dagblog - Comments for "Caucus Anxiety"

Thanks for the thoughtful

Elusive Trope — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:10:53 +0000

In reply to Interesting take. I totally

Thanks for the thoughtful response.

I think what you say is pretty much right on until this:

My thought on OWS is that if one feels unable to participate in the GA due to mental illness, is disinclined to contact a facilitator and ask for concerns to be brought to the group on their behalf, can't establish a social media presence to share their ideas in the OWS social forums, and based on personal beliefs is not able to provide moral/material support the for consensus decisions being reached without their input ...it seems the most productive course of action would be to join up with a movement that better matches one's personal tastes.

[emphasis added]

There is appears to be inherent in this statement that failure to get involved falls on the individual who may be experiencing some mental issues. One can compare this with a household dealing with poverty issues. There is most communities a network of governmental and nonprofit entities who are willing to provide some form of assistance. Many of these households do not take advantage of these services and benefits - sometimes because of the stigma attached, a lack of knowledge, and the usually complexity of entities and paperwork involved in obtaining the full menu of services and benefits.

One can put it on the individual or individuals in these households. If they choose not to take advantage of electric bill assistance or subsidized child care or food stamps, then that is their choice. Or one can put effort into outreach which takes into account, or at least tries to take into account, the particular barriers faced by the individuals. Rather than poo poo their feelings of stigma, one can seek to design new outlets to provide services in which the individuals feel less stigma about accepting the "charity."

Dan K offered the dollar bill initiative. There are many more. But getting the diverse range of people, each with their own barriers, limitations, stimulus windows, and sense of aesthetics (to name a few) involved will take energy and creativity.

Amy Liu point that many of those whose biochemistry is locked in battle with emotional demons cannot participate at all in constructive social change. Many cannot even see past their own struggles long enough to cast a responsible vote. This is not just those who are in the worst state, but also those struggling with their recovery, and putting or trying to put the pieces of their lives together. How can the one translate the efforts of OWS in such a way that it becomes a part of the recovery process rather than something one does on top of one's recovery?

The key point here is that one cannot put all of the challenge of that translation on the people who, in the throes of their recovery, are in a place that makes them the least likely to accomplish that. That may be inclined and want to establish and to support but just can't find the way, even though to you or someone else it seems to be right there in front of their nose. My next blog I believe will address this idea of translation further, which will in part play off the work of such artists as Feel Tank Chicago, from which the picture of the bottom of the blog was taken.

Interesting take. I totally

kgb999 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:16:55 +0000

In reply to Caucus Anxiety

Interesting take. I totally agree about the huge problems currently created in society by the rampant neglect in mental health services. It isn't something that either party seems very concerned with. You highlight the quiet pain the vast majority of sufferers live with, but it seems the only time we even look at the issue is when ignoring it leads to a tregedy along the lines of Loughner's deadly rampage. And even then everyone is so hyped to advance their long-held pet partisan goals or come down with the sword of mighty vengeance and retribution that a bloody aftermath with directly traceable lines of causality to this neglect in our mental health services still isn't enough to have the issue be acknowledged, let alone addressed.

If someone is mentally ill to the point where it goes beyond personal unease and they become unable to have human group interactions on any level, I can see where participation in many consensus-based aspects of strategic planning and implementation would be difficult or perhaps feel inaccessible to them. Seems to run the gamut. Hell, every city council meeting and P&Z hearing becomes disenfranchising. I don't have an answer beyond agreeing we really need to put some resources and national effort into mental health care.

I suppose this variation in comfort levels for various actions and approaches is one reason why it is said that for every union worker (occupier) on the picket line, there are many more people behind the scenes providing support in whatever way suits their temperament and abilities. Personally, I think it is totally appropriate within the realm of supporting a protest movement that those in the trenches who's lives will be immediately and directly impacted by the decisions being made are the ones who should be making the decisions on what actions to take.

But there are plenty of actions within the OWS movement that don't require contentious interaction. For example, at any moment you could join the Occupy movement and spend a lunch break to move your money from a corporate bank to a credit union. There are any number of such sub-actions proposed and carried out - with the ultimate democratic choice available to every American of joining in if they want to. Or sending their own idea out on the teh Twitterz for chrissake (where many of the ideas percolate and refine before being formally brought forward).

My thought on OWS is that if one feels unable to participate in the GA due to mental illness, is disinclined to contact a facilitator and ask for concerns to be brought to the group on their behalf, can't establish a social media presence to share their ideas in the OWS social forums, and based on personal beliefs is not able to provide moral/material support the for consensus decisions being reached without their input ... it seems the most productive course of action would be to join up with a movement that better matches one's personal tastes. If people are genuine in their vision and are really working for the same end goals of seeing a broadly and truly empowered American citizenry ... having more pokers in the fire can only be a good thing.

someone within the

Elusive Trope — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:20:52 +0000

In reply to Not to mention the nightmare

someone within the controlling elite must have found out in some study that ADD sufferers tended to lean liberal like the depression and anxiety sufferers, and are doing a test run this year so as to decrease the likelihood people will suspect foul play when they create the shortage during next year's election.

Not to mention the nightmare

jollyroger — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 03:41:46 +0000

In reply to Caucus Anxiety

Not to mention the nightmare that is the untreated ADD sufferer's assault upon the franchise.

I have sca...I have been told that when the adderall shortages hit, vacant eyed sufferers scan the ballot in panic, seeking meaning where there is, of course, none.