To the Editor:
Recently reported by NPR: “The nation’s Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988, shuttered its specialized services for LGBT youth this week. The move came a day after the Lifeline marked three years since its launch. During this period, it has fielded more than 16 million calls, texts, and chats. Nearly 10 percent of those contacts have been from gay and transgender young people, according to government data.”
At Harbor Homes of Martha’s Vineyard, we are frequently contacted by 18-plus young adults facing family violence and being put out of housing due to their sexual orientation. We, like all homeless and youth services organizations, will continue our work. If you are in crisis and without a safe place to sleep, please call us anytime at 774-563-3687. We are here for you.
Mike Bellissimo, interim executive director
Harbor Homes of Martha’s Vineyard
We should thank President Trump for signing the 988 legislation into law during his first administration. Unfortunately last year’s Democrat controlled Congress dropped the ball and did not properly fund it.
The paper won’t let me say B^&%*S#$%^, so I’ll just say you’re either lying or in error. It was properly funded, but the fuhrer cut off the funding for the specialized services.
It’s too bad the paper allows Nazi references to people who are not Nazis. Comparing Trump, or anyone you despise, to Hitler minimizes the suffering endured by his victims. It also degrades the memory of all those who were murdered in his name.
Absolutely, Jackie. I also view it as a form of crying wolf. When every controversial decision, behavior, or person is labeled Hitlerian, it becomes harder to combat the real deal.
History
Background
Führer has been used as a military title (compare Latin Dux) in Germany since at least the 18th century. The usage of the term “Führer” in the context of a company-sized military subunit in the German Army referred to a commander lacking the qualifications for permanent command. For example, the commanding officer of a company was titled “Kompaniechef” (lit. ’Company Chief’), but if he did not have the requisite rank or experience, or was only temporarily assigned to command, he was officially titled “Kompanieführer”. Thus operational commands of various military echelons were typically referred to by their formation title followed by the title Führer, in connection with mission-type tactics used by the German military forces. The term Führer was also used at lower levels, regardless of experience.
Origins of the political concept
The first example of the political use of Führer was with the pan-German Austrian Georg Ritter von Schönerer (1842–1921), a major exponent of pan-Germanism and German nationalism in Austria, whose followers commonly referred to him as the Führer, and who also used the Roman salute – where the right arm and hand are held rigidly outstretched – which they called the “German greeting”.[3] According to historian Richard J. Evans, this use of “Führer” by Schönerer’s Pan-German Association, probably introduced the term to the German far-right, but its specific adoption by the Nazis may also have been influenced by the use in Italy of “Duce”, also meaning “leader”, as an informal title for Benito Mussolini, the Fascist Prime Minister, and later (from 1922) dictator, of that country.
A little misleading there, John. While the bill has trump’s signature on it, it wasn’t activated until July of 2022. I don’t know where you get the idea that democrats didn’t fund it. That’s just a complete fabrication. What happened here was that option # 3 was removed from the menu. It directly linked the caller to someone who has experience in dealing with the types of issues that LGBTQ persons may be having. Option # 1 — for veterans is still there—option # 2 , for Spanish speakers is still there– . So John, was option #3 a separately funded line item in the budgeting of this life saving program? I personally think that there are some people who have so much hate they just don’t care if some teenager that happens to be a member of the LGBTQ community suffers some sort of crisis concerning their sexuality and blows their brains out or jumps off a bridge because they can’t speak to someone who could help them in their time of crisis. I’m not saying you personally don’t care– but the people who cut this life saving service don’t. You blame it on the democrats, of course, but the people who did this are republicans.
LGBT teens will still get compassionate, supportive help by phoning or texting 988, even thought the specialized button is eliminated.
It’s sad to see when unhelpful, politically motivated comments use ill-informed drama to overshadow the essential point here for those in crisis: 988 is a free mental health lifeline which is available to ALL who may need it.