For purposes of this discussion, I wish to connect racism with sexism because I feel that they are two sides of the same coin. I am of the opinion that when our culture grows to accept this connection within it's paradigm, both racism and sexism will be greatly diminished!
I am manic/depressive, as are all the males in my family and as were both my deceased grandfather and father, so are all of my current nephews. My brother Jeff has the horrifying added complication of full blown schizophrenia. Jeff believes himself to be "All Of Space", a cosmic deity many billions of years old. Jeff will remain under the care of our family for the rest of his life. Unlike some of the males in our lineage, Jeff refuses to take any medications for his manic or depressive mood swings-let me assure you, those meds help me, without them we would not have chknltl to kick around here at DU.
What we have is a handicap, it is just not visible on the outside. Like any other person with a handicap we would trade the world to be 'normal', to have the chance to lead 'normal' lives! Tragically Jeff is fully unaware that he is twice cursed handicapped. He believes that Mauri Povich needs to give him a lie detector test so he can prove to the world that he is indeed an alien deity. Once the world learns of his true self, he will take me on a world tour on an aircraft carrier and the Pope will be accompanying us. (Interestingly enough, "All Of Space" is afraid of flying which is why he needs the aircraft carrier).
There are indeed personality disorders associated with our illnesses, anger and impulsiveness to name a couple of items but that's what the meds are for. Hate is not the same thing as anger, one can not treat hate with medications! Any racism or sexism that we have in my lineage or in anyone else's for that matter, comes in thru being taught to see things that way. It is not a genetic trait nor is it something one can just catch like the flu. Cures for racism/sexism must come by unlearning what has been learned.
Why is this all important? Because fear of/hate for the handicapped are also learned things. I strongly ask that you not 'teach' others that "Racism is a symptom of serious personality disorders....including schizophrenia". I ask this of you because I hope that I've made the case that one is a cultural disorder while the other is medical disorder and that we with the medical disorders would prefer not to be lumped in with the reasons behind the culturally taught hate you refer too.
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