Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

Sheep by the WWI trenches at the Newfoundland memorial, France October 2018/ Geoff W. Sutton The characteristics of the Good Shepherd are known to readers of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament. Good Shepherds are men of honor—men who protect their flocks. Christians continue to tell their children the story of the shepherd boy David who became King of Israel and an ancestor of Jesus, that Noble Shepherd found in the gospel story (John Chapter 10 ). Two months ago, at 11:00 am on 11 November, 2018 I stood at the Cenotaph, a memorial in London honoring those who sacrificed their lives in the Great War, one hundred years ago. It is an annual event here and among the allies who fought together in 1914-1918 and again in World War II. Cenotaph Memorial, London, 2018/ Geoff W Sutton In times of war, governments call men and women into service. They are sent to carry out a task. We remember those who fought the good fight. Those that died while serving are esp...

If you want to scare parents, separate them (or threaten to) from their children. Some applications of immigration policies result in the separation of children from their parents. A recent news story brings the matter of loving and caring for children into focus. Here's a quote from a Business Insider article: When asked by NPR about those who say it's "cruel and heartless to take a mother away from her children," Kelly brushed off the question, according to an interview transcript released Friday.  "I wouldn't put it quite that way," Kelly said. "The children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever. But the big point is they elected to come illegally into the United States and this is a technique that no one hopes will be used extensively or for very long." When it comes to parenting, relationships matter. Caring is important of course. But parents and psychological scientists know that children need love ...