Expulsion of a Defamatory Phrase

The following memo was sent to all California State Senators by Tom Barresi:

January 23, 2001 
To: The Honorable Senators of California 
From: Tom Barresi, Mental Health Reformer 
Re: The Expulsion of a Defamatory Phrase! 

If someone were to ask me, years from now,what one great service to Mental Health did I perform? I would like to say this: 

In proving the "well-worn" phrase, "He had a long history of mental illness", discriminatory and libelous, as well as unconstitutional,(articles vi, viii and xiv); I was able to remove it from all forms of media usage,in this country! 

For when an unstable truck-driver of 37 years old, like Mr. Bowers, who has a long association with violence and alcohol use, rams his truck into the side of the California Capitol Building in Sacramento, one may safely assume, he has at least, some history of mental disorder; without using the above remark. However, it is my contention, that in "highlighting" this fact, by the aforementioned phrase, while doing nothing for the now dead trucker, you are doing even less for the millions of people who have an even longer history of mental illness, than Mr. Bowers. 

In short, we the mentally ill, are left to carry the weight of this man's misfortunes, every time a newspaper is read or a T.V. is turned on. Surely the public should be informed of all the facts, in such an event ; but as most people don't know the difference between Schizophrenia and Borderline Personality Disorder, why feed their anxieties and ignorance at "our" expense. 

Regards, 
Tom Barresi 
1459 East Lassen Ave. 32 
Chico, Ca. 95973

Click here for additional writing on this topic by Tom Barresi.

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