefully leaflet in front of Central 

Lutheran Church at 333 S. 12th, Minneapolis. This ELCA church is one 

of 'owners' of guardianship services overseeing Ray. (Will LSS let Ray 

visit with a new psychiatrist on Monday? So far, they are blocking 

this!)

 

Then at noon, Sunday, meet at the Green Medicine booth at the enormous 

May Day Parade Festival, ask for Amy. We're in the program. This is a 

fun event, so we're using humor. Prepare to do roving guerilla theater 

to "Screen for Normality" with Al & David, in a an easy street skit 

created by clown troupe of Patch Adams. We have doctor outfits for 

all, and hundreds of flyers about how nobody is normal... and how Ray 

is getting forced electroshock.

---

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!