I usually post about psychology and psychotherapy of course, but this was irresistible. Remember I said on the home page that exploring what we humans do and are “in all our glory and silliness, is for me great adventure and great fun”. In that spirit – and I must acknowledge with an attendant depression at the way things are – I share this with you.
A recent news report told us that Acting Shanahan would not be going through with the nomination process to become the U.S. Defense Secretary. And why? Because court records were surfacing which revealed that his wife of was arrested several times during the couple’s 16 year marriage on charges of burglary, assault, and property damage; the assault charge was for domestic violence – she hit Shanahan several times causing a bloody nose and black eye; she wasn’t injured, he wasn’t charged. Around the same time their then 17 year old son struck his mother multiple times with a baseball bat. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 4 years probation. Shanahan defended his son at time, claiming the boy’s mother had badgered him for 3 hours. Surely the 17 year old could have walked away, left the house by bicycle, car, or foot! Did he have to resort to battery by bat?
So why is Shanahan withdrawing from the nomination process? As the president tells it: “so that he can devote more time to his family.”
About 30 years ago I remember hearing John Cleese of the Monty Python troupe saying that he no longer watched or listened to comedy; he listened to politicians talk. I see what he means.