I'm Roberta Morris. Maybe you've met me, but don't recognize me. No one does these days, because I keep making rather dramatic changes to my hair.
I've recently given up blonde and reverted to my natural brunette in what I'm calling my "impulsive, impetuous and impatient"
In a recent article on his N.Y. Times blog, Nicolas Kristof brings into focus John McCain's "impulsive, impetuous and impatient" personality. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/opinion/28kristof.html)
His column cogently points out the dangers of these behaviors, particularly as they might impact foreign policy. The press, however, seems reluctant to bring attention to to the question of McCain's mental health. It is almost certain that he suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
In a well documented article by Ted Sampley, published by the U.S. Veteran Dispatch in December of 2007 ( http://www.usvetdsp.com/dec07/mccain_suicide_ptsd.htm) the writer states:
"McCain says because he survived 5½ years of brutal torture, while a prisoner of the communist Vietnamese, he is better qualified to be president of the United States than any other candidate. McCain claims his POW sufferings included three years in solitary confinement where he was tortured so badly that he "broke," causing him to attempt suicide.
What McCain's promoters have carefully edited out of their McCain-for-president equation is his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Department of Defense psychiatrists have evaluated McCain for PTSD several times, the results of which remain locked by privacy laws.
PTSD can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which physical harm occurred or was threatened. U.S. government studies have concluded that former POWs "may remain embroiled in a harsh psychological battle with themselves for decades after returning home."
It does not take a battalion of psychiatrists to link McCain's erratic, compulsive, and combative behavior to PTSD. It is obvious to anyone familiar with the symptoms of PTSD that Sen. McCain is mentally unstable. The office of the Presidency requires a person whose judgment is not impaired, and McCain's behavior in the last week alone, calls into question his ability to handle stressful circumstances.
McCain's sudden and virtually inexplicable choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate brings us face to face with the terrifying possibility that this totally unqualified and vacuous woman could accede to the presidency. It is not only that Senator McCain could die or suffer a recurrence of cancer while in office, but that the extraordinary stresses of the position could catapult him into a psychotic episode during which he would be unable to fulfill the duties of the presidency.
It is important that the national press follow the courageous lead of Nicholas Kristof in calling to public attention the real perils of a McCain presidency. Hopefully, he will also find it appropriate to address the factors that contribute to this "impulsive, impetuous and impatient" behavior.
For more information about post-traumatic stress disorder, you can visit the site of the National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder at http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/information/
His column cogently points out the dangers of these behaviors, particularly as they might impact foreign policy. The press, however, seems reluctant to bring attention to to the question of McCain's mental health. It is almost certain that he suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
In a well documented article by Ted Sampley, published by the U.S. Veteran Dispatch in December of 2007 ( http://www.usvetdsp.com/dec07/mccain_suicide_ptsd.htm) the writer states:
"McCain says because he survived 5½ years of brutal torture, while a prisoner of the communist Vietnamese, he is better qualified to be president of the United States than any other candidate. McCain claims his POW sufferings included three years in solitary confinement where he was tortured so badly that he "broke," causing him to attempt suicide.
What McCain's promoters have carefully edited out of their McCain-for-president equation is his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Department of Defense psychiatrists have evaluated McCain for PTSD several times, the results of which remain locked by privacy laws.
PTSD can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which physical harm occurred or was threatened. U.S. government studies have concluded that former POWs "may remain embroiled in a harsh psychological battle with themselves for decades after returning home."
It does not take a battalion of psychiatrists to link McCain's erratic, compulsive, and combative behavior to PTSD. It is obvious to anyone familiar with the symptoms of PTSD that Sen. McCain is mentally unstable. The office of the Presidency requires a person whose judgment is not impaired, and McCain's behavior in the last week alone, calls into question his ability to handle stressful circumstances.
McCain's sudden and virtually inexplicable choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate brings us face to face with the terrifying possibility that this totally unqualified and vacuous woman could accede to the presidency. It is not only that Senator McCain could die or suffer a recurrence of cancer while in office, but that the extraordinary stresses of the position could catapult him into a psychotic episode during which he would be unable to fulfill the duties of the presidency.
It is important that the national press follow the courageous lead of Nicholas Kristof in calling to public attention the real perils of a McCain presidency. Hopefully, he will also find it appropriate to address the factors that contribute to this "impulsive, impetuous and impatient" behavior.
For more information about post-traumatic stress disorder, you can visit the site of the National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder at http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/information/
posted by Roberta at 3:23 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home