The excuse of mental illness has no place here and psychiatrists and psychologists have spoken to this.On a whimsical note…Is Rachel Dolezal repeatedly unsuccessfully auditioning for the social role of Joan of Arc without the religiosity? If so the present day Burgundians are shape shifters and keep denying her the part.
In the middle of my rereading of Jim Comer’s excellent Maggie’s American Dream, the news of the Charleston massacre at “mother” Emanuel church came across.The story of black and white wary cooperation in the days of sanctioned segregation and the importance of education in effecting a new day still resonates in support of D.S.’ criticism of the dubious essentiality of group membership as a primary basis for thought and action.But the wariness of the interaction supports the notion of atavistic mechanisms that are evolutionarily supported. The image of Manson and his “helter-skelter” mad scheme for bringing about race war and the hooded figure of the Klansman rode in with the news from Charleston.So too the numerous strange fruit harvested in the search for missing civil rights activists in the 60s.So too the image of the white father of a deceased white gunman who recently went after the Dallas police, obviously ill and…
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The Octogenarians 
Daedal2207 (and blaring headlines) bring to our attention some of the destructive symptoms associated with the “status” game. We need to understand that status is not harmful – it is only inappropriate status that is harmful. This indicates that the injection of a learning process (an attitude process) may reduce the painful symptoms of inappropriate sentiments.) But, is there an atavistic factor at play? Are we to suffer inevitability the play of social dysfunctions – mechanistically determined by genetic-like serendipity?
Maybe – but I think that we will increase the probability of improvement if we operate as if we truly can shape the future for the better – no matter the difficulties involved in the process of separating oneself from the inappropriate shaping of us by environment and others. In every person’s life I sense the potential for a most important moment – it occurs when the attitude, “They are responsible for what I am” becomes, “I am responsible for what I become.” It is at this point, this very moment, when self-respect can JUSTIFIABLY start to be self-directed.