A Moms for Liberty Mental Health Conundrum: School District of Indian River County, FL.

We’re a Worthless News Source

Over the last few weeks it has been interesting to read the comments on our website after we published our June 4 article on “Jennifer Pippin: She Spews Hate.”  As well as our other article on May 21 questioning if a school board member disregarded a C.L.I.M.A.T.E task force committee recommendation that mental health should be the number one priority for the School District of Indian River County, FL.

The task force was established, with 15 members, to “recommend mental wellness strategies for students, staff, and faculty as part of a commitment to building a culture of support.” 

Our website is not interactive like Facebook where people can instantaneously see person’s post and watch others reply or comment.  But below we have provided relevant excerpts of the comments we received, which came primarily from Jennifer Pippin and the daunting Bob Webster, who considers our news source worthless, but continues to read it and comment.

What is interesting about this whole matter is that Ms. Pippins’ Moms for Liberty group believes the School Board’s decision to shut down schools, mandate masks, social distancing and quarantines was detrimental to mental health, such that it became the task force’s priority.  According to Ms. Pippin, “I am amazed at how NOW mental health is an issue, we’ve been saying that for TWO YEARS.  Shutting down schools, masking children, social distancing, excessive quarantining of healthy children and the COVID-19 protocols that WE TOLD YOU were negatively effecting children were disregarded.”

On the other hand, you have School Board Member Jackie Rosario and Mr. Webster [in his comments] questioning why the task force didn’t send out a questionnaire to all parents and students to obtain actual mental health data.   As though the task force didn’t complete its job without the questionnaire.  

According to Mr. Webster, “…Board Member Jackie Rosario very reasonably questioned how 15 task force members could write recommendations without surveying parents and a student body of 17,400 – she did not receive a serious or direct answer — something that should give pause to everyone.  Rosario further asked ‘Where did you get this data from parents?  Was an email or survey sent out?’  These are very reasonable questions that deserve serious answers. None were forthcoming.”

Would you fill out a questionnaire or survey sent out by the school district asking questions about how mental illness might be affecting your family in the schools?

The stigma attached to mental illness is ubiquitous. There is no country, society, or culture where people with mental illness have the same societal value as people without a mental illness.

By advocating for questionnaires, one could assume Ms. Rosario and Mr. Webster want to make sure mental health is really a priority for Indian River County schools?  Though why would Indian River County be any different than Florida and local statistics?

Both Ms. Rosario and Mr. Webster are Moms for Liberty advocates, [Ms. Rosario may be a member] where co-founder and CEO Jennifer Pippin wrote “I am amazed at how NOW mental health is an issue, we’ve been saying that for TWO YEARS.”

So, in Ms. Rosario’s and Mr. Webster’s case, the conundrum, is that while they agree with the Moms for Liberty platform that mental health is an issue, they want to circulate a questionnaire, just to be sure.

POST: BOB WEBSTER

“Your publication is worthless as a source of news as it is nothing but a mouthpiece for your highly biased propaganda. 

You indulge in the worst kind of “hate articles” mindlessly attacking people who are simply trying to fight back against the attack on school-age students and their parents by elitists who think they are above accountability”.

RESPONSE M.C., PHD.

“…you do not cite what your preferred “sources of news” are.

Surely not Vero32963, Press Journal, Vero News, etc.?

Given a choice between arse kissing, sycophant, burn out, has been apologies for “journalists” this sorry County/City of ours has to offer, Tom /VC is THE gold standard “worthless publication” I would read and trust above any other bronze standard “worthless publication” on offer.

So, until such time, you cite and prove an alternative, schtum is your best option.”

Regards,
Proud Radical A1A Elitist

POSTS: BOB WEBSTER

“Board Member Jackie Rosario very reasonably ‘questioned how 15 task force members could write recommendations without surveying parents and a student body of 17,400’ she did not receive a serious or direct answer — something that should give pause to everyone.

How COULD such a panel not make a serious effort to involve students and parents? It is a very reasonable question that should not be interpreted as intending to impugn the work of the panel, but rather one that seeks an answer to a very important question.

Why was there no serious effort made to solicit broad participation by both parents and students in support of the panel’s work?

I failed to acknowledge Dr. Jones’ reference to how ‘In the State of Florida, [according to a USF youth student study released last month], suicide is the leading cause of death among 10 – 14-year-olds in Florida,’ because the data cited are out of context without an indication whether the rate is increasing, decreasing, or not changing. Not being aware of the correct context makes the data irrelevant. A snapshot in time is not helpful for the panel’s purposes.

Your attempts to slander people by innuendo tell us more about you than those you wish to slander.”

POST: Melissa Smith

“A trash left wing liberal hit piece! Mom’s for Liberty is amazing, and this is totally false!

POSTS: Jennifer Pipin

Unfortunately, this is a hit piece against me with ZERO facts and all biased lies. So this opinionated blog garbage. 

You have such a biased garbage blog to be completely honest with you.

If it wasn’t for the people you are putting on a Pedestal for mental health we wouldn’t have as bad as mental health issues. The people you praise wanted schools closed, mandatory masking of children, social distancing, mandatory vaccines and more and NOW they are worried about mental health to fit their own personal agendas. Not on our watch! The hateful eight people in this community do not speak for the majority of Indian River County and we will be flipping this board in the Fall.”

POST: Thomas Hardy

“Why don’t you be a man and take your beef to a school board meeting and speak during public comments rather than hiding behind these posts?”

References to mental illness can be found throughout history.

In the 1840s, activist Dorothea Dix lobbied for better living conditions for the mentally ill after witnessing the dangerous and unhealthy conditions in which many patients lived . Over a 40-year period, Dix successfully persuaded the U.S. government to fund the building of 32 state psychiatric hospitals.(2)

Mental Health America (MHA), originally founded by Clifford Beers in 1909 as the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, works to improve the lives of the mentally ill in the United States through research and lobbying efforts. 

In 1946, Harry Truman passed the National Mental Health Act, which created the National Institute of Mental Health and allocated government funds towards research into the causes of and treatments for mental illness. 

In 1963, Congress passed the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Health Centers Construction Act, which provided federal funding for the development of community-based mental health services. 

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill was founded in 1979 to provide “support, education, advocacy, and research services for people with serious psychiatric illnesses”. 

Modern anti-depressants were introduced in the early 1990s.