You know, and I know, and even the teacher acknowledged, with the facts I gave him, which are the same ones everyone is dishing out, that all mentally ill shouldn’t be placed under one umbrella, but he also, insisted that that is specifically what the Constitution says " no mentally ill person can vote.

Joshua Hill, a Mental Ill[ness] Advocate expressed my sentiments when he said, “We are human beings and own opinion is just as good.” Yes, our opinion should count! But, it doesn’t, unless we voice our opinion to the person that needs to hear it.

All we want to do is live a normal life, but here is a recognized legal document that says we can’t, because the mentally ill is insane and deficient in the brain, so they can’t vote. A criminal, a felon no less, who is convicted; serves a sentence, terminates their probation is then rehabilitated, and can resume their place in society and vote. But, the mentally ill with a no fault illness something they didn’t ask for, is judged, sentenced without a jury and hung out to dry — no vote today, maybe tomorrow.

Joshua further expounds, “It’s almost like weeding out the bad seeds to make room for the good.” .. “Who declares a man competent and his opinion of value?” Bottom line society does, unless we change those views.

“We are all created equally and should be treated accordingly.” .. Are we treated equal? I don’t think so. I have never felt equal and I was not diagnosed till my late 20s. My family still shames being mentally ill, and it’s still in the closet, they’d rather talk about the alcoholic.

I’m learning now to love my self, to not judge, shame or do any negative thing to myself and hopefully, to others. Remembering not to go to “the hardware store for a loaf of bread” is one of them. In other words, let those who express love in, and those who don’t out.

I’m still halfway in the closet by choice; maybe it’s because of my upbringing, and maybe because no one has given me a good reason to come out totally to expose myself to the world.

Almalicia