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?"