Mary Neal's Sharebook 

SEPARATE BUT EQUAL SENIOR PROMS IN GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOLS

~ Montgomery County High School in Georgia has two separate proms for its graduating seniors - one for the white students and one for the black ones.

See the video at the New York Times link below.

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New York Times
May 21, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/05/24/magazine/dividedproms-audioss/index.html

A PROM DIVIDED

There are 54 students in the class of 2009 at Montgomery County High School. On May 1 — a balmy Friday evening — the white students held their senior prom. And the following night — a balmy Saturday — the black students had theirs.

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Secondly, I want to share with you a rough draft of a letter I'm taking to the foreign consulate offices this week.  I remember how years ago America used to advise other countries on human rights and tolerance, especially to countries where there was such division among the population that they were on the verge of ethnic clensing, etc.  Now it appears that it is our turn.  Someone really needs to talk with our leaders about human rights, I believe.  This is the first part of a draft letter I'm preparing for foreign consulates with offices here in Atlanta.  Maybe they could advise our officials on racism, and discrimination against citizens with disabilities.  I really think it is time for someone to have a long talk with our leaders and make suggestions for change.

                                       Mary Neal
                                     P.O. Box 153
                                   Redan, GA 30074

Dear Sir/Madam:

Greetings. I am writing you for a favor. If you ever meet with American dignitaries or government officials, would you please ask them to consider upgrading the caste for African American disabled people? Right now, citizens in that category are in a lower caste than canines. Reports of dogs being murdered or abused are always investigated and frequently prosecuted. Thousands of Americans also petition other countries to stop animal abuse. Domestic animals have rights in the United States that are far superior to those afforded to human beings who are disabled, especially if a citizen suffers from a mental disability. Mentally ill Americans of whatever race are considered expendable, but this is especially true if they are black people. In fact, their murders are not investigated like American dogs' abuses and murders. Furthermore, Americans are permitted to petition for animal rights, but I am gang stalked, censored, and terrorized because I advocate for human rights for mentally ill Americans.

As you probably already know, America stopped taking care of the nation's acute mental patients in the 1970's. They were turned out of hospitals to live homeless on the street during that decade, and many of them starved and some froze to death. For the most part, America's chronically homeless population is still comprised of mentally ill people – the expendable citizens.  My brother, Larry Neal, was secretly arrested and murdered in Memphis/ Shelby County Jail in 2003.  While I watched investigators combing a famous athlete's ranch to gather evidence of dog abuse, authorities colluded to prevent any news of my brother's murder being publicized and agreed never to investigate his death or release records about it to his family .......

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HOW IS THAT FOR A BEGINNING?  America definitely needs some advice regarding human/civil rights.  The 800 people who signed Larry's petitions were not enough.  Thousands of other people who signed petitions by AIMI and other organizations and individuals for mentally ill Americans to be transferred from prisons back to hospitals or community care programs have fallen on dry ground.  Many of our officials are such elitists, maybe they will care if more elite people than you and I ask them to please be fair and humane.  We will see.

Happy almost spring week to you!

Blessings,

Mary