Freedom Rally Reinforces Justice and Freedom for All By Laura Van Tosh
Freedom Rally Reinforces Justice and Freedom for All
By Laura Van Tosh
ROCKVILLE, MD - On May 2, 2002 outside the Rockville, Maryland Doubletree Hotel, mental health consumers and disability rights activists gathered to support the basic tenets of the consumer/survivor movement – Freedom and Self-determination. Bad weather was predicted but that did not deter more than 200 people from 11 States from coming together to celebrate freedom.
The Freedom Rally was organized by Ms. Laura Van Tosh of Silver Spring, Maryland and sponsored by the Montgomery County Coalition for Human Rights in Mental Health. Countless individuals and groups contributed their time, resources, and organizing expertise.
As Spring blossoms were beginning to show their color, the mental health field was reeling over an article written by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey and published in the Washington Monthly (April 2002). Dr. Torrey, the key spokesman for efforts to expand involuntary treatment laws across the United States, called for shutting down the federal Center for Mental Health Services because it supports consumer-operated services that promote recovery. The article also stung several national advocacy organizations including the National Mental Health Association and the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law among others, for lobbying for increased federal funding while, at the same time, receiving scarce grant dollars to be promote their own agendas, according to Torrey. The rally became a national event in no time.
Meanwhile, the Montgomery County chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) was giving Dr. Torrey keynote speaker status at their annual Heroes Awards dinner inside the Doubletree Hotel on May 2nd. What made the Freedom Rally different from other demonstrations, was the strong desire for people with disabilities to organize around a single purpose – a vision of freedom. After all, the President’s New Freedom Initiative is becoming part of our nomenclature. Our freedom, however, is reflected in a common agenda that is based on choice, not force. Our agenda is not disability focused or based on any diagnosis. This vision joins all people from every cultural, disability, economic and racial background. It is powerful and positive.
This vision brought 15 international and national organizations together with countless other individuals and groups in support of the Freedom Rally. The list of organizations (below) represents the efforts of all people with disabilities who believe in freedom and the creation of choices to live our lives in meaningful ways. Similarly, several candidates for public office responded to our collective call for collaboration. The following elected officials and candidates from Maryland spoke at the rally: Delegate Mark Shriver and candidate for U.S. Congress – District 8; George Leventhal, candidate for Montgomery County Council – At-Large; Sam Statland, candidate, State Delegate – District 18; Sally Sternbach, candidate, County Council – District 5; and Herman Taylor, candidate, State Delegate – District 14.
Even though our right to assemble had been threatened by the national office of NAMI and others, we fought the forces of cynicism and stigma to make our voices heard. The stormy clouds parted and we marched together on Route 355 to wave signs and hoist balloons. Our voices carried over the hum of rush hour traffic.
Some advocates who chose not to participate in the Freedom Rally are now saying our effort splinters the mental health field’s ability to march with a unified message. Unfortunately, these outliers have missed the point of the Freedom Rally. Our message was clear and desperately needed. We were moved to stand together and expose forces that seek to divide and destroy the message of hope for recovery and freedom. We, crazy and passionate people, are the ones who got it right this time. Those of us who struggle, survive, and recover are the heroes!
The rally began with a moment of silence for Andrew Sallenger who died while being involuntarily committed in St. Louis, Missouri, and the night before we gathered under those stormy clouds to speak out and march for our Freedom.
© 2002 by Montgomery County Coalition for Human Rights in Mental Health
Participating States
CaliforniaConnecticutFloridaGeorgiaMassachusettsMaryland New JerseyNew YorkPennsylvaniaVirginiaWest Virginia
Participating Organizations
ADA Watch Action FundAmerican Association of People with DisabilitiesDisability Rights CenterHealing CirclesInternational Association of Psycho-Social Rehabilitation ServicesMaryland Statewide Independent Living Council Mental Health Association of Southeastern PennsylvaniaNational Association of Rights Protection and AdvocacyNational Capital Area ADAPTNational Council on Independent Living National Empowerment CenterNational Spinal Cord Injury AssociationNew York Association of Psychiatric Support ServicesPennsylvania Mental Health Consumers' AssociationPresidential Taskforce on Employment of Adults with Disabilities Youth Advisory CouncilSister Witness InternationalSpinal Cord Injury Network Support Coalition InternationalWest Virginia Mental Health Consumers' Association
"Coercion should not be a substitute for effective care that is sought voluntarily..."
US Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health (1999)
By Laura Van Tosh
ROCKVILLE, MD - On May 2, 2002 outside the Rockville, Maryland Doubletree Hotel, mental health consumers and disability rights activists gathered to support the basic tenets of the consumer/survivor movement – Freedom and Self-determination. Bad weather was predicted but that did not deter more than 200 people from 11 States from coming together to celebrate freedom.
The Freedom Rally was organized by Ms. Laura Van Tosh of Silver Spring, Maryland and sponsored by the Montgomery County Coalition for Human Rights in Mental Health. Countless individuals and groups contributed their time, resources, and organizing expertise.
As Spring blossoms were beginning to show their color, the mental health field was reeling over an article written by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey and published in the Washington Monthly (April 2002). Dr. Torrey, the key spokesman for efforts to expand involuntary treatment laws across the United States, called for shutting down the federal Center for Mental Health Services because it supports consumer-operated services that promote recovery. The article also stung several national advocacy organizations including the National Mental Health Association and the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law among others, for lobbying for increased federal funding while, at the same time, receiving scarce grant dollars to be promote their own agendas, according to Torrey. The rally became a national event in no time.
Meanwhile, the Montgomery County chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) was giving Dr. Torrey keynote speaker status at their annual Heroes Awards dinner inside the Doubletree Hotel on May 2nd. What made the Freedom Rally different from other demonstrations, was the strong desire for people with disabilities to organize around a single purpose – a vision of freedom. After all, the President’s New Freedom Initiative is becoming part of our nomenclature. Our freedom, however, is reflected in a common agenda that is based on choice, not force. Our agenda is not disability focused or based on any diagnosis. This vision joins all people from every cultural, disability, economic and racial background. It is powerful and positive.
This vision brought 15 international and national organizations together with countless other individuals and groups in support of the Freedom Rally. The list of organizations (below) represents the efforts of all people with disabilities who believe in freedom and the creation of choices to live our lives in meaningful ways. Similarly, several candidates for public office responded to our collective call for collaboration. The following elected officials and candidates from Maryland spoke at the rally: Delegate Mark Shriver and candidate for U.S. Congress – District 8; George Leventhal, candidate for Montgomery County Council – At-Large; Sam Statland, candidate, State Delegate – District 18; Sally Sternbach, candidate, County Council – District 5; and Herman Taylor, candidate, State Delegate – District 14.
Even though our right to assemble had been threatened by the national office of NAMI and others, we fought the forces of cynicism and stigma to make our voices heard. The stormy clouds parted and we marched together on Route 355 to wave signs and hoist balloons. Our voices carried over the hum of rush hour traffic.
Some advocates who chose not to participate in the Freedom Rally are now saying our effort splinters the mental health field’s ability to march with a unified message. Unfortunately, these outliers have missed the point of the Freedom Rally. Our message was clear and desperately needed. We were moved to stand together and expose forces that seek to divide and destroy the message of hope for recovery and freedom. We, crazy and passionate people, are the ones who got it right this time. Those of us who struggle, survive, and recover are the heroes!
The rally began with a moment of silence for Andrew Sallenger who died while being involuntarily committed in St. Louis, Missouri, and the night before we gathered under those stormy clouds to speak out and march for our Freedom.
© 2002 by Montgomery County Coalition for Human Rights in Mental Health
Participating States
CaliforniaConnecticutFloridaGeorgiaMassachusettsMaryland New JerseyNew YorkPennsylvaniaVirginiaWest Virginia
Participating Organizations
ADA Watch Action FundAmerican Association of People with DisabilitiesDisability Rights CenterHealing CirclesInternational Association of Psycho-Social Rehabilitation ServicesMaryland Statewide Independent Living Council Mental Health Association of Southeastern PennsylvaniaNational Association of Rights Protection and AdvocacyNational Capital Area ADAPTNational Council on Independent Living National Empowerment CenterNational Spinal Cord Injury AssociationNew York Association of Psychiatric Support ServicesPennsylvania Mental Health Consumers' AssociationPresidential Taskforce on Employment of Adults with Disabilities Youth Advisory CouncilSister Witness InternationalSpinal Cord Injury Network Support Coalition InternationalWest Virginia Mental Health Consumers' Association
"Coercion should not be a substitute for effective care that is sought voluntarily..."
US Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health (1999)
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