The enablers who surround anthrax killer Bruce Ivins even in death: his attorney, a social worker, and a major U.S. daily
Enablers of the month:
Bruce Ivins’ attorney, Paul F. Kemp, said his client’s suicide was the result of the government’s “relentless pressure of accusation and innuendo.”He was disappointed that Ivins “would not have the opportunity to defend his good name and reputation in a court of law.”If Kemp understood addiction, he might have said, “Since Ivins was an addict, he was capable of any crime. He may have been guilty, but it’s unfortunate he didn’t give me the opportunity to defend him and let a jury of his peers decide whether he committed the heinous crime of which he is accused.â€
Social worker Jean Duley’s attorney, Mary Drawbaugh, said that under Maryland law “you can’t use a prior violation such as driving under the influence to impeach somebody or attack their ability to tell the truth.”That may be the law, Ms. Drawbaugh, but it doesn’t make it correct. A DUI is a clue to alcoholism. Practicing alcoholics not only lie well, but also frequently. We should neither discount nor believe anything Ms. Duley said about Dr. Bruce Ivins.
The Los Angeles Times. The day after the International Herald Tribune story, The Times ran one titled “Delving into the suspect’s state of mind”by Tom Hamburger. We would think that they might mention Ivins’ alcoholism at least once. We would think wrongly. It talked about his “long history of mental illness.”It mentioned his friend who said Ivins had told him he had “incredible paranoid, delusional thoughts at times”and feared he could not control his behavior. It mentioned his overdose of acetaminophen, which is the active ingredient in Tylenol. It said his “mental illness flared about the time of the 2001 anthrax mailings.”It cited U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor, who blamed his deteriorating condition in the summer and fall of 2001 in part on the fact that the anthrax vaccine he was working on was failing. It mentioned a letter to a friend that said his psychiatrist and his counselor (presumably Ms. Duley) thought his symptoms “may not be those of depression or bipolar disorder, [but instead] may be that of a ‘paranoid personality disorder.'”It spoke of prescriptions for antidepressants, anti-psychotics and anti-anxiety medications. Nowhere did it mention the most likely underlying reason for all of Mr. Ivins’ symptoms, including his horrifying actions: alcoholism.