European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes a Page 11ann Landers dear Ann Landers you have been tremendously effective in informing our nation that mental illness is no different from any other disease and that people who Are mentally ill should not be stigmatized. Here Are the facts mental illness is not the result of personal failure Lack of willpower or moral weakness. It is linked to functional abnormalities in the brain. Although Many americans believe that mental illness happens Only to others the truth is that one in five people will have a mental illness at some Point. Most americans believe that mental illnesses Are rare. This is not True. Ten million americans have some form of depression 12 million have a phobia 1.5 million Are schizophrenic 2.4 million suffer from obsessive compulsive disorders and 1.5 million have panic disorders. Because of misinformation and myth people who have a mental illness often encounter fear and prejudice when seeking work housing health care insurance and friends. Thanks to remarkable Progress in research during the last 20 years we now have effective treatment for Many specific mental disorders. The tragedy is that a majority of americans do not realize that help is available. Hope for the present lies in urging people to seek the help they need. Hope for the future lies in continued research on the brain and behavioural problems. The goal of the National Institute of mental health for the coming decade is to educate the Public and intensify research so that we May alleviate the enormous suffering and disability caused by mental disorders. Please continue to help us Ann. A Lewis l. Judd m.d., director National Institute of mental health dear or. Judd you can count on me. Thanks for the Opportunity to Tell my readers who want information about mental health and mental illness and where to get help that they should write to mental health consumer information Center Pueblo Colo. 81009. They will receive some Fine material a at no charge. Dear Ann Landers. I am in my 40s. I have a healthy Bright delightful Little girl a challenging career Good friends and a Lovely Home. But i am a terrible disappointment to my Mother a failure in life because in a divorced. Since the Day my sex husband and i separated my Mother has done nothing but sigh about my life and Tell me How sad it is that i am a fall  not once has she complimented me on How Well i have managed my life As a single woman and what a Fine Job i am doing of bringing up my daughter. Mother talks constantly about my sex husband and his new wife. She asks my daughter loaded questions and a reports backs to me on her answers. She clips articles that focus on the destructive effects of divorce on children and insists on asking the same old question a what went wrong with your marriage a when i Tell her i done to want to talk about the divorce or my sex anymore she tells me i need therapy because a after four years it should not be painful to  what can i do to keep her from battering my self esteem Arlington a. Dear a there is nothing you can do about your Mother but you can do a lot about yourself. Stop being a victim. Tell your Mother that the subject of your divorce your sex his new wife etc., Are of no interest to you and if she brings up these subjects again you will leave the room. Then do it. European edition col. Gene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in chief it. Col. Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of defense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be  available for Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex National origin age marital status physical Handicap political affiliation or any other non Merit Factor of the purchaser user or Patron. Letters writer says letters to Congress matter in a writing this letter to say that 1 really done to have anything important to say. I mean not important in the sense that its probably not of much consequence to people worried about what a Friend recently called a a life a regular  believe it or not in a not even writing to complain about some of the enlightened remarks in be recently heard from various a whine masters Here in Europe. Remarks such As a How come the shop Pettes done to stay open All night Here like the 7-1 is Back Home a heard this one at the gym a boy these germans have a different word for  heard this one at the Frankfurt train station a How come we can to replace an with Hob or the movie Channel a heard this one at a Friend s House during a poker game a How come the Exchange does no to sell Norma Cham Malle dresses and brazilian Lizard skin pumps a in red a i honestly heard a woman Friend say this. In a not even sure i spelled a Cham Mallet right. Who cares a How come my local sports store does no to have any Dwarf throwing gloves a of of i  that one up in a really writing to reinforce the Point that was  by John t. Nolan chairman of republicans abroad Germany. This letter encouraged americans in Europe to Stop whining to the stars and stripes about National issues and Tell the people who can actually do something about them namely their elected officials in Washington . It frequently seems that nothing Short of armageddon or a visit from a Mother in Law will convince Many americans to turn in their Couch potato club cards once and for All. Sure a lot of americans get upset Over National issues but when you ask them if they voted in the last presidential congressional state election they usually reply with a nah he. Does no to matter  or if you ask them if they be written to their senator congressman woman to support oppose an Issue of their Choice they usually come Back with a nah he. Those Guys never listen anyway. Besides politics is for politicians not Ordinary people right a wrong. You see in a democracy especially ours its the direct participation of a Ordinary people in the democratic process that a responsible for keeping alive the a running Experiment in democracy As James Madison once called America. Congress May make the Laws and the president May execute and enforce them but both Are governed by How the majority of the american people feel about an Issue. Politicians in Washington ., ask a pretty enlightening question when considering their actions on an Issue or a Law a How will this play in Peoria a that a right Peoria 111., and All those other places where those Ordinary people Are. People like you. Those politicians know they re being watched Back in Peoria. They also know that people who feel so strongly about an Issue that they re willing to speak up have absolutely no qualms about further exercising their democratic rights to include voting against and encouraging others to vote against them. So Why then should we Ordinary people get More involved with issues we care about cd Mon think about it. Lets take abortion and gun control for example. If you re pro Choice do you want someone else telling you what a woman can or can to do with her body if you re pro life do you want abortion being used As a form of birth control or As a method of poverty control do you see the Issue As one of women a rights or As one of unborn women a rights if you re for gun control do you think that placing limitations on private gun ownership will make it More difficult for criminals to get guns thereby curb main office switchboard 06155-6010. Ets 348-5741 or 5823. For departments dial 06155-601 plus Extension or ets 348-8 plus the Extension. 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Darby Cavern Apo 09696 Telephone ets 460-7256 or civilian 0911-712563. Stuttgart Germany Joseph Owen. Building 4303, room 201. Wallace Barracks. Mailing address co Vii corps Fin. Group. Of amp to Wallace Barracks Apo 09154 Telephone ets 420-7179 or civilian 0711-542571. Ing the death rate if you re against gun control do you want a Bunch of self appointed self proclaimed social scientists experimenting with your right to pwn a gun Are you Liberal moderate populist socialist conservative so speak up. Nobody s going to hear you until you flip off the Boob tube for just a few minutes and throw in your 2 cents Worth. Think for a minute of How much Effort has gone into securing your right to sit Down at a desk and express your Point of View. Why do you think our grandfathers or fathers fought. The Battles eventually ended but the Ideal for which they were fought did no to the Ideal that All men and women have a right to be free period. This Ideal chronicles the More than 200-Ycar struggle of a people to secure a a. The blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our  Tomse Guys with the funny wigs were referring to their own generation when they wrote a a ourselves in the preceding sentence from the preamble to the United states Constitution. And the a a posterity part Well i guess that Means us. So what should we do go protest no of course not. Nobody a asking you to go protest and get carried off to jail by some policeman who happens to be a spitting image of the character a a lurch from a the Adams  so what then make a history changing speech die in a War become a great great leaders a nope. You see the special thing about America is that we done to need great leaders in other words Cults of personality or the inspired action of a few visionaries in order to keep our democracy vibrant and Strong. I believe that the Only things we need Are what a common about americans. Just the Ordinary. Nothing special. And yes those Ordinary things arc the things found in abundance in a vast majority of americans love of country a belief in hard work and the Equality of All people. A belief in True time tested values like family integrity courage responsibility compassion. So what should we do first vote a each and every election vote. Second know who your elected officials arc both at National and state level. There a Only a few of them. If you want a free pamphlet it is entitled a communicating with the Congress and is being offered through a special arrangement Between stars and stripes and John Nolan. Editor s note a m e be half such an overwhelming response we be asked at amp to for More pamphlets. Please he patient third stay informed by listening to the news radio to and by checking out the newspaper often. Fourth if there a something you want to Tell your representative about an Issue that a important to you do it. Done to wait. The above mentioned pamphlet tells you How to write a Short effective one Page letter that should take you about five or 10 minutes. You May think that a five or 10 minutes wasted and that your letter does no to matter. You re wrong. It does. People who work for politicians arc just like you. They work for a living too which is More than i can say for some of those politicians. These people know what it takes to take time from a Busy life and write a letter albeit a Short one describing How one feels about an Issue and what one expects done about it. These Are the people who Are in the Best position to help you with your problem complaint or to Register your opinion on an Issue. They re the ones who Are in charge of writing reports and papers that the politician uses to base his her actions on. So How about it got an Issue you re interested in Good. Do you know How you feel about it Cool. So now that you be  up your mind All you have to do is take a deep breath and let those pinheads have it. That a right blast Mem both barrels. The sound and the fury begins. Set. Jose f. Aguilar Wil Flecken West Germany Wurzburg Germany John Millar. Room 110, River building Apo 09036 Telephone ets 350-4704 or civilian 0931-71569. Brussels Belgium David Tarrant. International press Center. 1 Boulevard Charlemagne. Box 45.1041 Brussels Telephone civilian 00322 238-0967. Mediterranean j. King Cruger. Gary Miller and Candida Sansone. 521 i a Nai Dies Italy Asa Box 56. Fpo 09521 Telephone Auto on 625-1110 ext 4880 or civilian 0039-81-7624049. New York City room 401. 252 seventh ave. New York 10001 Telephone 212-620-3333. United kingdom Dave Diehl. Amy Geiszler Jones. Building 436 Cess us. Raf Mildenhall Apo 09127 Telephone Auto on 238-2226 or civilian 0638-512226. Washington . William Bartman Janet Howells Tierney. Oast a. The Pentagon. Room 2e756. . Box 46095. 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