Character assasination of Szasz and a knee-jerk reaction by Liberals to silence all discussion get a airing out in this post!

This Wax and Feathers zine was a collaborative work by a group of super talented folks who post on the Icarus Project forums.

They write in the intro:

"In expressing our feelings, insights, and ideas about madness and the world around us we hope to inform and inspire others. The stories told by the psychiatric establishment, pharmaceutical industry, and the mainstream media all to often overshadow our own. By sharing our stories with others we can reclaim the right to define ourselves and our experiences. We choose to honor our uniqueness and complexity by letting our voices be heard."

Download it! Print it out! Share it with your peeps! Mad Love!

https://site.icarusprojectarchive.org/files/waxandfeathers.pdf

Another thing that really pisses me off is when 'friends' want to shut out any alternative explanation of certain human phenomena that doesn't seek to medicalize them.

I've actually had people blow up at me and walk away in a complete snit when I try to explain why I reject psychiatry's pejorative 'diagnoses' and the false science it uses to justify them.  They seem to view it as a failure of compassion on my part.

taking aim at the usual aim takers, these excerpts give ammo to the underdog and thier fledgling communities; and not merely for reform distraction--for authentic liberation strategy!

Do you already consider yourself complete as an individual, or in the U.S. do you seek completion by extending yourself to society and the work force? While on one hand, work does amount to a sense of security and helps us feel more confident at what we do---I personally feel that we should already be complete within ourselves before we start working and continue to feel complete, without work making us who we are. This conversation I had with my father made me realize how in a consumerist society, one is prey to the role we play within the system...one we cannot easily avoid. Shouldn't everyone deserve fundamental things: food, homes, opportunities? If we are born with the God-given right to be free, shouldn't our government uphold this principle and not let us be poor or go hungry in America?

"He isn't sophisticated enough to defend himself against the ideologies and weapons of those who incarcerate and indoctrinate him. And if we act quickly, we can ensure that his nascent rebellion will never find a consciously coherent expression-now or in later life."

On the evening of November 5th at Small World Coffee in Princeton, NJ, The Icarus Project’s Mad Gifts Art Show debuted. It proved an environment akin to the community from which it was borne: namely, an open, diverse, and creatively warm group of people. Many came specifically to support Icarus and see Mad Gifts – traveling from New York, Massachusetts, Philadelphia and other surrounding Northeastern areas – but the event also garnered locals who stumbled into the evening – sidetracked by the warm energy after acquiring their usual caffeine fix. The evening included spoken word, live music, and of course the perusing of the many inspired pieces adorning the café’s walls.