Psychologists Aiding and Abetting Torture By Deborah Kory

Psychologists Aiding and Abetting Torture By Deborah Kory.

 In August, the American Psychological Association (APA)  will hold its annual convention in San Francisco. Notably absent from the program: the application of psychology to current world events. War, terror, genocide. “Our War on Terror that has led to the Deaths of Hundreds of Thousands of People”—how about that for a plenary session? Of course there are divisions inside the APA organizing against the Bush Administration’s policies and trying to have an impact on public discourse about the war in Iraq, but they are marginalized and fighting an uphill battle in a professional organization whose adherence to the status quo allows it continued legitimacy and access to power.

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Martin E.P. Seligman on “Crazy or Evil: Classing the Virginia Tech killer among them is an insult to the insane”

Crazy or Evil?
Classing the Virginia Tech killer among them is an insult to the insane.

By Martin E.P. Seligman (with the permission of the author). | In the wake of the Blacksburg massacre, we are once again hearing the chorus of crazy. Seung-Hui Cho had an imaginary girlfriend, Jelly. He said he was from Mars en route to Jupiter. He was withdrawn, bashful to the point of mute, and delusional. He is headlined as a “madman.” This does not, to my way of thinking, remotely explain what happened. It neither mitigates his responsibility, nor will it help to prevent such awful events. Even worse, it is a callous and egregious insult to all the wonderful, humane “crazy” people that psychologists and psychiatrists routinely treat. Continue reading Martin E.P. Seligman on “Crazy or Evil: Classing the Virginia Tech killer among them is an insult to the insane”