John McCrae on John McCain

I admire John McCain for his good qualities , but question

    his mental stability as presidential candidate. Did his POW

    experience in Vietnam warp him , embitter him ?

             Seeing him on the front page in today 's newspaper - back

    in " Nam " , back in what for him was the " heart of darkness ", I

    was reminded  of a poem that every American school kid  should

    recognize - " cultural literacy " , I guess  . A few lines from

    the John McCrae poem :

            " In Flanders fields the poppies grow, between the crosses

    row on row that mark our place ...

            " We are the Dead . Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw

             sunset glow , loved and were loved, and now we lie in

             Flanders fields ...

        " TAKE UP OUR QUARREL WITH THE FOE .... If ye break faith with

    us who die , we shall not sleep , though poppies grow in Flanders

       fields... "

              But I prefer  Lincoln's equally moving words : " With

    malice toward none.. "

Why SHOULD kids learn algebra ?

An article under EDUCATION in today's Projo asks: " Why

    can't children learn algebra " ? Then the answer according to

    a panel of scientists : their algebra books  just don't relate

    to everyday life.

          It is intellectual dishonesty to pretend that the average

    citizen in our country - or any country - will ever need to

    use even high school algebra in everyday life.

            Algebra is the language of SCIENCE . In the market-place

    it will always  be "  Greek to me ".

            The fundamental IDEA of algebra is this : Let X =

    the unknown quantity. Now in the words of Albert Einstein 's

    Uncle Jacob : "  When the animal that we are hunting cannot

    be caught, we call it X temporarily and continue to hunt it

    until it is bagged . "

           For a DREAMER of genius like Einstein, Algebra was

    just the thing - this " lazy man's arithmetic ".

             A kid more fascinated by baseball and basketball than

    by the wonders of the universe will never even need a

    " scientific " hand calculator.

             I suspect  that members of that panel of scientists

    investigating " the real algebra problem " ( Projo , page

    A8 , April 27 ) want to get in on the school book racket !

        " Algebra is a merry science ", said Jacob Einstein . And

    a  merry X-mas to these scholars with the hearts of shop -keepers!

Consolation for Patinkin

Asks Projo columnist Mark Patinkin : " Am I the only

    person in America who has no problem with the way the

    government seized Elian Gonzalez ? "

          Mark, just the check the front page of yesterday's

    USA Today : " Poll- Most support Elian raid " . 60% approve

    federal agents removing Elian ! And 68%  oppose hearings !

              Mr. Achorn had a very intelligent negative

    opinion of the raid in a recent column. But the GOP

    politicians want to quarrel with SUCCESS . Strictly

    for losers.

            Patinkin's column reflected the sound instincts of

    a Dad. But let no one claim divine wisdom in these heartbreaking

    affairs.

           Most Cuban Americans are very good warm hearted

    people. But like the Italians stubborn and hot blooded

    - even with the Mother of God on their side.

Vietnam era memory

With my my " misfit " discharge from the Navy at age 17 , in

    1965 , I guess I was lucky . " We don't want guys like YOU in

    our organization" , I was told . " They'll fuck it up ! ".

           When the Vietnam war escalated, guys like me - and Bill

    Clinton ? - were free to protest its growing horror.

          The Providence Journal published two letters of mine headed

    " My  Draft Card is in Ashes " - which I now think was a little

    dishonest. What chance had  the " misfit " of being drafted ? -

    and a letter with the heading " Dying for a Colossal Lie ".

           I don't regret being in those huge protests in Washington

    D.C against the war - the PEACEFUL ones : " BRING ALL THE TROOPS

    HOME NOW ! "

            I voted twice for President Clinton  just BECAUSE he

    was a Vietnam war protestor. I never thought a " hippie commie "

    could make it all the way to the White House. " Only in

    America ", I reflected when Bill WON the election.

             I only regret that his national health care plan did

    not succeed as well as " OUT NOW ! " did.

          Today I am NOT anti- military - just wary of other Vietnams.

           The Oliver Stone movie " Born on the 4th of July " moved me

    very much. That's how I remember it.

          PEACE !

Boredom USA - the cure

Walter Shapiro writes in his April 19 column about " a

    major social trend " - boredom . And April is the cruelest

    month . A man with Shapiro's inner resources is probably rarely

    bored himself while finding  the news media boring.

             The problem is a really an epidemic of spiritual

    emptiness. I see a connection between Shapiro 's column -

    " Our boredom comes as no surprise " - and the day's

    headline : " Feds crack down on ecstasy ".

            Like the media , young people are seeking SENSATION

    not MEANING . When a person is sensitive to the latter, life

    rarely bores him.

             Years ago I was very impressed by Viktor Frankl 's

    book - the product of his Nazi death camp experience - " Man's

    Search for Meaning " . He made the point that a man who has

    a WHY to live can endure almost any HOW .

             We are all brainwashed into thinking that HAPPINESS

    is a right.  I suspect that happiness is  NOT a sensation but

    a stable spiritual state that is a bonus for  living a useful

    meaningful life.

            Drugs like " ecstasy " are a diabolical lie. They

    just open wide the doors of Hell  - place where the damned

    suffer the " long dark night of the circumscribed I ".

           The etymology of " ecstasy " suggest a way out

    of boredom - get the hell out of yourself.

             The universe is NOT a boring place . And it even

    began with a bang !

For Providence - a new Public Library

A poster on the wall reminds you that this year is the

    100th anniversary of the Providence Public Library.  A

    first class " Renaissance City " needs a bigger and better

    public library. The reconstruction of the old library is a

    horrid failure, reflected in the cheerless faces of the

    staff - with few exceptions a rather unprofessional bunch.

           A close friend of mine - a college math teacher - agrees

    that the old building was decidedly more pleasant for

    literate visitors , more space, better lighting, fresher air,

    a more competent staff actually acquainted with BOOKS !

              Warwick now has a pleasant new library of which it

    can be proud. The  citizens of Providence  also deserve

    a brand new library.

             I hope we can build one that rivals the Boston

    Public Library.

            Civilization counts. Build it and they - the readers -

    will come.

Homeless- a PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD !

         " That stinking derelict is going to give the whole city

    of Cranston hepatitis , " I said to myself at the McDonald's

    restaurant  near the Cranston Public Library.  Was it illegal

    to refuse service to this animated crud ? I wondered as I

    watched in horror as he lingered  -zombie like -  at

    the self-service counter , filthy hands stained with dried

    urine and feces - touching everything the  customers will

    touch .

             It is hard simply to be sympathetic to homeless or

    the neglected mentally ill once they pass the sub-human point.

     These are creatures out of H.P Lovecraft - not the kind


      Dickens !

               I will not appeal to liberal compassion here - just

    rational self-interest. Let us take  better care of these

    unfortunates. Let none of them - for our own sake - FALL THROUGH

    THE CRACKS !

           Again on the Reservoir Ave. bus I encountered the decomposing

    man. And suddenly ALL the windows on the bus were opened, faces

    grimacing.

         "  Watch your hygiene, Sir " I pleaded with the fellow -

    ridiculously . His face had IMH written all over it. But

    will that esteemed Rhode Island institution claim him as

    one of their own ? Or should will just scold him : Get a job !