WWEGD | Journal Response

I've been up and working nonstop for 20 hours. Let's give this a shot.

Emma Goldman would have taken care of this business 2 months ago. Rather than slowly and impotently petitioning for the establishment to act out of the kindness of their hearts, she would have organized a band of irate people to disrupt every possible hearing and stage talks and demonstrations -- and direct action -- until she was blue in the face and probably in prison.

She'd maybe invite Manges back on to the campus during her banishment so that everyone in the street could watch the cops drag her away. She could, as I recommended early on, understand that the establishment is not on our side and acts in the special interest it serves; and use nontraditional means of direct discourse (if I see one more letter to the editor I'm going to vomit...) - disruptive public spectacles and the like. Such acts are required in a society such as ours where apathy is consciously cultivated by a public relations-driven system of rulership that views the people as "ignorant, meddlesome outsiders" who require a "specialized class" of people to manage the affairs of a population that is unable to know what's good for them.

Hold on a second. Phone's ringing. It's Linda Alcoff. She says "stop speaking for others." If anyone's got to lead the charge, it has to be Jill. So, at that, I'll reserve my recommendations.

The demand for recognition of the needs of PSTD sufferers and related individuals is clear. Knowing others with PSTD myself, its not uncommon to hear them express disdain and mistrust of the EIU counseling staff in being equipped to handle the issues respectfully and effectively while under the auspices of the university. Unlike a strictly medical practise, a college-based health centre must also shake hands with an often-draconian university discipline system that simply ousts troublesome, "distracting" students. In this case, advocates would like the EIU establishment to recognize mental illness and psychic scars as a health issue to be delicately handled, not a disciplinary issue to be handled swiftly and harshly.

This is where redistribution comes into play. Alongside recognition of the needs and struggles of those with PSTD and other mental illness, an effort must be made to provide the resources for these individuals to cope with and overcome their challenges whilst simultaneously completing their education. For instance, I hear that the school issues a "contract" to students who show signs of a serious mental illness. It's portrayed as an agreement to say "you and the school will work together to help you out," but in reality its a message that says "get better or we're going to throw your ass out on the crooked Charleston sidewalks." Is that any way to treat someone with a mental illness. Is that any way to treat a *person*?


I wouldn't say this otherwise, but Emma Goldman is in the title of the assignment and I figure I'd just lay down some anarchist spirit:

The government and the establishment at the university is not your friend, and it won't respond to your timid pleas and ideological coupons. Either demand things of your rulers or throw them out and do it yourself. Tear up your petitions, recall your letters to the editor. Never have the liberties and dignities of people been granted to us out of the kind hearts of our rulers -- we've always had to stand up and *take* them. This is no exception, and if you expect anything different then enjoy the apathy that guaranteed to follow.

Also, let the girl speak for herself. This is perhaps the ultimate act of both recongition and redistribution: personal agency.

I haven't spoken much on this issue, and there's a reason. Despite our ruminations on how this is a struggle for the dignity and "rights" of the mentally ill and psychically-scarred as equal, capable members of society, there's been far too much haste in speaking for them.

Of all the different voices I've heard in the melee, Jill's -- and those in similar situations -- have been the feeblest. In fact, I didn't hear a damn thing from anyone suffering from a mental illness until long after the issue had transpired and all of the demagogues and establishment representatives had a chance to wind themselves. I'd heard enough of everyone else speaking in her stead.

Plus, I also heard the DEN trashed a story by some girl (Nichole was her name) who wanted to weigh in on the issue -- definitely not kosher, and counterproductive to say the least.

Let's take a lesson from Alcoff and *listen* to Ms. Manges and others struggling with mental health issues -- and we can follow their lead and let *them* articulate their own concerns, needs, fears, and desires -- not what we, the rest of the 'normal' world, thinks they want.

That, in effect, is the greatest way to both recognize and redistribute - allow them to assert genuine, personal agency and help them create the resources necessary for them to get on.

Take care and control. :)