Op-Ed:
The Driven – from SaS, December 28, 2012
Posted on
December 29, 2012 by Jean
SaS
apologizes because this is a long read, but the news is slow now with
legislators around the entire planet gone home, etc. because of the holidays,
and I’m hoping you’ll take the time to read this important piece – instead of
other, often meaningless news.
When I initially read this piece, the word
Wetiko immediately brought to my memory an article I published back on December
11, 2011, in which Wetiko was defined in a way I will never forget. Wetiko
is described as a mental illness, an illness from which the the Native
Americans early on realized we from Europe suffered: Wetiko means cannibal –
not one who literally eats the flesh of another, but one who eats the life of
another. In that article I mentioned several related posts that I hope will
further clarify SaS’ words. I will post the article called REPOST:
Wetiko, mentioned in the movie, I AM, reminded me of this post separately for those of you who have interest in delving
deeper into the subject.
SaS suggests that
there is/was far more going on with Sandy Hook than even bringing gun control
issues to the fore as a diversion. His words are partially inspired by Paul
Levy’s fine piece, The Sandy Hook Horror: Will It Wake Us Up From Our
Collective Nightmare? If you haven’t taken the time to read
it, I hope you will. SaS suggests that far beyond that which most people
realize, we have been involved in and duped by a superb effort at misdirection—in ways that are
not immediately apparent. Once again, thanks, SaS, for using your analytic
gifts so generously on our behalf. . . Hugs, ~Jean
SaS: I
apologize. This is a long read but, then again, we’re not discussing the
aspects of a good game of tennis are we?
On
October 6, 2012, having detected a pattern of duplicity emerging from a series
of unbelievably savage homicides reported to have occurred in a number of
locations throughout the United States, I wrote an article for Jean entitled
“The Nature of the Thing.” On the more dramatic and blatantly obvious
incidents of orchestrated violence, many of you submitted commentary.
Within that commentary, you not only recognized the duplicity of a “shadow
government” and the dark forces of the Oligarchy that supports and funds it,
you submitted findings of your own! Those articles
of circumstanceredirected our attention to little-known facts that were
emerging around the travesties of social justice that had scourged the human
family in odd and far-away places like Aurora, Colorado and Oak Creek,
Wisconsin.
This
morning, December 25, 2012, I read the very well-written article by Paul Levy
posted by Jean. Levy poses the incident at Newtown, Connecticut to be a
symptom of“collective psychosis.” Just what is a
collective psychosis?
Referencing
an interview with German psychoanalyst, Gertrud Hardtmann, conducted in 2001,
the interviewer, Mathilde ter Heijne, asks:
“Should
war, between two nations for instance, where vast numbers of men and women
decide to fight for their country or religion, also be seen as a state of
‘collective psychosis’? Is it also a case of a mass of people who no longer
bother to check certain assumptions, especially since they are now under
orders? Is war a matter of a loss of realism?”
Granted,
we’re discussing an abstract context of the human condition but, as you can
immediately understand, I’m certain, “war” as an analogy of the physical
manifestation of “collective psychosis” indeed makes its definition all the
more decipherable despite the intangible qualities of its conceptualization as
a feature of our reality. To this question, German psychoanalyst Gertrud
Hardtmann then defines “psychosis” in general as:
“Psychosis, or any
psychotic reaction, represents a partial loss of realism. Hitler
was an example of such loss of realism, as were his generals. But so, too, was
the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1944 an instance of this loss of
realism. Realism has to do with the relationship between one’s goals
and the means employed to achieve them. In almost every war that I
know of, this relationship is lost. I believe this is because war and its
military participants develop a logic and dynamic of their own that can
no longer be controlled by means of political reason.”[Emphasis mine][1]
Notice
she exploited the interviewer’s suggestion that the concept of “war” might best
characterize the outward manifestation of “collective psychosis” to appropriate
anapproximation of the definition of “Psychosis” as an event within which
the human mindbecomes detached from its anchorage in the real
world (whatever we think that is). Paul
Levy’s immediate supposition lies within a telling declaration in the
very first paragraph of his essay:
“Our society, as
well as our species, is suffering from a psychic epidemic of titanic
proportions. This collective madness pervades the global body politic in such a
way that it is hard to recognize because our madness is so obvious and has
become so normalized that we don’t even notice it anymore, a blindness which
itself is an expression of how advanced our madness has become.”[2]
Ah,
but is it–has it? Stop and
think for just a moment, do any of you have an urge to kill? Do any of
you have, as your political objective, the annihilation of an entire class of
human beings? Do any of you think of your fellows as “useless eaters” who
have no inalienable right to their own existence?
Before
I continue unfolding my supposition for your scrutiny and consideration, I’d
like you to peruse this list of reported incidents of violence that have
occurred within just this past year of 2012.
(1)
Newtown, CT
December
14, 2012
26
people were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a K-4th grade
school. 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, [This is how it was initially reported but
we now know that the purported gunman was Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old
autistic man] whose mother was one of the victims and employed by the
school, was the lone gunman. Twenty young students and six adults at the school
died. (26 Dead at Newtown School, NBC, December 14, 2012).
(2)
Portland, OR
December
11, 2012
22-year-old
Jacob Roberts killed two and injured one before killing himself at a
Portland-area shopping mall, which was crowded with thousands of holiday
shoppers. The injured victim was a 15-year-old girl, to whom Roberts had no
relation. (Details, but no answers, in Oregon mall shooting, CNN,
December 13, 2012)
(3)
Fresno, CA
November
6, 2012
Lawrence
Jones, a 42-year-old employee of a Fresno, CA – area chicken processing plant
opened fire at his workplace, killing two and injuring two others before killing
himself. Jones had a long criminal history and was on parole at the time of his
death. Later reports indicated that he had been diagnosed with ‘explosive
disorder. (3 dead, 2 wounded after shooting rampage at California chicken
plant, Fox News, Nov. 6, 2012)
(4)
Chicago, IL
October
21, 2012
Two
men, ages 28 and 30, were killed in a shooting that also wounded a 25-year-old
pregnant woman in the city’s South Chicago neighborhood. This incident was one
of many unrelated shootings that together resulted in 24 wounded in one
weekend. (At least 5 dead, 24 wounded in gun violence over weekend, Huffington
Post, Oct. 22, 2012)
(5)
Brookfield, WI
October
21, 2012
Radcliffe
Haughton shot and killed his estranged wife Zina Haughton and two other women,
wounding four others before killing himself, at the salon where she worked.
Haughton had a history of harassing Zina, who had filed a restraining order
against him on October 8, 2012. This order prohibited Haughton from owning any
firearms, yet two days after it was approved, Haughton illegally purchased a
.40-caliber semiautomatic weapon, which he used to kill three people and
himself. (Wisconsin salon shooter’s wife told court he terrorized her for
years, NBC, Oct. 22, 2012)
(6)
Casselberry, FL
October
18, 2012
Three
women were killed and one was wounded at a beauty salon by gunman Bradford
Baumet, who later killed himself at another location. Police say he was served
with a domestic violence injunction October 9, 2012, and had been scheduled to
appear in court the day of the shooting. (Salon shooting: police ID
accused gunman in Fla. salon shooting, AP, Oct. 18, 2012)
(7)
Winter Springs, FL
September
30, 2012
Several
people exchanged gunfire before a charity motorcycle ride began at a Veterans
of Foreign Wars post. Shooters killed two and wounded one, and police
confiscated numerous weapons. (Shooting at veterans club in Florida
leaves 2 dead, 1 injured, AP, Sept. 30, 2012)
(8)
Minneapolis, MN
September
27, 2012
Disgruntled
former employee Andrew Engeldinger entered Accent Signage Systems, Inc., and
opened fire, killing five and wounding four before killing himself. Among those
killed were Reuven Rahamim, the business owner, and a UPS driver. (Five
dead in Minneapolis shooting rampage, Minneapolis Public Radio, Sept.
28, 2012)
(9)
Compton, CA
September
10, 2012
A
still-unidentified shooter opened fire on a group of young men gathered behind
a Compton apartment building, killing one and injuring two others. The gunman
fled on foot, and police say the shooting appeared to be gang-related.
(Gang-related shooting in Compton kills 1, injures 2, ABC, Sept.
10, 2012)
(10)
Old Bridge, NJ
August
31, 2012
23-year-old
Terence Tyler shot and killed two coworkers at a Pathmark grocery store, early
in the morning before the store opened. The victims were 18 and 24 years old.
Tyler used an assault rifle similar to an AK-47 and killed himself with a
handgun. He was a former Marine, and police say he might have had a history of depression
and mental illness. (Employee shoots 2 dead at NJ supermarket before
killing himself, police say,NBC, Aug. 31, 2012)
(11)
Chicago, IL
August
24, 2012
Eight
people were wounded on a single street on the South Side of Chicago in a
drive-by shooting. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 20 years. This incident
was among several unrelated shootings the weekend of August 24 that wounded a
total of 19 people. (At least 19 wounded by gun violence Thursday, 13
over 30 minutes, AP, Aug. 24, 2012)
(12)
Laplace, LA
August
16, 2012
Two
police deputies were killed and two were wounded in a shootout in a suburb of
New Orleans between police and suspects with ties to violent anarchists. The
shooters were among seven “sovereign citizens” arrested, known to the FBI for
their suspicious activity and radical ideologies. The group of suspects had
been previously monitored, and a stockpile of weapons was found in their
residences. (Suspects in deputy killings linked to extremists, CBS,
Aug. 18, 2012)
(13)
College Station, TX
August
13, 2012
A
30-minute shootout near the Texas A&M University campus resulted in the
deaths of a police constable, a bystander, the shooter, and the injury of four
others. It was said by his family that 35-year-old gunman Thomas Caffall was
“ill.” The University activated its emergency “Code Maroon” to warn students to
avoid the area. (3 killed in shootings near Texas A&M
University, CNN, Aug. 14, 2012)
(14)
Oak Creek, WI
August
5, 2012
Seven
people were killed, including the gunman and three injured at a Sikh temple in
a Milwaukee suburb. The FBI is investigating the incident as a “domestic
terrorist-type incident.” (Gunman, six others dead at Wisconsin Sikh
temple, CNN, August 5, 2012)
(15)
Aurora, CO
July
20, 2012
Twelve
people were killed and 58 were injured in Aurora, Colorado during a sold-out
midnight premier of the new Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises” when
24-year-old James Holmes unloaded four weapons’ full of ammunition into the
unsuspecting crowd. He detonated multiple smoke bombs, and then began firing at
viewers in the sold-out auditorium, Ten members of “The Dark Knight Rises”
audience were killed in theater, while two others died later at area hospitals.
Numerous patrons were in critical condition at six local hospitals, the Aurora
police said. (Colorado Movie Theater Shooting: 70 Victims The Largest Mass
Shooting, ABC, July 20, 2012)
(16)
Tuscaloosa, AL
July
17, 2012
A
gunman stood outside of a crowded downtown bar and opened fire from two
different positions early Tuesday, sending patrons running or crawling for
cover. At least 17 people were hurt. Nathan Van Wilkins, 44, surrendered about
10 hours after the shooting near the University of Alabama campus, police said.
Authorities believe one of the bar patrons was a target of the rampage and that
it was connected to an earlier shooting at a home. (Alabama shooting suspect
surrenders, SFGate, July 17 2012)
(17)
Chicago, IL
July
11, 2012
Four
youngsters are among the latest victims caught in Chicago’s gun violence
epidemic, including two middle school-aged girls who were wounded in a
neighborhood park on the Far South Side. (Gun Violence Leaves 4 More Chicago
Youth Wounded, CBS Chicago, July 11 2012)
(18)
Dover, DE
July
9, 2012
At a
weekend soccer tournament in Delaware three people died and two were wounded.
The dead included the tournament organizer, a 16-year-old boy participating in
the tournament and one of three suspects alleged to have initiated the deadly
violence Sunday afternoon at a park near downtown Wilmington. (3 dead after
gunfire at Del. soccer tournament, AP, July 9 2012)
(19)
Chicago, IL
July
6, 2012
Three
people were shot, a 19-year-old man was shot in the calf, a 34-year-old man was
shot in the back and a 24-year-old man was shot in the thigh. The oldest was
taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition and the other two
were taken to Roseland Hospital, Alfaro said. Someone approached the three on a
bicycle and opened fire. (3 dead, 7 wounded in shootings across city, Chicago
Tribune, July 9 2012)
(20)
Seattle, WA
July
02, 2012
One
killed, five injured at party. Gunfire erupted at a South Seattle home
where a party was underway. Six people were hit with flying bullets as multiple
shots were fired. One of the wounded, a 21-year old woman, later died. (MORE
GUN VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE,Sky Valley Chronicle, July 2 2012)
(21)
Chicago, IL
July
1, 2012
One man
was killed and a man and woman were injured in a shooting that occurred early
Sunday in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, police said. A 22-year-old man
was shot in the head and pronounced dead on the scene. (Cops: 1 dead, 2 injured
in West Side shooting, Chicago Tribune, July 1, 2012)
(22)
Omaha, NE
06/26/2012
Gun
violence put three men in the hospital, one of whom has serious injuries. One
neighbor said she heard several shots, then went outside to find the victims
hit in the hand, arm and leg. (3 injured in 61st Street shooting, MSNBC,
June 26, 2012)
(23)
Houston, TX
06/20/2012
Gunfire erupted
outside a Houston night club, killing three people and wounding two others as
hundreds of confused concert-goers hit the ground in panic, witnesses and
police said. 3 people, including one woman investigators described as an
innocent bystander, died. (3 dead, 2 wounded in Houston club shooting, CBS
5 News Channel, June 20, 2012) 1225 Eye Street, NW, Suite 1100,
Washington, DC 20005i(202) 898-0792 iFAX (202) 371-9615 http://www.bradycampaign.org 5Updated
12/14/2012
(24)
Auburn, AL
06/09/2012
A 22
year old man opened fire at University Heights apartments off West Longleaf
Drive. The shooting left three men dead, including two former Auburn University
football players, and three others wounded. (Manhunt on for suspect in Auburn
mass shooting,Dothan Eagle, June 10 2012)
(25)
Oklahoma City, OK
5/23/2012
A
16-year-old boy is in custody and suspected of opening fire after an NBA game
on Monday, injuring eight people. Three of the people shot were bystanders,
while five had been involved in the group clashes, which revolved around “high
school, girls-and-boys stuff”. (Police say 16-year-old shot eight outside NBA
game, Chicago Tribune, May 23 2012)
(26)
Chicago, IL
5/26-29/2012
Last
year Chicago saw four people slain during Memorial Day weekend. This year the
city saw 40 shootings and 10 murders over the four-day weekend (Chicago’s
Memorial Day Weekend Was Terrible, Atlantic Wire, May 29, 2012)
(27)
Seattle, WA
05/30/2012
40-year-old
Ian Stawicki entered a Seattle cafe on Wednesday and opened fire, killing four
people. He then left Cafe Racer, killing another person during a carjacking
before taking his own life. (Seattle Mass Shooting Latest by a Concealed
Handgun Permit Holder, Huffingtonpost, June 1 2012)
(28)
Gilbert, AZ
05/01/2012
Four
people killed by a former neo-Nazi before he turned the gun on himself. The
killer shot and killed his girlfriend and three others, including a toddler as
a result of a domestic dispute. (Armored gunman, 4 people dead in Arizona
shooting, msnbc, May 2, 2012)
(29)
Tulsa, OK
4/6/2012
Three
were killed and two wounded severely early Friday morning in four separate
incidents during a span of less than two hours. Two men were arrested in the
crimes. All of the victims were targeted while they were out walking, and
apparently did not know each other. Hate crime charges were being evaluated.
(Two Men Arrested, Facebook Clues in Tulsa Shooting Spree, ABC News,
April 8, 2012)
(30)
Oakland, CA
04/02/2012
Seven
people were killed and three others wounded in a shooting rampage Monday at an
Asian religious vocational school in east Oakland; police later detained the
suspected gunman. (7 Dead, 3 Wounded In Shooting At Oakland Religious School;
Gunman In Custody, CBS San Francisco, April 2 2012)
(31)
North Miami, FL
03/30/2012
Fourteen
people have been shot and two are dead outside a funeral home in South Florida.
One of the victims, a 43-year-old man, died at the scene while the other, a
27-year-old man, died at the hospital. A 5-year-old girl was shot in the leg
and hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital along with eleven other
victims. (“Grandma, I’ve Been Shot” Said Girl Hurt In Gang Related Mass
Shooting, CBS Miami, March 31 2012)
(32)
Waller, TX
03/20/2012
Trey
Sesler massacred his mother, father, and brother in their home in Waller,
Texas. He was found by police the next day. A high-caliber rifle was used. It
later emerged the killer was also planning a Columbine-style massacre at a
local high school. (Man suspected of killing family captured, click2houston.com,
March 21, 2012)
(33)
Pittsburgh, PA
3/8/2012
A
gunman opened fire in the lobby of a psychiatric hospital in Pittsburgh on
Thursday, killing one person and wounding seven, including a police officer,
officials said. The gunman was also said to have died. (2 Die and 7 Are Wounded
in a Shooting in Pittsburgh, New York Times, March 8, 2012)
(34)
Tempe, AZ
3/3/2012
As
hundreds of fans waited in line to see Hussle, fights and arguments broke out,
police said. They also said some fans were drinking beer in the parking lot.
Three men opened fire on rival gang members and fled, police said. All 14 of
the people shot are expected to survive, including the two seriously wounded,
Lt. Mike Horn said. (Tempe concert mass shooting: Rapper decries gun
violence, Tucson Citizen, March, 3, 2012)
(35)
Chardon, OH
2/27/2012
T.J.
Lane has told police that he took a .22 caliber Ruger pistol and a knife to the
school on Monday and randomly fired 10 shots into a group of students sitting
at a table, according to prosecutors. Daniel Parmertor, 16; Demetrius Hewlin,
16; and Russell King, 17; were killed. Nick Walczak, 17, remains in serious
condition in a hospital with neck and back injuries, and another student has
been released from the hospital. (Suspect in Ohio school shooting charged with
murder, Washington Post, March 1, 2012)
(36)
Jackson, TN
2/26/2012
Police
said one person was killed and 20 others were injured early Sunday in a
shooting at a Tennessee nightclub. An apparent dispute between several people
at the Karma Lounge in Jackson led to at least three people opening fire,
according to a press release from the Jackson Police Department. The club was hosting
an after-party for a basketball game between Lane College and Lemoyne-Owen
College. (Police: 1 killed, 20 injured in shooting at Tennessee
nightclub, Fox News, February 26, 2012)
(37)
Norcross, GA
2/21/2012
Norcross
police on Thursday identified the gunman as the 59-year-old Paek, and the
victims as Byong Ok Kang, 64; Kum Hi Song, 61; Kum Sook Kim, 57, and Tae Yol
Kim, 55. Surveillance camera footage shows Paek walking into the business and
talking to one of the victims before shots were fired, police said. Paek is
accused of killing his two sisters and their husbands before turning the gun on
himself. (Witness to Norcross mass shooting: ‘It was horrible’, Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, February 23, 2012)
(38)
Philadelphia, PA
1/10/2012
Police
late Wednesday arrested a man after three teenagers were shot dead in an ambush
in Philadelphia, according to a report. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that
another teenager was also wounded in the attack Tuesday night. (3 Teens shot
dead in Philly ambush.US News MSNBC.com, January 12, 2012)
My
count is thirty-eight (38). Having studied this list of “atrocities,” I
would like you to go to this Web location and review this article recently
published by Wikipedia (take note of the plethora of references):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cases_of_police_brutality_in_the_United_States
Herein
lays the “pattern” of deceit that I had written of in my essay on “The Nature
of the Thing.” Jean posted that article twice! So now,
many of you might be saying to yourselves: “Okay, SaS, tell us what the pattern
is, already!”
In my
essay I explain that:
“[Normal] Processes
that occupy our time addressing our normal inclinations are natural, ordinary
aspects of our behavior providing a holistic and reasonable framework that
enhances our discernment. Artificially introduced and isolated from
our perceived sense of continuity are unnatural processes that stand
apart from our rational worldview. These are aspects of
a “background” wholly unfamiliar to us. They originate through
traumatic events or repetitive discipline under circumstances that seem disconnected
from us, irrelevant to our nature, and somewhat meaningless. Unnatural processes
provide very little useful knowledge. We cannot
adequately experience and integrate them as an evolving aspect of our human
nature but they do take up our time. In this fashion, we often find
ourselves engrossed in distractions that affect our preferred behavior as
orderly, reasonable, and consistent with our human nature. An
unnatural process imposed upon us through trauma or coercion, results in
behavior that manifests itself apart from our true human nature and we behave
like soulless automatons or worse, mindless savages!”
Now
then, consider the information that I have just provided to all of you
and rememberthat information is just information—it is neither
good nor bad. From one end of our finite awareness in this
Third Density experience we are being systematically traumatized by our own law
enforcement establishment—thousands of cases erupting all over the country,
arguably the result of recent trends to “militarize” the police collective
through training provided by security contractors who view the general
population as an “Intifada.” Yes, little family, we are being gradually
“marginalized” by our law enforcement agencies and police collective as a manifestation
of:
in·ti·fa·da
[in-tuh-fah-duh] noun
(sometimes initial capital letter) a revolt begun in December 1987 by Palestinian Arabs
carried out, en
masse, to protest Israel’soccupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Origin:
1988; < Arabic intifāḍa literally, a shaking off, derivative of fāḍa to shake off.
And,
just what is it that we’re attempting to “shake off” as a body politic, if
indeed, our exemplification of the term, “collective psychosis” can be
considered adequate? In an article entitled “Report: Israeli model
underlies militarization of U.S. police,” by Muriel Kane (Published, Sunday,
December 4, 2011 20:52 : The Raw Story), the author concludes:
“Given
the amount of training the NYPD and so many other police forces have received from
Israel’s military-intelligence apparatus,” Blumenthal concludes, and the
profuse levels of gratitude American police chiefs have expressed to their
Israeli mentors, it is worth asking how much Israeli instruction has influenced
the way the police have attempted to suppress the Occupy movement, and how much
it will inform police repression of future upsurges of street protest. But already, the
Israelification of American law enforcement appears to have intensified police
hostility towards the civilian population, blurring the lines between
protesters, common criminals, and terrorists.” [Emphasis
mine]
There was a
time in American History when the “civilian population” craved
domestic peace and tranquility. “Law enforcement” was viewed as a
necessary element of a civilized society in which those unalienable rights
guaranteed to us by our Constitution, would be ensured against the backdrop of
violence that was prevalent in the chaos of our evolution as a nation state.
Police brutality is to a “civilian population” irreconcilably similar in
its nature to child abuse or any kind of abuse for that
matter. And, what can we say about abuse? Well, we can
say that, in general, abuse is all about disempowerment and subjugation. Abuse
is a phenomenon of the human condition that has been with us for tens of
thousands of years and represents something more than just the physical nature
of its manifestation. I’ll agree that physical abuse might be the most
apparent symptom of this prevalent social aberration but there are other types
of abuse. They include emotional
abuse and neglect and the practice of such vicious alienation
leaves deep, lasting scars. For example, our politicians often refer to
us as a “47% who are looking for government handouts.” Really?
Social security and Medicare a handout? What the hell is the payroll
deduction doing on my god damned paycheck stub then? Then too, there are
all those disenfranchised souls living in tents and cardboard boxes, shanty
towns along the railroad tracks, street people, starving children, despondent
single mothers and feral teenagers roaming the streets of every
community. I suppose we could call them all “neglected.” Wouldn’t
you agree?
“They”
must really hate us and they’re making no bones about it either!
They want us to feel rejected, lost … useless. Abuse
“softens us up” and makes us easier quarry. Such psychological trauma
produces the animals of atrocity, as the single-most important aspect
of abuse is its unfathomably ferocious violation of innocence
and trust. These “animals” help in the slaughter of the innocent;
they are as the “Kapos” or prisoner functionary of
the Nazi death camps (The Funktionshäftling). They are
assigned by their masters to supervise the coercion and
subjugation. In this mindset, there is also imposed the meme of
“gratuitous skepticism” intended to turn victim against victim. In the
grip of this meme, we loose our bearings and cannot navigate the ethics of our
human condition. Militarized police respond to their own compatriots as
though those fellow citizens are nothing more than dogs to be beaten into
submission. They are suffering from “collective psychosis” in that they
too are prisoners of the system pitted against their fellow prisoners in order
to maintain the favor of their greedy, vicious, callous overlords. If
they are derelict–if they pause to show compassion–they are returned to the
status of ordinary citizens; prisoners subject to other “kapos.” Many of
these “police” are merely “prisoner functionaries” recruited from the ranks of
the biased and violent among us rather than from the more numerous political,
religious and racial “prisoners.” Those barbarous bastards are known
for their brutality toward “the other” and “the system” protects them.
This brutality is tolerated by “the system” and is even encouraged as an
integral part of our social context. Recruited from the ranks of the
oppressed they beat us senseless because that’s what we “deserve.”
We are nothing more than animals in their mind’s eye. Brothers and
sisters, we are being driven from the relative safety of our natural propensity
to “trust” out into the open field of fire like prey animals that are hunted,
killed, and then butchered.
It
is a fact that—from childhood—we’ve all been inculcated with archetypical
notions ofAmerican Exceptionalism. While our minds were
malleable—submerged in the innocence of childhood ignorance, we were taught to
memorize (at one time or another) the “sacred” tenets of our Constitution, the
“Ten Commandments,” the expectations of patriotism, and the efficacy
of citizenship in the applied and splendid ethics of social
responsibility. What effect do any of you think such
a profound failure of ourexpectations as citizens of the republic
might be after we suffer such disappointment at the hands of the
people we’re all supposed to trust? What thoughts enter our
minds as we all begin to realize the tremendous failure to prosecute
that sacred trust–to “protect and serve?”
Trauma.
We are beginning to exhibit the symptoms of abuse.
Withdrawn
Personality: Watch people who tend to avoid social
interaction. A willingness to trust and confide in others is hampered.
The abused often keep to themselves and avoid getting close to
anyone—both physically and emotionally. Interest may diminish for a
sports or hobbies they used to love. (Recall how I have periodically
complained of our tendency to engage in “gratuitous” skepticism. Think
about the many times that Jean has had to “police” the site for viperous commentary
that rejects—not only the comment but the very humanity of “the
other.” Think about the articles we’ve read that caution our
consciousness of the damage that is being done to our fellows as they become
more insular—pursuing the momentary rush of emotions as they engage video games
or televised sports as opposed to our earlier preferences for intimate
gatherings, idle conversation, social sharing, and common courtesy)
Abnormal
Behavior: Those with friends may have difficulty interacting in a
normal, healthy manner due to little patience, incessant
arguing or undeveloped social skills. Behavior may change
drastically. A once-happy person may suddenly become severely
depressed, jittery or angry. Sexually abused youth may show an
interest in sex or display sexually inappropriate behavior. Some appear
tentative when changing clothes around others. [Emphasis mine] (I’ve
already had to write a few Op-Eds on “propriety” for Jean, advising
participants to refrain from vulgar commentary and angry, hurtful,
diatribes. We know such behavior resolves nothing, so why do we
engage it? The answer is becoming obvious to us, isn’t it?)
Low
Self-Esteem: Experiencing abuse on a regular basis takes its toll.
Be mindful of people who regard themselves in a negative light.
They have no self-worth and feel like they are not good enough.
Eventually these feelings lead to lowered expectations and little drive
to succeed. (How many times in the past have our discussions
included encouragement—a loving, “reaching out” to “the other” for those
brothers and sisters who came to this site with heavy hearts? How many
stories of deprivation and needless suffering must we read before we
make this connection?)
Disconnect
from Family: Look for signs of discontent or voidance of emotional
attachment to a parent or loved one. It is unusual for a young child not
to be excited or happy to see mom or dad walk into the room. Children may
react strongly and resist going home. The parent may blatantly scold or
ignore the child in public and show no affection. (How many times
have we read commentary that unilaterally rejects the aesthetics, ethics, and
general philosophy of this site? “The other” calling us crazy, stupid,
infantile, or some other demeaning expression of contempt! Think about
the true nature of the oppressor and what their goals and objectives
must be.)
Toddler
Tendencies: Some find comfort in reverting back to acting like a
baby or toddler. They may cling to their parents more, wet the bed, suck
their thumb, rock back and forth or throw temper tantrums. Horrible
nightmares are common. (We’ve seen these tendencies displayed by—not
only visitors to this site—but by our fellows who occupy the space within our
immediate reality. Note the final symptom as explaininghorrible
nightmares are common which leads us back to Paul Levy’s contention.)
Levy
frames the central theme of his supposition as “…a psychic epidemic of titanic
proportions.” That’s a pretty powerful statement of personal conviction.
To “catalogue” his determination as plausible, Levy associates his
assertion with an elucidation, isolating the diagnosis of this horrific state
of mind as “malignant egophrenia,” a psycho-spiritual disease Levy has defined
as “… endemic to our culture at large, and symptomatic of the times in which we
live.
Go to
his site, Awaken In The Dream, Glossary of Terms:<span style="color: #993300; font-fa