Like most people who have followed
the dramatic rescue of the three woman held captive for over ten years in
Cleveland, we all breathed a sigh of relief to see justice finally being done.
The media have not been shy in exploiting this situation and the court
proceedings of the perpetrator, Ariel Castro.
During the sentencing hearing, we all witnessed the dramatic testimony
of one of the girls, Michelle Knight, who showed immense courage in standing up
her abductor and rapist in the courtroom.
In the ensuing
evening, it was Brian Williams of NBC news, who during his nightly broadcast,
dropped a disgusting bombshell regarding the reporting of this case. It was
here that he referred to Ariel Castor, as the "face of mental
illness!" I have heard many degrading comments used to describe those of
us with mental illness, but this falls into the category of a cowardly cheap
shot at vulnerable people who are struggling with one of these socially
unacceptable disorders. Additionally, it was blatantly false.
Numerous questions
come to mind that need to be asked about Mr. Williams communication and they
would start with; How stupid is he? My last question surely would be; Is Mr.
Williams on crack or something? Seriously, I wonder why he would play into the
long ago disproved stereotypes associated with mental illness that those
afflicted are violent criminals? Finally, why would he sacrifice a significant
number of people for ratings boost? Good
questions, that may never be fully answered. However, his narrative can be
easily falsified.
To begin with, a
Forensic Psychiatrist, Gregory Saathof testified at the sentencing that Castro
had "NO mental illness whatsoever". This in itself should have
prevented such an delinquent account to be made by a national journalist, but, as
they say in modern day journalism; never let facts stand in the way of a
possible ratings boost!
That doctors
comments aside, I have other examples that disprove Mr. Williams visceral statement
and the first would be an introduction of one of the greatest news journalists
of this era, the late Mike Wallace. This man became synonymous with
professionalism and was well respected in his field. Also, he was honest about
being both mentally ill and suicidal, but never once kidnapped three women and held
them in a basement for ten years. Perhaps, as a future goal, Mr. Williams
should strive to develop the integrity that Mr. Wallace displayed in the many
decades he reported the news.
Another compelling example would be former
Today Show host Jane Pauley, who disclosed several years ago that she had been
hospitalized because she suffers from bipolar disorder. Additionally, Mrs.
Pauley has been an outspoken advocate on spreading awareness of these
misunderstood afflictions. She encourages others to "Get the Science"
out on the biological nature of mental illness as a way to combat the ugly
stigma associated with a diagnosis. Her efforts have been invaluable in bringing
acceptance of these conditions and standing up to ignorant comments, such as those uttered by
Brian Williams.
To give this man a
more serious taste of awareness, I will explain the real faces of most of the
other fifty million plus Americans who suffer from these disorders. They are
your average citizens who wake up every day, go to work, raise families, and
because of imbecilic statements like his, sometimes feel a need to live in a social
cave out of fear others will discover their affliction. They do not have the same income level that
Brian Williams has, conversely, they do not possess the arrogance and superiority complex that he is afflicted with
either. However, his irresponsible comments just make the path to wellness that
much more difficult for these genuine people, as they struggle to gain
acceptance. So many of them strive to be defined for whom they are, not by the
psychological symptoms of a disease.
The damage that
these statements cause is catastrophic. As the public begins to believe these
false descriptions, more people will feel the need to apologize for being sick.
Many could retreat back to shadows of
loneliness and despair that are a hallmark of disorders of the brain. With that comes depression, and in some cases,
suicide appears to be the only answer a sick mind can comprehend. It is known
that over ninety percent of suicides are directly linked to one of these
disorders.
NBC needs to step
in and make a bold and dramatic presentation to show they truly are a network
that does not discriminate. First, they need to apologize publically for Brian
Williams falsehood. Next, they need to install an internal program of awareness
on these conditions, to avoid damaging stereotypes. Perhaps a beer summit is
even in order.
It is no secret
that the mainstream media is losing credibility on a daily basis, and this situation
is a treasured example as to why. Former Alaskan Governor and Vice Presidential
Candidate Sarah Palin constantly refers to them as the "Lame-stream
media", and this is more evidence that her label does have significant
merit. Sadly, the true victims in this situation are those that are most
vulnerable, the mentally ill.
I have made attempts to contact NBC news, and
Erika Masonhall the communications director for NBC Nightly News responded to
me via twitter. "...Brian changed
the wording and removed that phrase for later feeds of the Broadcast." We
soon discover that inside the fortress known as the NBC news studios, a well
known anchor insults a group of innocent citizens with discriminatory comments
based on ignorance, and all they can say is that he changed the wording after
the fact.
This brings to
mind the recent controversy involving the former TV chef Paula Dean. Many years
ago, she made some inappropriate and racist comments that were caught on
camera. When this became public, news outlets, such as NBC and their sister station
MSNBC, went on a rampage and publically hung Paula Dean, resulting in her
losing everything. When compared, is what Brian Williams said any less hateful? After
all, the mentally ill are a minority, and an hidden one at that.
Brain Williams was
looking for a reason that Castro acted the way he did, and he used something easy
and misunderstood, mental illness. He could not believe the possibility that
some people are just pure evil, with a pathology of cruelty and violence
towards women, which causes them become serial rapists. However, spineless
comments, done in the name of ratings, can have devastating effects. Their recklessness
remind me of William Shakespeare, who wrote "A
coward dies a thousand deaths, but the valiant taste death but once."
To those at NBC, specifically Brian Williams, their number of symbolic deaths
will be many, but their calloused ignorance could contribute to the actual
deaths of other less fortunate souls.
