![]() ![]() “History plays tricks on all of us,” he said with a laugh. Speaking of power, I asked Raskin when he was going to make us all happy and run for president someday. Makes me happy to celebrate her a lot and the fact that she’s relieved of the burdens of power.” I’m happy to see her hanging out and talking to people in a better way that she didn’t have the luxury to do so before. Now, having said all that, I’m so happy that since she stepped down, she has been amazingly relaxed. She loves people and children she’s committed to the future generation. She is a stalwart for American democracy. When she was speaker, I saw her working every hour of every single day into the wee hours of the night, and she’d be right back at 6 a.m. I feel like she is a continuing gift to the republic and the American people. Since he is close with Speaker Pelosi, I asked him to say a few words about her. I told Raskin that during my meeting with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, she called the Republicans passing anti-LGBTQ+ bills “losers” several times. I just felt compelled to act to defend my family and country.” I suppose the experience was a journey, and a terrible crisis and emergency that went from personal to political. COVID also helped set the stage for the January 6 insurrectionists and the violence unleashed against us. "In my book I wrote about how Tommy’s death took place in the context of the COVID nightmare, and that was an important ingredient that kept my son’s depression in darkness. “In some respects, I did not feel that I had a choice," he said. I never make judgments about how people respond. Some people are meditative and closed about it. "It’s important to talk to people and hear from people like you about their personal journeys. “Well, I suppose everyone has their own way of coping with the situation," he said. In that vein, I wanted to know what Raskin says to people who ask him for advice on the best way to cope. It’s really important for people to be enlightened to the fact that mental health issues are rooted in neurochemical conditions. "I’ve not heard something like that before, but I’m sure some people feel that way, and perhaps because depression and suicide are still shrouded in stigma and shame. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that," he said. I told Raskin that when people find out about my attempts, they often don’t have any idea how to respond, and that when I told one person about what happened to me, they said that I should be ashamed of myself. Silence endows the whole subject, and that is a power that it should not have. I say sometimes that not talking about it is akin to not talking to teenagers about sex. It’s wrenchingly difficult, but it’s not helping anyone battling depression if we choose not to talk about it. We want to honor his life by showing our love for one another and helping to shine a light on mental health struggles and what people are going through. “The note demonstrated what he cared about most, those less fortunate, and so it’s been terribly painful for us, particularly since Tommy struggled with mental health issues, and we didn’t pick up on the clues. Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me. “Tommy left us a letter that said, 'Please forgive me. ![]() “First of all, God bless you, and it sounds like you are in good shape. I also thanked him for speaking out, and why he personally felt the need to go public with something so utterly heartbreaking. I opened up to Raskin and told him about my own experiences with suicide, how lucky I felt to be alive, and how I’ve written about my struggles. The issue of suicide can be very painful to discuss, particularly for someone like Raskin, who lost a child. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to talk to Raskin candidly about the issue. It's far away from the party of Lincoln.” Most moderates have abandoned the party, and you have groups like the Lincoln Project, which are full of former party members. "Now I think the Republican Party is at a point of no return. “During the impeachment hearings in the Senate, I told Republican senators to vote for impeachment, not only as a way to save the republic and the Constitution but to do it for their own good and for their party, and in the process, help save the Republican Party however, they didn’t do it, and by not doing so, they have crippled their party," he continued. He has a stranglehold over the MAGA base, but that’s it.” What it tells me is that his appeal runs very deep but only with a certain segment of the Republican Party and with a certain group of people. “That was exactly my reaction that he’s just further alienating moderates in the Republican Party and independent voters. “I did see it, and I completely agree with you,” he emphasized. ![]()
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