Your Fired!

Below is  a thought-provoking blog by Larry Drain, Legislative Liaison for DBSA Tennessee. He and I attended the training for Peer Advocate efforts for consumers' needs. We were shocked by the things we learned concerning the ineffectiveness of our elected officials. Our country deserves better than this quality of work for the money we pay for a government.

 

1.5% by hopeworkscommunity

I heard a number today that left my jaw dropped and my mind spinning.  1.5%.

1.5% is the percentage of bills submitted in the U.S Congress that actually pass.  Less than 2 out of 100 come before for the president for signature.  I gotta wonder if we will even reach that this year.

I have been part of a training this weekend put on by the DBSA about how, when, and why people with the lived experience of mental health issues need to have a loud and persistent voice in the political arena.  A lot of specific information will be shared in succeeding posts.  This post is about the most important thing this weekend: 1.5%.

I dont know if my voice being raised will come anywhere close to having the impact I hope to have.  I really dont know.  But I know the consequences of my silence.  If the purpose of the legislature is to pass bills they believe are helpful is 1.5% the measure of their success??  Is there another business of any kind in the entire world that could survive that kind of success?  Think about it for a minute.  1.5% of fixed flats hold air???  Put your own example in there.

The result of my silence... the result of your silence-  1.5%.  The chances of legislation that improves the quality of mental health care in this country... much less than 1.5%.

I applaud the DBSA their initiative.  My choice is to no longer remain silent.  What about you??