Take Politicial Action Today to Lobby your Governments to ban electroshock:
Guidelines:
Guidelines:
1. Email or mail a letter to your representative/senator/MP/MPP today:
Hello everyone, I wanted to tell you how important it is to let your legislators know you want electroshock banned, to end now. You may think your one email or one letter does not count BUT it does count. The government is aware of public opinion and your opinion counts.
Please take a few moments of your time to let the legislators know how you feel about electroshock. It will take legislation changes to the mental health laws to ban electroshock. Here is a sample letter below. Thank you for caring to make a difference in the world today!
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing/emailing you today because I want electroconvulsive therapy also known as electroshock or ECT to be banned from the mental health legislation.
There have been numerous studies and reports done that prove that electroshock
therapy causes brain damage. See the website of Dr. Peter R. Breggin, an American psychiatrist in the USA who has for many years written about the hazards of electroshock. His URL is: http://www.breggin.com.
(Add your own comments about why you want ect banned)
Make sure you have your contact info on the email and the letter.
2. Organize a peaceful protest against the use of electroshock at your nearest psychiatric hospital.
Call your local City Hall administration for a permit to have permission to have the protest. The permit is free. Apply for this permit a few weeks ahead of your event. This is good to have in case the police show up, keep a copy of the permit on you and ready your permit carefully. You cannot enter the facility you are protesting at or go onto the grounds. You can go on the sidewalk for the protest.
Get some supporters and friends and family together to show up for the protest. Post your press release of the event at libraries, online, at stores, at churches etc. a few weeks before the event and in your neighbourhood and where the event is taking place.
Make a press release and send it to the local media a week ahead. The media usually show up promptly as soon as the protest starts, so please be on time.
Here is a sample Press Release for the Media. Send it out to all the tv stations, radio stations and newspapers. Have some copies of your press release with you at the protest, the event to handout to the media.
SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE:
P R E S S R E L E A S E
June 19, 2006
ECT PROTEST AT THE ABC HOSPITAL ON JUNE 26th, 2007
TIME: 10 a.m. to 12 noon
PLACE: ABC Hospital, 3333 Juniper Street, City, State
Contacts: Sue Z. Home (555-555-555) cell phone (777-777-7777)
The group called End ECT is holding a peaceful protest on June 26, 2007 to protest the use of electroshock at this hospital. Mr. L. was a patient there and he says he has suffered from permanent memory loss.
Mr. L. wants ECT to be stopped at this hospital. (put the main points of your protest here,
and keep it concise - 3 or four paragraphs.
Keep the 5 W's in your press release, Who, What, When, Where, Why and what you want to achieve by having this protest, your goal.)
Electroshock harms people.
(see the website www.breggin.com for more info on ECT)
(Keep the press release to one page only) Some local stationary stores have cheap prices for
photocopying, maybe someone you know has a photocopier and can make you some free copies
Ask around and you will find people willing to help you out.
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Some local stationary stores have cheap prices for photocopying, maybe someone you know has a photocopier and can make you some free copies. Ask around and you will find people willing to help you out.
You can use props for the protest which the media like, make protest signs on bristol board
too. Remember, most of all to have fun. Sings songs, make up slogans and chants for your protest, get someone with a guitar or a singer. Be creative.
Get the names of the media who you speak too at the event as you may want to contact them. Keep a list of the people who participated in the peaceful protest as you may want them to come back to another protest. Have water supplied if you can especially on a hot day. Take pics of your protest or video.
You may want to put up a website or a blog. Lots are free on the web like geocities.com
and www.blogger.com
Keep a copy of your press clippings. Good Luck to you all who are organizing. It is fun and it is constructive.
3. Call your local radio shows and tv stations and try to get them to interview you.
4. Write to the editors of newspapers and magazines and write about wanting the governments to end electroshock or tell them about your experiences with ECT or of a friend of family member.
5. Organize your own group of psychiatric survivors if there is not one in your area. You can
sometimes use a church hall for free. Ask other groups you know of how they got their
meeting place.
6. Write your own book about your experiences. If you don't have the money to publish your book, you can always type it online at places like www.blogger.com for free for everyone to have access to. Publishing a book can be expensive or self publish if you can or get someone to hlep you.
7. Speak out at library or event about your experiences with psychiatry.
8. Write poetry or a play.
9. Organize an event in your city. Some local newspapers have a section in the newspaper where you can post your event for free. Send in your event announcement a few weeks ahead.
10. Write a song
11. Have a MAD Pride Day on July 14th Bastille Day
If you think of any more ideas for social action, please let me know and I will post them here.
Email mail me: 2005.sueclark@gmail.com
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START YOUR POLITICAL ACTION WITH THESE GOVERNMENT WEBSITES:
IN ONTARIO, CANADA
The Ontario Mental Health Act
IN CANADA, WEBSITES OF ALL THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS
http://www.canada.gc.ca/othergov/prov_e.html
How to contact your Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web
How to contact your Federal Member of Parliament (MP) It is free to send a letter to your MP in Ottawa. No postage stamp needed
http://canada.gc.ca/directories
IN THE UNITED STATES, GOVERNMENT WEBSITES
How to contact your representative's office/United States House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov/house
How to contact your US Senator
http://www.senate.gov/general
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