Yes, the Politics of Old Are Inadequate

Dear Colleagues,

I am reluctant to respond directly to Drew’s recent posting to this list, but it astonished and puzzled me in ways that can’t simply be ignored. I think the last time someone referred to me as “the other” anything was when I was on the wrong side of a romantic triangle in college. Here’s the section of his post that I’d like to respond to:

“The other candidate has staked his campaign on the certification issue. While I think that issue is important, I firmly believe that there are more serious challenges to psychoanalysis today than certification and TA appointments. I believe you need a president who has the larger view and is not beholden to a vocal group that has fastened on the certification issue.”

While I consider the certification/TA link one of the prominent causes of our organization’s long-standing divisiveness, and it must be solved, I have addressed a broad range of issues affecting APsaA both on this list and my website (www.wrprocci.org or http://warrenprocci.blogspot.com). Indeed, I have staked my campaign and my differences with Drew on such significant issues as our need for diversity, for transparency, and for appropriate succession, all ways of ensuring that we hand off a robust organization to the current and subsequent generations of analysts. That is what matters most.

Yes, I am in favor of a certification process that is national and independently administered, and I believe that institutes should have autonomy in determining who will best supervise and analyze candidates. All indications are that this is a majority view (a substantial majority of 57% voted in this direction a mere two years ago), as well as a sensible, pragmatic, and progressive one. On my website, I have a section entitled ‘Goals’ in which I enumerate five overriding priorities of my presidency, if elected. Four have nothing to do with certification. In fact, even if you disagree with me about the problems of our current certification/TA link, you should consider the real significance of these other goals, before casting your vote.

In any event, the idea that I am “beholden” to a “vocal group” is not only untrue, it is way off the mark. Such stereotyped campaigning makes no sense. There are differences between the candidates for presidency, and I believe it is up to our members to decide who may or may not be “beholden” to whom.

For those of you who continue to be put off by politics as usual, I suggest that we candidates all stick to facts and issues, in this way we can all best determine the kind of leadership we need for our future.

Warren R. Procci, Candidate for President-Elect, APsaA