This seems a typical strategy of the pcp (metaphor of a dangerous drug
seems accurate here after my "interesting" post was selectively read
by Bob) clan when confronted with alternative construals of their
actual
behavior. Jim talks about reinforcement and insanity, Beverly posts
info
on a new book (which I was supposed to review in JCP--I bet Bob
"doesn't
recall this") while Devi attacks Bill and Jon pretends like nothings
happened at all in the past couple of days! :) Hemant
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I am extremely offended and hurt by Hemant's post for several reasons. First
off, I had not even received Hemant's "interesting post" when I sent the
request for NAPCN News contributions to the mailbase last week (I often receive
mailbase messages in a different order than they were sent--is this true for
anyone else?).
Second, I do not appreciate Hemant's assuming to know my intentions (i.e.
"pretending" nothing happened at all). I was a graduate student at the last
NAPCN Conference in Indiana, and Hemant (the co-leader of the pcp mailbase) did
not make any overtures (or even introductions) to me during that weekend.
Should I assume this was a "snub" by someone who had an "in" in PCP circles
(after all, how many graduate students help run the mailbase?). To me, to do
so would've seemed silly and somewhat petty.
Third, while I hear that there are people out there who feel like they have
been shut out by the old PCP elite, this has not been my own experience (note
that I only will speak to my own experiences, and not assume that my
experiences are exactly the same as everyone else's!). I am relatively new to
PCP. I just received my Ph.D. in August, and am not part of the "old guard."
I have felt accepted on this mailbase and in NAPCN, got involved by offering to
edit the newsletter (a job nobody seemed to want), and enjoy the conversations
on this mailbase. This is not to say that every post I send receives an
instant response from a multitude of mailbase members. Not one person
responded on the mailbase to my recent post on PCP and object relations.
However, I did not take this as a "snub" by the old guard. I don't believe it
was.
I have tried to make NAPCN News more of a forum for PCP-ers. I have requested
grad students, especially, get involved and send me things to print in NAPCN
News. Hemant is actually one of the few persons who have taken me up on this.
NAPCN News struggles because of what I have preceived as general
apathy/business from NAPCN members. Each time I post requests for submissions,
I receive only a paltry number of responses. I really want to see NAPCN's base
expand, and new members to get excited about the organization. My post was
simply an attempt to do that. It had nothing to do with "pretending" anything.
Hurt and confused,
JON
Jonathan D. Raskin, Ph.D.
Dept. of Psychology
Tennessee State University
3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37209-1561
tel (615) 963-5158
fax (615) 963-5140
e-mail: raskinj@HARPO.TNSTATE.EDU
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