In response to Naoma Wright’s letter in the March 31-April 7 issue, I would like to tell her that Mariann Cirelli has been working several low-paying jobs as a caretaker for disabled persons who cannot care for themselves, all the while seeking help from local agencies to get her mentally ill son into a facility where he can get the care he needs. Ms. Cirelli asked a legitimate question to a local elected official on a subject that is near and dear to her heart, and yet Ms. Wright accuses her of “putting down” Christine Mulholland and berates her for “advertising her plight.”
You would think as a self-proclaimed advocate for the mentally ill Ms. Wright would have more compassion for the mother of a mentally ill son and offer some assistance or guidance to Ms. Cirelli, instead of defending a powerful public figure like Ms. Mulholland, who is more than capable of speaking for herself.
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Mike Mesker
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in Apr 7-14, 2005.