Philosophy and Madness a combination that makes me smile!!! #MadLiterature
Too mad to be true II - The promises and perils of the first-person perspective
The second Too Mad To Be True conference that was dedicated to exploring the various links between philosophy and madness. The atmosphere was vibrant and it initiated new ways of thinking and communicating around issues of madness and philosophy. The central theme was both relevant to philosophical and mad theories and practices: ' The promises and perils of the first-person perspective'. The conference was hybrid: both in person, in Ghent, Belgium, as well as online.
⚠️ CW – Suicide Prevention Month (TBI and Suicide)⚠️
September is National suicide prevention month and many members of the Invisible Disability Community are at high risk but, they're not alone. Individuals in the LGBTQIA community are "four times more likely" to make such an attempt for much the same reason as disabled individuals. The way they are mistreated and stigmatized in society. It is also the second leading cause of death for young people in the US between the ages of 18 and 25. "Native American communities experience higher rates of suicide compared to all other racial and ethnic groups in the US being the eighth leading cause of death…".
I thought this would be a good time to migrate and repost a piece I did on TBI "traumatic brain injury" and suicide to include these other at risk groups. What can you do if someone in your life is at risk? Spend some time with them, don't be judgmental, listen and love. If you see them being victimized or bullied, stand up and say something.
TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury and Suicide (originally posted Dec 27, 2022)
Why support is so important for those that live with TBI and Brain Injury. Between 2014 to 2017, the traumatic brain injury-linked death rate rose from 16.3 to 17.5 per 100,000 people.
There were 61,131 TBI-linked deaths in 2017 alone, and nearly half of these deaths were by suicide or homicide from 2015 to 2017. Last summer, a rash of suicides on the USS Washington raised questions about lack of support and services said to contribute to these deaths.
The links below present the dismal statistics and some ways to help prevent suicide among the population living with Brain Injuries and other marginalized people.
⚠️ CW – Suicide Prevention Month (TBI and Suicide)⚠️
September is National suicide prevention month and many members of the Invisible Disability Community are at high risk but, they're not alone. Individuals in the LGBTQIA community are "four times more likely" to make such an attempt for much the same reason as disabled individuals. The way they are mistreated and stigmatized in society. It is also the second leading cause of death for young people in the US between the ages of 18 and 25. "Native American communities experience higher rates of suicide compared to all other racial and ethnic groups in the US being the eight leading cause of death…".
I thought this would be a good time to migrate and repost a piece I did on TBI "traumatic brain injury" and suicide and include these other at risk groups. What can you do if someone in your life is at risk? Spend some time with them, don't be judgmental, listen and love. if you see them being victimized or believed, stand up and say something.
TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury and Suicide (originally posted Dec 27, 2022)
Why support is so important for those that live with TBI and Brain Injury.
From 2014 to 2017, the traumatic brain injury-linked death rate rose from 16.3 to 17.5 per 100,000 people.
There were 61,131 TBI-linked deaths in 2017 alone, and nearly half of these deaths were by suicide or homicide from 2015 to 2017.
Last summer, a rash of suicides on the USS Washington raised questions about lack of support and services said to contribute to these deaths.
The links below present the dismal statistics and some ways to help prevent suicide among the population living with Brain Injuries and other marginalized people.
Sanism is normalized in relationships with institutions.
It’s not talked about.
It’s woven tightly into unquestioned assumptions (common sense knowledge)
It’s a tool for power and control.
I'm glad to see that you're well-versed in filing federal complaints for disability discrimination as some, especially those with greater limitations from disability, are not. You're absolutely right how employers go out of their way. As someone who experienced disability discrimination in the form of "constructive discharge", I am no longer involved in broadcasting. Because of this, and many other experiences with ableism, discrimination and exclusion, I advocate and write about disability issues.
I'm just someone with multiple disabilities and years of experience with ableism, sharing information and expressing an opinion. I definitely understand frustration with disability discrimination in employment and other areas. What I don't understand is what seems to be animosity in your comment. I'm sorry if the post upset you but, I'm just the messenger, also affected and not the offender. Some people may not know and again, I'm just sharing information on "social" media. Namaste.
As new associate editor of Frontier Poetry, I have the pleasure of writing their exceptional poetry column every month! My first one just came out; in it, I look at poems featuring #disability , #pluralsystem , #reproductivejustice and more. Check it out below.
Busting the Deinstitutionalization Myth: We Actually Have More Beds Than Ever Before
New data upends common beliefs about asylum closures, deinstitutionalization, and rates of psychiatric coercion.
Mad Crip doula: offering holistic and emotional spiritual bodymind care, mixed with practical and crisis support (and plant medicine). moving from a liberation-centered and anti-oppressive lens. a transition doula with skills in: abortion, death, grief, Madness, and Disability.
endorsing: non-carceral, peer-led mental health care systems that exist outside of the state, reimagining everything we’ve come to learn about madness, and intervening in systems that oppress, disappear, and kill Disabled and mad folks.
Please Note: I don’t know Them in any capacity and They sure look bad-ass
Disability doula. Peer support. Social support. Physical support. Cultural roots.
#MadLiterature
Newly disabled people aren’t given a ‘how-to’ guide. Disability doulas are closing those gaps.
The community care practice, pioneered by queer women of color, reorients newly disabled people to a different life
Disability ID and Disability Deaths – How Police Killed Elijah McClain (1of2)
CONTENT WARNING (CW): The details and linked videos of this event may be disturbing to some. Image-eye contact.
Even with the positives disability designator IDs might bring, it's unlikely a card will prevent authorities from abusing and killing people with invisible disabilities. Aside from a change in attitudes, there are still far too many, long-overdue reforms needed. Many instances of police induced death involving the disabled, including people with autism, brain injury, and hearing impairments, were blamed on the victim. Most were, in fact, a direct result of: Ablest attitudes (ignorance), use of excessive force, and unacceptable treatment attributed to inadequate training. Utilizing invisible disabilities to scapegoat victims and bury the case, is another tactic often employed but, "inadequate training", is not what has killed so many people with disabilities.
Mentioned in part three of this piece, the history of one particular force, is a prime demonstration of a "pattern and practice", that has destroyed lives and families of people with invisible disabilities. According to other investigations, Aurora Colorado's pattern of policing, has raised concerns of implicit bias towards the disabled, POC and other marginalized people. Perhaps, one of the most famous examples from that city, is the death of a 23-year-old black man with autism and anemia, Elijah McClain. That case, sparked outrage from both the disabled and black communities, and with the first of three homicide trials set to begin in August, now is not the time to forget what happened to Elijah. The demeaning and despicable treatment he was subjected to, is not uncommon in "policing" of the disabled.
August 24, 2019: Elijah McClain, a massage therapist, violinist and "gentle soul", was walking home from a convenience store not, far from his home. Because of his anemia, which often made him feel cold, he was known to wear a ski mask. On his way home, someone in a house he passed called police to report an unarmed, "sketchy" individual. Minutes Later, Aurora PD's Nathan Woodyard saw Elijah walking to his home and stopped. Within 9 sec. of exiting his car, Woodyard had his hands on Elijah McClain. Just seconds later, officers Randy Roedema and Jason Rosenblatt showed up, also engaging with Elisha. As he explained he was an "introvert" and was "just walking home", one of the officers responded, "Relax, or I'm going to have to change this situation".
The officers had McClain against the wall before taking the five feet seven, 143 lb man to the ground. One of their body cameras was detached and landed in the grass, capturing an officer slowly walking out of view. With Elijah and police no longer being filmed clearly, one officer can be heard claiming, "he just grabbed your gun dude". Within four seconds of the allegation, Elijah can be heard choking as a result of police applying the carotid restraint, restricting his airflow. FOUR SECONDS?! One of the officers later told investigators that McClain "briefly" fell unconscious and the officers released their grasp on his neck. The chokehold was implemented only one min. and four sec. after the first officer exited his vehicle. The three officers involved, Woodyard, Rosenblatt and Roedema, all claimed their body cameras "fell off " in the "struggle" with this small statured young man.
The video footage is very difficult to listen to. Elijah McClain can be heard gasping as he pleads with officers to stop, saying, "I can't breathe". Elijah continues to plead, saying his name and that he was "just going home". Through his sobs, came the words myself and many others with invisible disabilities, will never forget. "I'm just different. I'm just different, that's all". It's hard to hear the police on the audio of one body cam but, Elijah's words are clear… "I'm so sorry. I have no gun. I don't do that stuff. I don't do any fighting. Why are you attacking me?". As officers ignore his pleas, they seem to spin tales of their "struggle" with a 143 pound person. One repeated the accusation that McClain tried to grab officer Roedema's gun, and that they "had" to use the carotid hold.
About six minutes after the initial contact by police, Elijah McClain can be heard vomiting for the first time. One of the officers commands him to "STOP" to which McClain apologized saying, "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to do that. I just can't breathe correctly". In the next few minutes, McClain gets sick "a few more times" while officers held him facedown on the ground, telling him repeatedly to stop resisting. Reports say he was also handcuffed and still wearing the ski mask when he was sick, and as a result, was struggling to breathe. He may have been trying to roll on his side or remove the mask to breathe better, as police seemed to be acting out a show of "resisting arrest" for the body cam audio.
Police can be heard threatening him, "Don't get up. It's not gonna be good for you, I'm telling you right now". Another officer standing over him said "You keep messin' around, I'm unna bring my dog out here", saying he would let the dog attack Elijah. Approximately 11 minutes after the initial contact by officer Woodyard, the cameras capture police saying, "When the ambulance gets here, were gonna go ahead and give him some ketamine". This is also when they claimed "whatever he's on, he has incredible strength." Another concurs "yeah, crazy strength". It's alarming that police and individuals of such character, have authority to mandate the administering of this powerful sedative.
The timing of the accusation that Elijah McClain attempted to grab the firearm, only seconds after body cams were removed, is highly suspect. Again, McClain was 143 lbs, being held by three much larger men. While one of the officer's body cam was still attached, another can be heard telling him to "move" his camera. I don't believe the body cams dislodged, and firmly believe these accused murderers doffed them. The Maclean's attorney said police intentionally removed their body cameras "to support a false allegation that McClain reached for a gun". Though it is not clear on the video, there is absolutely, no doubt in my mind. The same is true, regarding their claims for body cam audio that Elijah was "struggling". If he was struggling, it was likely for air and survival.
The report from paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec claimed that when they arrived, Elijah was displaying signs of "excited delirium". The snap "diagnosis" was made, despite never touching, talking to, or checking Maclean's vitals. Were these paramedics scapegoating in an effort to protect their fellow first responders? After incorrectly estimating his weight, the paramedics administered 500 mg of ketamine to McClain, a dosage for someone nearly 60 to 70 pounds larger. For those who believe in forcibly drugging people, the proper ketamine dosage for Elijah's weight, is about 325 mg. Approximately 23 minutes after Nathan Woodyard stopped "to talk" to McClain, the officers responsible were informed, Elijah, had no pulse. Less than a week later, he was declared brain-dead on August 27, 2019, and died, three days later on the 30th.
According to cpr.org–CPR news: "After McClain’s death, Dr. Stephen Cina, a contractor forensic pathologist for Adams County, completed the autopsy on Sept. 3, 2019. There were two Aurora police officers and two representatives from the Adams County District Attorney’s office in attendance". I'd be interested to hear that conversation, considering the findings of the autopsy. The Adams County corner ruled the cause of death as "undetermined" saying that, "a therapeutic amount" of ketamine was found in Maclean's system. The report, reeking of scapegoating, speculated about drug use and undiagnosed mental illness, while seeming to conclude nothing but suppositional "ifs".
Excerpt from Dr. Cina's report: "The manner of death may be accident if it was an idiosyncratic drug reaction,” . “It may be natural if (McClain) had an undiagnosed mental illness that led to excited delirium, if his intense physical exertion combined with a narrow coronary artery led to an arrhythmia, if he had an asthma attack, or if he aspirated vomit while restrained."... "It may be a homicide if the actions of officers led to his death (eg. carotid control hold…)”.
That's a lot of "Ifs". I can't help but wonder "IF", the presence of officers and DA personnel "may" have influence the doctors findings. In conjunction with the corners "undetermined" autopsy determination, Adams County DA Dave Young said, he would not bring charges against the officers. This seeming manipulation of justice, by those who controlled it, was met with outrage.
Another slap in the face, illuminating the culture of APD, occurred in October 2019, less than two months after Elijah's death. Several other officers returned to the scene, taking pictures while they joyfully reenacted the cardioid hold, used on McClain. In July, 2020, after the photos were made public, three officers were fired and one resigned. It's remarkable that they were fired for mocking and taking pictures, while the officers that killed Elijah were still patrolling the streets. The shouts of "Justice for Elijah", became louder as it seemed this heinous police action was being ignored. Once again, protesters took to the streets.
Protests, investigation, Arrests and Trials. Conclusion – "Justice for Elijah" below.
Justice for Elijah McClain – Murder Trials Update:
Tomorrow marks four years since Elijah McClain died as a result of his interactions with Aurora Colorado police and paramedics but, none of the five accused murderer's trials have even begun.
On August 17, the Colorado Atty. Gen.'s office dropped some of the charges against two of the accused officers, Rosenblatt and Rodema. "Sentence enhancer" charges of "Crime of Violence" were withdrawn from the case because, they were deemed "repetitive and unnecessary" by the AG's office. The sentence enhancers provide for mandatory prison sentences and can increase incarceration time for those convicted. An AG representative said that dropping those charges "would not affect the amount of time the officers might spend in prison if convicted". All five are still charged with Manslaughter and Criminally Negligent Homicide. Rosenblatt and Rodema are now set to go to trial on September 18.
The trial of the two paramedics charged, Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper, was reportedly scheduled for August 7 but, is now set for Nov. 27 with a pre-trial conference on Nov. 2. At this time, the paramedics are still facing "sentences enhancer" charges of "Crime of Violence". Cooper administered the ketamine to McClain, according to the indictment.
In an August 4 "motions hearing", attorneys for the third officer and fifth accused murderer, Nathan Woodyard argued that Woodyard became distraught as the other two officers held McClain down. He will face trial alone in October.
Click here for 🧠 the full story of what happened to Elijah McClain.