My Operation Tomorrow: Mental Health Justice, Speaking Out for Our Rights, and Creative Maladjustment
In a few minutes, I head up to Portlandia with my darling Debra, to get my throat slit tomorrow. Do not worry, I have not been captured by ISIS for a beheading. My throat operation to insert a Gore-Tex little implant in one of my vocal folds to help me, hopefully, be louder. For the past 42 years I have been a psychiatric survivor, and in the last few decades I have seen how working with the disability movement can amplify our voices. Three-and-a-half years ago, I broke my neck in an accident, involving our cat, Bongo, really! Because of a...
read moreMad Memo #1: Dear Supreme Commander (You!) of Global Nonviolent Revolution!
Mad Memo #1 Dear Supreme Commander (You!): Did you know you are a key leader of a global peaceful revolution? Surprise! My guess is that many of you reading this may not yet know that you are one of the “Supreme Commanders” of world revolution. In fact, if you wish, and you reflect the values of Martin Luther King, you may say you are leading the organization that he first envisioned, International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment (IAACM.) Let me explain. Yes, during World War II, Dwight D. (Ike)...
read morePresidential Primary & Forced Outpatient Psych Drugs
This month, May 2016, the candidates for USA President compete in our usually-missed State of Oregon, so this is a very good time to ask the following question: “How do you stand on the controversy of forced outpatient mental health drugs?” This is my 40th year working as an advocate for people labeled “disabled,” and I know that the topic of involuntary psychiatry can be a little complicated for people. After all, if one of our beloved family members becomes irrationally self-destructive, we can become desperate for help. However,...
read moreSLUG Queen vs. Donald (Duck)
You may download a one page free pdf poster of the event: KeseySquare41event SLUG Queen vs. Donald (Duck) Save Kesey Square! Flash Mob for You Odd Ducks to Out-Crazy DONALD in Positive Way! Fun Starts at 4:00 pm This Friday, 1 April 2016 Kesey Square, Broadway & Willamette, Eugene All peace-loving people are welcome to this free event! Special guest: Play with SLUG Queen 2016 Mark Roberts in full slimy regalia. Videoed to go viral on web! Find on Facebook public group LeadOn Lane! Sponsored by...
read moreMad Love: Remembering Our Top Volunteer & Thanking MindFreedom Ireland
This is about my 40th anniversary after my first overnight stay in a psychiatric facility as a working class kid going to Harvard. I ended up with five lockups in psychiatric institutions, including two stays in a facility that is often voted the best in the world: McClean, a Harvard teaching institution. At first my family was confused a bit by the psychiatric industry, but increasingly they became very aware about the need for more humane and effective alternatives. During my last stay, the psychiatric facility wanted to commit me after I...
read moreStop Climate Silence! Save Kesey Square in Eugene, Oregon
(We are continuing to hold events in the Square. You may download & print a color PDF of the February 12, 2016 event here: Feb12Keseyevent The previous protest event poster can be downloaded here: eugene-climate-silence-kesey-square.) Let’s Gather to Speak Out! 4:00 pm, Friday, February 12, 2016 Kesey Square, Broadway & Willamette, Eugene All peace-loving people are welcome! Brief speaking by David Oaks and others. Public speak-out to hear your voice. We will Youtube this event to the world! Save Earth! More info:...
read moreHello World! An American Nut Challenges Trump About Status of “Bull Goose Loony.” We Are #Nuts4 Global Revolution!
by David W. Oaks Here in Eugene, Oregon, in the middle of downtown, there is a small public square with a statue of the late author and local legend Ken Kesey. I knew Ken, famous for writing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, one of the main novels celebrating counterculture and challenging psychiatry. I organized a small protest in Kesey Square on January 29, 2016 for two reasons: First, developers threaten commercial expansion. Second, I encouraged people to speak out against the climate silence that paralyzes the general public....
read moreMadness & Your Creative Maladjustment to Climate Silence
You would think that the whole world would be talking every day, all day about the threat to life itself on this planet due to decades of delay in addressing the climate crisis. Here in Eugene, Oregon at this point one would think our very progressive community would be discussing this topic all the time. So why is there such silence? Last week, our local weekly newspaper printed a little letter from me about the silence in our community regarding the climate crisis, a copy of the text is below. Each of us individually can and must break the...
read moreNormalgeddon: Your Landing Page About Having Fun & The Worst Case Scenario Of The Climate Crisis
Update 12/2015: Several of us have visited Ninkasi Brewery because their Chief Financial Officer is the chair-elect for the local Chamber of Commerce. You may see the results and photo here. Updated 9/21/2015: If you live in or near Eugene, Oregon, there is a very easy way to look on the web and see if your favorite business belongs to the local Chamber. If so, please ask the business owner to contact the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce and request that our local Chamber acknowledge that global warming exists, is caused by humans, and the...
read moreWe Questioned Climate Chaos With Other Fans of Ninkasi
Action: At the bottom of this entry, you will see a link for you to endorse this statement about climate chaos! About 15 of us folks in the Eugene area who care about the climate crisis gathered together last night at the Tasting Room for Ninkasi Brewery. We signed a statement together and gave that to Ninkasi staff. Why did we choose the site of a maker of micro-craft beer for this? It turns out that our best reason was because of a great coincidence, the Chief Financial Officer for Ninkasi, Nigel Francisco, will become the next elected Chair...
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