MFNews: MLK, Mad Pride 2008 & Creative Maladjustment

Tue Jan 15 12:31:25 CST 2008

MindFreedom International News - 15 January 2008
http://www.mindfreedom.org - please forward

    Today is the Birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    MLK called for "Creative Maladjustment"!

    Mad Pride Movement asks, "What action will YOU take in 2008?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, 15 January 2008, would have been Rev. Martin Luther King,  
Jr.'s 79th birthday.

The Mad Pride movement asks you a simple question:

By MLK's 80th birthday in 2009, what action will you take to show  
your "creative maladjustment"?

What is creative maladjustment?

MLK repeated this theme more than a dozen times in essays and  
speeches stretching from the 1950's during his training at Highlander  
to a keynote speech in front of the American Psychological  
Association in 1967:

1. MLK said psychologists had a favorite word, "maladjusted."

2. MLK said he was proud to be psychologically maladjusted, that we  
all ought to be maladjusted to oppression, poverty, war.

3. MLK said the "salvation of the world" lies in the hands of the  
creatively maladjusted.

4. MLK said over and over that the world is in dire need for an  
"International Association for the Advancement of Creative  
Maladjustment."

Martin Luther King's IAACM was not, apparently, ever officially formed.

Until last year.

MindFreedom International, an organization working for human rights  
of people in the mental health system, intentionally and officially  
began the IAACM as part of the MAD PRIDE movement.

For a decade "Mad Pride" celebrates each and every human being's  
creative uniqueness and right to be nonviolently different, including  
we people who have survived the psychiatric system. Like Gay Pride,  
Mad Pride events have included parades, theater, "bed pushes,"  
concerts and more.

As long as you follow MLK's nonviolence guidelines, *YOU* are a  
leader in the IAACM! Yes, you! Get grandiose, get Mad Pride! If not  
now, when?

BELOW are messages to you from some of the world leaders of the Mad  
movement, as MFI prepares for a special seven-nation global  
teleconference today, on MLK's birthday, about MAD PRIDE, and how to  
help YOU take action in 2008:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PLEASE FORWARD THESE MESSAGES TO ALL APPROPRIATE PLACES ON & OFF THE  
INTERNET!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mary Maddock, co-founder of MindFreedom Ireland and psychiatric  
survivor, says:

"We are proud to be mad, to be vulnerable, to be human beings. We are  
proud to be maladjusted to a world which believes in war and  
division, a world which does not value uniqueness, creativity, love,  
insight and harmony."

Adds John McCarthy of MindFreedom Ireland and psychiatric survivor says:

"We plan a Mad Pride event on 8 June 208 in Cork, Ireland. It is a  
family fun day to highlight the normality of madness and we are  
hoping to get national media coverage."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dan Taylor, Secretary of of MindFreedom Ghana in Accra, Ghana, Africa  
says:

"It's a real coincidence that Martin Luther King' birthday is on the  
same day we're having the Mad Pride teleconference. Today being the  
day of the teleconference, I'm well psyched up to participate while  
joining the others out there. My quotation linking Mad Pride and MLK  
is that, 'Mad as some take us to be, our capabilities are not in the  
least subdued or overawed by our madness. We are proud of our  
invaluable contributions everywhere we are.' For our Mad Pride Event  
2008 by MindFreedom Ghana we intend organizing radio and TV talk  
shows as well as street march and end it all with a musical and  
cultural pageant. These activities will be organized in July 2008."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ruth Ruth of the Friendly Spike Theater in Toronto, Canada says:

The Friendly Spike Theatre Band is helping to gather Mad Pride  
Organizers to plan another great year of Toronto Mad Pride Events to  
take place during July 2008. Events will include theatre, film and  
presentations, and another great Toronto Mad Pride Bed Push!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Says Terry from the UK:

"Martin Luther King believed in a world where everyone can  be  
respected, and saw clearly that this will only come about when we  
have respect for the diversity of our minds."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Says Beth Sholtis in Ohio:

"I have not been involved with MAD PRIDE until now. I would like to  
bring attention to how challenging the mental health system is for  
us, when it should be simpler. I want to do this in a way that is  
entertaining, educational, and interesting -- maybe even funny."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    WHAT IS YOUR "MAD PRIDE" ACTION FOR 2008?

Your Mad Pride action shows your creative maladjustment, and does not  
have to be big.

Yes, there are some major events planned, such as the amazing annual  
"Bonkerfest" in UK that involves thousands with music and frivolity;  
theater events in Toronto; concerts in Australia; an annual campout  
protest on the grounds of the Capitol in Albany, NY; annual street  
marches in Accra, Ghana; normality screenings at the huge Oregon  
Country Fair.

But small events are as important! Even two or three people can take  
a Mad Pride nonviolent action by, say, holding up a sign publicly  
with your unique message, taking a digital photo, and e-mailing it  
into MindFreedom at news at mindfreedom.org or uploading it. Include a  
caption. Be creative!

Or you could do a skit, such as the "Normality Screening" inspired by  
the Patch Adams clown troupe in Florence, Italy. This is an "airport- 
type" screening for normality using a rubber chicken, white coat and  
red rubber nose. People love these! MindFreedom has held more than  
1,000 normality screenings, including at the entrance to the American  
Psychiatric Association headquarters. Normality has never ever been  
found.

Let us know your hopes and dreams for your Mad Pride event at  
news at mindfreedom.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    MAD PRIDE weekly free live call-in Internet radio!

    You can phone in LIVE from anywhere in the world!

MindFreedom International holds a free, live call-in radio show on  
the web each week!

You can phone in with your MAD PRIDE suggestions, questions, ideas,  
songs, sayings! Host David Oaks, Director of MindFreedom includes the  
latest news.

For info on the next MindFreedom Mad Pride Free Live Call-in Web  
Radio Show, including how to listen and hear the phone numbers to  
call in live, check here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/next-radio

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Last year, in 2007, info about MLK & IAACM got more hits on the  
MindFreedom International web site than anything else!

    HERE IS MORE INFO on the web about Mad Pride, MLK & IAACM:

*** QUOTES from Martin Luther King about his dream of an  
International Association for the Advancement of Creative  
Maladjustment (IAACM), here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-global/iaacm/MLK-on-IAACM

or use this web link:

http://tinyurl.com/2rhank

*** ONLINE VIDEO of MLK calling for creative maladjustment:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mfi-video/mlk

*** MINDFREEDOM LAUNCH of IAACM last year:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/madpride/mlk-iaacm

*** INFO ABOUT MAD PRIDE MOVEMENT, including update of known 2007  
events:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/madpride

*** HOW TO SCREEN FOR "NORMALITY"

http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/madpride/normality-screening

or use this web link:

http://tinyurl.com/26ltpg

*** BRIEF VIDEO ABOUT HOW TO DO AN EASY NORMALITY SCREENING:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/madpride/mlk-iaacm/how-to-screen- 
normality

or use this web link:

http://tinyurl.com/2nta3w

*** MORE MFI VIDEOS:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mfi-video

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ALL APPROPRIATE PLACES ON & OFF THE INTERNET!

WHAT'S YOUR MAD PRIDE 2008 ACTION?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More news at the MindFreedom News Web Site:

http://www.mindfreedom.org

Don't see a news item? Submit it to news at mindfreedom.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Build united strength in numbers!

JOIN MINDFREEDOM INTERNATIONAL!

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health.

* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry.

* Support self-determination of psychiatric survivors.

* Promote safe, humane, effective options in mental health.

* Show your MAD PRIDE!

MindFreedom is a nonprofit human rights group that unites 100 sponsor  
and affiliate groups with individual members.

MindFreedom is one of the very few totally independent activist  
groups in the mental health field with no funding from governments,  
drug companies, religions, corporations, or the mental health system.

All human rights supporters are invited to join MFI by donating here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

For hard-to-find books and gear, including a normality screening kit,  
go to MFI's Mad Market here:

http://www.madmarket.org

MindFreedom International Office:

454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284; Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

web site: http://www.mindfreedom.org
e-mail: office(at)mindfreedom(dot)org
MFI office phone: (541) 345-9106
MFI member services toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDe or 1-877-623-7743
fax: (541) 345-3737

Please forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~

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