- There is a new, invasive government program coming to
your state that is so Orwellian that it is seems beyond all belief. It
potentially involves the mandatory mental health screening of all children
in the state, and could actually mean that minors would be prescribed behavior-modifying
drugs in school against their parent's wishes. And to make the parallel
to Orwell complete, the program is called the "New Freedom Commission
on Mental Health".
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- The New Freedom Commission on Mental Health was created
in 2002 by Executive Order 13263, but the recommendations and implementation
of the program are just being released now. One of the six goals of the
Commission was to make "early mental health screening, assessment,
and referral to servicesScommon practice". This seemingly innocuous
statement raised eyebrows with some in Congress, and Congressman Ron Paul
(R-TX) proposed an amendment that was to prevent this bill from requiring
mandatory screening and state-ordered medicating of children without parental
consent. Last September, his amendment was defeated. He has reintroduced
it this year as H.R. 181.
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- One of the 22 commissioners who wrote the final report
is Dr. Daniel Fisher of Lawrence, Mass. And despite the fact that the government
seems bent on widespread screening, he said that it could lead to greater
numbers of children being given "a label, a diagnosis, and a medication.".
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- "Teachers want to get kids fixed" he declared.
Of particular concern is the over prescription of Ritalin, which only now
is the medical community acknowledging has been horribly over-prescribed.
Nearly 30 out of every 1000 children are being prescribed this psychotropic
drug. Furthermore, surveys have shown that as much as 4% of the student
population has taken Ritalin recreationally, as a methamphetamine. This
situation can only get worse once there is a Federal mandate coming into
the local school systems with the power to assess and prescribe drugs.
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- This year, the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
received funding from Congress. More than ever, it is important that you
let you congressman/woman know that you want H.R. 181 passed right away.
We need to adopt a strong policy to protect both student rights and parental
rights in the face of such a threat. Whether it is the "recommendations"
of a school doctor, or part of a larger federal program, parents need to
be able to retain the power of decision of whether their children will
take a medication or not.
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