An Inclusive Litany
5/30/94
In a letter to Jack Draper, owner of Crazy Larry's Waterbeds in
Evansville, Indiana, Richard Allen, community services director at
Evansville State Hospital, complained of the use of words such as
"nuts" or "crazy" in advertising because they are offensive to
the mentally ill and their families. "Unfortunately, people who
suffer from a mental illness face undue discrimination, are made
fun of and generally stigmatized simply because they have a disease
society doesn't tolerate well or doesn't fully understand," Allen
wrote. "May I suggest some sensitivity for Americans who have a
mental illness?"