Mental-health screening of kids

The Liberty Committee ^ | 110804 | Kent Snyder

[the invisib1e hand]

High-priced lobbyists in Washington are tough to beat; especially the ones who represent the pharmaceutical industry. But we can't let them win this time.

On September 7th, we told you about the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health's plan (a presidential commission) to subject every child in America to mandatory mental-health screening; a plan that will result in the forced drugging of children. Two days later, Congressman Ron Paul tried to stop this insidious plan by offering an amendment to the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Act for FY 2005. The amendment received 95 "yes" votes, but it failed to pass.

However, Congressman Paul and several of his colleagues are not giving up. Neither are we. They have drafted a letter to Congressman Ralph Regula, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations, asking for his help. The letter will be sent to Mr. Regula this Friday. As of today, 11 House members have signed the letter which is a very good start. But the high-priced lobbyists representing the drug companies are already working to oppose our effort, so we need to get additional support for our side.

Read the letter and then urge your U.S. representative to sign it. If you think mandatory mental-health screening can’t happen in the good ol' USofA, think again. In 1995, while George W. Bush was governor, the state of Texas launched the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. The state of Illinois launched a similar program in 2003. Backers of those two state programs now want to go nationwide! We must stop them!!

To read the letter and send your message, go to
http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/regula.htm

Background
http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/update09.07.04.htm

Kent Snyder
The Liberty Committee
http://www.thelibertycommittee.org

[anniegetyourgun]

Already here.

[freecopper01]

This is inherently dangerous: A parent wishing to deny testing would be called unfit and lose control of their child/children. Once tested, children who believe such beliefs that defy current norms (i.e., they are believers of Christ, or Judiasm) could be classified as mentally unstable and if their parents refuse them 'treatment' (brainwashing) they could stand to lose their child/children. It's coming, folks.

[the invisib1e hand]

my bad. feel free to yank it, threadmeister.

glad it got posted.

[grellis]

Yes, it was already posted, but this is too important an issue to let slip by unnoticed. I am normally loathe to use the ping list except for Fridays but this proposal is absolutely chilling. Its not just the pharms that would like to see this pass; I bet teachers unions are smiling at the thought of schools full of zoned out, malleable children.

We can't let this happen, folks.

[grellis]

Dad ping--lets drug the kids alert

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

I read about this several months ago, but I didn't take it seriously. Now I'm starting to worry. It gives me a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach because I would be one of those parents that would refuse to allow my daughter to be tested.

[Ed_in_NJ]

You might want to check out the Earls case (Supreme Court decision that justified random drug testing of school kids) to see the courts' highly perverted 'reasoning.'

This movement was backed by the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Assn. (www.datia.org) to push their 'product' - testing.

A close reading of the decision should turn the stomach of anyone who thinks the Supremes' job is to interpret the Constitution.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I don't know what the solution is. Bottom line is this: IF parents understood the dangers to their child that labels like ADD and ADHD , and the drugs that are prescribed to "handle" these "disorders", we wouldn't have to worry about a generations of kids growing up doped out of their minds. Alas, many parents don't care and the system is there for them to exploit.

I homeschool my children- because from experience-I know the truth about these drugs and all these labels. I don't trust anyone- who really believes ADD exists in mass numbers,(esp. in huge precentages of male children)- to teach and mentor my children.

[vpintheak]

How many girls are on drugs for ADD versus boys? Does anyone know? It should mirror the population numbers shouldn't it?

[MeekMom]

This is very very scary!

[StarCMC]

We can't let this happen, folks.

You're right about that!! And don't forget that once a child is labelled, the school gets extra money to "educate" them.

[luckystarmom]

Thanks for the ping. I read about it earlier.

My mom is a manic depressive, so I'm well aware of the benefits of medication for some people.

However, I hate the thought of this whole thing. If the kid is acting normal, then don't do anything. Normal also needs to be a wide-range of things.

I think it is great to get parents awareness up. I think medication is great when someone is suicidal or a danger to society.

[eagle11]

I thought a Bush reelection and Republican sweep of Congress would put an end to this foolishness. Get the grubby govt claws off our children!

[secretagent]

I thought a Bush reelection and Republican sweep of Congress would put an end to this foolishness.

Bush wants to expand the fedgov's reach in education, not shrink it.

[Tax-chick]

Did you forget your sarcasm tag?

[fivekid]

NOBODY and I MEAN NOBODY is gonna force my kids to do

anything. PERIOD!!! This crap has got to stop.

[Tax-chick]

No argument from me :-). The more parents remove their children from the government system, the less money there will be for salespeople wanting to force something on the captive audience of children.

[the invisib1e hand]

noted. thank you for the heads up.

[grellis]

I'm glad you mentioned "normal" because this is something that really bothers me. When I was a kid, half (if not more) of the students in my grammar school were a little on the High Octane side--lots of energy, hyper-creative, over-imaginitive, our young minds going 110 mph. I believe back then it was known as "childhood." The class sizes in my grammar school also ran around 15-18 students per teacher, making the more active students far more manageable.

Today, these kids all too easily get labelled ADD/ADHD and are consequently drugged into submissiveness. Why don't teachers and administrators have a problem with this? Could it be because class sizes have grown so much? My second grader is in a class with 26 students. I know that at least four of them are on Ritalin. I don't think the teacher minds.