BOYCOTT NJ 101.5

I am physically sick to my stomach this morning. The first I heard of this story was while reading the paper and eating my Cheerios this morning.

While I agree that the "shock jock" has the right to say anything he wants and that words are never a reason to threaten someone with physical harm, post-partum depression is nothing to joke about. There is enough shame and stigma attached to all forms of mental illness that joking about something as devastating as PPD and post-partum psychosis is disgusting.

Of course, the radio station is supporting it's DJ (why are they still called DJs if they don't play music anymore?). It's free publicity for a station that's overshadowed by the largest media market in the US. And of course they wouldn't want their "free speech" rights threatened by the right-wing federal government and it's reactionary FCC, but please. Joking that PPD can be treated by smoking an illegal substance? That's beyond humor.

It's easy for a man who's only purpose in life is to call attention to himself to joke about a woman who's trying to raise public awareness about a disease that affects 10% of all new moms. He'll never be in that situation. He'll never spend hours walking a screaming infant around the house, wondering what you've done wrong, how you could possibly ever have thought you should be a parent, how you're going to permanently damage this child because you're such an awful mother. He'll never have out-of-control hormones causing him to cry hysterically ever afternoon for more than two weeks because he can't handle the screaming or the barrage of uncontrollable harmful thoughts that pop into his head. Thoughts he'd never really act on but which disturb him to no end. Could he stand having to admit to his partner that he'd had thoughts of hurting their child? Of hurting himself? Obviously, the man has never been suicidal or felt incapable of making the simplest decisions. Do you think he's ever had a day where he's got a raging incision that gets unrinated on and been unable to shower? Do you think he's ever had crushing fatique on a day when he couldn't decide if he wanted to get out of his pajamas?

How could anyone with a conscience make light of an illness that caused Andrea Yates to drown her children?

I really want to do something and I don't think just e-mailing the station will do any good.