Marking people as mentally unhealthy is the building blocks to things like Black Triangles. Black Triangles were badges given to people in the Third Reich who were deemed inappropriate for society. “Blod” was for people who were mentally ill. Many of those people were executed.
I still don’t get it. I looked up “national mental illness database” in case there was something I hadn’t heard of and can’t find anything. So what is the comic about?
I guess the last drawing simbolices the patch that the Germans made Jews wear during WWII, making their condition visible all the time. I’m not from USA, is that database really public for anyone to see?
Blöd means stupid in German and it looks like it’s a patch on striped pajamas like the Jews in WWII. As if we are to continue blaming our problems on the innocent and helpless we’ll become no better than Nazi Germany
Haven’t commented before… just wanted to say that this comic, in the whole series sense, has been really helpful for me (~20-year chronic depressive here, with more-often-than-I’d-like-to-admit suicidal spirals). About four out of every five posts I find myself nodding along with, and the rest… “wow, I know someone that’s perfect for.” It’s immensely validating just to see someone put this stuff out there, and it’s been a *massively* important resource for explaining things to Everyone Else. This entire site, for its entire run, has been *on point.* It’s easy to tell that you’ve lived this, because nobody who hasn’t expresses themselves in these terms, no matter how much research they *think* they’ve done. So… thank you. On every level.
Got a million and a half things to say about the fascist overtones of blaming “Mental Illness!” (waaaah scary!) for all of society’s problems… but that’s another can of worms. You’re doing awesome work here- and it’s appreciated. I link this site to everyone I can, and I doubt I’ll ever regret it. Some things need to be said, and you’ve chosen a great way of saying them.
We don’t need a national database; it’s just an easier way to pin preventable tragedies on people who are innocent and treat us as lesser beings. It’s not like it’ll being used to provide these people with free or easy healthcare, which includes therapy and such which mentally ill people actually need, in fact many of the people in support of things like this are ACTIVELY cutting funding for mental health services. If these people act as if mental illness is such a big issue, and I’m not saying it isn’t because a lot of people are mentally ill, why aren’t they trying to help? They’re literally doing everything to make life harder for the average person, so imagine the position someone with depression is in when they’re barely functioning as it is. Not to mention, mentally ill people are way more likely to hurt themselves or be targets of crime than committing crime. These mass shooters are just evil people, has nothing to do with mental illness, but we’re all taking the unfair blame, and the destigmatization we’ve gained over the years is being lost with each shooting, which means less people getting help they need because they don’t want to, even jokingly, be called a mass shooter. Like, tell me, especially depressed people who can barely get out of bed and shower once a week… do you think they’re going to plan a huge mass shooting? Anxious people who can barely order meals at their local eatery, do you think they’ll be bold enough to go buy weapons at the store and go into huge crowds? Many mentally ill people can’t function day to day, but you expect me to believe they’d plan a shooting, post an entire manifesto, buy a bunch of guns and ammo, then drive hundreds of miles to actually do it? Most of us struggle just getting out of bed and going to work; that exhausts us already, we wouldn’t have the energy. It might seem like a national database would be good, but what good would it actually do? The government has our names and illnesses… what are they doing with it? And the way the government has been lately, stripping rights from women, immigrants, and the lgbt+ community, I don’t trust them in doing what’s actually good for anyone they deem “bad”, let alone mentally ill people. Shoot, do you want to be the next ones locked in facilities, being told you’re not fit to live among everyone else or something? I know I don’t. I don’t have much, but I do still have the freedom to live in my house and be comfortable. I’d like to keep that right. And if they come for one group, they will come for every group, we need to pay attention and do what we can to not become the next group rounded up.
I don’t get it?
Marking people as mentally unhealthy is the building blocks to things like Black Triangles. Black Triangles were badges given to people in the Third Reich who were deemed inappropriate for society. “Blod” was for people who were mentally ill. Many of those people were executed.
thanks for explaining
I still don’t get it. I looked up “national mental illness database” in case there was something I hadn’t heard of and can’t find anything. So what is the comic about?
I guess the last drawing simbolices the patch that the Germans made Jews wear during WWII, making their condition visible all the time. I’m not from USA, is that database really public for anyone to see?
Recently because of the recent shootings, there’s been talk about creating a national database for people with mental illnesses. Cuomo is a big supporter of this effort. https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1159174172452499458
Oh, wow, now I understand. Thanks for your answer
That’s the first time I’ve heard of that.
With all the news recently, it’s hard to get wind of everything nowadays.
Btw the German word “blöd” means stupid.
Benjamin Melzer It was a tag for people branded “mentally inferior” they called them “useless eaters” as well.
Why the database though?
Nichole Morrissey presumably to blame us for crimes?
Scary stuff, but we certainly seem to be going that way.
Blöd means stupid in German and it looks like it’s a patch on striped pajamas like the Jews in WWII. As if we are to continue blaming our problems on the innocent and helpless we’ll become no better than Nazi Germany
Too real. It’s happening now.
Haven’t commented before… just wanted to say that this comic, in the whole series sense, has been really helpful for me (~20-year chronic depressive here, with more-often-than-I’d-like-to-admit suicidal spirals). About four out of every five posts I find myself nodding along with, and the rest… “wow, I know someone that’s perfect for.” It’s immensely validating just to see someone put this stuff out there, and it’s been a *massively* important resource for explaining things to Everyone Else. This entire site, for its entire run, has been *on point.* It’s easy to tell that you’ve lived this, because nobody who hasn’t expresses themselves in these terms, no matter how much research they *think* they’ve done. So… thank you. On every level.
Got a million and a half things to say about the fascist overtones of blaming “Mental Illness!” (waaaah scary!) for all of society’s problems… but that’s another can of worms. You’re doing awesome work here- and it’s appreciated. I link this site to everyone I can, and I doubt I’ll ever regret it. Some things need to be said, and you’ve chosen a great way of saying them.
Excellent comic.
Red Flag laws flaws in a nutshell.
amids all this gun violence we really should talk about mental health and get a proper national database of the mentally ill!
And that will do what, exactly?
We don’t need a national database; it’s just an easier way to pin preventable tragedies on people who are innocent and treat us as lesser beings. It’s not like it’ll being used to provide these people with free or easy healthcare, which includes therapy and such which mentally ill people actually need, in fact many of the people in support of things like this are ACTIVELY cutting funding for mental health services. If these people act as if mental illness is such a big issue, and I’m not saying it isn’t because a lot of people are mentally ill, why aren’t they trying to help? They’re literally doing everything to make life harder for the average person, so imagine the position someone with depression is in when they’re barely functioning as it is. Not to mention, mentally ill people are way more likely to hurt themselves or be targets of crime than committing crime. These mass shooters are just evil people, has nothing to do with mental illness, but we’re all taking the unfair blame, and the destigmatization we’ve gained over the years is being lost with each shooting, which means less people getting help they need because they don’t want to, even jokingly, be called a mass shooter. Like, tell me, especially depressed people who can barely get out of bed and shower once a week… do you think they’re going to plan a huge mass shooting? Anxious people who can barely order meals at their local eatery, do you think they’ll be bold enough to go buy weapons at the store and go into huge crowds? Many mentally ill people can’t function day to day, but you expect me to believe they’d plan a shooting, post an entire manifesto, buy a bunch of guns and ammo, then drive hundreds of miles to actually do it? Most of us struggle just getting out of bed and going to work; that exhausts us already, we wouldn’t have the energy. It might seem like a national database would be good, but what good would it actually do? The government has our names and illnesses… what are they doing with it? And the way the government has been lately, stripping rights from women, immigrants, and the lgbt+ community, I don’t trust them in doing what’s actually good for anyone they deem “bad”, let alone mentally ill people. Shoot, do you want to be the next ones locked in facilities, being told you’re not fit to live among everyone else or something? I know I don’t. I don’t have much, but I do still have the freedom to live in my house and be comfortable. I’d like to keep that right. And if they come for one group, they will come for every group, we need to pay attention and do what we can to not become the next group rounded up.