Man in Knife Attack Should Not Be Feared As a Major Threat to Society.
Edward Campbell | 24.12.2004 09:01
Detectives are questioning a man after a series of knife attacks in London yesterday. Sadly, it left one man dead and five people injured, of which four are in hospital and two of them are in a critical condition.
Sensationalising such attacks, which are very rare, does little to advance the way our society deals with mental health issues, and deal with the prejudice suffered by those with mental health problems.
Sensationalising such attacks, which are very rare, does little to advance the way our society deals with mental health issues, and deal with the prejudice suffered by those with mental health problems.
The police have issued a statement saying the 30 year old man that they have detained has had a history of mental health problems.
Incidents such as these are often sensationalised to create unjustified fear, and are used by government to introduce even more coercive measures in treating mental heath problems.
This treatment almost exclusively centres around administering powerful drugs, and passing legislation to force patients to take them. It is a case of trying to tackle some of the symptoms rather than looking at the causes of the problem.
The only positive thing about this strategy is, that it's simple, it's apparently cheap, and it keeps the powerful drug companies happy. Undoubtedly, it helps some people, but how many?
Sensationalising and simplifying the causes of such attacks, only further spreads misunderstanding about mental health issues, and reinforces prejudice and ignorance. People with mental heath problems are ostracised, have scorn heaped upon them, are alienated, ignored, dismissed, and denied opportunities. It is the taboo prejudice that even the "I am an unprejudiced liberal" propagates, and resolves by dining out on how they know someone with mental health problems who fits a stereotype.
The facts are that the provision of resources for mental health is woefully inadequate, and, relative to other forms of heath care, vastly under funded. It also should be stated and remembered that very few people with mental heath problems are involved in random violent attacks and murder. These are in the vast majority of cases carried out by a so called sane mined persons who know the victim.
Ignorance about and prejudice against those who are unfortunate enough to suffer mental problems needs to be tackled, because, to varying degrees, a majority of people will suffer mental heath problems during their lives. Ignorance and prejudice, may allay fears about ones own psychological makeup, but it makes matters worse for others with poor health.
The people who commit these very rare offences, are not the ‘evil loony- tune nuters’ that society needs to fear. It’s not the kids on the streets at night who, alienated with nothing to do mildly misbehave, and are criminalized through anti-social orders that we need to fear. It is not the Islamic religion we need to fear. It’s not the hoards of imaginary terrorists: Al Quieda, animal rights, anarchists, wombles, peace campaigners that we need to fear today:-
It’s the Bushes, Rumsfelds, Blairs, Blunkets and Browns, whose power-crazy psychosis is responsible for an almost incomprehensible level of harm, death and destruction. They should be first in line for a heavy dosing, and locking up for a long time - but they project the fear onto others.
Incidents such as these are often sensationalised to create unjustified fear, and are used by government to introduce even more coercive measures in treating mental heath problems.
This treatment almost exclusively centres around administering powerful drugs, and passing legislation to force patients to take them. It is a case of trying to tackle some of the symptoms rather than looking at the causes of the problem.
The only positive thing about this strategy is, that it's simple, it's apparently cheap, and it keeps the powerful drug companies happy. Undoubtedly, it helps some people, but how many?
Sensationalising and simplifying the causes of such attacks, only further spreads misunderstanding about mental health issues, and reinforces prejudice and ignorance. People with mental heath problems are ostracised, have scorn heaped upon them, are alienated, ignored, dismissed, and denied opportunities. It is the taboo prejudice that even the "I am an unprejudiced liberal" propagates, and resolves by dining out on how they know someone with mental health problems who fits a stereotype.
The facts are that the provision of resources for mental health is woefully inadequate, and, relative to other forms of heath care, vastly under funded. It also should be stated and remembered that very few people with mental heath problems are involved in random violent attacks and murder. These are in the vast majority of cases carried out by a so called sane mined persons who know the victim.
Ignorance about and prejudice against those who are unfortunate enough to suffer mental problems needs to be tackled, because, to varying degrees, a majority of people will suffer mental heath problems during their lives. Ignorance and prejudice, may allay fears about ones own psychological makeup, but it makes matters worse for others with poor health.
The people who commit these very rare offences, are not the ‘evil loony- tune nuters’ that society needs to fear. It’s not the kids on the streets at night who, alienated with nothing to do mildly misbehave, and are criminalized through anti-social orders that we need to fear. It is not the Islamic religion we need to fear. It’s not the hoards of imaginary terrorists: Al Quieda, animal rights, anarchists, wombles, peace campaigners that we need to fear today:-
It’s the Bushes, Rumsfelds, Blairs, Blunkets and Browns, whose power-crazy psychosis is responsible for an almost incomprehensible level of harm, death and destruction. They should be first in line for a heavy dosing, and locking up for a long time - but they project the fear onto others.
Edward Campbell
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