Bubblegum Politics

now for a little retrospection...

Both in my personal life and as a student, psychology (in particular child psych and trauma) and social justice issues preoccupy much of my time. These days I can somehow steer every conversation towards mental health, suffering in war, or health care. Health care because it's in our faces and not a day goes by that I don't talk to someone who is getting screwed for lack of health care (you know, it's not a basic life sustaining human right or anything) or crappy health care. On to the show, from Psych Units to vets to movies to pretentiousness to my love, LADY GAGA. I will be writing a blog about what makes her so awesome shortly.

Psych Inpatient Units in the US generally have a high turnover when it comes to patients. They try to get you out of there as soon as possible, mostly because insurance companies are assholes and pressures the hospital staff to release anyone who can promise not kill themselves or anyone else. Promise? Promise. O.k. good. Wow! I'm so much better now! Thanks! now I can finally lead a fulfilling life! I wonder how high the suicide rate is for people who have spent time pyschiatric impatient units is, and if there is a correlation between time of release and time of suicide. Comparing types of mental illness and length of stay of patient. For that matter, with prisoners too.

I know there is a tragically high number of vets who come back from war and commit suicide, usually at numbers comparable to the death toll of the soldiers "on the ground", so to speak. Many come back with mental illness. Too many vets often commit suicide and suffer from having taken part in and/or having bore witness to the horrors of war. The government has been failing to give them as much respect (and mental health) care as possible. I live in NYC and see many homeless vets on the street. It's heartbreaking.

The people in power who declare these wars no longer volunteer themselves or their families for it. For something that they want and believe in so strongly, their sacrifice is negligible. In politics, we must never lead by example. Or so I've been shown.

Stop-Loss is a great movie about a group of young vets coming home after serving the US in the armed forces in Iraq. The film is very sincere, it shows the struggles in the lives of 3 (or 4?) men who are dealing with acclimating to their former lives, depression and for some, serious mental illness. Its set in present day, with Ryan Phillipe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt ♥, Rob Brown, Channing Tatum and Victor Razuk. It's as honest as a Hollywood film can be.

Not to be bougie or hate (too late!), but we all know that soul is lacking there. Hollywood has a ton of Charm, legacy, glitz and glamour, but major studio films usually lack in plot lines, talent, passion, sincerity and the ability to connect, invoke and challenge the minds, hearts and values of its audience. It's equally as annoying that Many people who identify with "Indie" or "hipster" culture reinforce a level of exclusion based on the thought "I am so intelligent, so witty and different from EVERYONE else in society, because THEY are boring, fat and stupid, and I'm too cool for that." The value that is placed on independent films and art, is often classist (and probably racist, but I don't feel like talking about that obscene dynamic of Beckies and ass kissing and games of who-can-be-the-biggest-douche or who can fuck the most guys/girls in one night) and pretentious (all at once!).

Anyways, I recognize that I myself am pretentious on some level, although I am trying to be a more humble person. Not because the Virgin Mary said so, but because it is something I consider to be very important in life, regardless of gender, orientation, or sex. Also, I like wearing skinny jeans, I think they're fashionably awesome! so the hating may commence. Just don't blame me for that fight with you're mom last week. I swear. I had nothing to do with it.