A Guide To Anger And Conflict Resolution
Welcome to From Insults To Respect. I just watched President Trump’s speech about what he hopes the U.S. hopes will be achieved by joining forces with Israel to attack Iran. Since the attack began three days ago, some friends have asked for my reaction. Here’s my response. There are only four things that I am certain of: Billions of tax dollars will be spent on this…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Today we’re going to take a few minutes to compare a Palestinian conflict to one that Native Americans had been engaged in. Doing so, will suggest a path toward peace for the very violence-prone Middle East region. The Comparison The conflict Palestinians are engaged in can be briefly described by using the mnemonic DIG. These letters serve to remind…
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Welcome to From Insults To Respect. Today, we begin with the question, Why do we like getting high? Many people, for their New Year’s resolution, seek to cut back, or even completely give up, drinking or consuming other drugs. They have begun to wonder why they have been spending so much money and time on this activity. They may recognize that although for many the use…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. As readers can readily see, this blog deals with issues related to insults and respect. Because I’ve assumed people readily know what they mean, in none of my previous posts have I bothered defining them. However, I recently asked some people what respect means, and found they hesitated, seemed unsure how to respond, or gave some vague answers. For example,…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Recently, I came upon an article in The New York Times by Ellen Barry titled, “Autism, A.D.H.D., Anxiety: Can a Diagnosis Make You Better?” She begins by telling us about a woman in her early 50s who, upon getting a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, “described it as a profound relief, releasing her from years of self-blame — about…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Today, I ask readers to consider a story that raises some questions regarding the practice of psychiatry. The Story Cool Steve and three of his fellow high school buddies, Jeff, George, and Cliff, have come to the Coney Island Child Psychiatric Center because Steve’s eight-year old brother, Pete, has been dealing with some serious emotional problems. When Pete was…
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Welcome to From Insults To Respect. Today, let’s consider a story in which the N-word gets used in a couple of very different ways. A Rough Basketball Game May, 1965. “Wandering around the Coney Island area a few blocks from the amusement parks, 15-year old Steve and his nine-year old brother, Pete, spots some guys about his age playing basketball. As they come closer, they…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. This week, I happened to be listening to Paul McCartney’s album, Egypt Station, and the song “Who Cares” came on. There we hear Sir Paul sympathizing with pretty much all of us who, at one point or another, have been picked on. The song begins: A-one, a-two Oh yeah Did you ever get hurt by the words people say And…
Read MoreWelcome to From Insults to Respect. Here’s a story that just might deepen your thoughts about racism. Cool Steve Deals With Racism Monday morning. Lincoln feels more familiar now. Here and there I see someone I know. After lunch, my black friend, Leroy and I are talking about our rock band rehearsal next Thursday night while heading to math class. I spot Steve Marino…
Read MoreWelcome to From Insults To Respect. When thirteen-year old Cool Steve’s parents no longer can afford the rent where they had been living, they move to a less expensive, run down apartment. Steve has to start a new junior high school even though it’s the middle of a school year. Let’s see if we can learn something when we see how Steve handles his first day…
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