Patty Hearst Syndrome

Patty Hearst is the grand daughter of publishing magnet, William Randolph Hearst. He was one of the richest people in USA. He built the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. It is a palatial estate, which is known as America’s “Taj Mahal”.

Patty Hearst was a student at the University of California at Berkeley. On February 4, 1974, she was kidnapped from her apartment. The whole country was in shock. After a few days, a guerrilla organization called Symbionese Liberation Army took responsibility for the kidnapping.

At first SLA demanded that they swap Patty Hearst for their jailed SLA members. That negotiation failed. Then they demanded that Patty’s father, Randolph Hearst distribute seventy dollars worth of food for every needy Californian. This would cost a little over $400 million. Randolph Hearst made arrangements to distribute food throughout the entire San Francisco Bay Area, as a starter. SLA then reneged on their promise to release Patty Hearst. They said the distributed food was of poor quality.

Here comes the twist. Patty Hearst was hit with what is known as “Stockholm Syndrome”. It is a strange psychological occurrence where the hostages start to show slavish admiration of their captors and have positive feelings toward them. This happens even after the hostages are mentally, physically, and sexually abused by their captors. At the same time, they begin to hate people who genuinely like them.

She started to participate with the SLA on some bank robberies. She issued statements that she is committed to SLA’s goals. She changed her name to Tania. She was arrested in September 1975 along with other SLA members.

(Picture taken by Hibernia Bank's Security Camera)

Famous attorney, F. Lee Bailey defended her in court. He argued that the SLA brain washed her and was forced to participate in bank robberies. The judge found Patty guilty and sentenced her for 7 years in prison. President Jimmy Carter commuted the sentence after 22 months in prison. She was granted full pardon by President Bill Clinton.

Patty Hearst is now married and lives a quiet life with her husband and two daughters. After this episode, the “Stockholm Syndrome” is now being referred to as “Patty Hearst Syndrome”.

Prime candidates for Patty Hearst Syndrome are:

1. People who suffer from severe isolation.
2. People who get depressed a lot
3. People who have had emotional and physical abuse like a battered spouse, incest victim, abused child, prisoner of war, cult victim, kidnapped victim, or a hostage victim.

The earlier they realize (or people close to them realize) they have this syndrome the easier the treatment will be by a psychiatrist.

Child Air Traffic Controller

There is a news item that on February 16 an Air Traffic Controller at the JFK Airport in New York took his child to the Control Tower and let him direct the departure of a flight.

The Air Traffic Controller and his Supervisor were suspended. Investigation is pending. This is against FAA’s (Federal Aviation Administration) rule. Many people are outraged at this because it endangers the plane and the passengers. But some people, including the pilot who received the take off instruction from the child, think it is no big deal. That pilot is finding it as amusing.

In light of this, I have some suggestions:

We should let a surgeon’s child operate a patient.

I won’t say we should let a gynecologist’s child deliver a baby via cesarian section. That has already been done in India.

We should let a commercial pilot’s child fly a passenger plane.

We should let an investment banker’s child make a multi million dollar deal.

We should let a soldier’s child guard our borders.

We should let a politician’s child run the country. Come to think of it, in some countries, it is happening.

We should let a college professor’s child teach a course.

We should let a nurse’s child pass on the medication and inject medicines on patients.

We should let an engineer’s child build a dam or a bridge.

We should let a general’s child prepare a war strategy.

We should let a police inspector’s child go after a criminal.

We should let a bus driver’s child drive a bus.

We should let a lawyer’s child defend a person accused of murder.

May be these kids would do a better job than their dads. Who knows!

Week End Visit to Los Angeles

We spent a long week end in Los Angeles. Friday and Saturday can be described in 6 words:

Torrential Rain, Gusty Winds, Tsunami Warning

Sunday attended a Valaikappu-Seemandham ceremony of a Tamil couple. This religious ceremony is performed during the 6th or 8th month of pregnancy of a first child.

This family has been living in USA for more than 25 years. I was very pleased that they follow these customs and perform these ceremonies.

Valaikappu is a bangle ceremony. All women put bangles in the hands of the pregnant woman.

Seemandham is a religious ceremony done for the well being of the mother-to-be and the fetus. The sastrigal (priest) chants the mantras. At the end of the ceremony, the husband drops the banyan tree essence into the pregnant wife’s nose. It is supposed to go all the way to the mother’s womb and becomes like a protective mask for the stem cell.

(Sanjay and Mathruka)

An important part of the seemandham ceremony is that the function should end with a veena recital. The people in Los Angeles followed this tradition also.

No Indian function ends without yummy yummy food.

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Heard this conversation in our host’s house in Los Angeles.

(Patti in Tamil means grandmother. Thatha means grandfather. The child’s name is Lucas. He is 3 years old. Even though he does not speak Tamil, he calls his parents “amma” and “appa” and grand parents “patti” and “thatha”.)

Living Room
Child: Patti, I want milk.
Patti: Go tell your thatha you want milk. He will give you.

The child comes to the Family Room.
Child: Thatha you want milk
Thatha: No

The child goes to the Living Room.
Child: Patti, thatha says no
Patti: Go tell your thatha I want milk. Then he will give you.

The child comes to the Family Room.
Child: Thatha, patti wants milk
Thatha: Ask patti to get it herself

The child goes to the Living Room.
Child: Patti, thatha wants you to get it yourself
Patti: Thatha did not understand you. Go tell him Lucas wants milk

The child goes to the Family Room
Child: Thatha, Lucas wants milk
Thatha: Come with me to the kitchen. I will get it for you.