A VOICE OF ONE CALLING
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Isaiah 40:3
There are many human rights movements active today. But attention to equal rights for people with mental illness is greatly lacking. It’s time to wake up to the injustice. Just because the situation has always been this way doesn’t make it right.
EXAMPLES OF RIGHTS BEING VIOLATED
- When claims of mistreatment (for example) are made, a person with mental illness is not considered a credible witness and not given a fair hearing.
- A person with mental illness is often not considered believable, even though illness is not always present.
- When in conflict with a person in authority, the person with mental illness doesn’t stand a chance. She’s considered guilty.
- A person with mental illness is generally not treated as one of equal worth. They’re looked down on, treated with disrespect. Low self-esteem and poor confidence follow.
- They are often excluded from groups and activities.
Because such violations of rights have been around for so long, people don’t even notice how wrong they are. They’re accepted—not given a second thought.
Leo Tolstoy is quoted saying, “Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.” It’s true how injustice is not recognized to be wrong when many take part in it. The wrong can no longer be distinguished from the right.
True story: When a person with mental illness was hurt by a leader. The leader’s supporters were aware of what was happening but thought nothing of it. They did nothing about her claims of mistreatment. The person who was hurt stood alone, without protection and without recourse.
When people have rights like these denied, they feel helpless—powerless. Without hope of having the wrongs done to them addressed, they feel like they’re considered less than human. It’s at this point they don’t want to live anymore.
This is the second part of a series called A Voice of One Calling. It’s an effort to show the changes that must be worked towards to make the world a better place for people with mental illness. Follow along as we examine what people like Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, and Mandela have done to address social injustice. I think you’ll find their stories inspiring.
marja
This has been Part 2 of the series, A Voice of One Calling. Read Part 3 Abraham Lincoln.
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