JANE SAYS .. chapter19

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Chapter 19 !!!!!!!!!!!!

Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

Discussion with Dispatch Reporter about concerns with HB 104/SB 43

Geoffrey Collver <[email protected]> Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 3:28 PMTo: "Pat Risser ([email protected])" <[email protected]>, Jack Cameron <[email protected]>,"Jack Cameron ([email protected])" <[email protected]>, Marissa Varcho<[email protected]>, Ken Jones <[email protected]>, "M. Vanessa Eubanks([email protected])" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>Cc: Stacy Brannan <[email protected]>

Friends and Colleagues:

A few weeks ago, Alan Johnson, a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch wrote an article on HB 104/SB 43 that wedid not think gave a full and fair impression of some of the perspectives on this legislation and the issue ofinvoluntary commitment. We contacted him and encouraged him to meet with some consumers and advocateswho oppose the bill in order to write a more balanced and fair story. He has agreed and is willing to come over toDRO and meet personally with some folks and chat about this legislation and other related matters.

Accordingly, would you be available and willing to meet with and talk to Dispatch reporter Alan Johnson aboutyour concerns with HB 104/SB 43 and your perspectives on involuntary outpatient commitment, coercivetreatment and the community mental health system generally?

DRO would be hosting the meeting and facilitating the conversation. You would be speaking from your personalor professional experience and rounding out his understanding of the issue.

Please let me know ASAP if you would be interested in attending this type of event and if you will be available atthe end of this week or next week?

Geoffrey Collver

Policy & Communications Director

Ohio Disability Rights Law and Policy Center

50 W. Broad Street, Suite 1400

Columbus, Ohio 43215-5923

614-466-7264 or 800-282-9181 ext. 102

Fax 614-644-1888

TTY 614-728-2553 or 800-858-3542

[email protected]

www.disabilityrightsohio.org



Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 3:42 PMTo: Geoffrey Collver <[email protected]>Cc: Mary Turocy <[email protected]>Bcc: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>

Absolutely. Any time. Just let me know when. Thank you.

Do you have a copy of his original article to which you refer?

Marissa

Marissa K. [email protected]://thecultivationofbeauty.comhttp://janesaysrise.com[Quoted text hidden]



Jack Cameron <[email protected]> Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 10:08 AMTo: Geoffrey Collver <[email protected]>, "Pat Risser ([email protected])"<[email protected]>, Jack Cameron <[email protected]>, Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>,Ken Jones <[email protected]>, "M. Vanessa Eubanks ([email protected])"<[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>Cc: Stacy Brannan <[email protected]>

Hi Geoffrey & Group,

I could likely adjust my schedule in order to be available January 15, 16, 17 (except 9:00-11:00am), 21 , 22(before Noon), 23. This Bill seems to have momentum because it gives these legislators something to tout asaddressing the violence issue. I am now wondering how many people will look at this law and actually avoidformal treatment for fear that they would be forced to take debilitating psych drugs and wind up on some MentalHealth Patient Roster.

And as an aside topic, Terry Russell and NAMI Ohio have mostly had a “free pass” on this issue from the mentalhealth community. I wish that we had the resources (and maybe we do) to run a full page ad in the Dispatchlisting high profile administrators, clinicians, police and advocates expressing opposition to this Bill. That 87-6vote is an indication that most of these Reps are unaware that this Bill is controversial. These cowards couldnot even pass a meaningful gun control Bill, and this Bill helps them on that count as well.

Our past effort to appease NAMI Ohio have not helped us. I now feel that it is past time to expose NAMI to ourconstituents. They need to stop saying that they support recovery and represent consumers. Terry Russell hasrelished his role as a bully on this Bill and I am pretty tired of watching this play out.

Finally, let’s get our act together and do SOMETHING to educate our folks and the MH community about TimMurphy’ Bill and Website before SAMHSA is wiped out and the Recovery Movement is pushed back by 20years. Thanks for listening. Jack

From: Geoffrey Collver [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, January 13, 2014 4:02 PMTo: Pat Risser ([email protected]);; Jack Cameron;; Jack Cameron;; Marissa Varcho;; Ken Jones;; M. VanessaEubanks ([email protected]);; [email protected]

Cc: Stacy BrannanSubject: RE: Discussion with Dispatch Reporter about concerns with HB 104/SB 43

[Quoted text hidden]



Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 11:48 AMTo: Jack Cameron <[email protected]>Cc: Geoffrey Collver <[email protected]>, "Pat Risser ([email protected])"<[email protected]>, Jack Cameron <[email protected]>, Ken Jones <[email protected]>, "M.Vanessa Eubanks ([email protected])" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]"<[email protected]>, Stacy Brannan <[email protected]>Bcc: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>, Mary Turocy <[email protected]>

Hi guys,

Jack - I just spoke with Senator Coley's aide to set up a meeting to speak with the senator on Jan. 28th. She didn'tseem to know when the next hearing is going to be on SB43 and/or SubHB104 and it sounds like they're not reallysure what to do at this point anyways, as far as procedure with both pending on their docket, the issue beingmental-illness in the first place, etc., etc. I mean, who knows, there could be a hearing next week for all I know,but the schedule comes out tomorrow and so we'll see.

On another note, to give you an update, I am working on an AOT compromise-proposal to mesh the proponent andopponent viewpoints into SubH.B.104 (and any good points from SB43, if there were any, I still have to look beforeI finish writing...). The compromise will be proffered by me to the Senate Civil Justice Committee, as from theconsumer point-of-view, and representing the best interests of the consumer legally, in the best possible mannergiven the present procedural circumstances and momentum of the matter, and the restraints of reality, withinwhich we simply must deal (notably, fitting any proposed changes easily into the language of one of these twopending bills). When I am done writing, which should be by this afternoon, I will circulate it out DRO, MHA-FC,NAMI-OH, OACBHA and you for review, feedback and constructive criticism. I informed Senator Coley's aideregarding same, so I'm hoping they'll push the hearing out by another week to the week of Jan. 28th, theWednesday just after Senator Coley and I will finally meet.

In the meantime, I am going to work on meeting with all of the other Ohio Senate CJC members to discuss theproposed compromise. I think I'm just going to schedule those for next week to allow time for feedback from thenon-profit mental-health advocacy groups, such that I can get the compromise in the best possible and most-feasible working shape - and then just hope that Senator Coley gets the message and holds off till the end ofJanuary for the first (next) hearing. So, if in between that, we can do this interview with Alan Johnson at theDispatch and show him our strengths despite (or, no doubt, due to the overcoming of) our "serious mentalillnesses", I think that would give Alan a great story to write beyond the boring technical/legal logistics that arealways discussed, and more on the side of human interest.

That type of viewpoint in the Dispatch, I think, could potentially really make people stop and think, and start toreevaluate. Because, that's exactly what we need -- for people to stop and think, and regain moral consciousnessand so then also too, their conscience. They don't realize they are supporting bullying in schools by acquiescing,because they don't realize that serious mental illness begins at birth and that the discrimination/emotionalabuse/bullying begins in youth, at school. They haven't yet made the connection that these angry people withserious mental illness out there shooting people that they keep seeing on the news, are actually one and the sameas the kids being bullied in schools right now because they are different as a result of serious mental-illness --many of which, are not even making it past those high school doors and into their futures, before committingsuicide.

I think you are exactly right, what we need to do is educate, but we have to be very careful in choosing which wayto go about doing it. It has to be in a positive way that emphasizes our extraordinary strengths, strengths that"normal" people don't usually have that we do get to have and cultivate - especially things like hope and faith andpersistence and belief that a better future is possible and can be created. Because that is exactly what we aredoing here, what we are working so hard for -- to create a better future for ourselves and for our kids.

And the emphasis, I think, will be best amplified if we can continue shifting the focus again and again back ontoour kids. People don't want to have to take care of other adult human beings. But you tell a person directly that achild is in harm's way -- that is what will get them to act -- if not out of the goodness of their own heart, then fordamn sure out of the fear of judgment by their peers and the masses. Because that is where most of them haveplaced their noses and their faith right now - in the fear of judgment by others. Thankfully for us, in being forcedto be different and then also to have to learn how to cope so that we could overcome, we learned a long time ago toabandon fear of judgment of others. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? They'll think we're crazy? Hah! They already do - so this is our opportunity to really make a difference by being positive and helping to educate. Always keeping in mind though, who we are doing this for -- being, the kids.

Or at least, that is who I am doing this for, to save these kids from continuing on killing themselves because as tothem, our society is so cruel and mean. When I remain focused on that, on my work as an effort to protect thesekids-- it helps me to not get so angry about my own past, and all the cruelty I've been shown and all the stigma anddiscrimination with which I've been pierced. That helps me to cope in my advocacy - as well as telling myself thatthese people generally, do not mean to be cruel and really are just blindly following our society's currentleadership. We all see the mess going on in Washington DC with all these unreasonable self-centered andcertainly self-righteous idiots. (Note - not all of them, but so many...too many...)

Our federal congress is a mess, and that is where we are headed next, so we really have to clean up this mess inOhio very efficiently and get it all accomplished very quick. But I think with this compromise-proposal and withthis opportunity with the Dispatch, we can get things moving in the right direction and get some good happeningand get it all started quick. That's the good thing about it all right now. That's the beauty in the momentum thatNAMI Ohio's already built in for us -- the time is now to change tracks for the betterment of consumers, and themomentum is going to shift the pressure from us over to them. So we're really now, actually, in a very good place.

But back to the Dispatch interview opportunity...

I think the best way that we can sway the masses is to help them understand that we too, have strengths. We arenot hopeless, helpless victims - but are human beings who have strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else. Ours just happen to be different that the typical "norm's" set - except, that is also exactly what makes usso special-- because we can do things that they simply can't. Like, create, for example. "Normal" people can'tcreate like "seriously mentally ill" people can - they just are not capable.

So, we can't go out there and brag about it - they will get jealous and not listen. And we can't go out there and beangry either - it will turn them off and they won't listen. I mean, look what happened in the House! I don't know ifyou read my paper, and quite frankly, I'm not sure how many of them did either, but I'm pretty sure there were atleast a few. Who knows, maybe only six. I mean I don't know, I have no idea-- but, if you look at the very lastparagraph on the first page of the prior Dispatch article Geoffrey sent out yesterday to us, House Rep. Letson talksabout the money difference between Kendra's law and the proposal in our state of Ohio (being, $0), and speaks to"empty promises". Could be a coincidence-- but also, could be that he was listening.

So that is good, that is a positive thing, that we now have people listening. However, Ohio's House made itabundantly clear, that anger for them, was not effective. Let's not be the ones to have to learn the same lessontwice.

So, to move on then from there, and to keep marching forward, if anger isn't going to work for us, being victimsisn't going to work for us, and bragging isn't going to work for us either--then the question becomes, what is? Here's my idea:

What will work for us, I believe, are the two ideas that I spoke of above, namely --

1. Making the connection between kids who are being bullied in schools for being different, who then grow up tobe angry people that want to harm society for having been so cruel to them (as a result of the stigma anddiscrimination - to link the double-edge they use against us, to their same sword); and then2. Helping them to see that we too have strengths-- not just weaknesses rendering us hopeless people - butextraordinary strengths that could actually, greatly serve our society right now, and serve overall humanity and itswellbeing.

We have to lead them, and we have to do it with hope. They need something to hope for - and everyone loves anunderdog deep-down, in any case.

Let us be the ones to help them see the situation in new light, and thereby give them hope, for a better future for allof us. That is what we need to do in terms of upcoming procedure and with this interview. Or, that's what I think,anyways...

What do you guys think?

Sincerely,Marissa

Ohh and Geoffrey/Jack, PS -- the next AOT compromise-proposal draft might not be done till tomorrow now, sinceI just spent the entire morning on this ;0) I'm on page 123 out of 139 though and then just have to review thisSB43/SubHB104 comparison sheet Mary gave me, so it's coming along and will shortly be finished...

Marissa K. [email protected]://thecultivationofbeauty.comhttp://janesaysrise.com

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JANE SAYS ~ Let Us Rise Above

ON MENTAL-HEALTH LEGISLATIVE-ADVOCACY GAME – Trapped in Level II

14 Tuesday Jan 2014

POSTED BY MARISSA K. VARCHO IN LEARNING THE ROPES, MENTAL-HEALTH LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY, MY

JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN, THE FELLOWSHIP

≈ 1 COMMENT

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Culture of the United States, darkness, Humanity, Life, Mental health, People, Perception, Personal, Poetry,

Politics, Thought

As I moved into the arena, the lights all faded out;

And the fellowship I’d been waiting for, soon threatened me with clout.

For ‘the betterment of humanity’ was a reason long cast aside;

By these bitter, jaded beings who’d believed the system’s lies.

And so it happened then, though I had come so very far;

My travels loomed toward infinite as they lowered the bell jar.

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Respect

Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 7:23 AMTo: Geoffrey Collver <[email protected]>, Ken Jones <[email protected]>, Pat Risser<[email protected]>Bcc: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>, Mary Turocy <[email protected]>, RachelVarcho <[email protected]>, April Friedman <[email protected]>

Geoffrey Collver, Ken Jones and Patrick Risser,

I'm not happy with you three. I don't know what you guys were all communicating with each other about

yesterday and how it related in nature to me, but I'm upset and altogether quite frankly irritated with all the male

ego I keep running into in this stupid mental-health legislative advocacy arena. You should be so lucky to have an

ally on your side like me.

Ken -- as to your opinion yesterday with regard to my targeting Terry Russell 3 months ago -- yes, I understand

strategy now better 3 months later than I did at the very beginning of my entrance. However, more importantly

and in addition, it actually wasn't, a bad idea. It actually was a great idea because it actually got people

interested in the topic again. Before I came into the picture as far as I can tell, nobody even cared about the

opponent's point of view. So yes, maybe it was a bit of a scene that I created, but not only was my analysis

correct from a legal and humanitarian point of view, and not only did I professionally stand up against the local

mental-health advocacy bully for once and smack him upside his head with his awful and completely inhumane

and biased and unsupported and unfounded discriminatory approach towards the mentally ill -- I did so publicly,

to start getting some attention and newfound insight circulating around the matter.

I deserve some respect here, not only for the extraordinary persistence of courage I have endured here throughout

the past 3-1/2 months, and not only for the extensive amount of sound legal and advocacy work I have put in here

over the past 3-1/2 months either, but too for turning this whole dog and pony show around and giving it some

meaning that other people would actually respond to and actually begin to care about. My strategy is sound, and

even if it were not, I expect moving forward, that you will not just tell me or worse, imply the opposite-- but rather

have the decency to explain to me in a kind, but truthful and straightforward manner, why-- so that I can continue

to improve as an advocate over here.

And lastly, by the way-- you men should also be so lucky to have such an intelligent, creative, self-motivated,

insightful, hard-working, caring, compassionate, credentialed and-- beautiful young woman working on your

side. I hate to admit it as much as you all do that people are generally shallow to begin with and that looks

matter in this society, but I can put on a show for other people that none of you are capable of performing. You

three really need to think again, and for god's sake -- count your blessings. I am not demanding your respect, I

have earned it.

And Geoffrey Collver at Disability Rights Ohio-- my apologies if this was too long for you...

Constructive criticism, I said...

Stop beating me up here guys-- we are on the same side!!

Marissa

Marissa K. Varcho

[email protected]

http://thecultivationofbeauty.com

http://janesaysrise.com

THE CULTIVATION OF BEAUTY

ON THE GOVERNANCE OF THE COSMOS –Belief In Something Better

POSTED ON JANUARY 15, 2014 BY MARISSA K. VARCHO

(http://www.motivationalwellbeing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/belief-quotes.jpg)

REFLECTION FROM FEBRUARY 16 , 2008 @ AGE 26

RE: THE POINT AT WHICH UGLY FEELINGS BECOME “BAD” – IT’S NOT ACCURATE,WHAT THEY HAVE TOLD YOU IN THE UNITED STATES…

TH

…It’s just that when I am in what seems to be never ending pain, I want other people to

suffer too. I don’t want to suffer alone, but often it seems the only way to get others to

suffer with me is to inflict suffering upon them myself. It’s really not a very sexy concept,

is it? It’s quite ugly in fact, all distorted and twisted and evil and whatnot.

Thing is, wouldn’t it make most sense that if I had the choice, I would most certainly

choose not to feel these painful feelings? I mean, I’m clearly removing myself from pain

when I isolate from other people – the concept is there. So wouldn’t it make sense, then,

that if I had the option, I would just remove the painful feelings altogether? Just bypass the

pain?

Well much to the chagrin perhaps, of other people, I may not know what I believe most of

the time, but I am nonetheless a firm believer that you cannot run and hide from your

feelings. They are forever with you, for better or for worse, and if you suppress them, I

believe they will relentlessly buoy and boil over in good time.

Later

Okay, I was thinking earlier about how f–king wretched I feel when I express my innermost

ugly and potentially destructive feelings. The thing I really hate about feeling those

feelings though, is not even that they are difficult and unpleasant to feel. Rather, what I

hate is the sociologically programmed idea that feeling those feelings, hell just having those

feelings, makes me a “bad” person. Don’t tell me you haven’t experienced this. People, in

this sense, are still Victorians. The theory is all wrong…

Let me tell you…everyone has these ugly feelings, I know it in my heart, one day or

another, everyone feels these wretched concepts. It makes me angry that I live in a society

where I am not supposed to feel these feelings, that I am a bad, mean and selfish person if I

even so much as possess or acknowledge these feelings. Living in a society where we’re

supposed to deny ourselves these human feelings, it’s no wonder we all end up thinking

that other people will hate us for thinking them. It’s this roadblock that keeps us from

sharing our pain, from acknowledging each other’s very humanity. The fact is, every

human being possesses these feelings from time to time, if not more often even, and the

trouble begins not with feeling them, the trouble begins when we begin to act on them.

Hell, half the time I feel equally beautiful and ugly feelings toward the same damn person,

and it’s up to me how I choose to respond to these feelings. It’s what you do with these

feelings that matters. The feelings don’t become “bad”, they don’t make you “bad” until

you choose to act out on them, creating more ugliness in the world around you, the world

that we all must share. The funny part about this theory, though, is that choosing the

constructive, selfless, generous position usually brings you pain. That’s why most don’t do

it.

I want to believe that if you choose to act well and to place more good in this world, then

good will come back to you. I want so terribly to believe this–but I’m not sure that I can. I’m

not sure that’s been my experience. I don’t know, I don’t know if good has not yet found

me, or if it has and I just cannot see it, or if it’s on the way, or if it’s all in my mind and if I sochoose, I can just create it for myself. I don’t know. It’s so hard to tell.

On most occasions, I have chosen to act according to my principles, which meanspromoting honesty, truth, beauty, goodness, generosity, empathy, understanding andopen-mindedness–but in return, I swear all I’ve felt is pain. I so want to believe that if you arekind to others, the kindness will return–but I do not know the truth and that’s the mostdifficult part to bear.

I put good into this world hoping that it will return to me, causing myself pain in thepresent and hoping for salvation in the future. But tell me, what if the future never comes? What if things don’t work out in the end? What am I supposed to do then? I feel like ifthat is the case I will regret not taking, cheating, lying – attaining present satisfaction andignoring the rest. I can’t say that’s what I want to be, but I cannot understand what kind ofuniverse would reward the creation of good, the creation of beauty–with pain and suffering. I cannot understand how that can be. I cannot believe there is a god in that case.

I cannot believe in a god who makes us suffer, who makes us choose to suffer so we canattain heavenly status in the end, if the end truly does not exist. It’s such a tease. It’s anawful and cruel way to govern the cosmos. It’s manipulative and it hurts and it’s unfairand it’s not the kind of world I want to live in. Funniest part, though, is that I was not evengiven the choice.

POSTED IN ABOUT ME, CULTIVATING BEAUTY, METHODS FOR CULTIVATION,RISING ABOVE | TAGGED ART, BEAUTY, BELIEF, CULTURE, FEELINGS, GOD,HUMANITY, PAINFUL FEELINGS, PEOPLE, PHILOSOPHY, REFLECTION, SELF-ACCEPTANCE, SPIRITUALITY, TRUTH |

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