MENTAL ILLNESS REALITY CHECK

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"I am sharing this story because I am 

Adam Lanza's mother.I am Dylan Klebold's 

and Eric Harris's mother. I am Jason Holmes's mother. 

I am Jared Loughner's mother.I am Seung-Hui Cho's

 mother. And these boys—and their mothers—

need help. In the wake of another horrific

 national tragedy, it's easy to talk about guns. 

But it's time to talk about mental illness."

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I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother

Liza Long 

 

"Three days before 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother, then opened fire on a classroom full of Connecticut kindergartners, my 13-year-old son Michael (name changed) missed his bus because he was wearing the wrong color pants.

"I can wear these pants," he said, his tone increasingly belligerent, the black-hole pupils of his eyes swallowing the blue irises.

"They are navy blue," I told him. "Your school's dress code says black or khaki pants only."

"They told me I could wear these," he insisted. "You're a stupid bitch. I can wear whatever pants I want to. This is America. I have rights!"

"You can't wear whatever pants you want to," I said, my tone affable, reasonable. "And you definitely cannot call me a stupid bitch. You're grounded from electronics for the rest of the day. Now get in the car, and I will take you to school."

I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me."

READ THE REST OF LIZA LONG'S LETTER AT GAWKER