Donna Pitts

I'm the Mother of 3 excellent, young men, without whom, I cannot imagine that I would have stayed glued together all these years.

I graduated with a BA in Eng., with a minor in creative writing. I was a non-traditional student, having gotten my GED and entered college at the age of 29. I loved college!

I am now most active as a Mental Health Advocate for the 4% of people with severe symptoms of brain disease (mental illness), particularly those whose symptoms include psychosis and anosognosia.

As such, I am a strong supporter of AOT (Assisted Outpatient Treatment) for the 4% whose symptoms compromise their abilities to access reason. Court-mandated treatment is a saving grace for a person who lacks the capacity to make an informed decision regarding the need for medical psychiatric intervention. AOT saves lives.

I am also a member of a new, not for profit, grass-roots organization called #TreatmentBeforeTragedy. I have watched the organization move from 'desire to destiny,' and am very proud of its founding board members.

#TreatmentBeforeTragedy is the NAMI of yester-year--the family members, friends and caretakers who advocate on behalf of the approximately 11 million US citizens who have severe symptoms of major depression, bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia and who are currently denied medical treatment during acute crisis. (So many thanks, also, to The Treatment Advocacy Center and Dj Jaffe, who do so much for people with severe brain disease).

I also am a supporter of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, and I hope that we can see this movement make the difference that should have been made generations ago.

The number of deaths of young, black men, women and children that has rippled through America is intolerable. We, The People, are not being represented. We're going to have to find a way, though, to 'be' represented or this Republican Congress is going to hurt Americans in so many more ways.

Right now (and these occurances are not accidental, in my opinion) there are at least 3 targeted groups in the USA. The homeless #JusticeForKellyThomas, the severely mentally ill (I can't begin to list the number of deaths due to denied medical treatment) and America's favorite target: the Black Community.

I would like to see all three of these causes join together in solidarity against violations of our civil rights. It can be done, and we will be an army to con