Columnists

I am in my late fifties, and I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia: Paranoid-Type, at age eighteen. All my adult life, I have lived with the specter of mental illness. And this is no walk in the park. Even though I've rarely gone without having my material needs met, this disease is serious business, and it ruins many people's lives.

Ruination of one's life can be prevented. The beginning is to accept treatment and get the symptoms under control. Yet, for many people, this is a tall order. Compliance with prescribed antipsychotics is often the biggest hurdle for a person suffering from schizophrenia.

(Another hurdle that may exist concurrently is to prevent harm to oneself and others.)

There are reasons for the common "noncompliance" with treatment. The absence of basic insight about the presence of psychosis is one of those reasons. The patient's mind has disconnected itself from reality. And because of this, the patient is unable to recognize that their thinking is not accurate. They may believe it is the world that has gone crazy, and not them. To the patient, this internally generated false version of reality is correct. The disease blocks perception of itself. -more-

A recent Washington Post Robert Kagan oped (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/23/robert-kagan-constitutional-crisis/) says what a lot of us have been thinking: the United States is heading into a constitutional crisis. Would-be dictator Donald Trump is determined to run for President in 2024 and "Trump and his Republican allies are actively preparing to ensure his victory by whatever means necessary." To deal with this existential threat to our country, it's necessary for all of us -- not just our leaders in Washington DC -- to take extreme measures.

Robert Kagan observes that Trump has consistently been underestimated: "[The establishment] underestimated the extent of [Trump's] popularity and the strength of his hold on his followers; they underestimated his ability to take control of the Republican Party; and then they underestimated how far he was willing to go to retain power." Kagan details the forces that animate the Trump movement: "Suspicion of and hostility toward the federal government; racial hatred and fear; a concern that modern, secular society undermines religion and traditional morality; economic anxiety in an age of rapid technological change; class tensions, with subtle condescension on one side and resentment on the other; distrust of the broader world..." Kagan continues: "What makes the Trump movement historically unique is not its passions and paranoias. It is the fact that for millions of Americans, Trump himself is the response to their fears and resentments. This is a stronger bond between leader and followers than anything seen before in U.S. political movements." [Emphasis added] -more-

Mopping Up after the Pandemic

The window display at Mr. Mopp's toy store on MLK has changed again. This time, in addition to showcasing scores of books for young readers, the windows are also decorated with messages from young readers.

More than a dozen posters feature caricatures of face-masked authors along with their hand-written responses to the question: "Why do you wear a mask." Most are along the lines of "I wear a mask to protect my family and my friends." One reads: "I wear a mask so I won't have to wear a mask."

One young fellah named Griffin confesses: "I wear a mask so I won't get yelled at." And a movie buff named Ben has written: "I wear a mask so I won't be the character in the horror movie who thinks it's a perfect idea to go into the murder basement."

Bummed Out by Too Much Spirit?

Outside the Berkeley Bowl West, a trim, middle-aged gent is hawking the latest issue of the Street Spirit, swaying slightly as his boom-box broadcasts some nice soul music. I buy a copy of the latest issue and prepare to cross the road.

On the other side of the street, I pass of bearded gent in a trench coat and a Stetson who gazes up in my direction, points back at the street vendor and bellows: "He's a fraud! He's a phony! He's not homeless! He drove here in a car!"

Taken aback, but feeling sorry, I reach into my pocket and offer him a fist-full of quarters.

He smiles and mutters his thanks, adding: "I wish each of these quarters was a 100-dollar bill!"

Pausing for a moment's reflection, he speculates: "And, if they were, I'd buy me a car!"

Pausing for one more reflection, he concludes: "But I probably don't remember how to drive!" -more-