Laurie Flynn's cold, cold heart......
weebles
the virtues of TeenScreen, is to use the example of her daughter's own
suicide attempt to forward the cause. Why do I use such a callous word
as "tactics" in the same sentence as a horrible event like a child's
suicide attempt? Read on and follow along....
Here's where I REALLY become incensed! In her promotion for TeenScreen,
Flynn continually uses the following type of statements:
http://tinyurl.com/dw7x2
PENNSYLVANIA STATE HEARINGS - Dec 2003
"My own daughter's illness BEGAN with a suicide attempt, a truly
terrifying event that I didn't expect. As with most parents I would
have said I could tell if my child were struggling but there were NO
SIGNS TO SEE. I had NO WARNING and was tremendously shocked that my
daughter, valedictorian of her high school, would try to kill herself.
How I wish there had been a TeenScreen in my daughters' high school. I
know this simple, confidential, self-administered mental health
check-up will truly save lives. Thank you for the opportunity to
testify today."
Similar examples can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/ex43y
Witness Testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on health, Education,
Labor, & Pensions - March 2004
and here:
BUT THE TRUTH IS THIS - Flynn uses this situation to forward whatever
notion is popular for her to push at that time......and her daughter's
suicide attempt was actually one event in a long history of psychiatric
intervention. As you will see it did NOT begin with the suicide
attempt....:
A statement issued while Flynn was still the head of NAMI, forwarding
her cause of getting families better linked up to services and ending
stigma......
http://tinyurl.com/898n6
"The biggest issue we faced during the time our daughter began to
manifest problems (when she was five years old) was to convince the
"professionals" that she did indeed have a disease that was
biologically based and not caused by alleged child abuse, bad
parenting. The paternal history of schizophrenia (father's mother,
grandfather, and possibly two uncles) was never taken into
consideration in determining what might have been causing the illness
in the child. It was parent-bashing at its worst."
AND
http://tinyurl.com/7vz4q
Witness testimony to the Dept.of Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education and Related
Agencies Appropriations for 1999
Wednesday, February 4, 1998.
Subject: Support for a continued Federal investment in research for
"brain disorders"
"NAMI believes research on these brain disorders has the greatest
potential payoff for American taxpayers over the long run...... My own
daughter, Shannon, who was diagnosed with a severe mental illness, is
one such example. Despite over 10 years of illness, Shannon today,
thanks to research based treatment, graduated from ..."
So which is it Ms. Flynn. Are you really a proponent for families and
children everywhere?
........A friend of mine summed this up very well:
"If we could just get someone to speak up and ask her the same question
each and every time she speaks anywhere, she would fold up and blow
away.
Someone should ask:
Ms. Flynn,
You testified in front of congress that your daughter's mental illness
"began with a suicide attempt". You have used this to forward your goal
of screening young people for mental illness.
Yet, you also reported in testimony that your daughter's illness began
at the age of 5 and you said, in 1998, in testimony, that your daughter
had been under "research-based treatment for 10 years".
Ms. Flynn, do you know the definition of truth? Truth is not "whatever
you have to say in order to forward your particular line". Truth is not
variable. Truth is truth.
Your own daughter was identified, treated for years with the treatment
you advocate and attempted suicide, possibly as a direct result. Now,
you lie in front of congress so that you can defraud other parents into
profitable and deadly treatment. You prey upon parents fear and pain of
suicide in order to deliver children to be entered into the very
treatment that led your daughter into a suicide attempt.
Ms. Flynn, is it not true that nearly 100% percent of all people who
attempt or complete a suicide are already identified and treated?
Ms. Flynn, what is your purpose in forwarding screening when you know
that suicides will be increased, not decreased?
Ms. Flynn, everyone wants to prevent suicide. Why are you taking
advantage of parents fear and pain to forward your own agenda?"
My friend also states:
"I think we should take out a full-page ad in Laurie Flynn's hometown.
I'll contribute $10."
Hear, Hear.......