Some of you may or may not recall, but I was a school counselor and private practice career counselor in my past life. I’ve had several lives since that time, but certain parts of my graduate counselor training have remained in how I conduct my life.
“Duty to warn” is a legal and ethical concept for counselors to warn authorities, or the intended victim, if someone (usually a client) threatens to cause serious harm to themselves or others.
I began a substack over two years ago (and have neglected to regularly write) which I have re-named appropriately “Duty to Warn”.
I do that because I feel I have a duty to sound the alarm…both as an ethical counselor and a political writer. It’s like warning someone who’s about to get hit by a car as they cross the street. We have ethical and moral imperative to keep others safe.
There’s been a lot of debate between the Goldwater Rule versus Duty to Warn in the Age of Trump, but I truly don’t believe it applies in our country’s present crisis.
The days ahead, especially in the month of January, will be particularly dangerous, globally, nationally, and in Texas. With Congress convening on January 3, with the certification of the election on January 6, with the Texas Legislature’s 89th session beginning on January 14, and with Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the month representing Janus, the god of two faces looking forward and backward, portend a months-worth of nightmares that are real.
Political revenge. Project 2025. Mass deportations. Unfathomable corruption involving oligarchs buying their way into the literal functioning of our government and an all-out assault on Democracy. Trump has already begun filing lawsuits against news outlets that criticize him or tell the unvarnished truth, and we’re seeing corporate media run for cover.
Bernie Sanders has said it very clearly in recent weeks. “This issue of oligarchy is the most important issue facing our country and world, because it touches on everything else.”
Those who take to heart the “duty to warn” are not treated kindly. Think of Bandy Lee, who lost her university position for warning us about Trump’s mental illness or all the many whistleblowers who’ve died (or were perhaps, murdered) or committed suicide. Those who take seriously the duty to warn are always in great danger, because of the powerful moneyed oligarchs and politicians they wish to expose. It takes great courage, but it really shouldn’t, because it’s merely “doing the right thing”–isn’t that what we’re all taught by our parents and by our school experience?
Of course, there are those who, in spite of facts, examples, names, places, and coincidence, refuse to accept and heed warnings. This happened on November 6 and that’s why we’re facing this predictive fine mess we’re in at present.
