Speaking out in public about mental disabilities is the final and most impactful step in making society aware and able to make a difference. So many people in todays society are unaware of the difficulties that are experienced by the mentally disabled. Bradley Cooper, an actor speaking out about mental disabilities said, “Don’t walk away from people with mental illness. Don’t be scared” (Carolla). People with mental disabilities experience arduous hardships, because they are denied of their basic rights and rejected by most societies. The only way to settle the dispute between society and the mentally disabled is to raise awareness that the mentally ill are human, and therefore should be understood as well as respected. If awareness is not made about the mentally disabled, society will become corrupt and ignorant towards the fact that the mentally ill are in desperate need of support. In the novel Night, written by Elie Wiesel, Elie shares his experience of the Holocaust through a third person perspective. In Wiesel’s acceptance speech of a Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded from Night, he stated, “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation” (Wiesel). The importance of speaking out in Night is to prevent others from being naive of the pain and grief victims experience. People who suffer from mental disabilities need support from those who can give them a voice. When awareness is raised, changes are made and accepted in society. Whenever men and women are deprived of their human rights, they should be the main concern for humanity. There are many ways people can take action to stand up against mental disability rights. In the Call to Action page, examples of how you can speak out are provided in the links.
Works Cited:
Carolla, Bob. "Bradley Cooper Speaks Out in National Dialogue on Mental Illness." National
Carolla, Bob. "Bradley Cooper Speaks Out in National Dialogue on Mental Illness." National
Alliance
On Mental Illness. N.p., n.d. Web.<https://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Top_Story&template=/contentmanagement/contentdisplay.cfm&ContentID=150518&title=Bradley%20Cooper%20Speaks%20Out%20in%20National%20Dialogue%20on%20Mental%20Illness%A0>.
Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York, United
States: Hill & Wang, 1960. Print.
Wiesel, Elie. "Nobel Peace Prize." PBS.
N.p., 2002. Web. 10 Dec. 1986.
<http://www.pbs.org/eliewiesel/nobel/>.
I think this is a great way to encourage awareness for mental disability. I have definitely learned that we cannot stay silent about mental illness and must support those who struggle with it. ~Rachel (Lauren Tuck's friend)
ReplyDeleteRaising awareness on mental disabilities and the many ways one can help is to add the subject matter to the health curriculum in our schools. Students would be educated on interactions with the mentally disabled, provided with mental health resources, and provided with information to help educate others. - Lisa Smith (Lauren Tuck's mother)
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