Police Psychology | Republicans Show a Bit of Class
by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP

I was going to avoid making any political comment this voting season, but I saw somethings at the Republican National Convention that was just extraordinary and warmed my heart and mind, so I thought I would comment. I am old and wise enough to know that it might just be rhetoric, but I don’t think so.

First, one of the speakers before Ivanka Trump, was Peter Theil, the Paypal, first outsider in Facebook, billionaire who admitted he was gay and talked about being gay and getting rid of the social distractions of culture to handle the country’s problems. I was actually in tears to see him address a convention of conservatives in the US and being cheered. Say what you want about the candidate behind the convention, but that was a class move. For the first time in American history, a man talked about being gay in a convention of people that traditionally never accepted gay men. I am not gay and I can’t imagine what it is like being gay, but I know it is not easy for these Americans, and I am proud to say some of the nicest people I have met are gay, and yes some are police officers and firefighters.  I volunteered for people that had AIDS early in my career, and I was in the theater early on.  That was a part of history I am glad I saw. (more…)