Letter: Comic strip was opposite of funny
The June 3 WUMO comic strip about the delusional board member attending a meeting “off his meds” was the opposite of funny. The stigma of mental illness prevents many people from seeking the help they need, and this kind of “joke” strengthens the stigma. Please do not publish that kind of trash again.
Our society considers it acceptable to joke about mental illness in a way we would never joke about other serious illnesses like cancer. I challenge all of us to examine our attitudes about mental illness, and notice how those attitudes creep into our language (psycho, schizoid, crazy) and our judgments.
Mary J. Hartman, Richland
This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Letter: Comic strip was opposite of funny."