The swimmer (you or me) went swimming (living our life) and as we swam we grew weary and we began to flounder. Thankfully, we were not too far from shore- we caught sight of the rescuer(the mental health system and its tentacles.) Help! Help! we cried (and/or family, friends or concerned observers.) Hold on! cried the rescuer- I will save you! We were happy the rescuer was going to save us- our panic eased- we KNEW we were going to be thrown a flotation device! Sure enough the rescuer threw out a line with an object attached. Gratefully, we grabbed it ! Alas, it was not a flotation device-it was an ANCHOR! We held fast- it was pulling us down but we believed , we TRUSTED we were being saved! But just before we went down for the last time- after being thrown more, and new and improved, and bigger anchors- I have a better idea to help you this time, said the rescuer- thankfully we came to a blinding light realization – maybe I should not put so much faith in the rescuer knowing what I need, knowing why I am drowning. We let go- not of LIFE- we let go of some of the rescuers anchors and we let go of some of our own anchors and all the suffering…. Sure enough we became buoyant but we still could not breathe the air and touch the bottom easily and heavy, hurtful anchors, tentacles and imposed or self inflicted injury experiences meant healing and recovery could take time. We needed to begin healing within a healthy basic level of living necessities- decent housing, safe and nurturing environment , education, good nutrition, real friends and enabled recreational and social opportunities, personal choice and control over resources supposedly targeted towards us (but too often the lions share being siphoned off- devoured in fact by our appointed rescuers who acted as a cartel. The rescue industry is not only an entrenched, self replicating cartel- it is a vampiric beast, a machine grinding away for local and multinational capitalism. We floundering swimmers became mere raw resource inputs. To be honest and fair, our real friends, family and “Churches” stay fast, caring and protective at our side- almost everyone else is horrified or terrified- except for psychiatrists- deadicated to our care and treatment we might complain, but absolutely trying to help and rescue us (even if it kills us?! A+ for being there and trying very hard!) Hold on! cried the determined rescuer calling for quick attaching anchors with all social institutional controls being implemented: to hell with human rights for floundering swimmers and all society reluctantly? agreed to a never ending cultural hate-fest- every significant media institution and format pounding the stereotypes about dangerous, unpredictable, out of control, non conforming and non compliant floundering swimmers. Even the killing with kindness stories are, by design, the kiss of death. The floundering swimmer left without tight, heavy anchors grabs and violently assaults a completely innocent swimmer but after years of invasive, all controlling rescue interventions becomes docile- possibly even safe and actually apologizes to the innocent swimmer he attacked. So (this CBC story kills with kindness) shows the rescue industry can- given years of resources, actually possibly- with continuing oversight, cure one of those floundering swimmers-maybe! The classic story of killing with kindness happened in 2012 in the city of Hamilton, Ontario. The City political elite declared the City to strive to be the best place to raise a child and, for example, the Mayor attended the annual community prayer breakfast- the theme being “the mental health of our children.” The Mayor reminded us to “care for and nurture all our citizens” in fact. For 50 years, the “Charlton Hall Centre” had, with scant resources, cared for a total of 1,000 troubled girls! The Centre housed 8 teenage girls in a City owned dilapidated building with crumbling foundation, leaking roof, outdated wiring and plumbing, etc.- a mess! In a 12 to 4 vote City council voted against a rezoning request to allow the Centre to move the 8 girls to a newer, safer building it already owned! The move would VIOLATE the City radial separation bylaw requiring 300 meters between residential care homes. “Too many “needy people” in one neighbourhood “. The current neighbourhood liked the girls but the new neighbourhood was horrified and besides “did not like to have UNDESIRABLES move in.” City council members also declined an invitation to visit the Centre and meet the 8 girls. This is a City dedicated to being the best place to raise a child so imagine what goes on in non-dedicated cities! IF THESE 8 GIRLS NEEDED HELP BEFORE, IMAGINE THE DEGREE OF INCREASED SUPPORT, PROTECTION, CARE AND MEDICAL CARE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ESTEEM BUILDING THEY NOW REQUIRED! (from an article by Ms. Susan Clairmont , pp. A3, A5 in The Hamilton Spectator , MAY 1, 2012.) by Brian Lane- now back to our story…
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