Letters to the Editor

Letter: Two sides to ACLU

With respect to Sen. Berta Gardner and her commentary of Jan. 11, “Principle over politics,” there are two sides to the story.

In my opinion and research, regardless of sexual orientation, race, etc., acute care psychiatric patients are the most mistreated group in America. A number of years ago, the ACLU informed me that they made a business decision not to go into psychiatric facilities or assist psychiatric patients in gaining fair rights.

The recent Associated Press article, “Washington’s 800-bed psychiatric hospital called Hell” and Alaska’s own mini-hells, Alaska Psychiatric Institute and some of the psychiatric evaluation units are examples of where psychiatric patients are mistreated in Alaska.

Like most champions or heroes, they have their flaws, and that includes Alaska’s ACLU.

— Faith Myers

Anchorage

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Faith Myers

Faith J. Myers, a psychiatric patient rights activist, is the author of the book, “Going Crazy in Alaska: A History of Alaska’s treatment of psychiatric patients,” and has spent more than seven months as a patient in locked psychiatric facilities in Alaska.

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