Here is my response to a post that uses a lot of stigmatizing language towards the mentally ill regarding the recent tragic murders by the individual in Arizona.
While I agree that Palin's gun fanaticism is misplaced, I would like to point out that most persons with mental illness are not a danger to others and are more likely to be victimized than to be victimizers. Violent individuals such as this attacker are the minority, but every time such a tragedy happens, the majority of mentally ill people are further stigmatized. I also take exception to the term "mental defective." I am mentally ill, but I will no longer remain silent about being referred to by such terms as "defective" and "crazy." I am aware of what constitutes reality, I am aware of my own problems, and I would never gun down a crowd of people or commit any other such violent act. I wish that people would choose their words more thoughtfully. The millions of mentally ill individuals are people deserving of respect as much as those who have not been so diagnosed.
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