"The salvation of our world lies in the
hands of the maladjusted." MLK, Jr.
~~~~~~~~~~
Martin Luther King's ''Montgomery Story'' Address, 1955
by Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://tucnak.fsv.cuni.cz/~calda/Docume ... LK_55.htmlThere are certain words in the technical
vocabulary of every academic discipline that tend after a while to become stereotype and cliches, there is a word in modern psychology which is now
probably more familiar than any other words in psychology. It is the word the maladjusted; it is the ringing cry of the new child, psychology -- maladjusted.
And as a minister seeing and counseling with people every day concerning their problems and their maladjustment's, I'm certainly concerned with those who are maladjusted, concerned to see everybody as adjusted as possible.
But I want to leave this evening saying to you that there are some things in our social system that I'm proud to be maladjusted to, and I call upon you to be maladjusted to. I never intend to
adjust myself to the viciousness of lynch mobs; I never intend to become adjusted to the evils of segregation and discrimination; I never intend to become adjusted to the tragic inequalities of
the economic system which will take necessity from the masses to give luxury to the classes; I never intend to become adjusted to the insanity's of militarism, the self-defeating method of
physical violence.
There are some things that I never intend to become adjusted to, and I call upon you to continue to be maladjusted.
History still has a choice place for the maladjusted. There is still a call for individuals to be maladjusted.
The salvation of our world lies in the hands of the maladjusted.
I call upon you to be maladjusted, maladjusted as the prophet Amos who in the midst of the tragic inequalities of injustice in his day cried out in words that echoes across the generations:
''Let judgment run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.''
As maladjusted as Lincoln who confronted a nation divided against itself and had the vision to see that the nation could not exist half free, and half slave.
Maladjusted as the -- hundreds and thousands -- of Negroes, North and South who are determined now to stand up for freedom, willing to face possible violence and possible death, who are
willing to stand up and sacrifice and struggle until segregation is a dead reality and until integration is a fact.
Maladjusted as Jefferson who in the midst of an age amazingly adjusted to slavery cried out in words of cosmic proportions: ''All men are created
equal; they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.''
I call upon you to follow this maladjustment. It is through such a maladjustment that we will be able to emerge from the bleak and desolate
midnight of man's inhumanity to man to the bright and glittering daybreak of freedom, equality and justice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For an example of when MLK called for forming the "The International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment" you may
google that phrase, or read his speech in front of the American Psychological Association Sept. 1967:
http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan99/king.html- end -
~~~~~~~~~~
MindFreedom News - 16 Jan. 2006 MLK Day
http://www.MindFreedom.org - please forward
A MindFreedom Delegation is Entering
the United Nations for Meetings on
Disability and Human Rights.
Why MLK, Jr. Would Be Pleased!
by David Oaks, Director
MindFreedom International
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2006!
Today, the United Nations again begins special meetings about the human rights of people considered disabled.
Once more, MindFreedom International will have a delegation inside UN headquarters in New York City for these important meetings, which could lead to an international binding treaty.
MindFreedom is focusing on the human rights of people diagnosed with psychiatric disorders.
This year our delegation is again headed by MindFreedom President Celia Brown, with able leaders Myra Kovary and author Kate Millet. All are psychiatric survivors, that is, individuals who have experienced human rights violations in the mental health system.
They are joined in the UN this year by the Executive Director of MindFreedom Ghana from Africa, Mrs. Janet Amegatcher. From MindFreedom Ireland the poet John McCarthy will be bringing his warmth.
A delegation from the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP), led by the dedicated attorney Tina Minkowitz, is working closely with the MindFreedom delegation.
This will be the 7th meeting to form the "Draft Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" since these UN sessions began in August 2002.
Leaders of disability movement groups from all over the world are attending. You may read more about this process on the United Nations web site at:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahc7.htmI know some individuals feel that we should never participate in UN activities while governments continue to promote human rights violations in the mental health system.
But with the world in such a crisis, I believe
those who have been personally affected by the mental health system [INCLUDING THE BM INDUSTRY] may have something very helpful to offer at the UN.
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and a good time to reflect on the need for "The International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment." Believe it or not, this is an actual organization that Martin Luther King, Jr. said ought to begin to help a troubled world!
There are many examples of MLK talking about psychologists' use of the term "maladjusted," and how being "creatively maladjusted" may be the salvation of the world.
It is true that MLK tried to distance his comments a bit from people actually diagnosed "neurotic," "schizophrenic," etc.
But I believe if Rev. King were alive today he would see today's large cross-disability
movement -- and our psychiatric survivors
movement -- as directly linked to the heritage of the civil rights movement and its "creative maladjustment."
Rev. King would be proud of the psychiatric
survivors movement today.
With people affected by the mental health system again speaking out inside of the United Nations, this is an ideal moment to hear from MLK, Jr. on being "maladjusted."
[Above] are just a few examples over many years of King's speeches and written works on the topic. You may find a lot more by googling words such as:
Martin Luther King psychologists maladjusted
We at MindFreedom International like to think that we are part of an International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment, already. Join us!
* Win human rights campaigns in mental health.
* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry.
* Support the voices of psychiatric survivors.
* Promote safe and humane options in mental health.
MindFreedom International unites 100 sponsor and affiliate groups with individual members, and is accredited by the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with
Consultative Roster Status.
MindFreedom is one of the very few totally
independent groups in the mental health field with no funding from governments, drug companies, religions, corporations, or the mental health system.
JOIN, DONATE, or give GIFT MEMBERSHIPS to MindFreedom International today:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/join.shtmlWant to get "maladjusted" at home?
Our new refrigerator magnets let you invent hilarious new psychiatric labels! For a MAD MARKET of these and other products to support human rights campaigns
in mental health:
http://www.madmarket.orgMindFreedom International
454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284
Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA
http://www.mindfreedom.orgemail: office at mindfreedom.org fax: (541) 345-3737
office phone: (541) 345-9106
USA toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE / 1-877-623-7743
~~~~~~~~~
Please forward this to all appropriate
places on and off the Internet. Thank you!
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