[extropy-chat] status of Mandatory Mental Health Screening

[Amara Graps]

http://www.ifeminists.net/introduction/editorials/2004/0915.html

Mandatory Mental Health Screening Threatens Privacy, Parental Rights
September 15, 2004
by Wendy McElroy, mac at ifeminists.net


On Sept. 9, the 'Ron Paul Amendment' was defeated in the House of
Representatives by a vote of 95-315.

The Amendment would have prevented the funds sought by an
appropriations bill (HR 5006) from being used for the mandatory
mental-health screening of Americans, including public schoolchildren.

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, a practicing physician for more than 30 years,
campaigned against the new program on the grounds that it negates
parental rights and would encourage the over-medication of children.

Prior to the House vote, Paul had vehemently denounced mandatory
mental-health screening in a letter to fellow congressmen.

Paul wrote, "[P]sychotropic drugs are increasingly prescribed for
children who show nothing more than children's typical rambunctious
behavior. Many children have suffered harmful effects from these
drugs. Yet some parents have even been charged with child abuse for
refusing to drug their children. The federal government should not
promote national mental-health screening programs that will force the
use of these psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin."

See the above link for the rest of the story.
-- 

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Amara Graps, PhD          email: amara at amara.com
Computational Physics     vita:  ftp://ftp.amara.com/pub/resume.txt
Multiplex Answers         URL:   http://www.amara.com/
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"The real malady is fear of life, not of death."   -- Naguib Mahfouz