Many years ago, I lived across a pond from another young couple. Their three-year-old son wandered into water and drowned. To this day, I can remember his mother's howls. Night after night, for a very long time animal-like shrieks of pain could be heard across water. Yes, they went onto have more children and laughter returned, but, not easily and not soon.

And, last night my own daughter's car slid on black ice, car skidded, hit an embankment, and overturned. She walked away alive and barely bruised. She asked me why she was spared. I said I didn't know, but maybe there was a reason. She doesn't believe me yet. I only know, that this time I was one of lucky parents. I am deeply grateful, for I have lived long enough to know it is only for this time. Life is ephemeral and no one knows what lies around next bend. So, take each blessing as you can.

Life is too hard to do alone,

Dr. D.

Dorree Lynn, PH.D.

Dr. Dorree Lynn is co-founder of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Psychotherapy and a practicing clinician in New York and Washington, DC. Dr. Lynn served on the executive board of the American Academy of Psychotherapists and she is on the editorial board of their publication, Voices. She is also a regular columnist for the Washington, DC newspaper, The Georgetowner. Dr. Lynn is a noted speaker and well known on the lecture circuit.

There will always be another Timothy McVeigh. However, with notoriety and fame, he or she will get younger and younger. Evil or good, fifteen minutes of fame is what matters in our celebrity oriented society. McVeigh ritualized Waco. Now we ritualize him. We are McVeigh’s puppets, giving him exactly what he requests. Does this make sense? Not only does execution as deterrence not work, but in modern society its application masks more primitive motives of “justice.” The assertiveness of minority of relatives in McVeigh case and willingness of officials to acquiesce, allows a glimpse of what is being acted out. However, I suspect, that little, if any of this is their awareness. Attorney General Ashcroft is as pea brained about human unconscious as Prosecutor Starr was about Kinsey and sex.

As a psychologist it is my responsibility to look at unconscious, collective unconscious, and evolution as it applies to McVeigh and families who will witness his death. Simply, what we have here is a case of revenge, not justice. Can there be harm from witnessing his death? “Yes.” It is estimated that it can take many people from three years with help, to five, more, or never without help to get over trauma of an automobile accident. Many of loved ones of 168 people who died must be experiencing more than trauma endured after an automobile accident. Many are suffering Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, which can get worse under such conditions. No one knows how he or she will ultimately react. Kathleen Kennedy Cuomo was only eight when her father, Bobby Kennedy was senselessly shot and killed. She has said that even then, her only wish was that they did not kill killer so that another family would not have to suffer. Turn other cheek? Not exactly. But, to rise above our primordial instincts makes us human. Let us try to behave so.

Life is too hard to do alone,

Dr. D.

Dorree Lynn, PH.D.

Dr. Dorree Lynn is co-founder of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Psychotherapy and a practicing clinician in New York and Washington, DC. Dr. Lynn served on the executive board of the American Academy of Psychotherapists and she is on the editorial board of their publication, Voices. She is also a regular columnist for the Washington, DC newspaper, The Georgetowner. Dr. Lynn is a noted speaker and well known on the lecture circuit.