• No one wins when talented people with mental illness are forced into isolation by stigma, bigotry, and hate.  I wish to prevent the suffering and waste that was forced on my life.
• I am protesting for positive acceptance of mental illness: eliminating fear, stigma, and hate.
• I am not protesting for anti-psychiatry or for more mental health.  Ethics must come first!
• One advantage in protesting is that few are concerned about actual truth.  This can be used to attack the ethics or bias of news reporting or anyone else using false information.

The importance of starting a new organization is seen in my failures to find help.  I had been told to contact NAMI, the ACLU, American Legion, and other advocates.  None of these were willing to look at the details of my situation or support my individual concerns.
 

Protesting

I started protesting Jaycees events like the Howell Jaycees Melon Festival in Michigan on Aug.19, 2007.

One of the Howell Jaycees members was very angry that my protest sign said "Jaycees lack Compassion" with "Stop Fear and Hate of Mental illness" on the other side.  I said the National Jaycees labeled me in civil court a terrorist who would kill Jaycees members because I had bipolar disorder mental illness.  She could not put herself in my shoes no matter how hard I explained my pain, motivations, and goals.  Instead she accused me of just wanting attention, etc...

I am glad that I protested the Howell Jaycees.  The one member made me realize that the Jaycees organization would likely not survive the very conduct that they freely support against me.  So why is is ok for the group to destroy a member with untrue claims, but my experience of the Jaycees lacking compassion gets people upset?  There definitely is a problem with delusion or "disconnects from reality" by some members of the group.  The evidence on this website also suggests it.
 

Past Protesting experiences:

Nov. 3, 2006: Being nice is not getting much response.  So I am following the mud slinging of Ohio's US Senator Mike DeWine and picketing his "mental illness problem".  My new sign reads "DeWine's mental illness problem - WhyHope.com" on one side and "WhyHope.com - Who protects the mentally ill" on the other.

28 Oct. 2006:  I will also start protesting near theaters showing movies which bias the truth of mental illness.  Untrue violence, danger, humor, stigma, etc. are examples of what I call bias.  Because I may be influencing business this could be more dangerous to protest.  Mental illness seems to be a bigger money maker than social concern.  This type of protesting was inspired by CineManiaStigma.com.

My efforts are for positive acceptance of mental illness in society - eliminating fear, stigma, and hate.  I know that most people see a paralyzed "nutcase" riding around in a wheelchair.  This also seems to be what the local news thinks, so I am waiting for someone to tell the truth for me.  I am actually a genius with bipolar disorder.  The more I improve my mental health, the more genius that I will use.  If being paralyzed was not such a pain then I could certainly do much with my future.

Not anti-psychiatry:  Other people protesting about mental illness have done it for different reasons.  People have been victims of unethical or illegal behavior in "mental health" hospitals and protested against help for mental health.  My opinion is that psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health can do good but needs a higher standard of ethics and science.  I also believe that doctor drugs are helpful if done ethically with wisdom and science.  Wisdom is sorely lacking from the mental health industry!

Not advocating for more mental health:  The current field of mental health needs to improve before I would accept more of it.  There is no excuse for my not knowing about stigma and it's effects for 13 years of my life!  That and other problems are a result of a weak mental health industry.  It should not be necessary for patients to diagnose and fix their own mental health problems because so called "professionals" do not know how to test for, or understand, issues.
 

Served Country, now Forgotten!

I am also an army veteran:  My mental health problems can be traced to the army.  However, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does not seem to care that stigma is real or a fault of the army.  I had contacted veterans groups to help with these mental health issues, but I guess they don't want to mess with "mental illness".  It is another reason to protest.  See VA drugs are not enough! for more.

 

Protesting Photos

Below are pictures of my current protest signs while picketing in Ohio.  The two sides of my narrow sign are the first messages, a & b, from the protest signs example on the main page.   You can also see if I am currently protesting by the GPS map.  I guess the discrimination side is actually a picket sign of sorts.  I am protesting or picketing at government, VA veterans clinic, and legal locations.

*** Also see my inventions like the parabolic discone on hamdomain.com!  Inventions take my mind off the pain.

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Protesting in front of the WTOL-11 news and TV station in Toledo and the Bowling Green Municipal Court, Ohio.  Note that I did not want to get sued for being on WTOL 11's grass so it was hard to take a picture.  Someday they may have the strength to reply and address my issues.  Photos taken August 2007.
 

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Protesting at downtown Toledo, near the WTOL channel 11 news station.  One of the better intersections with less distractions is here.  Photos taken by my roommate in October 2006.

The nearby TV news station probably thought I was a nutcase in a wheelchair picketing them.  Seeing how people ignore me makes me feel like a fool to have ever been a soldier.  I was defending the freedom of people who seem to care less about what is happening to me now.
 

- See my protesting intentions above.
At the University of Toledo, Ohio, protesting.  The sign is covered with clear plastic wrap on 10-24-06 because of intermittent light snow and rain drops.  To fit in my vehicle I had to cut the 1x2 pole shorter, then I duct tape the remainder on to the bottom when I take it out.  The sign it's self is printed using the "poster" function of my printer's print driver, and the pages taped on 2 pieces of duct taped foam board higher up and lower down.

As a student at the University of Toledo for Electrical Engineering from 1994 to 1996 there were problems.  I ended up in the Ann Arbor Veterans hospital with a diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder.  Today I believe that fear, stigma, and isolation while in college helped to cause the schizoaffective disorder.  (Note: I took "Introduction to Psychology" at U.T. for EE credit.)

*** Also see my inventions like the parabolic discone on hamdomain.com!  Inventions take my mind off the pain.
 

Helping with your own effort or donations

I would prefer help with solving these issues or assistance protesting, but I will not refuse donations.  My intention is to use any donations for: related travel (like protesting), materials for protesting, legal expenses (hopefully not), or other costs clearly connected with being am advocate for these issues.  It would be nice to work with a lawyer in making an actual organization which could properly deal with any money issues.

It has been costly for me to fight for these issues on my own.  I am paralyzed and on a fixed disability income.  The PO box below, protesting, and hundreds of letters that I have sent were paid with borrowed money (as mentioned in who I am).  It has cost over $500 for postage and materials so far.  (My roommate thinks that I wasted my money, that the world is already hopeless.)

Mailing Address:

Michael Lake
WhyHope.com
P.O. Box 140988
Toledo, OH 43614-0988

return to the main page - WhyHope.com
 

The war for mental illness truth!

. Introduction:  Mentally ill treated like criminals or non-humans, it is unacceptable. . Lack of individual social, political and legal support for mentally ill - by NAMI and others. ! Help me start an organization to advocate for and support individuals. - help protest. . Served country now forgotten mentally ill veterans: VA drugs are not enough! Mike's story. . Ohio Courts support stigma, violate civil rights and ADA handicap law, deny due process. . Response from Senator Mike DeWine and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. . Protest photos & Help me pick signs. - also See where I am protesting, live, by GPS. . Links - Guestbook - Who I am - Mike's photos - Contact - Self Help - Old subjects