Letters
Stirring up a memory
In reading "Beyond the trauma" (Sun Journal, Oct. 25), an uneasy feeling stirred deep inside. Years ago, we just "sucked it up" and lived with it. That seemed right for me at the time. I was the officer on the front page of this paper staring at the body of Angela Palmer, 25 years ago. No other person who responded to that scene was there longer than I. The funny thing is, I hadn't even been to the police academy yet.
I was dispatched with the fire department for "smoke" coming out of the building. We were overwhelmed with smoke upon entry into the apartment (a smell I will never forget), then found three persons praying in the living room. I got them out of the building feeling pretty good that I had saved lives. A woman asked, "Where's the baby?" I re-entered only to witness a fireman finding Angela. I can still see his reaction clearly, 25 years later.
The next day my family had a freshly-baked chicken on the table for Sunday dinner. I began to sweat and shake upon that sight, and excused myself. These were clear signs of the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder that I didn't understand. I was told this would make or break me. I survived, but am often reminded of a day no training can prepare a person for.
I shouldn't have let my career get in the way of treatment and today, nobody should be let back to work without it.
Lt. Thomas Kelly, Lewiston
Maine State Police
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How can anyone old enough to
How can anyone old enough to remember that day ever forget??
. . .P T S D is treated well
. . .P T S D is treated well at Togus - i used to work there - a semi-sorta' public option , Lt. Kelly . i share similar experiences of death and remembrance from my Peace Corps days training public service officers in Micronesia . One guy i worked with in Chuuk just retired as Chief of Police for Honolulu , a Boisse Correa . Thank you for your dedicated service :)
Very well said
Very well said
verified Lt Kelly I agree with you.
Lt Kelly I agree with you. Anyone that wasn't there can't imagine what you and all the others saw that awful day, and continue to be reminded of. Thank you to you and every other emergency responder for what you do to keep the population safe.
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verified on "P. Nachman: Confidence probably misplaced"
Ronald, If you have not
Ronald,
If you have not noticed, everything I’ve listed is a growth in the size of government, a growth in government spending or a program in crisis.
A tax cut does not belong in that list. While a tax cut may grow the size of the national debt, a tax cut does not necessarily grow the size of government nor does it increase spending.
Moreover, you selectively forgot to add your favorites, Bill Clinton and Obama, to your list of tax cutting presidents. Any reason why? Maybe your Cuban pharmacist is giving you placeboes!
verified on "G. Decoteau: They deserve each other"
I second
I second the motion!!!!
- Agree Agree (1)
verified on "P. Nachman: Confidence probably misplaced"
Not surprising
It is not surprising that the Czarist and racist factions of the old "Conservatively" Russian front are continually becoming seen all over again. The entire facets of hatred and fear seem to be predated in concepts from Stalin and Hitler himself. Using the vileness of the "outsider" as the most dangerous among us. Mr. Nachman you remind me of a classmate of mine who had felt that as she was of Czech descent that my mothers lineage of Irish-Jewry made it so that I would have to kneel before here.
As a Baptist this is rather disappointing to see that for all of the physics based knowledge one can posses creating an air of fear is the only true self-gratification one can get. In fact this is a bondage between those in the systems of your own family as well. The racism and the scaffolded humanist rejections with an air of continual fear is little more then self-centered egotistical facets. It seems to thrive on fear and donations to establish a "cult" mandated sense of the opine in writing and creates a narrow minded view of those who think differently.
Mr. Nachman while you enjoy the daily purges of illegal "aliens" does any of this truthfully set you so far apart from Stalin or Hitler? The very nature of the article which you write is more of instilling fear toward others; then little more then that? Is this a case where in reverse desperation anyone not deemed American would have to kneel down before you? The questions becomes of the VDare project just how much of a diaspora it would create and exiles as well if they had ever been given enough control to expel other Americans.
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