Letters to the Editor
AJCalhoun
Published Letters: 964 Editor's Choice: 127
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Having Almost Been Dead Myself Once...
[Read the article: Everybody's tiptoeing around my dad]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I can somewhat relate to the beast the father has become. I was ten years younger, but true near-death experiences (or even just major surgery without complications) can often trigger some strange psychological responses. As Carey points out, there was clearly already something ascrew with this family, because otherwise they would have regrouped, dealt with this, and by now it would be history. The Bowen resource is a very good one, but only if the LW can put it into the context of this specific family and how the Wrecking Ball has affected an already tilted dynamic.
Since one can only change one's self and no one else seems to be moving off the dime, I think the LW would be quite appropriate to seek therapy. At least someone would be gaining some fresh insight because of this problem which, under more "normal" conditions should have been simply a big bump in the road.
As for dad, he's had his turn. If he's allowed to continue on this way he undoubtedly will. Only if he is willing (which he clearly is not) to seek help will he get off his own ass. LW is the only one so far who seems truly interested in fixing something. Oh, and maybe keep a little distance.
I was fortunate enough to have follow-up care by a physician who directed me to a psychiatrist who specialized in dealing with people who had suffered major cardiac events (mine certainly qualified). It took me a long time to recover fully, but my outlook improved rapidly with both psychotherapy and cardiac rehab, as well as a family which loved me enough to not take too much of my shit.
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Good Call, But Perhaps Too Late
[Read the article: Bush to the media: Shut up and wave the flag]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Mark Goodman's article is on point (all historical inaccuracies duly noted), but the final sentence is the most important by far: "The press is duty-bound to report, factually and fully to the body politic, on the operations launched by its government against all enemies, foreign and domestic. For if it does not, the government may itself become the enemy while we sleep."
Unfortunately, this combination of righteous charge of the press to publish and warning to the readers that the whole purpose is to prevent the government from eating us alive may be far too little and far too late. We already are staggering beneath the burden of an Imperial Presidency run totally amok. It is now beyond the press alone to stop this insane juggernaut, although there is still very important work for the press to contribute to the effort, and to do otherwise would be negligence bordering on murder most foul; but it is no longer enough to keep the public informed of the madness: it is now incombent upon we, the people, at whose pleasure these lunatics serve (or so the theory goes) bring down our government, and replace it with another which will actually observe the Constitutional restraints laid upon it, and restore some semblance of sanity and, dare I use the word? Morality. These are truly dark times for the Republic, and until and unless we somehow come to our senses and remember we are the owners and they are our servants, NOT our dictators, we will shortly find ourselves on the short and shitty end of history's stick. Given the importance of the American Experiment to the entire planet, it would be a failure of cataclysmic proportions if we were to allow this freak show run a single day longer.
But I hope for too much. At least the rag Times will hopefully continue to chronicle the demise of the Republic so that some future wave of far more visionary descendants might perhaps read the secreted, yellowed pages and grab the Spear of Destiny which we have used to decorate our museum of half-assed accomplishments. It really is Now or Never. And Never is looking healthier right now. God save the Republic from itself.