By Christopher Knauf Chair, Santa Monica Disabilities Commission
Kudos to Jacob Ramsey (“Stamp out stigma,” page 5, June 20) and other members of Step Up on Second for continuing to write so eloquently about the difficulty of living in a community and society that too often stigmatizes mental illness. Correctly put as simply another medical condition that requires treatment and care, mental illness’ status is distinguished by the all too frequent nonfiction reports of crimes as well as fictional portrayals of villains with mental illness. You just don’t see the same abhorrent level of stigma attached to paraplegia, blindness, deafness, or other common disabilities. Here’s hoping the information age is chipping away at our current and unfortunate societal perceptions of people who have a mental illness.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 24, 2008. Read the original PDF.