The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-06-26
What's in a Label?

That the Army has been compelled to drop the term "psychoneuroSis' because civilians tend to stigmatize man dlS- charged with such a classification or man classified 4-F for the same reason, IS a disgraceful admission of the American publics callous ignorance and mlSunder- standing.
 One of the most prosaic, and yet one of the most effective arguments agalnSt such a public attitude recently was DOT trayed through the medium of the we'll known acknowledgement. It DOT trayed the returning veteran who, dls- charged from the army because Of psy- choneurosis, met with maudlin sympathy from his mother and bitter rebuff and scornful criticism of his weakness" from his father. Superman then proceeds to snatch up the father and Mercury-llke dispatch him to the Pacific battlescene from whence his boy had just been re- turned.
 The father is then shown what the boy had experienced by way of battles, heat, disease and monotony topped off with the high commendation of the youth as soldier by his commanding officer. The father then is returned home much en- frightened and more understanding man.
 No doubt of the far fetched aspects Of this plot but the cartoonist, through the medium of exaggeration such as is Su- perman, aptly drives home the point. Per haps the very exaggeratiOn is just what is needed for those people who consider pSychoneuroSis in medieval light, or III most instances, in stupidly selfish man. ner.
 As the Army has so consistently point cd out, and as have medical men at homo, a pSychoneurotic is not an insane person or mentally unbalanced or mentally de- ficient individual. In the greater major ity of instances he is highly intelligent, sensitive and human individual, much more so, in most cases than the people who consider him pariah of some sort.
 It is regrettable that the Army author ities have had to resort to diSuse of the term. Regrettable, that is, because any substitute is not going to do any good and, in fact, will likely do more harm.
 By dropping the term it is an admis- sion, almost, that it does imply something unsavory and unhealthy Any substitu- ton thereof is going to have an even more evilly accentuated inference. It is going to become term for whispers only, or for back-room dialogue or any other limbo of dirty gossip such as we now find cloaking the term sex
 We hope that this notice serves the purpose of providing additional ammu- milton for those veterans who have re- turned or will return as discharges be- cause of psychoneurotic manifestation Ammunition with which to assault the ignorance and callousness of those civil ians who are apt to look upon these men as something separate. We do not feel that the majority practice such stupidity but there is enough in the minority to cause harm.
 We urge these veterans to ignore such reactions and remember that they them selves we'll represent the best in society as do so many who have been afflicted with other type chronic illnesses. There is no shame in such classification. Rather there should be pride in the fact tlhat they possess those human, christian uensibilitieS which have been overworked by the presence of negative substitutes, n this world, for such sensibilities.
 Forget the labels, veteran! It is your world and your neighbors and you shall have your share as he shall have his. You deserve it and have the right to it Men, tally, morally and physically!
 -