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The author(s) of this blog are NOT medical experts. The author(s) of this website are NOT religious scholars. The opinions on this blog are based solely upon life experiences and are not intended to be provided as professional advice. Opinions may be formed based on the following, including but not limited to: academic works, published works and religious biblical contexts. Any commentary published on this blog are layman opinions unless expressly specified.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

The NFL, The PD, Mental Illness & The Connection

Despite your position, you have a position in relation to the actions of the NFL this past weekend of taking a knee during the United States National Anthem's honor to the Flag. As patrons and citizens of the United States, we have been left to speculate the actual purpose of taking a knee. From the articles I have read and the information I have gleaned, I have come to speculate and speculate only, that taking a knee is in relation to racial segregation, racial profiling and racial discrimination. USA Today quoted the Seattle Seahawks: "We will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country. Out of love for our country and in honor of the sacrifices made on our behalf, we unite to oppose those that would deny our most basic freedoms." (Retrieved from USA Today Anthem Kneeling Isn't Aimed at Veterans and other NFL Protest Misconceptions).



Which basic freedoms are referenced here? Is it the Affirmative Action of equal opportunity of housing, education and employment? Is it protection from law enforcement racial profiling? Is it the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness? The statements are vague and ambiguous yet the protesting continues with little to no definition and little to no action in real world scenarios.



So, who allegedly denies the most basic freedoms? It has been said, a law is only as strong as it is enforced. Who enforces the law? The police. The men and women in blue. There are strong arguments that police racially profile and do in fact exert excessive force including and not limited to murdering of suspect criminals. Google it. You'll find arguments on both sides of the continuum. This blog post is not intended to argue one position or the other but to acknowledge that there are clear problems within our societal structure.

Now then, what does my Mental Illness Blog have anything to do with any of this? Glad you asked. Police officers enforce the cessation of perceived criminal behavior. Criminal behavior is driven by either malicious intent to satisfy selfish desires or by mental illness or potentially a combination of both. Our streets are plagued with addiction: addiction of pornography, addiction of drugs, addiction of alcohol, addiction of.. you name it. Addiction resides in criminals, black or white or any other race. Addiction drives the intent to satisfy selfish desires. Addiction drives the need for police to enforce violations of the law. Addiction is a mental illness. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse "addiction changes the brain in fundamental ways, disturbing a person's normal hierarchy of needs and desires and substituting new priorities connected with procuring and using the drug. The resulting compulsive behaviors that override the ability to control impulses despite the consequences are similar to hallmarks of other mental illnesses." (Retrieved from NIH Comorbidity: Addiction and Other Mental Illnesses). Addiction is only one of the many, many mental illness ailments plaguing our citizens of the United States of America.

Okay, so this is all leading to the NFL, the Police and Mental Illness. Allow me to introduce my husband: a white, middle aged, blue collar, average American male. People of color are chanting improper treatment, abuse and murder of their people via police brutality. I will be completely honest with you right now. I have struggled with police and how they treat the average person. I have interacted with cops who are complete a**holes with egos and authority that piss me off. I have interacted with cops who are kind, compassionate and understanding of situations. I have personally witnessed cops and interactions of cops with attorneys in very negative light in which they have overstepped their authority and jurisdiction to enforce the law.

Let's get back to my white average American male husband. It is no secret he suffers from mental illness. It is no secret he takes daily medication to treat his illness. What is secret (until now) is that twice in our marriage, my husband has had the sh*t beat out of him from cops causing first (1) ER hospitalization to treat his physical injuries and second (2) institutionalization to treat his mental illness. My husband has had the book thrown at him and we, husband and wife, have had to hire legal representation to defend my husband.

Let me be clear on my position. Police can and do over exert authority and force on ANYONE; Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, or any other race, it happens. Further my position is such that, NOT ALL police over exert authority and force on EVERYONE. Mental illness, including addiction, is no respecter of persons, race or ethnicity.

There are consequences to actions, ALL actions, whether we like it or not. Black, white or any other racial color you want to name, you cross law enforcement and threaten in any way the lives of those in uniform or community members, you will be enforced - physically if necessary.

Now, am I excusing police brutality? Nope. Not one bit.
Do I think excessive force is used too much? Generally, yes.
Do I have stats to back up my excessive force opinion? Nope, not at all.
Do I believe police have the right, duty and reasonableness to protect themselves so they can go home to their spouses and children at the end of their shift? Absolutely.

The police do not know my husband from Adam. They don't know if my husband is a real threat to their safety and livelihood. We have never filed civil suit against the police because the police were doing their job, despite the fact that they could have done it differently. The first time my husband was beat, I believe excessive force was used. The second time my husband was beat, I believe the police used reasonableness considering the environment and circumstances.

Without exposing my husband to any degree of humiliation, he was in the throws of hallucinogenic episodes during both police beating experiences. This my white, average male husband. The consequences of his hallucinogenic episodes, by no fault of his own but due to treatment medications and adverse reactions to his chemical makeup, included fines, attorney fees and court appearances.

So, these NFL players think kneeling on a football field, protesting the who knows what and using the guise that spitting on the American Flag, National Anthem and Men and Women who serve our Country is justified in the name of their people is bullsh*t in my opinion. You claim to assert Affirmative Action is in disarray, what Affirmative Action are you taking?

Do I believe racial profiling exists among law enforcement? Yes. I do.
Do I agree with the actions the NFL took this last weekend? No. I do not.
Do I believe mentally ill individuals of ANY race have been mistreated with excessive force by law enforcement? Yes. I do. I've personally witnessed it twice as I've held my husband's hand in the recovery room of emergency rooms.
Do I believe awareness, education and change needs to happen to prevent mistreatment and wrongful allegations of suspect criminals of ANY race? Yes. I do.
Do I hate all cops? No. I do not.

People, all people, are sick. Sick with addiction. Sick with crime. Sick with narcissistic malicious intent. Sick with poverty. Sick with perpetual economic crisis. Sick with mental illness. In response to these illnesses, what does the NFL do? They kneel instead of stand and take action. They kneel instead of reaching out to their communities, the brothers and sisters of all people and aid them, help them and lift them in any capacity they can. They feel entitled to violate the employer-employee rules in which sports players agreed to when they decided to play ball (See article Law Professor: Stop Saying Football Players Have a 'Constitutional' Right to Kneel During the National Anthem. They Don't). The NFL feels entitled "make a stand" against oppression and refuse to stand at all in every sense of the word. Princess Diana is one of the greatest examples of using what she had for the benefit of humanity. She knew she was a celebrity, she knew she had monetary means and she used it to make the world better - not divide it, not sit on the sidelines sniveling about the injustices of man and politics and unjust power. She went and the media followed. She shone a spotlight on illness and famine plaguing humanity.

NFL, you want to "take a stand"? Then stand and do something about whatever you are claiming to protest. Create or fund programs to educate and bring awareness to illnesses that plague our country, that drive intent to commit crime, that drive dangerous and deadly situations in which our police officers are required to respond, because that is what law enforcement officers signed up for when putting on their uniform. Law officers are required to respond to illegal activity and whatever consequences the illegal activity generates. NFL, create or manually assist in programs to unite, renovate and build neighborhoods, metropolitan cities and communities. Participate in mental illness programs and rehabilitation programs to help our nation's citizens pull out of the vicious cycle of illness, poverty, crime, repeat - generation after generation. Educate yourselves so you may educate others. You can begin by educating yourselves as to why so many patriots and protectors of this country are so blatantly outraged and offended at your kneeling actions on the football field by observing this accurate and potent video as to the beginning of our Flag and National Anthem here. Continue to educate yourselves beyond sports. Sponsor programs to educate law enforcement on mental illness, racial profiling, crises actions and protection of themselves and suspect criminals. Get out of your tunnel vision that the only place you have power is on the field. Your power was poorly used this last weekend and now poor consequences will follow. Offended veterans and patriots of this great country will pull their support instead of providing it (See Breaking: Huge CEO Takes Stand, Hits NFL With Devastating News). Offended congress men and women can potentially pull funding for your great arenas of sporting performances (See USA News Breaking: Congress Considering Stripping NFL's Taxpayer Funds). The spotlight is on you NFL and the spotlight has created a divide larger than even you could have anticipated when you decided to kneel instead of stand and act. You have the attention of the Nation. Use the attention wisely and to the benefit of all lives that matter.

Colin Kaepernick has put his money where his mouth is, having been the first football player to kneel during the National Anthem. You may read about what he has done according to the Forbes article titled Don't Ignore this Positive PR Twist to Colin Kaepernick. To the hundreds of players who have chosen to take the position to kneel and not stand, will you put your money where your mouth is and follow suit of Kaepernick? Will you continue to spit upon the people of the Country that gives you the rights (albeit not contractual authorization) to kneel in the first place and suffer the consequences of such actions? Will you continue to violate employer-employee contractual agreements? Will you acknowledge that all walks of life, all races including mentally ill individuals, experience injustice which require them to stand before a judge and plead their case or worse including families needlessly burying their loved ones? Or will you continue with the position that it is you and you alone who bears the injustices of this Great Nation?

~Elizabeth~

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