Wednesday, June 3, 1998

" Going Postal " Harmlessly

So many stories in the news lately  are " anger " driven. Because

    someone wakes up angry , innocent people die an unexpected and violent

    death. Often they never even knew their killer.

         Most biologists understand that the human nervous system is really

    adapted to life as we lived it many thousands of years ago. Way back in

    the Stone Age there was probably no mindless violence . Life was short

    and brutal but not CRAZY as it is today.

         We read about irate employees " going postal " and want the mental

    health system to come to the rescue.

           But how unnatural life is for everybody today beginning in the

    school years.  What healthy animal would like to spend five or six

    hours in school five days a week - plus an additional 15 or 20 hours

    at some obnoxious job- for spending money.

        How many adults not utterly brainwashed by the " work ethic " see

    clearly the mindless drudgery of their lives. Is it really " normal "

    to want to work 8 hours a day in some corporate building that is

    contemptuous of every human need . Imagine having to explain the need

    for an open window ! 

         The " business " environment is downright hostile to everything

    poetic and sensuous in human being. No wonder a significant number

    of vulnerable individuals crack.

         We want people to cope with S-T-R-E-S-S , but we don't dare

    think to deeply about its  social roots.

         And to add insult to injury - to quote Dr. Charles Spielberger -

    " We build jails rather than mental hospitals ". ( June 2, page f3 )

          Half of our prisons  should be converted to mental hospitals !

       I myself often " go postal  " harmlessly . I write letters and now

    E-mail spares me the cost of a postage stamp .

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Ron