Posted by: marilynmendoza | November 16, 2012


I did say that I would not post more than 100 posts but the media attack on my son must be addressed so here is 101

Dear TMZ

Does it bother you that this story is untrue and that you know it.  In fact your “breaking” video of my son’s arrest shows that my son was not wielding anything. I had a lengthy conversation with the prosecutor and he confirmed my son did not have any weapons on his person except the scissors you constantly refer to. He voluntarily told the police that he had a pair of scissors he had found.

Does it bother you that you are perpetuating the stigma against the mentally ill by your name calling? Words are powerful and they incite people to love or hate or war or peace.  My son is not a maniac. He is not the dumbest criminal alive.  He did not have a weapon, was not convicted of stalking and does not have a lengthy criminal record. These are all lies. What he does have is an illness, a mental illness.   That is one of  the “other factors” you mentioned in his getting out early. He has an illness and not unlike cancer or arthritis, it hurts. Please stop the stigma against the mentally ill. We all pay when the mentally ill are portrayed as maniacs. Most of us will have some kind of mental illness in our lifetime; or know someone with a mental illness.  According to the NIMH, it is one in four.  I have an anxiety disorder now which is under control. My book which is the same name as this blog is a memoir which does not omit my suffering with mental illness but  I do not hang my head in shame.
Maybe you feel you are entitled as  a celebrity reporter to give the public sensational news. Miley Cyrus is big news. So, when the police were called to her house, you were there to happily video my son and record his delusions for the world to see. You must have seen the video you made. I did. It was all over the internet with many titles that can all be filed down to “Scissor Wielding Maniac stalks teenager”  Does it bother you at all that his children are suffering and are you surprised that they love him? The truth can be more interesting to some readers than the drivel that your reporters make up. He is a non-violent published poet. He never swore at his mother or his children in his life and when he was ten, his teacher gave him a set of encyclopedias for his curious mind and sweet personality. Oh, I know that is not news your reader want.  He also has severe mental illness since puberty and has had multiple traumas since then. Mental illness is a tough illness to treat. He has tried many medications with little result. The mother of his children helped him to survive and even thrive in a world that rejects the mentally ill and when his delusions became too much to handle, he left his family. But that was only a few months before the incident. He has largely been a part of his children’s life and has written poetry dedicated to them and his love for them never wavers.
Does it bother you that unlike the celebrities that you cover, he has no means to defend himself against slander and bullying. Does it bother you that by inciting people to be afraid of the mentally ill, you are hurting the very people who read about “crazy people.”
I know the answer. None of this bothers you because money is your god. Morality is not in your vocabulary. However, I am naive to believe that there are more good people in the world that than bad and that your lies will be exposed and rejected.
I want you to retract your slanderous lies about my son. He is in jail and doing more time that a certain Ms. Anthony did for not murdering her daughter. He is a peaceful man whose last words to me were “I love you Mom.” I know that most parents of mentally ill children who are in the criminal justice system skulk away in shame. I am not ashamed or afraid. I must be strong for my people; the voiceless mentally ill, even and especially if my own child is one of the four. I want to end by saying I am sorry for whatever pain my son’s actions caused Ms. Cyrus family. I was shocked at the hatred I read directed at her. It reminded me of one thing. As humans we are not all that different and none of us are immune to hate mongers.  signed  A mother


  1. There is little symphathy for people with MI. I don’t expect it to change. My only hope lies in research for better treatment and cures.

    • Thank you for your comment. Call me naive but I am still fighting to end the stigma. It worked for cancer which used to be whispered and called the “C” word. I do agree we need beter treatment and cures but that will only be when we stop the hate against the mentally ill Aloha

  2. Very well said now send a copy to the talk show hosts. Dr. Phil, Ellen Degeneres and people who can air it puplicly. You go girl.

    • Good Idea Janice but I am a bit fatigued by the negativity aimed at me. Sent replies to Huffington Post, TMZ, and Perez Hilton. bleh. Now to go to positive people Aloha

  3. Beautiful piece, Masha Pia, written from the heart. All my love. Always. Nechama Dina Nerenberg


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