Psychiatric Survivors Meet with Gore Staff in White House

On May 2 a group representing people with psychiatric disabilities met in the White House with Lisa Brown, General Counsel to Vice President Gore, and Trooper Sanders, Assistant to Mrs. Gore. This meeting was arranged by David Oaks and Janet Foner of Support Coalition International and Justin Dart of Justice For All. The purpose of the meeting was to convey to the Vice President and Mrs. Gore the civil rights aspect of "mental health" - the necessity to eliminate the devastating discrimination suffered by people with psychiatric disabilities and psychiatric survivors. The Gores were urged to take a public stand against involuntary confinement, abuse, coercion, forced treatment and discrimination of any kind.

National Council Chair Marca Bristo presented her agency's landmark report: "From Privileges to Rights: People Labeled with Psychiatric Disabilities Speak for Themselves." Other prominent participants included Judi Chamberlin and Ron Bassman.
----

Excerpts from Remarks by Justin Dart

My mother, an award-winning author, took her own life because of her terror of forced treatment and stigma.

I congratulate the Vice President, Mrs. Gore, Lisa Brown, Trooper Sanders and Lon Sorensen on this landmark gathering.

This is democracy at its best. This is an example of why I, a Republican, am a maximum supporter of Al Gore.

I'm so proud to be here today with a delegation of distinguished advocates representing millions of people with psychiatric disabilities and psychiatric survivors who suffer the most devastating discrimination in our culture.

My colleagues and I bring a message which has not often been heard in the mainstream public dialogue on psychiatric disability.

The time has come to stop involuntary confinement, physical and psychological abuse, coercion and forced treatment of people with psychiatric disabilities.

The time has come to eliminate the massive public and media discrimination against people labeled mentally ill.