This is pretty funny... Tips on how to have a politically correct Halloween.
And while we're on the topic of political correctness, the National Alliance on Mental Illness is discouraging celebrations this Halloween involving "psychoses and insane asylums" because they "victimize the mentally ill"
From the article I read...
Mental health professionals and advocates are battling to take themes of mental-illness out of Halloween.
“Looking at it through the specific prism of Halloween, stigma is one of the main barriers to people getting help when they need it,” said Bob Carolla, a spokesman for NAMI, a mental health advocacy organization based in Arlington, Va.
“The stigma is linked to the perception of violence, even though research indicates that people with mental illness are no more prone to violence than the rest of the population,” Carolla said.
The culprit? “It’s often a haunted house attraction dressed up with some kind of mental illness theme, usually presented as an insane asylum,” he said.
Here's something crazy they do...
A NAMI project called StigmaBusters, meant to shift attitudes about mental illness in popular culture, has had some success making direct appeals to organizations that use insanity themes. If a film, program or event is seen as stigmatizing the mentally ill, StigmaBusters, and NAMI affiliates throughout the country, contact the producers through e-mail alerts. StigmaBusters has more than 20,000 e-mail subscribers, including hospitals, media outlets and universities.
And there influence is extending its reaches...
Amusement parks have also adopted psycho themes. Paramount’s Kings Island, a park near Cincinnati, Ohio, continues to advertise “The Asylum” and “PsychoPath,” two of its Halloween attractions for “Fearfest 2006,” despite NAMI's objections.
Kaiser said that none of the park’s attractions “are intended to offend anyone or to make light of mental illness, adding that no park customers had complained.
But she said NAMI's objections would be considered in shaping the “future of the attraction.”
See... I don't get this political correctness bullshit. Halloween is all about dressing up, eating candy, and getting cavities. There is no "victimizing of mentally ill patients." It's a harmless, silly little holiday and the fun of it is ruined by stupid organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
HOPE EVERYONE HAD A HAPPY DAY IN WHICH PEOPLE DRESS-UP IN COSTUMES AND GET FREE CANDY!! (how's that for being politically correct... ehh?)
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While I agree that people don't equate Halloween with the mentally ill, I can see where NAMI is coming from. Mental illness (and as a result, those suffering from mental illness) is widely misunderstood in this country and mentally ill people are stereotyped because of the ignorance of society. People tend to think it's funny to laugh at mentally ill people, act like what they perceive a mentally ill person to act like, etc when the reality is completely unfunny and said people should be ashamed of themselves. Mentally ill persons quite often refuse to seek help because of those stereotypes that are so predominate in our society. One really needs to think before they start poking fun at someone with an illness.. be it mental illness or otherwise. I think that's the point NAMI is trying to make.. Halloween just happens to be one of the times in which mentally ill offenders get the obvious teasing.
"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us." -Marcel Proust
What is the connection between Halloween and mental illness? I don't think I've ever seen any insane-asylum-themed haunted houses. Am I the only one who can't see why NAMI's having a big fuss over Halloween?