Purple Hearts and Purple Rage
I’d like to dedicate this post to Anthony Maschek, who was an infantryman in the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army. He was shot 11 times in a firefight in northern Iraq in February 2008. His wounds included two broken legs and additional wounds in the chest, abdomen and arms necessitating him to spend two years at Walter Reed Hospital recuperating. Anthony Maschek is an American hero, like many others who voluntarily risked their lives to defend the United States from the forces of terrorism. To me, the operative word here is voluntarily. Whether or not someone agrees with the political reasons we are involved in Middle Eastern wars, the fact is that there are thousands of military men and women who are there to protect the very fabric of Freedom we take for granted on a daily basis. The idea that Anthony Maschek was jeered and laughed at by some students at Columbia University because he is a veteran is appalling.
Anthony Maschek, 28 and married, is enrolled as a Freshman, studying Economics at Columbia, and volunteered to speak at a campus assembly hearing about allowing ROTC on the grounds. His remarks addressed his own experience that to prevent future loss of American security and safety, our military must safeguard us from the “bad men who want to kill” us. He was met with shouts calling him a “racist”. This kind of response from fellow students at Columbia University? To a man who voluntarily served and subsequently suffered injuries for the sake of his fellow Americans, including those students?
Now I am well aware that under our Constitution we are entitled to freedom of speech, and that people can disagree and express their opinions peacefully. It is all right for disagreeing students to state their beliefs. That is not the issue here; the egregiousness is the complete lack of respect for a man who has demonstrated his courage unselfishly for our country. What could those students have been thinking that would have led to such self-absorbed utterances personally attacking a war hero? Did they not consider they could have expressed their views civilly? Probably not. Since Columbia University is one of the ivy-league campuses, one would assume those students’ IQ’s are one standard deviation above average. So, this is not a dysfunction of cognitive abilities. Rather this is another example of the narcissism of some individuals who truly believe in their superiority over others, that the most important thing is for them to be recognized, and that nothing and no one should prevent them from attaining their beliefs. This sounds pathological, doesn’t it? Well, I believe it is. In “Shrink-Speak”, we call this Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Some people euphemistically call this “bullying”. Now there is a word you hear a lot about these days in school yards and social-networks, etc. but the root cause of this behavior is someone believing they have the right to over-ride another person’s freedoms for their own self-aggrandizement. It starts in childhood when a kid is not adequately taught respect and honesty and instead is taught that the end justifies the means. Scary, isn’t it? So these baby narcissists grow up into adult narcissists with no moral compass.
Aren’t you glad that the men and women who defend our country from harm don’t manifest those personality traits? After all, putting yourself in harm’s way for your country is the antithesis of putting yourself first, above everyone else. Fortunately, the justice here is that because of their egotistical blatancy, narcissists end up alienating themselves as they either bore or exhaust the people they try to influence. Historically, American military men and women serve our country selflessly, giving their minds and bodies as collateral to Freedom. As a Psychologist, I have had the honor of treating many veterans for the emotional wounds inflicted by combat. Anyone who would make fun of another man’s injuries to gratify his own ego is really intimidated and fearful of that man and what he represents. Thank you, Anthony Maschek, for your sacrifices. Don’t let the little bastards get you down.
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About Dr. Virginia
As a licensed Psychologist practicing Cognitive therapy, I work with my clients to help them identify the personal issues that are preventing them from achieving a more satisfying and well-adjusted life.
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God Bless you Tony. Don’t let the idiots get you down.
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It’s a Word Press Elegant Theme. Thanks for your comments and for visiting. Please come again.
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Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream.
Wonderful article. This event needs to be publicized widely. It is disgusting how those students behaved. Morons with black souls.
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Sorry, I wouldn’t know offhand. Try WordPress help. Thanks for visiting.
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The mind of the performer is a very strange thing.
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