This is an offshoot to my post below about playing games in Family Court. One of the things I have learned in dealings like this is when parents misinterpret statements or conduct by the child and then suspect abuse. Typically, such parents are relieved when the allegations are investigated by professionals and are unfounded. As you can imagine, a parent who knows the truth may be upset at the "good news" and seek other professionals to give them the answer they want to hear.
Let me expand that. We just passed the 6th anniversary of 9/11 and I am struck by the number of conspiracy theories that have arisen from that event. The "official" report indicates that 19 Islamic extremists conspired to fly planes into pre-selected targets and thus chaos ensued. The question may be that the government "knew" things were going to happen or had a high likelihood of happening, but did nothing to prevent the tragic events. However, those Islamic extremists are the "good news" - we know who did it, we know what organizations were behind it.
But not everyone is content with that - there must be something more. After all, steel cannot melt unless there was a direct hit, so WTC 7 had another reason for its collapse. Isn't it odd that the President was in the South, away from "obvious" targets, and likewise, isn't it odder still that Donald Rumsfeld was at the Pentagon that morning? Why weren't fighter jets immediately scrambled to shoot down the airplanes - what took so long? Of course, the answers are secure in the minds of those asking the question, regardless of how irrational.
Has society become like the "non-misinterpreting parent"? Once we hear a salacious rumor, are we relieved when the truth is revealed or are we disappointed and look for something - anything - to make it true? I am reminded of some of the posts I have read on blogs regarding the sexual scandal in the Church and when information is lacking, the speculation I see on the part of the "SNAP group" is matched by those Catholics in their dislike of persons such as Cardinal Mahoney or Bishop Brown - the truth is replaced by questions and speculation.
Being involved with cases like mine below, I am taught and reminded to be analytical and look at the facts when situations arise where it would be easy to assume the worst. The Holy Spirit imparts the gift of discernment - I hope I don't refuse it when it comes.
1 comment:
I don't know if it's really a significant change in our society - I think an unfortunate part of our fallen nature is to assume the worst about something, especially about something that might implicate someone we dislike. I think the real changes are more in things like ease of communication, freedom of speech (after all, if 9/11 had happened in North Korea, would its citizens be able to get away with making innuendoes about Kim Jong Il being involved?), and availability of information, particularly misinformation. If you can go to a Web site that says "Hey, jet fuel fire can't melt steel," that gives that concupiscent little devil on your shoulder something to gnaw on.
I could be wrong. It does seem like we've gotten worse over the course of my lifetime. But that's based wholly on my own anecdotal observations, and I don't know how one would even begin to study or quantify that.
It's still really sad. But then, I can remember a doctor being surprised when I started crying when he told me there was nothing wrong with me. He said "Usually people are happy to hear that their tests were normal." Well, I had been up all night writing a paper, so I was overtired, but more than that I was frustrated because I didn't know why I had the particular symptoms I did. I think what I wanted to hear in that case was "Oh, we figured it out, it's thus-and-such and it's really easy to treat." The best answer he (or any other doctor) could give me was "Sometimes we just hurt." Now, in your client's ex's case, there's a clear other explanation. But I think maybe part of the reason people latch onto 9-11 conspiracy theories is that the obvious explanation ("Sometimes we just hurt") doesn't make sense. It seems like there must be more.
Good post.
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