The debate is still going on TV, but during Obama’s rebuttal when it came to the topic of gun control, after Clinton said that they should be kept, unfortunately, from those who are mentally challenged, Obama stated that guns should not get into the hands of those who are mentally deranged. Barack’s quote, from the transcript was:
What I think we can provide is common-sense approaches to the issue of illegal guns that are ending up on the streets. We can make sure that criminals don’t have guns in their hands. We can make certain that those who are mentally deranged are not getting a hold of handguns. We can trace guns that have been used in crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers that may be selling to straw purchasers and dumping them on the streets.
Mentally deranged does not equal Mentally ill (or mentally challenged). To compare, here was Hillary’s quote, from the transcript:
Probably 80 percent of the guns used in gun crimes are in the hands of that criminal, that gang member — unfortunately, people who are sometimes, you know, mentally challenged — because it got there illegally.
Shame on you Obama… that is a horrible, horrible thing to say! From NAMI’s site:
STIGMA, DISCRIMINATION and NEGLECT prevent care and treatment from reaching people with mental illnesses. (World Health Organization Report, October 2001). “Stigma assumes many forms, both subtle and overt. It appears as prejudice and discrimination, fear, distrust, and stereotyping. It prompts many people to avoid working, socializing, and living with people who have a mental disorder. Stigma impedes people from seeking help for fear the confidentiality of their diagnosis or treatment will be breached. For our Nation to reduce the burden of mental illness, to improve access to care, and to achieve urgently needed knowledge about the brain, mind and behavior, STIGMA must no longer be tolerated” (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health, 1999).
For someone constantly reminding people about the stigma that comes with being African-American, he apparently doesn’t care too much about others. For those not seeing the issue, what if you had a mentally handicapped sister, would you be okay with someone calling her “deranged”? How about a grandparent with Alzheimer’s? Would you be fine with it? What does “Mentally Deranged” make you see in your mind’s eye? Insane. Psycho. Deranged. These are all horrible words used to describe Mental Illness… and here we have someone running for President using them without a thought. Very sad. This was posted on another site, discussing the issue (this is in response to people saying that obviously Obama meant mentally ill people who commit crimes with guns):
If a Mentally Deranged person is defined by some violent act with a gun, how can you prevent them from getting one? They were not Mentally Deranged prior to their act (by this new definition). Now if he meant to not let those who had perpetrated a violent act have guns, well the law is in place for that already as felons can’t have firearms (legally). So he was in fact assuming that you could know ahead of time who would be a Mentally Deranged person (someone who goes on a rampage). How would you know who could do that? I think it is clear he was blanketing all mentally ill into one category - potential murderers if given the means.
This is a wonderful explanation of the issue with the phrase Obama is using… thanks, Aaron! Here’s a great article about the stigma of Mental Illness:
The stigma of having a serious mental illness touches every corner in the life of someone who has been diagnosed. It can take time to accept the diagnosis and many times people will feel isolated as they lose those around them. They fight everyday to make their family and friends believe they are normal and have a treatable disease. Those who refer to it as insanity or call someone insane are just perpetuating the stigma that people who have mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable. It can cause more emotional damage to hear jokes and comments about insane asylums, psychopaths and straight jackets. Mental illnesses are treatable conditions that can be lived with and beaten and negative portrayals of mental illnesses only make it harder for those who are sick to get the help they need and to be taken seriously.
People need to learn what harm simple off the cuff phrases can do! Please spread the word about this issue to whoever you can!!!!
UPDATE 1 - It looks like he also said this back in November of 2007:
“I think we can respect the traditions of the former while dealing with the problems of the latter,” said Obama, who said he supports programs designed to trace back gun purchases to shut down unscrupulous dealers, as well as laws that prevent convicted criminals or the mentally deranged from obtaining guns.
UPDATE 2 - Also again, just days ago in Indiana:
On the violence that is killing Chicago’s teens at an alarming rate, Obama said, “This just has to stop. The way to stop it, we’ve got to be much more serious about keeping handguns off the streets and out of children’s hands of the mentally deranged. We’ve got to close gun show loophole. But we’ve also got to recognize that our children are being lost to the streets. And that means parents have to do a better job of parenting. Fathers have to be involved with their children.”
UPDATE 3 - Video is here (please watch!!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmolFRqNDsM
He says the statement about the mentally deranged at 5:28, Hillary makes her statement about the mentally challenged at 2:20.
UPDATE 4 - If you want to Digg this (easily), click the link below and join the others!!
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Obama_refers_to_the_Mentally_Ill_as_Mentally_Deranged/
Still working on a full transcript, will update when I have it!
UPDATE 5 - The transcript can be found here, and the relevant parts have been added above!
UPDATE 6 - Barack Obama’s NAMI Questionairre says the following:
Support incorporating cultural competence standards in requirements for federal mental health funding?
Strongly Support
XIndividuals with mental illness simply cannot be diagnosed or treated with a “one size fits all” approach. I fully support adoption of the Cultural and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards, and believe that even more work should be done to identify or refine cultural competence standards for mental health care.
Oddly, he “Strongly Supports” everything and never once uses the phrase “Mentally Deranged”… even when answering the questions about crime. So, again… what does he mean by “Mentally Deranged”? Plus, NAMI has protested the term in the past:
NAMI objected to the unfounded stereotyping of people with mental illness as deranged killers.
NAMI is currently spearheading a nationwide campaign to combat the social stigma of mental illness.
We’re waiting on an explanation here…
Samya : 16 April 2008 at 9:05 pm
I was watching the debate and I was left in complete shock when Senator Obama used his choice of words. Mentally deranged? Did he really use the word derranged? Is he running for president? Is he really standing in front of the world calling those who are unfortunately mentally challenged– deranged? I am angry and I am offended. This is worse than his comments about small town america. This hits home to me more personally than anything. I have a sibling with mental disabilities and I am a medical student. This is personal. He has not just lost my vote, but I have no respect for him. Mentally Deranged? Really.
Jason : 16 April 2008 at 11:10 pm
I completely agree with you, Samya. I hope others see this, as when my wife heard it, she flipped out. I’ve never seen someone look in shock at something that she heard so bad before. She’s completely outraged and now says she could never vote for him, even if he gets the nomination. Those are strong words, as from what I knew, she planned to vote Dem no matter what.
Sara : 16 April 2008 at 11:56 pm
I also agree with the comments above. I am not a person who offends easily, but Obama’s reference to people with mental disabilities as “deranged” is a comment that I thought was very careless and disrespectful. There are many people living with mental illness in this country who are perfectly gentle peaceful citizens. The word deranged implies that they are dangerous and harmful.
I am sure that Obama did not mean to offend people, however, there are certain situations where it is very obvious which words (or slurs) you should not use. I think that this is not a minor slip as he has used this term on several other occasions. Senator Clinton was able to make a similar point stating that it is important to keep guns out of the hands of those who are mentally challenged; she did this without using a word that sterotypes mental illness). I completely agree that people with certain disabilities should not have guns. The fact that a presidential candidate would refer to those unfortunate people who suffer from mental disorders as “deranged” makes me feel sick to my stomach. This comment greatly reduces my respect for Obama and it diminishes the democratic ideals he claims to stand for.
Jessica : 17 April 2008 at 12:11 am
I want to say that I’m not deranged. I’m a person with Bipolar who at one time was considered psychotic. Today, 9 years later, I’m a person who still deals with Bipolar. I have a good, happy life and do not needs meds per my doctor. I’ve been like this for years now.
My uncle is not deranged. He has a serious mental health problem that he battles everyday. He fought to get disability from his state and he can’t work. He takes over 15 pills a day, one being an anti-psychotic. It doesn’t make him a psycho. It makes him sick. I fight everyday to make people aware that I’m not going to walk down the street and kill someone. Everyday that the news states another person with Bipolar or Schizophrenia has done something horrible, makes it harder on us all.
A person running for president, someone who has faced stigma in his lifetime, should know better. He should know that his words and generalizations have consequences. How many people have mimicked something that Bush has said? I’ve quoted him before. I do not want, a year from now, to be referred to as deranged because I have a mental illness. I have a disease. My uncle has a disease.
Stereotypes and wide sweeping generalizations such as deranged for those who are mentally handicapped and mentally ill set us back decades.
Beth : 17 April 2008 at 7:42 am
I am absolutely appalled that barak obama used the term mentally deranged pertaining to those who have a mental health issue in tonights debate! Someone dealing with depression is not mentally deranged! Someone who has PTSD is not mentally deranged! A person who has bipolar is not mentally deranged! Even a person who is dealing with schizophrenia or OCD or ODD or any other number of mental health issues is not mentally deranged! Should a person with a severe mental health issue have access to guns…no! But should they be classified as deranged HECK NO! Millions of people in the US deal with a mental health issue every day! In fact some of the leading pharmacueticals that are sold in the US are things like zoloft, lithium, etc etc.
Many people with a mental health issue lead productive lives, have families, go to church, some are even in the armed forces! I think it is absolutely disgusting that a person in a position of power would refer to anyone with a mental health issue as deranged! Using a term like that is why there is such a stigma on mental health issues! Shame on you barak obama! The only person who is deranged is the one who uses a term like that!!!!
Sorry if anyone disagrees but honestly I don’t care….this hits way to close to home for me to just overlook and ignore .
Bridgette : 17 April 2008 at 7:43 am
My jaw seriously just dropped when he said that. I was like, “what??? he didn’t really just say that did he?” I was completely shocked. And now come to find out he’s said it before!?! That is very offensive…
John : 17 April 2008 at 1:34 pm
Those comments show me how out of touch he has. I have known some “Mentally Challenged” people and they would not even be dumb enough to say some of the things Obama has said
Matt : 18 April 2008 at 3:06 am
I came here from TalkLeft, but I was surprised by the discussion (disclaimer: I voted in my state’s Democratic primary, but for neither Clinton or Obama, though it would take something akin to nuclear war for me not to vote for one of them in November). Upon first reading, I didn’t even consider that Obama was using “mentally deranged” as a synonym for “mentally ill.” It sounded like one of those terms with a technical definition (like “sociopathic”) that doesn’t necessarily match the common idiomatic definition.
A brief visit to the Great Gazoogle turned up this Daily Kos diary, which asserts that “mentally deranged” is a specific legal term for a subset of mentally ill people who have “severe psychopathological tendencies or known danger risks, including suicidal and homicidal risk.”
Now, I would think that the exact legal definition of this term (or class of people) would and should be the subject of a vigorous public debate, especially if the discussion is of limiting their rights, even their right to bear arms. But I also think that most people would support the idea that people who have a demonstrated or documented “severe psychopathological tendency or known danger risk” should probably not be purchasing firearms.
I had no thoughts at all that this was a “wide sweeping generalization” for all people who are mentally ill until I read TalkLeft and, via there, here. Did I miss some basis for the belief that Obama really means “all mentally ill people” even though he’s very clearly and repeatedly (as documented here) said a specific legal term?
Shirley : 18 April 2008 at 11:29 am
I could be wrong, but I thought they both meant we need to keep guns from people who would use them to kill like in the columbine shooting or the mall shootings, you know, psychopaths..
Jason : 18 April 2008 at 11:49 am
Shirly,
If being “deranged” means “someone that would use guns to kill,” like in the shootings you mentioned, how would one explain how to keep guns from them? If the act of killing (or trying to kill) is what shows them to have this “disorder,” how would Obama be able to keep away the guns. The way I see it, he’s either using it as a blanket term for the mentally ill, or he just said it cause it sounds good and means nothing. I guess we’d just need to hear him explain it.
Matt : 18 April 2008 at 4:50 pm
Jason:
I think there is a definition of “deranged” that is neither “a blanket term for the mentally ill” nor “it sounds good and means nothing.” I mentioned this in comment #8, but in comment #10 you don’t seem to have read it.
I’m still wondering on what basis folks are drawn the conclusion that Obama meant “all mentally ill people” by this, when there seems to be a specific common legal definition. If such basis exists, I’d like to see it before making and judgement, but so far, all I’m seeing are people asserting that he must have meant “all mentally ill people” without any support for that assertion.
April : 19 April 2008 at 7:35 pm
As a mental health therapist, I have been upset by Senator Obama’s insensitive and inappropriate terms “mentally deranged.” This is evidence of the widespread stigma and misunderstandings about mental health issues. We work hard everyday to try to fight from such misunderstandings as this terminology and insinuations that individuals with mental health issues are dangerous. The reality is, as shown by research, that individuals with mental health issues are no more likely to be dangerous than the general population. I have been undecided on who I’ll vote for and I must say this is a significant factor that I’m giving considerable weight to in my decision-making process. It is certainly unfortunate that Senator Obama incorrectly used these words in the debate and hopefully he can learn from this mistake before he unnecessarily hurts and/or offends anyone else. If he has not already done so, I know the people that I work with and I would very much appreciate a public apology.
Jess : 19 April 2008 at 10:50 pm
April, that is a brilliant post!
Matt : 20 April 2008 at 4:46 am
OK, I officially give up. I asked twice where the conclusion come from that Obama meant “mentally deranged” to be “all mentally ill people,” and linked to a discussion that says this is not the case in all contexts, and the only responses since then have been “how dare he call all mentally ill people deranged?”
It’s as if the senator said something like “a square is not the best shape for a house,” and everyone responded with “how dare he say that houses shouldn’t be shaped like rectangles,” and when I ask how you jumped from “square” to “rectangle,” the answer is “how dare he say houses shouldn’t be shaped like rectangles!”
So I tried. I asked multiple times if there was any basis whatsoever for the belief that Obama meant “all mentally ill people” instead of the specific legal term mentioned in comment #8, because if there is, it would weigh into my decision making. No one has mentioned one. Not one. Over three days and four additional comments (five if you count my comment #10 asking again). Everyone is so outraged at what they think Obama meant by his words that no one can even bother to answer why they think that’s what he meant. Not one piece of evidence that he meant “all mentally ill people” when he used the term “mentally deranged.”
So I’m left to conclude that there is no such evidence, and it’s just more of the “pile on not-my-candidate” that’s tearing the party apart, ginning up phony controversies about both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama so everyone has reason to be outraged. But I tried to get evidence from you folks. Don’t say I didn’t try.
bri : 03 November 2008 at 9:08 pm
‘mentally deranged’ does not actually mean ‘mentally challenged’
by definition, it is ‘insane’
so yeah, i do believe that it’s ok for obama to say that we want to keep guns out of the hands of ‘insane’ individuals.
Veterans Disability Bible. | 7Wins.eu : 05 March 2009 at 11:58 am
[...] Blind Prophecy » Hate Crime Legislation: An Essay270toWin » Blog Archive » What Happens if there is a Tie in the Electoral College?One Omnivore’s Dilemma « Necessary TherapyEasy to Evangelize » Blog Archive » Everyday Evangelism Ideasmnemosyne » rants, musings (& some link love) b4 the end of yrBipolar Disorder | Bipolar Disorder For Dummies | Post a QuestionSenator Scott Renfroe’s Hate Statement | abilitycorner.comBradleyMB.com - [An Intern’s Life] » Presidental hopeful Obama doesn’t salute the flag BlogOfHope.Com » Blog Archive » The Poverty of LoveObama: Guns and the “Mentally Deranged” | FlishFun.com [...]
U Guys R IDIOTS : 29 April 2009 at 11:55 pm
U people are wierd….I hope youve gotten a life since America’s Greatest President has been ELECTED into OFFICE! They are deranged if they dont have the mental capacity to not use a gun and slaughter innocent people! Get over it! I dont care how many mental health therapy offices u work for….how many sisters and cousins you have who are mentally ill… how many depressed friends you have or how many grandpa’s u have with Alzheimers….GET OVER IT. Uggghhh trying to make a mountain out of a mudpile!