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Re: "Wonderland"...Of Ignorance...and the voice of the people!
| Critical Analysis #1 |
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Re: "Wonderland"...Of Ignorance...and the voice of the people! |
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warmhrt Senior Member
since 1999-12-18
Posts 1563
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Of Ignorance standing now on a soapbox, I speak for those who often dare not to speak for themselves, who live with secrets, shame, and rightful anger sheltered deep within them, as any who have been oppressed, patronized, condemned, and stigmatized... oh, how they are feared. for centuries and before, they, to the lowest caste belonged, villified, dishonored, spat upon as they railed against bars of cages placed in the square for the peoples' entertainment, often hidden away in the darkness of dungeons. not too long ago, even in the last century, they were summarily executed, or warehoused, cut into till they were zombies, shocked till no memories remained, drugged until they moved like turtles, experiments of torture unknown, but that was of no concern, for they were thought less than human, a grotesque deviation. Now we know, though, it is but a physiological condition, as treatable as any other, but still... they are branded deeply and painfully, as society continues to fear them, enlightenment so very slow in coming. crazy, nuts, wacko, near endless would be the list of labels they attempt to peel from their foreheads in longing no more to be deemed lesser than most. from rooftops I wish to shout for them, just as human as you or I are they, ignorance is the bridge we must cross to acceptance, tolerance, empathy, put our fears to rest, make them feel not apart, give a sense of belonging, for they are you and I, and we are they. Kristine *Please, for the sake of the people with these conditions, do not watch "Wonderland", a show that promised NAMI and other mental health agencies that the show would be enlightening. They have not kept their promises...the show is sensationalistic, meant to grab viewers from "ER". It only serves to reinforce the stereotypes, and worse, contains scenes of violence and suicide. It is a huge step backwards in the fight for those with these conditions to gain their rightful place in society. The stigma for many of them is more difficult to overcome than gaining stability, and hurts their chances of doing so. One in four families will be touched by one of these conditions...that's a lot of people, and it can happen to anyone at any time. If you read this, I thank you, and apologize for the length. < !signature--> the poet's pen...gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name ~ Shakespeare [This message has been edited by warmhrt (edited 04-12-2000).] |
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| © Copyright 2000 warmhrt - All Rights Reserved | |||
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jbouder Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash |
Kris: This one nearly brought tears to my eyes and I think you know why. Summary executions (the extreme of the abuses) of the mentally ill and of those with developmental disabilities were even a part of the 20th century. You're not a lone voice crying in the wilderness with this one, Kristine. Great poem. Thank you. Jim |
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tom Member
since 2000-01-26
Posts 90s/w penna u.s.a. |
warmhrt The pen is mightier then the sword. Good job! This opened my eyes,thanks. tom |
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Gonzalo Junior Member
since 2000-04-08
Posts 44MI |
Very inspiring! i am involved with an organization that uses creative expresion to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. We'd like to use this poem in one our live performances if you'll let us. Please e-mail me at: emu_mentality@yahoo.com Here's our URL if you'd like to know more about us: http://community.mlive.com/cc/emumentality |
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warmhrt Senior Member
since 1999-12-18
Posts 1563 |
I'd be delighted to have you perform this poem. I cannot believe the coincidence of this...I am a member of OT ACTS, and due to "coollist", I have automatically recieved EMU Mentality and "yakko" notices along with the OT ACTS updates. So please, feel free to use it as you wish...I am honored. Kristine the poet's pen...gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name ~ Shakespeare |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
Don't know anything about this 'Wonderland' program but my TV watching is rather limited to what the military puts over the airwaves (English programming anyway). I think this would be a strong poem if read out loud -- your use of the series becomes very poignant when you begin the labeling sequence (you might want to expand that for a stronger effect -- in a performance it would create a hammering feel that while used quite often still seems to have a strong appeal, for me anyway). I like the first line but the screaming off the rooftops line reminded me of Network -- wonder if that belittles the theme slightly -- beware of melodrama. 'oh, how they are feared' -- have you ever heard my diatribe against the word 'oh'? Suffice to say, I don't like it. As already mentioned, I like the 4th stanza the best but I worry about the philosophy of the last few lines. It is not the similarites that must be stressed but an understanding of our differences. Ironically, there is also an undercurrent of Romanticization (Rainman, for example) when it comes to the mentally ill -- that which we can not understand is automatically placed in the extremes of perceptive judgement. Talk to you later, Brad |
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warmhrt Senior Member
since 1999-12-18
Posts 1563 |
Brad! Nice to see you back on the job. Thank you for your nice comments about the poem. You know I like "Oh", so.... About the last few lines...it is not a romanticization...it is reality that this could happen to anyone at anytime. You can't suddenly develop autism, though you could suffer a TBI. Each one of us, if we went to a psychiatrist, would most likely have one label or another attached to us. We are they, and they are we...just in varying degrees. JMHO Stick around for a while, hey? Kris< !signature--> the poet's pen...gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name ~ Shakespeare [This message has been edited by warmhrt (edited 04-09-2000).] |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
Kris, Yeah, you're right. The last lines are not a romanticization -- that was only intended as an aside, sorry about that. My point was that we should be putting more emphasis on understanding and dealing with our differences. I just find those last lines to echo a "We are the World" philosophy which seems, in my opinion, to mask the very real differences that exist in the world. That said, you are correct we are all at risk and probably have all experienced moments of psychosis. Brad |
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warmhrt Senior Member
since 1999-12-18
Posts 1563 |
Brad, Sorry, but I just have to make this very clear...only a small percentage of all of those with a mental illness experience psychosis...even if that was just an aside, I didn't want others to be left with that impression. Psychosis is a break with reality, but there are also other forms of thought disorder. Many experience depression, mania, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and anxiety disorders without they themselves, and others, realizing something is wrong, and that there is good treatment available. OK, I'll shut-up now... Kris the poet's pen...gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name ~ Shakespeare |
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warmhrt Senior Member
since 1999-12-18
Posts 1563 |
I'm thrilled! I just had to bring this back up to let people know that working together, and standing up for your beliefs can get things accomplished. The messages to ABC were so numerous, and so strong that they announced to NMHA that the show will be pulled. The voice of the people has been heard! Kris the poet's pen...gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name ~ Shakespeare |
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