Kudos to our president, Pedro Ruiz, M.D., for his outstanding column about
the APA Lifers in the April 6 issue.
I do not recall a previous "From the President" article that
mentions the Lifers. I hope Psychiatric News will henceforth report
on Lifers' activities from time to time.
In addition to the contributions cited by Dr. Ruiz, the Lifers deserve
recognition as the conscience of APA. Over the years, its members have adopted
resolutions in support of human rights throughout the world. For example, at
the annual meeting in 1998, the Lifers overwhelmingly voted in favor of a
resolution calling for the abolition of capital punishment in the United
States and commutation of the sentences of death row inmates to life
imprisonment without parole.
It is gratifying to see that APA's elder statesmen are being publicly
recognized. Thank you, Dr. Ruiz.