(8-3-17) Trying to put an end to comments that stigmatize and marginalize individuals with mental illnesses is much like attempting to empty an Olympic size swimming pool with a spoon. But sometimes, I get so frustrated that I feel compelled to speak out.
Such was the case Sunday when I read a column in my former employer, The Washington Post, questioning the president’s mental stability. The newspaper published my Letter to the Editor response this morning.
Regardless of your political beliefs, no one should use the hurtful phrases that political columnist Dana Milbank used in his column to describe anyone nor should they argue that we need to automatically lower expectations whenever someone has a mental illness.
This insulted people with mental illnesses and their loved ones
Dana Milbank’s July 30 Sunday Opinion column, “What do we do if Trump really is crazy?,” insulted Americans living with mental illnesses and those who love them. Putting politics aside, terms such as “madman,” “barking mad,” “mad as a March hare,” “off his rocker,” “ ’round the bend” and “a few fries short of a Happy Meal” demean, marginalize and ridicule individuals who often have serious brain disorders.
Pete Earley, Fairfax
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