[I nearly missed this post due to the inscrutable heading... ] To: "New Pacifica" <NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> From: "Richard" <rsierra7@xxxxxxxxx> Date sent: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 13:28:35 -0800 Subject: [NewPacifica] Left Foot Forward, March! +++++++++ Reading the article (The Making of Mental Patients: Inside TeenScreen) was quite maddening (in the colloquial sense of the term). On the one hand, I am strongly sympathetic to the concerns it addresses. On the other hand, owing to the author's affiliations, I find it nearly impossible to evaluate her allegations and conclusions -- and I am at a loss to understand why Counterpunch published the article without making a point of clarifying for its readers those affiliations, which seriously undermine the author's credibility. Briefly, on a personal note, I have been extremely concerned about the overuse of psychiatric medications on school-children since I first saw Ritalin come into widespread use starting in the early 1970's for what was then called "hyperactivity." Secondly, I would have grave reservations about any screening program that puts more power in the hands of school bureaucracies. I know how they operate, and I know that their interests are often inimical to the best interests of children, especially children who are perceived as "problems". (Which is one major reason why both of my own children were homeschooled -- not to imply that either of them were "problems"). Having said all of that, I am nonetheless compelled to register my concerns about the article, fundamentally because I do not feel that I can fully trust the author, Sandra Lucas, who is identified as follows: "Executive Director of the Utah Chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a mental health watchdog group." That bland description entirely omits the crucial fact that the CCHR is an offshoot of the Church of Scientology -- an organization whose avowed goal is nothing less than the extirpation of the entire profession of psychiatry. (Their views are nothing less than hair-raising, see below.) I find that omission astonishing -- and I think Counterpunch owes its readers an explanation. Certainly, Counterpunch would never run an article written by an author affiliated with the Executive Intelligence Review, without informing readers up front that the EIR is published by none other than Lyndon LaRouche. So what gives?? Craig Gingold (near) Midpines CA For those who aren't familiar with Scientology's long-running war with psychiatry -- which traces back to the hostile reception Scientology (and its forerunner, Dianetics) received from pyschiatrists in the 1950's -- I strongly encourage you to take a couple of minutes and read these two web-pages for an introduction to the subject: Article on "Scientology and psychiatry" from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_and_psychiatry "WHAT IS THE CITIZENS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS?" http://www.xenu.net/archive/infopack/12.htm ====================================================== ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Help the victims of the Pakistan/India earthquake rebuild their lives. http://us.click.yahoo.com/it0YpD/leGMAA/E2hLAA/xYTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> New Pacifica Working Group http://www.egroups.com/group/NewPacifica 'Save Our Stations!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewPacifica/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: NewPacifica-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/