20 January 2021, 1700 GMT, 1200 EST

 Dear Mr. President,

As you assume the Oval Office, I wish you the utmost in fortune, opportunity, and luck.  Without stating what my vote was, it is my deepest hope that you and your administration will earn my vote in four years.

I note the election results and commend you for earning the highest popular majority in the history of the United States.  It is important to note that former President Trump earned the second highest number of popular votes in the nation's history.  To dismiss over 70 million Americans as illiterate, gun-toting zealots is not in the best interests of the country.  Please be a president for all of us.

No person is without flaw, and no person is without success.  I urge you then to look at all that your predecessors have accomplished, to keep in mind their failures and shortcomings, and to build on their successes.

Very respectfully,

Rabbi Sean Gorman

LCDR, CHC, USN

That's Twice!

 Good evening to all.

I just finished watching the most recent episode of "The Good Doctor."  In this episode (season 4, episode 6), there is a young man suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  He had seen his friends die in a roadside bomb explosion while on his third combat tour.  Worse, his job was to detect those bombs before they could be a threat.  He was exhibiting flashbacks, significant behavioural issues, nightmares, etc.

On a related matter, my spouse and our daughter have been binge-watching "Grey's Anatomy."  In that show, one of the doctors is also a combat veteran.  Lo and behold, he too is suffering from PTSD as a result of his experiences while on deployment.

Hospitals are great, I suppose.  Still, the military chaplain sees this and feels no small amount of frustration.  Why do I feel some frustration?  I am glad you asked that question.

This is our job.  This is what we do.  We are good at it.  Every service has a Wounded Warrior Program.  There is a similar program here in Canada.  It would be nice to see the writers on these shows mention something about these programs, and even write something into the scripts.  

And on a related matter, these issues are also part of the reason that hospitals have chaplains.  Again, it would be nice to see that written into the scripts from time to time.  I point out here that the position of the chaplain is absolutely connected to patient care.  It is also connected to care for the staff.

Last, in one of the smarter moves of recent history, the Province of Ontario updated its laws.  For first responders suffering from PTSD, the legal presumption is now that this PTSD is work-related.  There is no requirement of proof.

I am now sending a note to the Facebook page of the "The Good Doctor."

Have a good evening everyone.

R/SCG