On reading so much about Syd all over the net

(I wrote this this morning as a bulletin for The Bottom 99's myspace account because a lot of people were sending out "Syd is dead" bulletins)

I wanted to make a comment on the comments I've been reading about Syd's death.
I want to address both schizophrenia and diabetes. Both of these diseases are ravagers and have stripped us all of many loved ones, either physically or emotionally.
As a group who lives with both of these illnesses and their effects I feel we have something worthwhile to add.

When the recent news appeared that the two richest men in (basically) the world had pooled their resources to fund the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation I couldn't help but notice that nowhere in the foundations goals were there any concerns for giving aid to persons with mental illnesses.

And yet statistics clearly show that the majority of the burgeoning homeless and disenfranchised populations in the western world have a mental illness as one of their primary issues.

I also notice that the very basic issue of feeding the vast populations who are malnourished was not listed.

I contend that mental and emotional stability and a belly full of safe foods are at least as important to the human race right now.

So if you are in a group that feels setting an example or backing a cause is part of your social responsibility, I encourage you to support mental illness charities and resist funding/sponsorship from agri-businesses and tell the world (or at least your friends and supporters) why.

And the next time you're on the way home from a gig and find yourself stepping over a homeless person with pity, approbation, disgust or whatever you experience, please keep in mind that that person is likely, in essence, a motherless Syd.

Thanks for your time
Stella Magdalen