And I mean no disrespect to the man, despite my seeming obnoxious manner.
I happened to click on the CNN website when his death was announced as “Breaking News.” About 15 minutes later, it wasn’t even a prominent news article.But it’s back again as a story, as I suspect, because CNN found a way to suggest something that nancy disgrace and ritaruba might hyperventilate about:
” A cause of Thomas Eagleton’s death was not disclosed”
I was very disappointed when McGovern shafted Eagleton from his VP slot in 1972 over the disclosure of his history of depression. It was probably one of the great Democratic politician’s flip flop moments, canning him after backing him “1000%” percent.
There is a significant taint of social undesirability when it comes to depression–oh and amongst folks who have experienced depression, nonetheless. How many years did I check “no” on the questionnaire at various physician’s offices, when it was asked “where you ever treated for depression?” My rationalization was that I went to a psychologist, not a psychiatrist, and hadn’t been prescribed medication.
People who are depressed also have to suffer the ignorance of those who think of depression as a refusal to be cheerful and positive-thinking. Once, when coming out of a depression in high school, I wrote in my journal “I haven’t cried in 2 weeks!” because I was truly grateful to experience some sort of happiness. I would mentally czech off events that provided evidence I was a “normal” person.
Several jobs back, I remember posting a quote from an article about depression–most assuredly it was from Harper’s as I read every word of that magazine back then. The author’s contention was that the filtering out of some sections of reality was essential for the phenomena of happiness. The quote was(or to the effect):
“People who totally perceive reality are probably clinically depressed”
I was very surprised when I found out that Primo Levi killed himself. An enormously talented man who survived a Nazi concentration camp. Someone who I think I would weigh in as pathetically lacking in terms of strength, if a comparison were made. But yes, my response betrayed my obeisiance to the taboo.
So I felt kind of bad to see that another human, with all the dimensions humans have, is ghettoized among the depressives when his life ends.
If you don’t czech the yes box, somebody else will.
Oh–I think I will crosspost this at Je blague–the site with “less pics than OPOL, but not bad for an old lady” (as if someone would say that)
