Scary to think of the speed at which we are traveling backward in this, the 21st century. Well-written, Padre, and I was fascinated by Jackie Robinson's story. Thank you.
I was 11 in 1964. I remember well an argument I had with another girl in my 7th grade homeroom. She argued that Goldwater should become President, and I equally strongly argued for Johnson. I suspect that we were both repeating what we heard our parents say.
As a psychiatrist, we were all taught "The Goldwater Rule" rule as part of the APA's Principle of Medical Ethics, following Goldwater's failed run for public office. "When Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater ran for president in 1964, a damning May 1964 Good Housekeeping feature came out alleging that Goldwater’s wife and other family members said he had suffered two nervous breakdowns from burnout, or overwork in the 1930s. Goldwater’s mental health was a talking point in the election, thanks to his drastic stance on nuclear weapons — he said the U.S. should 'lob one into the men’s room at the Kremlin,' and suggested giving NATO field commanders more discretion about when to use them. About a month before the 1964 presidential election, a special issue of the now-defunct Fact magazine came out, boasting the cover line, '1,189 PSYCHIATRISTS SAY GOLDWATER IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY UNFIT TO BE PRESIDENT!' (Ads for the issue also appeared in the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and San Francisco News-Call Bulletin.)" [Wiki] The Goldwater Rule states that: "Psychiatrists should not give a professional opinion about public figures whom they have not examined in person, and from whom they have not obtained consent to discuss their mental health in public statements." However, because of the deep concerns of many leaders in my profession, this rule was broken. Dr. Bandi Lee, a psychiatrist at Yale University, was the organizer of this rebellion. "Lee organized a conference at Yale on the mental health of Donald Trump with the participation of other psychiatrists. Following the conference, in March 2017, the American Psychiatric Association released a statement reaffirming the Goldwater rule that restricts comments related to the mental health of public figures without their consent or evaluation. Lee characterized the statement as silencing concerns raised by psychiatrists about the Trump presidency. Lee reconvened the conference the following month, and later in the year edited The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, a collection of essays warning about the dangers of Trump's mental instability that became a New York Times bestseller. It was reported that White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly secretly consulted the book as a guide for dealing with Trump. Using this book as an 'owner's manual,' Kelly was able to intervene to block Trump from ordering the use of nuclear weapons." [Wiki] I was terrified of (my name for him) the Orange Sadist the minute I saw him descend on that golden escalator. I was so relieved when I learned that my colleagues were speaking out, professionally, and I joined them in signing a petition.
That is fascinating. I remember the issue regarding mental health professionals wanting to write about Trump as well as General Kelly’s concerns. However, I had forgotten that the rule about not writing about the mental health of political leaders was called the Goldwater Rule. It explains a lot about his statements and behaviors that caused people pause and ensured his defeat.
Scary to think of the speed at which we are traveling backward in this, the 21st century. Well-written, Padre, and I was fascinated by Jackie Robinson's story. Thank you.
("Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" arrived yesterday!)
Great! I hope you enjoy!
I was 11 in 1964. I remember well an argument I had with another girl in my 7th grade homeroom. She argued that Goldwater should become President, and I equally strongly argued for Johnson. I suspect that we were both repeating what we heard our parents say.
As a psychiatrist, we were all taught "The Goldwater Rule" rule as part of the APA's Principle of Medical Ethics, following Goldwater's failed run for public office. "When Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater ran for president in 1964, a damning May 1964 Good Housekeeping feature came out alleging that Goldwater’s wife and other family members said he had suffered two nervous breakdowns from burnout, or overwork in the 1930s. Goldwater’s mental health was a talking point in the election, thanks to his drastic stance on nuclear weapons — he said the U.S. should 'lob one into the men’s room at the Kremlin,' and suggested giving NATO field commanders more discretion about when to use them. About a month before the 1964 presidential election, a special issue of the now-defunct Fact magazine came out, boasting the cover line, '1,189 PSYCHIATRISTS SAY GOLDWATER IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY UNFIT TO BE PRESIDENT!' (Ads for the issue also appeared in the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and San Francisco News-Call Bulletin.)" [Wiki] The Goldwater Rule states that: "Psychiatrists should not give a professional opinion about public figures whom they have not examined in person, and from whom they have not obtained consent to discuss their mental health in public statements." However, because of the deep concerns of many leaders in my profession, this rule was broken. Dr. Bandi Lee, a psychiatrist at Yale University, was the organizer of this rebellion. "Lee organized a conference at Yale on the mental health of Donald Trump with the participation of other psychiatrists. Following the conference, in March 2017, the American Psychiatric Association released a statement reaffirming the Goldwater rule that restricts comments related to the mental health of public figures without their consent or evaluation. Lee characterized the statement as silencing concerns raised by psychiatrists about the Trump presidency. Lee reconvened the conference the following month, and later in the year edited The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, a collection of essays warning about the dangers of Trump's mental instability that became a New York Times bestseller. It was reported that White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly secretly consulted the book as a guide for dealing with Trump. Using this book as an 'owner's manual,' Kelly was able to intervene to block Trump from ordering the use of nuclear weapons." [Wiki] I was terrified of (my name for him) the Orange Sadist the minute I saw him descend on that golden escalator. I was so relieved when I learned that my colleagues were speaking out, professionally, and I joined them in signing a petition.
That is fascinating. I remember the issue regarding mental health professionals wanting to write about Trump as well as General Kelly’s concerns. However, I had forgotten that the rule about not writing about the mental health of political leaders was called the Goldwater Rule. It explains a lot about his statements and behaviors that caused people pause and ensured his defeat.
Thank you for sharing.
Sincerely,
Steve