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Letter from L. Neil Smith

Dear Ken,

If you are a fully grown up American, you probably find the government’s irrational policy of secrecy concerning UFOs and related phenomena infantile, insulting, patronizing, undemocratic, and stupid. We’ve known that they are real for decades. The US Navy has finally admitted it and shown us the photos.

Not surprisingly, this policy was first insisted on by the CIA, who claimed that people would convulse hysterically if they learned that the galaxy is populated by other sapient species, and that civilization as we know it would end. This says a lot more about the CIA—which failed to predict the collapse of the Soviet Union, the 9/11 attacks, or the rise of communism at home—than it does about people in general. A massive and abject apology, accompanied by lengthy prison sentences, is owed to us and to our alien visitors, as well.

El Neil
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Another Letter from L. Neil Smith

Dear Ken,

I just had a conversation, online, with a fine fellow who feels about public education much the same way I do. I thought you might be interested in what I told him.

It sounds like we’re close to the same age, Michael (I said). I, too, am a survivor of the public school system. My daughter Rylla basically never set foot in one.

I had, perhaps, three outstanding teachers who did their best to overcome the strictures of that system, my teacher in 6th grade, Lois Henderson—I was so thoroughly convinced that she was privately science fiction writer Zenna Henderson that I wrote my first fan letter to the SF lady and found out that she had not been my teacher but understood why I thought she was. A very wise and kindly person, like my teacher.

In 7th grade, I was part of an experiment. Told we were going to study “comparative philology”, we were actually introduced to Latin. My teacher, Philip B. Sullivan, I won’t even try to describe here—too many wonderful stories, too many important lessons learned—but he set me on the intellectual path I followed for the rest of my life (so far). When I got to college, I told them I wanted to major in comparative philology. They looked at me and said,“buh?”

In 9th grade I had a science teacher, Leonard King, who was a perfect combination of Mr. Wizard and Brother Dave Gardner (look them both up. you won’t be sorry). His dad had worked on the Manhattan Project. More stories, more lessons. And that’s it, in twelve long years of forced indoctrination, three gems. Today’s world of home education offers the same opportunities without the regimentation and pain. My daughter is writer, a musician, and a self-taught expert on the Italian Renaissance.

Yours very educatedly,

El Neil
[email protected]

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Letter from A.X. Perez

On Vaccinations

And in those days did Governor Goodhair (AKA Rick Perry) decree in the land of Texas that all girls 11 and older must be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus, which is known to cause cancers and is transmitted by sexual activity, to be allowed to attend public school. His goal was to make the vaccine eligible to be paid for by CHIP for students of limited means, for the vaccine available at that time was quite dear.

And it came to pass that many persons raised a clamor against this action. Some simply did not wish to have their children vaccinated against anything. Others, perhaps the majority of those who were opposed to this order, felt that the use of this vaccine would encourage teenage sexual promiscuity, and even believed that promiscuous girls deserved to experience the horror of cervical cancer. A small group opposed the governor's order on the grounds he lacked the authority under the laws of the fair land of Texas to make and enforce such a decree. It was this last argument that was most important, as the Courts of Texas agreed with them and the order was declared null and void. Many people nevertheless had their daughters vaccinated against HPV.

Three lessons: It is often tempting for public officials to abuse the power with which they have been entrusted to obtain a greater good. This temptation from Satan is strong, and often good people fall to it. That is why there must be laws and courts with the power to prevent this abuse.

Often the small minded and bigoted seek to attach themselves to those of us who seek to defend freedom. we must be militant in preventing them from corrupting and taking over our struggle for freedom, even and especially when it appears we have common cause in certain specific cases.

Finally, there is good reason to not get vaccinated and good reason to get vaccinated against various diseases, including Covid 19. I can already hear the arguments. often with the name of one disease erased and Covid, the Rona, the Wuhu flu, whatever, put in its place. Use your common sense, and even if you choose to get vaccinated oppose the efforts of the state to make vaccination mandatory (or ban it).

I myself plan on getting vaccinated when my turn comes up (perhaps another story). I know people who will choose not to. Good on them, Good on me. But it should be our choices, not because it is enforced by the "man with a gun over there."

I wish there was a vaccine against tyrannophilia, both as ruler and subject, and eleutheraphobia, same same. My sense of humor can't resist the idea of them being made mandatory.

A.X. Perz
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