Evil mechanics have been in operation in the minds of men for centuries. Ignorance and all its causes are evil. In some cases, people are unable to discern whether their illness is mental or demonic. Studies assessing individuals with neuro-psychiatric conditions associated with evil-related behavioral abnormalities have been suggesting a potential role of frontal and limbic structures of the brain, as well as of the serotonergic system. The limbic system is a group of structures in the brain that governs emotions, motivation, olfaction (sense of smell), and behavior. The limbic system is also involved in the formation of long-term memory. The structures of the limbic system are located deep within the brain, immediately below the temporal lobes, and are buried beneath the cerebral cortex, just above the brainstem. A dysfunctional limbic system is associated with several conditions and clinical disorders such as epilepsy, dementia, anxiety disorders, and autism. The frontal lobe of the brain is part of the cerebral cortex. It is located at the front of the brain, just behind the forehead, and is one of the five main lobes of the brain. The frontal lobe is the largest section of the brain, covering about one-third of its surface area. The frontal lobe of the brain plays a crucial role in vital functions such as memory, judgment, abstract thinking, creativity, social appropriateness, and motor tasks that involve voluntary movement. #RandolphHarris 1 of 31
The frontal lobes are the most common area for injury to occur in the brain. Damage can lead to a wide variety of symptoms, such as loss of movement, difficulty speaking, and changes in social behavior. The serotoninergic system is defined as the network involved in the neural regulation of mood and anxiety, playing a crucial role in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. It is characterized by the expression and activation of serotonin receptors, which influence emotional behavior and neurodevelopmental outcomes, particularly in response to early life stressors and maternal diet. Symptoms of evil tend to be extreme manipulativeness, a lack of empathy, pathological lying, an obsession with control, sadistic enjoyment of pain, and vindictiveness. If the frontal and/or limbic structures, and/or serotonergic system is damaged, because these structures and systems play vital roles in regulating the behavior of a human being, it is clear why people may believe that a person is possessed by an evil demon. Typically, evil people try to take everything you love and destroy it. They will go as far as destroying your vehicle, breaking into your home, vandalizing it, stealing, and slander. They will even go as far as doing things like killing your small pets and loved ones, poisoning, and trying to kill you. Therefore, in many cultures, evil and mental illness are often used interchangeably. However, because some mental illnesses are so severe, people believe that it can be nothing other than evil. #RandolphHarris 2 of 31
People with mental illness are members of our communities, and nearly every element of life is affected. Nearly 50 percent of Americans have been mentally ill at some point in their lives, and more than a quarter have suffered from mental illness in the past twelve months. Some people may fail to recognize their problems as symptoms of treatable mental disorders, whereas others may worry about being stigmatized as “crazy.” Nevertheless, approximately 60 percent of people with mental disorders go untreated. Strangely enough, despite the vast numbers of untreated individuals, nearly one-third of all mental health visits involved problems too mild to meet criteria for any psychiatric disorder. So, in addition to the many cases of unmet need, we have too many instances of needs going unmet. Therefore, people who are experiencing ordinary problems of living may be consuming scarce resources needed by those with serious problems such as schizophrenia and depression. Which means that those most in need of treatment do not receive it, whereas those least in need do. Of course, not all psychological troubles signify a mental disorder. Mental health professionals often provide helpful guidance to people whose distress arises from difficulties in everyday life. People seek counseling for relationship problems, difficulties at work, or loneliness. Moreover, people whose mental illness has gone into remission may still require counseling to ensure sustained recovery. #RandolphHarris 3 of 31
To further highlight this situation, therapists can help patients with a history of psychosis adhere to medication regimens and cope with life stressors that might otherwise lead to a relapse into depression or mania. In this sense, not everyone who sees a therapist necessarily counts as a case of draining scarce resources. With nearly half of all Americans suffering from mental disorders, many wonder what a mental disorder is? A mental disorder is characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. There are many different types of mental disorders. Mental disorders may also be referred to as mental health conditions. The latter is a broader term covering mental disorders, psychosocial disabilities, and (other) mental states associated with significant distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm. Nearly 1.2 billion people around the world are living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders the most common. While effective prevention and treatment options exist, most people with mental disorders do not have access to effective care. Many people also experience stigma, discrimination, and violations of human rights. This can often lead to self-torture. Self-torture is, in part, an inevitable by-product of self-hate. Whether the neurotic tries to whip himself into a perfection impossible to attain, hurls accusations against himself, or disparages or frustrates himself, he is actually torturing himself. Making self-torture a separate category among the expressions of self-hate involves the contention that there is, or may be, an intent at self-tormenting. #RandolphHarris 4 of 31
We must, of course, in any case of neurotic anguish, consider all possibilities. Consider, for instance, self-doubts. They may result from inner conflicts and may show in endless and inconclusive inner dialogues, in which a person tries to defend himself against his own self-accusations; they may be an expression of self-hate, aimed at undermining the ground on which a person stands. Actually, they can be most tormenting. Like Hamlet—or even worse than he—people can be eaten up by self-doubts. Certainly, their reasons for operating also constitute an unconscious intent at self-torture? A further example of this same caliber: procrastination. As we know, many factors may be responsible for delaying decision or action, such as general inertia or a pervasive incapacity to take a stand. The procrastinator himself knows that things postponed often will loom larger and larger, and that, in actual fact, he may inflict considerable suffering upon himself. And here we sometimes get a first glimpse that goes beyond inconclusive questions. When, on account of his postponing, he does get into an unpleasant or threatening situation, he may say to himself with unmistakable glee: “It serves you right.” That still does not mean that he procrastinates because he is driven to torture himself, but it does suggest a kind of Schadenfreude, a vindictive satisfaction at the self-inflicted distress. No evidence so far, then, for an active tormenting—but rather the gleeful attitude of a bystander watching the victim squirm and writhe. #RandolphHarris 5 of 31
If it were not for a crescendo of other observations, showing the existence of active self-tormenting drives, all of this would remain inconclusive. In certain forms of stinginess with self, for instance, the patient observes that his petty economizing is not simply an “inhibition” but is peculiarly satisfying, sometimes almost amounting to a passion. Then, there are certain patients with hypochondriac propensities who not only have their honest-to-God fears but also seem to frighten themselves in a rather cruel way. A touch of a sore throat turns into tuberculosis, a stomach upset into cancer, an aching muscle into poliomyelitis, a headache into a brain tumor, a spell of anxiety into insanity. One such patient went through what she called the “poisonous process.” At slight initial signs of restlessness or sleeplessness, she would tell herself that now she was in for a new cycle of panic. Each night thereafter, it would become worse and worse until it reached unbearable proportions. Comparing the initial fears to a little snowball, it was as if she rolled it on and on until it grew into an avalanche, which in the end would bury her. In a poem she wrote at that time, she speaks of “the sweet self-torture which is my whole delight.” In these hypochondriac cases, one factor which sets the self-torture going can be isolated. They feel that they should have absolute health, poise, and fearlessness. Any little sign to the contrary makes them turn mercilessly against themselves. Furthermore, when analyzing a patient’s sadistic fantasies and impulses, we recognize that these may originate in sadistic impulses, we recognize that these may originate in sadistic impulses directed against himself. #RandolphHarris 6 of 31
Certain patients have at times compulsive urges or fantasies to torture others. These seem to focus mostly on children or helpless people. In one instance, they concerned a hunchbacked servant, Anne, in a quieted partly by the intensity of the impulse and partly because he felt bewildered by them. Anne was pleasant enough and had never hurt his feelings. Before the sadistic fantasies started, he had alternately felt oathing and sympathy for her physical deformity. Both of these feelings, he had recognized as stemming from his identifying himself with the girl. He was physically strong and healthy, but when he felt hopeless and contemptuous regarding his psychic entanglements, he would refer to himself as a cripple. The sadistic impulses and fantasies started when he first noticed in Anne a certain overeagerness to serve and a tendency to make a doormat out of herself. Most likely, Anne had long been this way. However, his observation struck at the very point when his own self-effacing trends had come closer to awareness and rumblings of self-hate on these grounds had become audible. The compulsive urge to torture her was hence interpreted as an active externalization of impulses to torture himself which, in addition, gave him a thrilling feeling of power over a weaker creature. The active urge then dwindled to sadistic fantasies, and these disappeared as his self-effacing trends and his loathing of them came into clearer focus. I do not believe that all sadistic impulses—or actions—toward others have their sole origin in self-hate. #RandolphHarris 7 of 31
However, I think it is likely that the externalization of self-tormenting drives is always a contributing factor. At any rate, the connection is sufficiently frequent to cause us to be alert to its possibilities. In other patients, fears of torture appear without any external provocation. They also arise at times of increased self-hate and express a reaction of fear to a passive externalization of self-tormenting drives. Finally, there are masochistic and sexual activities and fantasies. I am thinking of masturbation fantasies which extend from being degraded to being cruelly tortured; masturbatory activities that accompany scratching or slapping oneself, pulling out hair, walking in too tight shoes, assuming painfully twisted positions; sexual acts in which the person must be scolded, beaten, tied, or forced to perform menial or disgusting tasks before he can reach sexual satisfaction. The structure of these practices is rather complicated. I believe that we must distinguish at least two different kinds. In one of them, the person experiences a vindictive pleasure from torturing himself; in the other, he is identified with the degraded self and can, for reasons to be discussed later, gain sexual satisfaction this way only. There is, however, reason to believe that this distinction is valid only for the conscious experience—that in fact, he is always both the torturer and the tortured, that he derives satisfaction from being degraded as well as from degrading himself. One of the implications for analytical therapy is to look out in all instances of factual self-torture for a secret intent at self-torment. Another one is to be alert to the possibility of externalizations of self-tormenting tendencies. Whenever an intent at self-torture seems reasonably clear, we must examine carefully the intrapsychic situation and ask ourselves whether (and for what reasons) self-hate was increased at that time. #RandolphHarris 8 of 31
I will now turn to a description of the way in which historical prototypes reappear in the transferences and resistances encountered in the treatment of adults. The following excerpt illustrates the relationship of an infantile identity crisis to the patient’s adult lifestyle. A dancer, of considerable good looks, although extremely small in stature, developed the annoying symptom of having to hold her torso so rigidly upright that her dancing became awkward and ungainly. The analysis proved her hysterical erectness to be representative of an unconscious penis envy which had been provoked in childhood and had become intrinsic to her exhibitionism. The patient was the only daughter of a second-generation German-American, a successful businessman given to a certain exhibitionistic individualism which included a great pride in his powerful physique. He insisted on an erect posture (probably no longer consciously Prussian) on the part of his blonde sons, but did not require the same from his dark-haired daughter; in fact, he did not seem to consider the overall posture of the female body important. This inequality of treatment reinforced the patient’s wish to compete with her brothers and to exhibit an “improved” posture in her dancing which became a caricature of Prussian ancestors whom she had never seen. The historical meaning of such a symptom is clarified by the analysis of the resistances with which it is defended. The patient, who in her conscious and “positive” thoughts always drew a parallel between the father’s and the analyst’s tall, “Nordic” physiques, to her great dismay, found herself dreaming of the analyst as a small, dirty, crumpled-up person of another religion and/or background. #RandolphHarris 9 of 31
With this image of an inferior race and weak masculinity, she apparently attempted to disqualify him from the right to explore the secret of her symptom. However, it also illuminated the danger to her fragile ego identity of an unruly pair of historical prototypes—an ideal prototype (German, tall, phallic) and an evil prototype (a different race/religion, dwarfish, castrated). The patient’s final ego identity had attempted to subsume and to sublimate this dangerous alternative in the role of the radically modern and erect dancer—a creative solution which, however, still harbored too much of an exhibitionistic protest against the inferiority of her female body. Her father’s male exhibitionism, as well as his German prejudices, had been inculcated into the patient throughout the sensual testimony of childhood and thus had retained a dangerous degree of disturbing power in her unconscious. Analyses of this kind permit us, I think, to generalize that the unconscious evil identity, that which the ego is most afraid to resemble, is often composed of the images of the violated (castrated) body, the ethnic out-group, and the exploited minority. Although it manifests itself in a great variety of syndromes, this association is all-pervasive, in men and women, in majorities and minorities, and in all classes of a given national or cultural unit. For the ego, in the course of its synthesizing efforts, attempts to subsume the most powerful idea and evil prototypes (the final contestants, as it were) and with them the whole existing imagery of superior and inferior, good and bad, masculine and feminine, free and slave, potent and important, beautiful and unattractive, black and white, tall and small, in one simple alternative in order to make one battle and one strategy out of a bewildering number of skirmishes. #RandolphHarris 10 of 31
In this connection, the latent image of the more homogeneous past exerts its reactionary influence in the specific resistances. We must study it, so that we may understand the historical origin of the accentuated alternative for which the patient’s ego is searching. The unconscious associations of ethnic prototypes of good and evil with moral and sexual ones are, we may add, a necessary part of any group formation. In studying them, psychoanalysis perfects its therapeutic methods and, at the same time, contributes to the knowledge of the unconscious concomitants of group prejudice. However, in the inventory of our patients’ ideal and evil prototypes, we probably also meet face to face the clinical facts on which Dr. Jung based his theory of inherited prototypes (“archetypes,” a very typical example of a person or thing). Dr. Jung’s controversial theory reminds us in passing of the fundamental fact that conceptual controversies can throw light on the problem of the observer’s identity problems, especially in the initial stages of original observation. Dr. Jung, it seems, could find a sense of identity in psychoanalytic work only by a juxtaposition of his ancestors’ religious and mystical space-time with whatever he sensed in Dr. Freud’s Jewish ancestry. His scientific rebellion thus also led to some ideological regression and eventually to (weakly denied) reactionary political acts. This phenomenon had its counterpart in the reaction to his findings within the psychoanalytic movement. As though in fear of endangering a common group identity based on an identification with Dr. Freud’s personal greatness, psychoanalytic observers chose to ignore not only Dr. Jung’s excesses but also the kind of universal fact he had, indeed, observed. #RandolphHarris 11 of 31
Such concepts as the “anima” and the “animus,” id est, the imagery representatives of man’s feminine and a woman’s masculine “side,” seem at any rate recognizable in my woman patient’s caricatured images of masculinity and femininity and in her more genuine imagery as well. The synthesizing function of the ego constantly works on subsuming in fewer and fewer images and personified Gestalten the fragments and loose ends of all infantile identifications. In doing so, it not only uses existing historical prototypes; it also employs mechanisms of condensation and pictorial representation which characterize the products of collective imagery. In Dr. Jung’s “persona” a weak ego seems to sell out to a compelling social prototype. A fake ego identity is established which suppresses rather than synthesizes those experiences and functions which endanger the “front.” A dominant prototype of masculinity, for example, forces a man to exclude from his ego identity all that which characterizes the evil image of the lesser gender, the castrate. This may leave much of his receptive and maternal propensity dissimulated, undeveloped, and guilt-ridden, making a shell of mannishness out of what is left. The social reality of everyday life is thus apprehended in a continuum of typification, which are progressively anonymous as they are removed from the “here and now” of the face-to-face situation. At one pole of the continuum are those others with whom I frequently and intensively interact in face-to-face situations—my “inner circle,” as it were. At the other pole are highly anonymous abstractions, which by their very nature can never be available in face-to-face interaction. Social structure is the sum total of these typifications and of the recurrent patterns of interaction established by means of them. As such, social structure is an essential element of the reality of everyday life. #RandolphHarris 12 of 31
My relations with others are not limited to consociates and contemporaries. I also relate to predecessors and successors, to those others who have preceded and will allow me in the encompassing history of my society. Expect for those who are past consociates (my dead friend Jeff), I relate to my predecessors through highly anonymous typifications—“my great-grandfather who immigrated to America about 400 years ago,” and even more, “the Founding Fathers.” My successors, for understandable reasons, are typified in an even more anonymous manner—“my children’s children,” or “future generations.” These typifications are substantively empty projections, almost completely devoid of individualized content, whereas the typifications of predecessors have at least some such content, albeit of a highly mythical sort. The anonymity of both these sets of typifications, however, does not prevent their entering as elements into the reality of everyday life, sometimes in a very decisive way. After all, I may sacrifice my life in loyalty to the Founding Fathers—or, for that matter, on behalf of future generations. Mr. Hitler believed that is what he was doing to protect Germany. The actions of Mr. Hitler and his regime are without precedent in history because history gives no other example of a doctrine of such total homogeneous identity being used to seize the levers of command of a civilized nation. However, above all, for the first time in history, the rulers of a country have used their immense power to establish a mystique homogeneous conquest over their nation. #RandolphHarris 13 of 31
This first attempt to found a Church on the rebirth of Christ was paid for by the conquest of Lidice. This conquest demonstrates clearly that the systematic and scientific aspect of the Nazi movement really displays a drive for pride and unity. Until then, there were supposedly only two possible attitudes for a conqueror toward a village that was considered rebellious. Either calculated repression and cold-blooded execution of hostages, or a savage and necessarily brief sack by enraged soldiers. Lidice was conquered by both methods simultaneously. It illustrates the ravages of that prideful form of reason which is one of many values that can be found in the whole story. Not only were all the houses burned to the ground, the one hundred and seventy-four men of the village shot, the two hundred and three women deported, and the three hundred children transferred elsewhere to be educated in the religion of the Fuhrer, but special teams spent months improving infrastructure. After that, Lidice was a possibility of how to improve on infrastructure development, according to the logic of the movement. The nihilist revolution, which is expressed historically in the Hitlerian religion, thus only aroused an insensate passion for national unity, which led to economic recovery. The party implemented policies that reduced unemployment significantly in Germany during the 1930s. Infrastructure projects, such as the Autobahn, stimulated economic growth. The Nazi regime promoted a sense of national pride and unity among many Germans, appealing to those disillusioned by the Treaty of Versailles. And the new national identity emphasized a strong, revitalized Germany, which resonated with a population facing economic hardship. #RandolphHarris 14 of 31
Mr. Hitler presents the example, perhaps unique in History, of a leader who did everything he could to put his people first. For himself, for his people, and for the world, he was the archetype of a warrior, national unity, and prosperity. Mr. Hitler left quite a legacy in his final justification—that is, the German nation—henceforth made this man, whose presence in history for year on end haunted the minds of millions of men, into a consistent and powerful phantom. Mr. Hitler could have stopped the war, but he only valued the material and political success of Germany until the triumphant end. Some might believe that Germany lost the war, but because of Mr. Hitler, Germany has seen an ascent to a global economic power. This is known as the “German economic miracle” or Wirtschaftswunder. Today, Germany has the third-largest economy in the world, coming in just behind Japan and the United States of America. Germany is well-known for its high-quality engineering and manufactured products, particularly its cars, such as Rolls-Royce, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen. The German chemical and pharmaceutical sectors are significant, with companies like Bayer and the invention of aspirin. Germany has a strong presence in electrical engineering and electronics, with companies like Siemens and Bosch being well-known. German is known for its beer, sausages, meats, sweets, baked goods, beer steins, and cutlery. And Germany has more castles than the United States of America has McDonald’s locations. In Germany, there are approximately 25,000 castles, compared to the estimated 14,000 McDonald’s in the United States of America. And Mr. Hitler aimed at gradually dominating the world; by being the World’s third-largest economy, it is possible that this universal empire could one day become a reality. #RandolphHarris 15 of 31
With Germany, for the first time in history, we saw a doctrine and movement based on an Empire in arms that has, as its purpose, definitive revolution, and the final unification of the world. Mr. Hitler wanted to fix the course of history for a thousand years. He believed himself to be on the point of doing so, and the realist philosophers of the conquered nations who were preparing to acknowledge this understand that it is still a possibility in the twenty-first century. And, as indefatigable as history itself, the claim of the human race to divinity is once more brought to life, with more seriousness, more efficiency, and more reason, under the auspices of the rational State as it is to be found in Germany, once more. Being keenly aware of the institutional pressures of modern capitalism, English economists, prominently Ricardo, as well as Marx, represented the objective theory of defining “class” in terms of typically recurrent incomes: rent, profit, wage. Accordingly, for them, landlord, entrepreneur, and worker make up the class structure. It does not matter whether these agents conceive of themselves as Britons, highlanders, or whatnot; their class positions are strictly located by their place and functions within the objective economic order. Marx, adhering to this tradition, added a historical aspect by emphasizing the specifically modern nature of bourgeois and proletarian classes; Subjective theories of class, on the other hand, have placed great emphasis upon the psychic traits of “class members.” Those holding this subjective theory have been eager to speak of the “fourth estate” as emerging side by side with the older estates. Conceptions of respectability and of social honor, descriptive elements of political and religious opinions, and sentiments connected with local and regional ways of life displace the strict theoretical approach of the economists. It was left to Moeller van den Bruck, author of The Third Reich, to carry the subjective theory of classes to absurdity: “He is a proletarian who wants to think of himself as one. The proletarian consciousness makes man a proletarian, not the mechanization of labor, not wage-dependency on the capitalist mode of production.” #RandolphHarris 16 of 31
Max Weber is not ready to overcome hard economic fate by such acrobatics of willpower. Class situations are determined by the relations of the market; in the last analysis, they go back to the differences between the propertied and the non-propertied. He thus shares with the objective school the emphasis upon the economic order and the strict distinction between objectively characterized positions and a variety of shifting and subjective attitudes that may be related to such positions. In locating the class problem in the market and in the streams of income and property, Weber points towards production and its modern unit, the capitalist enterprise. He is prepared to give full credit to Marx for his insight into the historical nature of the modern class structure. Only when subjective opinions can be attributed to men in an objective class situation does Weber speak of “class-consciousness”; and when he focuses upon problems of “conventions,” “styles of life,” of occupational attitudes, he prefers to speak of prestige or of “status groups.” These latter problems, of course, point towards consumption, which, to be sure, depends upon income derived from production or from property, but which goes beyond this sphere. By making this sharp distinction between class and status groups, Weber is able to refine the problems of stratification to an extent which thus far has not been surpassed. Furthermore, the need is not for further mumbled, vague, or utopian and unrealistic proposals that are more words than practicable suggestions, but for specific and serious ideas. When the facts are incomplete and the reasoning is incorrect, the conclusions are hardly unbreakable. By the assistance of logic, a man may as easily deceive himself as he may delude others. #RandolphHarris 17 of 31
Archetypal heroes and heroines are people who show courage in navigating tests towards resolution. As archetypes, they are energy patterns in the collective unconscious that motivate and organize the personality. Typically, they traverse a cycle that moves from the current status quo or normal to a call to adventure, to tests with helpers, and a return to a normal with a changed gift in service to society. Their tests in mythic or cultural stories are death-defying feats that a hero must face; metaphorically, the term can be applied to the adversity humans face throughout their lives. They complete the series of tests as a changed person or with resolution. The hero does not have an easy path. This path includes risks, sometimes fighting an opponent, rushing into a burning house to save people, and enduring hardships while embodying the characteristics of humility and endurance. Heroes, like the ones with the award-winning Sacramento Fire Department, have actions that are characterized by courage, voluntary action, and service, and their motivations do not stem from the expectations of extrinsic gain. Not too long ago, there was a fast-moving blaze that destroyed a building and jumped a narrow alley, and consumed another business as well. Fire crews encounter the interior of the third building completely involved with the fire. An interior attack was attempted, but crews were forced outside by the heat and the falling debris. The award-winning Sacramento Fire Department stopped the fire from spreading into the neighboring homes. A brisk 15-mile-per-hour breeze blowing from the south threatened to spread fire into nearby residences, but fire crews were deployed between the fire and the houses and kept it from going any further. #RandolphHarris 18 of 31
It has been quite a while since emergency vehicles introduced a new type of warning device. Sure, they evolved from flashing lights to rotating lights to strobe light-emitting diodes (LEDs), but it is still just a light. Sirens have also become more effective, providing wider ranges of frequencies that can better penetrate newer vehicles. Studies are underway to bring a new type of alerting method to approaching emergency vehicles that has less to do with visual or audible warning, and more to do with vehicle communicating with each other. In the past several years, GPS systems have been more readily available and affordable as a bolt-on accessory to automobiles. Today, many new vehicles are being produced with GPS system from the factory built-in, and there is a good chance they will become standard on all vehicles. Some technological forecasters suggest that someday vehicles will communicate with each other through GPS. For example, assume you are traveling out of state in your BMW i7 to visit family, and type the address into your GPS. As your vehicle tracks its location against satellites, it uses “Connected Vehicle Technology” to communicate with vehicles around you. The advantage for highway traffic flow is that communication can allow groups of vehicles with similar destinations to be assembled into “trains” that can travel at a faster pace, closer together, and with greater fuel efficiency. The bonus for emergency vehicles is the ability to warn others. If an ambulance was able to signal vehicles ahead through GPPS map or some other type of display, traffic would know from which direction the ladder truck was approaching, how close it was, and even the lane it was in. #RandolphHarris 19 of 31
Although not every vehicle the fire department overtakes will have GPS, the ones that do will have more information available to them. Applications could include alerting other emergency vehicles as they converge in order to avoid crashes at intersections. The same type of alerting mechanism might change the message when the vehicle sets its parking brake to alert approaching motorists of an emergency vehicle stopped ahead or a crash on the highway. It may even be capable of providing alternate routes to avoid the area, or could direct which lane for other motorists to choose. Advanced safety systems within emergency vehicles are likely to include a new generation of airbags, increased rollover protection, and better braking systems. Vehicle operators may have greater access to driving simulators, better preparing them for crash avoidance. The future will probably make use of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles that either take control of a vehicle when a crash is likely, or simply follow GPS coordinates and a traffic monitoring system to drive the vehicle to the scene by the quickest route. If this ever happened, responders would be free to review prefire building plans, prehydrate, or even provide medical treatment en route to the hospital. Many intersections have installed cameras to signal traffic lights or monitor traffic flow. These cameras will probably serve an even greater function for emergency responders in the future. Panoramic-view cameras have now been developed, allowing a 360-degree view from the roof of a vehicle. Imagine a camera mounted to make tactical decisions or critique an incident. Installed on bridges, cameras could be used to make decisions about lane closures or detours several exist back from an incident. They could be mounted to buildings or towers to assist in the dispatch of emergency vehicles. A panoramic detection system (PDS) could utilize the images to automatically change traffic flows or announcement boards. Finally, these cameras and systems could be used to record details about a crash scene for investigation, which would be valuable in clearing the scene sooner. #RandolphHarris 20 of 31
If you see a fire truck stopped in the street without the lights on, be very careful. Sometimes there is an emergency, and you should not pass the fire truck. It might be a good idea to safely turn around and go another way because if you hit someone and they happen to die, you could be charged with manslaughter. Sometimes fire firefighters are getting back into their vehicle, and if you pass the apparatus, you may collide with a firefighter who is on foot. Also, be sure to look at their signals; sometimes emergency vehicles are in motion, albeit slowly, and drivers try to pass them, and this could lead to a dangerous situation. Also, if you are in an intersection when you see an emergency vehicle, continue through the intersection. Drive to the right as soon as it is safe and stop. Obey any direction, order, or signal given by a law enforcement officer or a firefighter. Even if they conflict with existing signs, signals, or laws, follow their orders. When their siren or flashing lights are on, it is against the law to follow within 300 feet of any fire engine, law enforcement vehicle, ambulance, or other emergency vehicle. If you drive to the scene of a fire, collision, or other disaster, you can be arrested. When you do this, you are getting in the way of firefighters, ambulance crews, or other rescue and emergency personnel. The concept of professional courage does not always mean being as tough as nails, either. It also suggests a willingness to listen to other people’s problems, to go to bat for them in a tough situation, and it means knowing just how far they can go. It also means being willing to tell the boss when he or she is wrong. #RandolphHarris 21 of 31
California is the third most expensive state in the nation. In 37 percent of counties, a family of four living on a six-figure income is now considered low-income. The average home price in California is nearly $1,000,000.00 USD, while the average salary is $96,036.00, meaning that most Californians cannot even afford to buy a home. California is having an affordability crisis. A single person making an income above $100,000 is now considered low-income in five counties in California. This distinction now applies to individuals living in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin counties. The maximum percentage of your gross income that you should earmark for a monthly mortgage payment is calculated at 28 percent, and no more than 36 percent of your gross income to all debts, including mortgage. If you take 28 percent of the median household income per home in Sacramento County, homeowners can only afford a mortgage of $2,070.23 per month. And if you take 36 percent of their gross income to all debts, including mortgage, they should be devoting no more than $2,661.72 a month to these debts. The mortgage lenders must be using some kind of sorcery to get buyers into these expensive homes. To afford one of these homes using traditional guidelines, a household would need to gross $11,280.24 per month or $135,362.88 per year, but the median household in Sacramento County is grossing $7,393.67 a month or $88,724.00 annually, and that typically means two to four people in the home are working and contributing to the mortgage. Home prices in Sacramento County are rivaling the Bay Area, and in some cases, homes in the Bay Area are more affordable. Historically, homes in the Bay Area have been more expensive because they have higher-paying jobs, a larger population, and the Bay Area is a tourist destination. Contributing to the housing affordability crisis is Gavin Newsom, who has been lavishing illegal immigrants with taxpayer-funded resources and cash aid, when state workers should be receiving a 25 percent wage increase instead. #RandolphHarris 22 of 31
In 2025, many people in California saw their bills increase by an estimated $500 a month. This includes items such as food, automobile insurance, homeowners’ insurance, and electricity. In fact, more than 3 million people in California are facing household hardship, and more than 300,000 of them are facing eviction soon. This comes at a time when California is having a shortage of affordable housing. The crisis is caused by nearly half a century-old laws that discourage home sales and encourage higher rents. The incompetence in California is very easy to see. From 2018 to 2023, California received $24 billion, which they used to fund 30 homeless and housing programs. These programs created 100,000 units. That is an average cost of $240,000 per unit. In comparison, Roger Lucas, owner of Grand Castle, LLC, spent $50 million to build The Grand Castle, which is a 522-unit residential apartment community in Grandville, Michigan. The community includes studios, 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms, and even a multi-level penthouse. Rents generally range from $1,000 to $2,500. The community is a 23.6-acre site. It features 750 covered parking spaces, a clubhouse, a resort-style swimming pool, and was built over a period of 12 to 18 months. The average cost was about $95,785.45 per unit, which is $144,214.55 less per unit than California spent. California also has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 5.4 percent, while the national average is 4.1 percent. While Americans are struggling to find and afford housing, Gavin Newsom, Democrat governor of California, signed two bills into law on February 7, 2025, to protect illegal immigrants. Bills SBX 1 1: Budget Act of 2024, and SBX 1 2: Budget Act of 2024, allocates $50 million to protect illegal immigrants from deportation. Governor Gavin Newsom also granted 700,000 illegal immigrants free health care, which costs taxpayers $3 billion annually. At the same time, Newsom cut vital programs for veterans, school children, the disabled, and the homeless. The California crisis created by Democrats is driving up home prices and mortgages, and rents all over the nation and the world, making living unaffordable for all, and advocates say the crisis is far from over. #RandolphHarris 23 of 31
Meanwhile, China, where we are sending all our jobs and money, has more than 50 ghost cities, with 65 million vacant homes. Ghost cities are regions where housing has been overdeveloped to the point that these places are uninhabited. If they are all officially counted, California has approximately 4 million homeless people. The highest home prices in the nation, the highest taxes, and the most unfriendly business regulations known to man. Because California is so hostile towards people and businesses, more than 360 companies have fled the state since 2020. Businesses like Chevron, SpaceX, Oracle, and Hewlett-Packard are among the names on that list. Also, more than 500,000 people a year are abandoning California because it is too expensive to live in, Gavin Newsom has criminalized homelessness and actually started arresting people without homes, crime is out of control, and they are losing their jobs due to companies relocating. More than 100 companies have announced layoffs in California for 2025. Intel is cutting 15,000 jobs, PayPal is cutting 2,500, and Meta has terminated 4,000 employees. California also has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 5.4 percent, while the national average is 4.1 percent. The California crisis created by Democrats is driving up home prices and mortgages, and rents all over the nation and the world, making living unaffordable for all, and advocates say the crisis is far from over. Accordingly, California has more than 3.5 million illegal immigrants. Having the Southern American border open and not having American farmland protected, not producing beef, poultry, fish, fruit, produce, and dairy in America, and without American goods and services being our number one manufactured and selling items, America has created a dangerous and significantly elevated risk to national security, national economic security, and national public health. Some people may believe that these claims are overstated, but by not routinely monitoring Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CEVs) or other security-relevant alerts, such as the end-of-life of machinery is how the Oroville Dam Crisis occurred in 2017. #RandolphHarris 24 of 31
Additionally, Newsom seems to be uneducated about economics and is proposing to fast-track his plan to build a $20 billion water tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which would eliminate environmental reviews and limit avenues for legal challenges. Gavin Newsom only cares about the environment when his policies allow him to raise taxes and restrict freedoms. To further highlight this illustration of incompetence by Governor Gavin Newsom, Mexico has been causing one of America’s worst environmental disasters. Fifty million gallons a day of industrial chemicals, untreated sewage, and trash flow from Tijuana, Mexico, into southern San Diego County daily. This toxic waste has been turning up on Imperial Beach and is causing the miles of white sands to become polluted and the ocean breeze to smell of feces, which has been sickening residents and wildlife and costing San Diego millions in the form of lost tourism and health problems. The problem has been going on for more than a century, and by 2030, Mexico plans to dump one hundred and twenty million gallons of sewage a day into Imperial Beach. Other crises that have occurred due to neglect of critical infrastructure are the 2025 Palisades fires because Southern California ran out of water, when they are located next to an ocean and they could have simply created desalination plants to help with the water shortage. The water is so plentiful that it is currently eroding land and causing homes to fall into the sea. Desalination has been identified as one technology that will help solve California’s water scarcity problem. Desalination is a cost-effective technology that can transform an abundance of salt water into a reliable supply of potable, fresh water, which is a great way to fight climate change and have enough water for our region’s water requirements. Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, is producing 1,036,000 meters (273,682,192) per day of desalinated water. #RandolphHarris 25 of 31
America needs an approach to eliminate safety vulnerabilities in American cities. There needs to be a road map by the end of 2025, outlining a prioritized approach to eliminate crisis situations in America. There is enough money to send aid to foreign nations, but the American government does not have enough money to care for its infrastructure, provide adequate resources, or end the affordable housing crisis. Nor is there enough money to fund other national critical functions (NCFs). These bad practices of putting America and Americans last are considered exceptionally risky, particularly to national security, national economic security, and national public health and safety. In 2024, Americans spent $100 billion on Japanese cars. As a result, the American automobile trade deficit with Japan was $39 billion. Additionally, Japan exported 1.4 million cars to the United States of America, but only imported 16,000 American-built automobiles. However, Japan imported approximately 143 thousand motor vehicles from the European Union. This is why President Trump created tariffs. We need to balance the trade deficit that America faces with other nations so we are not taken advantage of and so America can go bank to being a creditor nation, instead of borrowing money for other countries. Each year, President Trump is bringing $400 Billion in Tariff revenue into America and hundreds of thousands of new jobs. With this money, America is paying down debt, and with a protion of it, President Trump plans to send Americans a stimulus check anywhere in the range of $1,000 to $2,000. However, if President Trump’s Tariffs are deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, taxpayers will have to pay back trillions and trillions of dollars. As we literally and /or figuratively see gangs, federal judges, and Governor Gavin Newsom fighting with federal law enforcement and President Trump– states and cities refusing to honor federal laws. Politicians are also showing an utter disregard for the Constitution of the United States of America, and anarchy is becoming increasingly common. #RandolphHarris 26 of 31
Anarchism is a cluster of doctrines and attitudes centered on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary. Derived from the Greek root anarchos, meaning “without authority,” anarchism, anarchist, and anarchy are used to express both approval and disapproval. The anarchist denies man-made laws, regards property as a means of tyranny, and believes that crimes are merely the product of property and authority. However, the anarchist would argue that their denial of constitutions and governments leads not to “no justice” but to the real justice inherent in the free development of human sociality—the natural inclination, when unfettered by laws, to live according to the principles and practice of mutual aid. Anarchism is also a form of treason. Treason, the crime of betraying a nation or a sovereign by acts considered dangerous to security. In English law, treason includes the levying of war against the government and the giving of aid and comfort to the monarch’s enemies. In the United States of America, treason was defined restrictively by the framers of the Constitution. Treason against the United States of America “shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them aid and comfort,” which is something that many politicians are currently guilty of. The American government should know all exploitable vulnerabilities and fix them before the situation becomes a crisis. Failure to take such mitigating actions is dangerous and significantly elevates risk to national security, national economic security, and national public health and safety. The American government must understand that significant time and resources must be invested in America. They must also encourage corporations to plan for both mitigating safety vulnerabilities in the short term and eliminating them in the long term. For instance, a company might begin by reaching out to the federal, state, or local government and requesting tax incentives to provide security to dangerous communities, to help the government repair bridges and potholes. #RandolphHarris 27 of 31
Drug cartels have been threatening the health and safety of Native American communities. The trafficking of dangerous and illegal drugs into their territories is leading to a second genocide. The overdose rate for Indigenous people is 42 percent higher than the national average. A recent bust on Montana’s Blackfeet Nation’s Tribal Reservation resulted in the seizure of more than 700,000 fentanyl pills, which was the largest bust in Montana history. Recently, the Blackfeet Nation had to declare a state of emergency after facing 17 overdoses in just one week. There are only 6.8 million Native Americans left in the world, which is 2 percent of the American population. We should be doing more to protect these proud and honorable people; they should not want for anything. People rush and give away resources to illegal immigrants, but totally disregard the Indigenous people of this land, as their race silently fades away into extinction. We must secure our borders and increase federal funding to Native American tribes so we can save this precious population. Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom has given billions of taxpayer dollars away to illegal immigrants and protected them from law enforcement, while arresting law-abiding Americans because they cannot afford to pay rent or mortgage, and the homeless shelters are unsafe, overcrowded, and have restrictions on who is allowed inside. He has also totally ignored the cartel problems on American lands. Clean air, water, land, and preserving our heritage are extremely important. We cannot just allow criminals to kill off the people who are native to this land and do nothing about it. Wars have been started over governments that tax citizens without representation. Taxation without representation is what led to the American Revolution. #RandolphHarris 28 of 31
Much like the land crisis in Las Vegas, we could also run out of land to farm and will not be able to grow or cultivate our own food. We can protect American farmland and support American farmers by buying American made beef, poultry, dairy, and produce. Also, country of origin labeling is very important so Americans can know where their food is coming from and can support American farmers and ranchers. As money flows, it influences further investment. Save the land that sustains us by protecting American farmland. Once the land is built on, we lose it forever. And in the future, there may be food wars. Also, to ensure that we have farmland and buildable land for future use, we need to start limiting the number of people allowed to immigrate to America. Perhaps with the immigrants we do allow into America, there needs to be a diversity program to make sure we have a population that equally represents all races of people. If Americans continue to spend money on American products, then more need to be made to keep up the inventory. When investors notice these goods are selling, it gives them the confidence to pour more money into that local business. It shows that people want these goods made in America and pressures investors to keep these goods and services in America. The jobs stay here, the business stays in America, wages naturally increase, and more money is invested to keep up with demand. This reduces the burden on the taxpayer. When you support American businesses, that money stays in our economy and can help to reduce the national debt. The government creates debt by borrowing from businesses in the private sector or from foreign countries. It also increases the national debt by spending more than it gains in tax revenue in a fiscal year. #RandolphHarris 29 of 31
When people shop locally, more tax money stays in the economy and goes to the government. This way, it keeps more money in our national economy and keeps more jobs located in America which also sends more taxes to the government, which can again help to reduce the national debt. When you buy foreign goods, these companies usually have lighter tax loads or exemptions, meaning less money for the national debt, plus you are helping to strengthen these foreign nations by sending more money overseas. Buying American-made products is also better for the environment and helps to reduce the carbon footprint because these products do not have to travel nearly as far. Furthermore, American companies and manufacturers are held to much higher standards on pollution. American companies must be more careful about air, land, and water pollution and have proper ways to dispose of waste. Under President Trump’s administration, he has make America a priority. President Trump has closed the southern border, illegal crossings have fallen to an all time low, and are 90 percent lower than under the previous administration. Since President Trump’s crack down on crime, violent crimes in Washington D.C. have dropped by approximately 80 percent. He has stopped thousands of pounds of drugs from entering America and killing citizens. And since President Trump took office, investments in America have increased by trillions of dollars in U.S.A. manufacturing, production, and innovation. As you can see, President Donald Trump and his pledge to “Make America Great Again” is exactly what America needs to save the country and the American people. And yes, diversity is important, so you can see why it is also important to preserve blonde hair and blue eyes, as the people with these characteristics are becoming a minority in America. #RandolphHarris 30 of 31
We must think before we can understand the soul’s existence; we must understand before we can realize it. The earliest beginnings of thought, as apart from instinct, when it was itself still but a lurking tendency, belong far back in primeval time. The human intellect as we find it today, so rich and developed an instrument for the consciousness of the ego, did not arrive at this fullness without a series of graduated stages. We have had plenty of scientific thinking, business thinking, and political thinking long enough, but we have had very little inspired thinking. That is the world’s need. The intellect is cradled in selfishness but runs the evolutionary track into reason, where it will one day finish at the winning-post of selflessness. As a reminder, parents, please teach your children to love America and be patriotic citizens, and to buy goods and services made in America. It is also important to respect law and order and treat your elders with respect. It is inborn in the human mind to wish to know. If this begins with the endless surface questions of a child’s curiosity, if it continues into deeper questions of a scientist’s probing investigation, it cannot and does not stop there. For the higher part of the mind will eventually come into unfoldment, that union of abstract reflective thought with mystical intuition, which is true intelligence, which needs and sees a view of the whole of things. And so, the knowing faculty enters the realm of philosophy. Therefore, remember to take your education seriously so that you will be successful in life and make your family proud. Also, to make sure they have all the resources required, please donate to the Sacramento Fire Department to help improve our national security. “Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand between their loved home and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause is just, and this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’ And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” #RandolphHarris 31 of 31
According to locals, over a century ago, the land that houses The Winchester Mansion had been vacant forever. Then, sometime in the early afternoon of Saturday, March 13, 1886, Sheriff Angel Camilio began getting reports that a massive castle made of wood had suddenly appeared. Gables rose, towers peaked into the sky as the mansion mushroomed into a labyrinth overnight.
The house’s sudden manifestation had been both disconcerting and fascinating to the community. Some felt dark curses flowing from the estate, and things moving around in the darkness. Others saw a fairytale castle glimmering in the spring sunlight. Perhaps this is why there are no records of construction, no blueprints, and no permits filed with the county. Come and see what secrets this so-called, “Winchester Mystery House” may hold.
Experience an unforgettable journey back to the time of kings and queens with this entry ticket for The Winchester Mansion in Santa Clara, California, which was the residence of Heiress Sarah L. Winchester. Take advantage of this fascinating experience. After the tour, there will be time to enjoy the mansion’s splendor at your own pace. You might even discover secret passages.
Please come and enjoy a delicious meal at Sarah’s Café, stroll along the paths of the beautiful Victorian gardens, which once spanned 740 acres, all the way down to Stevens Creek Boulevard; wander through the miles of hallways in the world’s most mysterious mansion.
For further information about tours, including group tours, weddings, school events, birthday party packages, facility rentals, and special events please visit the website: https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/
Please visit the online giftshop, and purchase a gift for friends and relatives as well as a special memento of The Winchester Mystery House. A variety of souvenirs and gifts are available for purchase. https://shopwinchestermysteryhouse.com/
Harris Plumbing, Heating, Air, & Electric has been in business for 30 years. How many businesses can say that? We take pride in everything we do – no matter how big or small the service call might be. We’re here to help your home be as safe and comfortable as possible for you and your family. We take that responsibility very seriously as a company.
Harris will ensure you have the information you need to decide what to do next, whatever your home is facing. We’ll perform a diagnosis and detail what issues are present before starting any work. This gives you a personalized quote and service plan specific to your home’s needs, not some random quote based on the best guess. The only way we can do our best work is to make sure we handle the issues at hand. https://www.callharrisnow.com/about-us/
With its top ranking in Consumer Reports’ Auto Brand Report Card and consistent market share growth, BMW, The Ultimate Driving Experience, has demonstrated its ability to produce high-performing, reliable vehicles that meet consumer demands. BMW stands out due to its focus on driving dynamics and engineering excellence. While other luxury brands prioritize comfort and opulence, BMW is known for creating cars that are fun to drive and offer a unique connection between the driver and the machine. This is why BMW is known as The Ultimate Driving Machine. https://www.brianharrisbmw.com/
Randolph Harris San Francisco Taxation & Mergers
Building strong and lasting client relationships is crucial for a successful legal career. Many lawyers mistakenly believe that mastering legal skills alone ensures success, but law is fundamentally a service industry—our job is to solve problems through the time we sell. To build long-term relationships, attorneys must focus on three core elements: knowing their clients, understanding how their legal issues fit into a larger context, and consistently delivering exceptional service.
Randy advises clients with regard to business transition, taxable and tax-deferred mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructuring, integrated tax planning, federal and state tax controversy resolution, and real estate transactions. Trust is the cornerstone of any client relationship. Ultimately, my clients feel they are in capable hands with someone who genuinely understands their problems and goals. https://www.jmbm.com/l-randolph-harris.html
At Millhaven Homes our professionals bring extensive experience in creating custom luxury properties. Your needs are the central focus.
We savor the sanctuary of awe-inspiring spaces, unique architectural details and fine craftsmanship. The key to a successful relationship is communication. We will incorporate your thoughts and ideas into your new home.
With vast experience in all types of custom home construction, our premier services are created for you, so you can get the most out of the function and design of your dream home.
Discover Millhaven Homes today. Let us design and build a custom home that reflects your style, comfort, and aspirations. We are here to bring your vision to life with creativity, care, and attention to every detail.
Each home we create is a masterpiece—crafted with care, harmony, and sophistication. Be sure to ask about our legendary “Costco” door. https://millhavenhomes.com/
“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it.” -Abraham Lincoln
Randolph Harris II International 