Originally written for the Huffington Post I mostly steer clear of writing political pieces, partly in fear of not completely understanding the complexity of the issues at hand, but mostly in fear of the impassioned and opinionated voices that will no doubt emerge from the woodwork. But this time, things are different. I am not afraid of misunderstanding the implication of the message, and I am not afraid of the opposing voices — however loud they may be. Public figures often

Originally posted on The Huffington Post With the emergence of fall comes the promise of Halloween and all things pumpkin spice, festive, and spooky. It’s no surprise that the people behind the scenes of Knott’s Berry Farm carefully curated a new attraction to cater to this season; an attraction to entertain a crowd of consumers who enjoy being spooked. An attraction that, in its essence, uses the idea of mental illness to create fright, interest, amusement, and — let’s be ho