I am a relatively recent transplant from the red place, I can tell I ain’t in Kansas anymore, actual good information being up voted so cool.

Aspartame is, because of all the claims against it, the single most studied food substance known, and it seems to somehow keep coming okay. There are a lot of studies with really bad methods that were a smear job attempt but science doing what it does they were labeled for what they are and disregarded. Is it possible to be allergic and a reaction to be anxiety sure, but that is not on the food.

That is unfortunate, with a more clear picture, this looks more like someone that has chosen to allow mental health to be an excuse for poor behavior rather than a reason for it. I would argue this is equally as bad.

I do not argue mental health as an excuse, I have my struggles and set backs in that arena but it doesn’t give me permission to be an awful person, I do think there is a vulnerable population that can be prayed upon due to a tendency toward credulity, or having been relentlessly bullied that now they want to find a group to belong to, and in that group they want to find some form of secret knowledge that the masses are not aware of, like a secret shadow government that is really in charge. So when they are proven right they can have a great I told you so moment they have wanted all their life.

So again I say looking in from the outside mental illness often looks the same and is poorly understood if it is understood at all even by those that live with us and care for us. From the tone that op seems to be taking they are starting to feel piled up on and is shutting down to just definsiveness. I suggest perhaps they need exposure to more people and the stigma of mental illness may be at play. I am sure many people in their life has a struggle or even a diagnosis, but it is not appropriate to talk about so they may never know.

Sorry for rambling, just really have a lot of thought on this, and rarely get to talk about it. Very much a fascinating subject.

I agree again, but the attempt was good, and the recognition of wrong doing is even better. I am in a good mood today and am exhilarated to see people given the chance to grow.

I have to say on a different day I may have had a much different response to this. I guess such is mental illness and developmental disability.

I typically get so angry to see myself placed with the likes to trump and his crowd of pathetics.

The mistake is an understandable one, this man and his minions are greatly and rightfully hated. Many of us have grown up with mental illness as a boogieman myself included and still regularly hear it bandied around as an adjictive. You heard from many, correct as you saw fit and apologized. That took courage and wisdom. Thank you.

I agree, but have hope that with the olive branch education can begin, at that may bring understanding.

I think Lennybird may have worded that in an unfortunate way, but there is a point, the MAGAt crap is designed to exploit mental illness and nurodivergence. The thought process it takes to believe the junk that comes from them is truly magical, and that level of mental gymnastics requires an amount of breakdown of skill or deep religious belief, and while that is not All mental illness I can see where someone on the outside could look into that camp and see only mentally ill people and just put together a very very bad and frankly hurtful phrase.

Oh I get what you mean but I think the word is culpable LOL