The Dali Lama has written: ‘Interdependence is a fundamental law of nature. Our own survival is so dependent on the help of others that a need for love lies at the very core of our existence. Therefore, we need to cultivate a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others.’
The words of the Dali Lama spell out our interdependence as members of the human family. In today’s world there is polarization and dissention, misinformation, lies, false equivalencies and conspiracy theories that estrange us from ourselves as a society. We can’t live with such division. Our very survival depends on our dependence upon one another, a sense of empathy and compassion for one another, a genuine sense of responsibility and concern for the welfare of others.
In 2017 a group of psychiatrists, psychologist and other mental health professionals met at Yale University and wrote a letter expressing their concern about Donald Trump’s fitness to be the President of the United States. They did this out of their sense of responsibility to the American public to directly express their concerns regarding Trumps emotional instability. This group also penned a collection of essays entitled In the Dangerous Case of Donald Trump where these writers, all of whom are highly considered in their field, shared their observations about his words and behavior that they felt were important to share with the American public.
His behaviors have created 88 Felony Counts, four of which are scheduled for trial in New York, Florida, and Fulton County Georgia. He has been charged with falsifying business records, willfully retaining national defense information, five counts of obstruction of justice, one count of interfering with a federal investigation and four counts of making false statements. In the District of Columbia, he has been charged with one count of corruptly obstructing an official proceeding, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and one count of conspiracy against rights.
He has also been convicted of raping a woman and denying that he had ever met her. Added to his rape conviction, he was convicted of defaming the woman and is to pay ninety-three million dollars as punishment for his lying about having known her and for publicly insulting her integrity.
On these grounds alone it would seem that his record of behavior would work against him in any pursuit of the Oval Office. But there is more. He also was responsible for the act of sedition against the United States with his supporting and encouraging the January 6th attack of the United States Capital. His act of sedition is grounds for his not being able to become an elected official in any capacity, in the United States government, much less running for office of President.
Trump has also used legal delays as a tactic to put off court proceedings and has been allowed to get away with this tactic up until his April 15 Court date in New York. His plan has been to avoid going to court, hoping that he will win the Presidency and he can then pardon himself of outstanding charges that have been brought against him.
The reason I am writing this article is that I too, feel a sense of responsibility to my fellow Americans regarding his running for President. I received my clinical license to practice in 1972. I have worked in in-patient psychiatric units, out-patient psychiatric units, in public education settings and in private practice.
I have found that there are as many ways to look at someone’s behavior as there are people in the mental health field. Some would label and characterize someone as being one thing or another. Others would describe someone’s behaviors and ways of relating with other people. I am more comfortable with describing someone’s behaviors and words because, by describing what I can see and hear, I can better express what it is that concerns me about another person.
· Donald Trump is someone who, for me, manifests behavior that consistently ignores the concepts of right or wrong, the feelings of other people, and is impulsive and comfortable with the use or threat of violence in relation to other people. Perhaps worst of all, he doesn’t show any remorse for his behavior.
· He will say anything to disparage someone he opposes. ‘Who would vote for a face like that,’ was one such comment he used in relating to Carly Fiorina. He would refer to Hilary Clinton as ‘crooked Hilleary.’ He referred to members of the military as suckers and losers. He refers to Biden, as Sleepy Joe Biden. He even mocked Biden’s stuttering at a rally.
· His thinking often appears to be disoriented, incoherent and illogical. He will go from one topic or position to another without any connection between the two. In his expression of ideas, it is often that he will misspeak or misuse words. His thoughts often reflect delusional thinking; ‘I am the only one who can fix that.’ Trump, within one week compared himself to Jesus and to Nelson Mandela.
· He often will use false equivalencies and misinformation. It is as if he is totally comfortable saying whatever comes out of his mouth without any attention or awareness of his ignorance about a topic. During the Pandemic, for example, he indicated that the use of injecting bleach into ones’ body would be a potential cure for having the COVID virus.
· In addition, after he lost the 2020 election, he claimed that the election had been stolen from him, when, in fact it was determined that the 2020 election was the most carefully monitored election in our history. Three years later, he is still asserting that the election was stolen.
· He approaches dealing with issues by approaching the solution with the strategy of the ‘the ends justify the mean.” In Georgia, for example Trump lost to Biden by 11,779 votes. Trump, in a taped phone call indicated that he wanted the Secretary of State to provide him with 11,780 votes so that he would be declared and certified as winning the Gorgia vote. In effect, he was bargaining to have the vote and choice of the people thrown out, so he could falsely win the Presidential vote in Georgia.
· Trump was responsible for the January 6 attack on the Capitol. He encouraged his supporters to engage in disruptive behavior to prevent the orderly transfer of power from his administration to the Biden administration. People were hurt, there were deaths on the part of the police and public. He even encouraged his followers to hang his Vice President if he followed through with his Constitutional responsibility to make sure that there was an orderly transfer of power between administrations.
· Trump takes full credit for the reversal of the Roe v Wade. His placement of three justices on the Supreme Court who initially stated that they had no difficulty with a woman having a right to determine her reproductive health issues along with her physician, reversed themselves and asserted that abortion was not a protected right under the constitution. This reversal of a 50-year law threatened to leave women with no alternative but to face any consequences due to her pregnancy being lethally abnormal.
· He refers to his letters between himself and Kim Jong Un as ‘love letters.’ When it was reported that the Russians had interfered with our elections, he asked Putin if they had been involved with our election. Putin said no. Trump believed Putin over the word and evidence of his national security advisors.
· He is openly stating that if he wins the 2024 election, he will become a dictator on the first day. That he will weaponize the Judicial system, will do away with the separation of powers that provide checks and balances that exist in today American Political system. He will do away with the notion that all are equal before the law. He asserts that he will punish those who have not supported him. This has truly put the January 6 Committee members on notice.
· He also asserts that if he doesn’t win the election, there will be a bloodbath and that there will never be another election in the United States.
· Trump has exercised violence in his behavior towards those who have pushed against him. He has his supporters harassed and threatened his opponents. He is engendering fear in those who he dislikes and is advocating the use of violence against those who he feels have not been supportive. In this he is breaking the law and could be arrested and jailed for his behavior. And the courts have not called him to task for his words and behavior.
· Trump has also taken positions that have suggested he is a sexist, and someone who a racist. He believes that immigrants are ‘poisoning the blood of America. His followers are white males who want to thwart non- whites from voting in elections. The reason is that there are more nonwhites voting than whites. The consequence for this is that the white male dominated white power base will lose at the ballot box.
· Our judicial system is ill prepared to deal with someone like Trump. Our system is set up to give someone every chance to prove their innocence. Trump exploits these avenues of escape at every point and has so far evaded facing the consequences for his behavior. On April 15th, this evasive behavior will come to an end.
· Trump seems to be someone who thrives in upsetting and destroying whatever he comes upon.
Do you believe that Trump can create the genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others that the Dali Lama asserts is the key to our survival as a human community? I don’t think so.
Please VOTE!
