Open letter to Professor John Ashton CBE
(who is the North West Regional Director Of Public Health and Regional Medical Officer for the Department of Health. A specialist in psychiatry. . . )
"In the light of :
the recent coverage of the guy who killed himself in Rothbury (I've been avoiding watching it and don't know his name),
the media's part in emphasising the differences between Labour and the Coalition regarding how to deal with the economic crisis
the public's concept that there is such as thing as fairness in society
the increase in violence in society - illustrated by your call for polycarbonate glasses in pubs
the preoccupation of the public in exploring remote relationships as in Facebook and Forums where communicants avoid revealing their identity
the intense interest in Celebrities and programs like Big Brother and TV programmes where a few individuals are followed with great interest rather than spending the time getting to know people next door and down the street.
Are you not concerned that we have a mentally sick society with the increased potential of mob and individual violence that are becoming increasingly angry and acting in an irresponsible way - often fuelled by alcohol?
Added to this we have the added pressures of global warming, unemployment , deaths of soldiers in Afghanistan and the belief in the fantasy of romantic love and the perfect partner.
Are we not heading for horrendous mental problems in human relationships on a multitude of levels?
Geoff Dellow
Address The Coach House, Union Lane, Ulverston Cumbria LA12 7BU"
Sadly the email address I used has bounced - I'll try and find another - any suggestions.
I found his personal web site with a new email address also sent snail mail!
Wed 19th July, Prof Ashton has sent a message to say that he will reply to the above when he returns from his annual leave which he is about to take now.
What I look forward to are some insights as to what the way forward could be!
1 comment:
Such worries and concerns. Listed like that is enough to cause depression. But thinking back over the years, haven't we always been subject to such stresses? We can only deal with what concerns us most.
At one time many people were convinced the atom bomb would wipe out civilisation and masses marched in protest.
There were even concerns that Dick Barton, special agent on BBC would corrupt children. That sex in books would corrupt the masses. Many Christians and others, stood in London squares to support Mary Whitehouse and the banning of books etc etc
The media spreads fears, turns people into zombies and makes saints out of sinners. But at the moment hatred has flared up in Northern Ireland, it seems some folk cannot live without violence and hatred. That is nothing new.
Look at history, it is sickening — man's inhumanity to man. Nature in the raw?
Yet goodness exists. Government is not a band of miracle workers. They can only do their best, the rest is up to the individual.
People will always worry, it is part of being human — and survival?
We have to be specific in our concerns and deal with one thing at a time. Or nobody listens.
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