A Nation in Denial
Mentally healthy human beings don’t want to believe the worst about others. We would like to believe that what we see, hear, and read is at least partially true or even untrue, depending on the situation. Humans want to find a reason to forgive the mistakes, crimes, and heinous acts by others. We look for reasons; things in their past which brought out the worst in another person. I hate to tell you the absolute truth, but in most situations, this is psychiatric bullshit. We are all born with free thought and free choice. During our preteen and teenage years we have an opportunity to choose our friends, make decisions about what comes next, and search for the truth. I know no one in my generation who lived lives depicted by television shows like “Ozzie and Harriet,” “Father Knows Best,” or “the Donna Reed Show.” For the most part, post WWII children grew up in dysfunctional families. PTSD, changes in family structure created during the War, new opportunities for women in society, and a...