A Son's Grief Alongside Celebration of a Great Man

David Eugene Wood – A Very Good Man

Born March 7, 1938.  Died July 17, 2023.

“When I was a boy my grandfather died, and he was a sculptor. He was also a very kind man who had a lot of love to give the world…he did a million things in his lifetime; he was always busy with his hands. And when he died, I suddenly realized I wasn't crying for him at all, but for all the things he did. I cried because he would never do them again, he would never carve another piece of wood or help us raise doves and pigeons in the back yard or play the violin in the way he did, or tell us jokes the way he did. He was part of us and when he died, all the actions stopped dead and there was no one to do them just the way he did. He was individual. He was an important man. I've never gotten over his death. Often I think, what wonderful carvings never came to birth because he died. How many jokes are missing from the world, and how many homing pigeons untouched by his hands. He shaped the world. He did things to the world. The world was bankrupted of ten million fine actions the night he passed on.”

“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there. It doesn't matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts lawns and a real gardener is in the touching, he said. The lawn-cutter might just as well not have been there at all; the gardener will be there a lifetime.”

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

David Wood was quite the gardener, tinkerer, home auto mechanic, lay carpenter, intellectually curious reader, a giver of his love and attention to his family, and a self-taught, lifetime student and practitioner of the Word. He cared very deeply about those he loved, both family and those for whom family members cared deeply. He was the sort of man who made a lasting difference because of the what, where, and why of the things he cared about. The things he ‘touched’ were made better because the nature of the change was substantively and qualitatively different; the effect was longer lasting even if, or perhaps because, it was more subtle and consistent and reliable and authentic.

He was not what you would call a gregarious man but that doesn’t mean he didn’t engage with people. Quite the opposite and especially at church. He was there when a need became known, or he saw a task that needed doing. Need a group of men to build and then improve a church camp for youth over several years? Count him in – truck, tool bag, hammer, skill, and will. Can anyone drive a bus to pick up children in the community on Sunday mornings so that they can get at least a hint of what church is all about? Oh, and enlist your family, too, to lead songs or perhaps teach a quick lesson during those trips? You’ll have to arrive at least an hour before church starts and get home an hour after everyone else has. Sign us up. Mentor/pen-pal/teacher and lessons-scorer for adult students in New Guinea who have signed up for the World Bible School correspondence course? Dave’s your man. Adult-level Sunday class teacher, communion preparer and server, opening or closing prayer leader, worship service coordinator, deacon, devotional host…yes to all.

And then there was actual gardening: in most years, a modest plot nearly every place he lived that had enough yard for such but, for a few years, an entire acre of virgin soil broken, tilled, de-rocked, fertilized, planted, weeded, and harvested all by hand, straw hat on his head and sweat-stained blue shirt across his back, to provide fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, asparagus, onions, and okra for the family dinner table or to share with co-workers or someone in the congregation who probably needed such but couldn’t afford to get it at the store.

Helping people move, assisting his wife in taking a meal to a shut-in, checking the fluids and tire pressure on a family member’s car, agonizing for them (and with them when he could) when tragedy struck and beaming with happiness when something came along that was really good for them.

At the center of it all, driving and shaping and steadying and grounding his engagement with life was his Faith. Unshakeable. Instilled in him, when a boy, by his mother in their regular attendance at the Overland Church of Christ; rediscovered by him at the completion of his military service when he ensured he and his wife, and their young family would accompany his mother to the old congregation on relocating back to the St. Louis area; then strengthened with subsequent congregations as the family moved and planted new roots elsewhere.

How do you measure the goodness of a life?  Most people would say that it’s all about a person’s character, whether they were a good person, a reliable and loyal friend, the type of father or mother a child would remember later in life as someone who loved them, disciplined them, encouraged and mourned with them, and served as an example of the type of person they want to be when they find themselves in the same position. When a good person gets upset, it’s what they get upset about that matters and the why of it…and the same can be said about what makes them happy and what they think is important.

David Wood was a good man who led a very, very good life.

David Eugene Wood passed in the early morning hours of July 17, 2023, at the age of 85. Born on March 7, 1938, in Cuba, Missouri, he spent most of his early years around St. Louis, leaving at the age of 19 to join the U.S. Navy as a way to support his mother and to ‘see the world.’ It was while visiting his oldest brother, in California, that he met the love of his life, Robin Irwin. After marrying Robin and completing his military service, that included deployments to the Western Pacific in the late 1950s and very early 1960s, he and Robin returned to his hometown of Overland, near St. Louis, to raise a family in the 1960s and 1970s before moving the family to Claremore, Oklahoma, in 1978.  A hard worker from boyhood—stoking the coal-fired furnace when he would get home, alone, to a dark house, while still in grade school, or selling newspapers in taverns in the early 1950s, at 12 or 13 years old, so he could save his earnings to buy “the most wonderful bike a boy could possibly have – a lime green English Hercules 3-speed racer with hand brakes – he settled in with the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation (later, McDonnel Douglas) in the late 1960s; an opening in their Tulsa operations enabled the move to Oklahoma. He worked for the company for 30 years, eventually retiring from there but moving on to another aerospace company before again establishing himself with St John Medical Center in Tulsa, where he would work for several more years. 

A devoted husband to his wife, Robin Ann Wood, of 63 years, and father to their son, Dakota, and daughter, Laura, Dave was defined by the things that mattered most deeply to him: his family, his service at Blue Starr Church of Christ for 40-plus years, to being a man of God, steadfast in his work ethic and upright living, tending to his garden and various projects around their home, ensuring his family was well-provided for in every essential, and living his life in a manner that was honorable, virtuous, and dependable.

He was a steadfast and loyal friend to those whom he admired and felt kinship in faith and values. He was the steady center of our family, reminding everyone to “watch for deer!” whenever they were heading out on some errand or driving home after visiting for a spell. A self-made man in education, skills, and awareness of the larger world, he refused to be distracted from the few things that were at the core of everything: his faith, his family (both immediate and the ever-expanding extended family of in-laws and grandchildren), and his love and commitment—second only to our God—to his beloved wife.

Though the family rejoices and is wholly comforted in knowing he is now with his eternal Father, and will be forever, he will be deeply, deeply missed by those who love him and who looked to him for guidance and an example of what a ‘good man’ can and should be.

In 1995, he would write:

At age 57, I have many memories of events that occurred before my wife, my children and grandchildren became a part of my life. These events are a part of their history also, so I want them to know some details of their heritage. Memories are things that a person can only attempt to share with someone else. But how does a person such as I, unskilled in the art of translating mental pictures into words, accomplish this? How do you describe a memory in a way that you can accurately share it with someone else?

Well, he did a beautiful job of it in the several pages he wrote about this childhood, sharing his memories of his past, and our heritage, up to the point he said goodbye to his mother in September 1957, when he left to begin his service with the Navy. After that, his story was told in action and by example, and the occasional tale about some event in his life that came to mind, usually prompted by something that was occurring in our own lives. It was a way for him to connect his past with our current and future. He “changed us” in ways that imprinted himself and gave us something to remember for a lifetime.

He leaves behind a garden of extraordinary beauty: his wife Robin Ann Wood, now in Bixby with their daughter; his son Dakota Wood and his wife Dixie (Jones) Wood (of Virginia); his daughter Laura (Wood) French and her husband Richard French (of Oklahoma); grandchildren Aubrie Wood (Virginia), Liam Wood (North Carolina), Emma Wood (Virginia), Rachael (French) Constien and her husband Clay Constien (Oklahoma), Austin French and his wife Sydney French (Florida), and Dakota-Brian French and his wife Brittney French; and great-grandchildren Cooper Constien and Carson Constien (of Oklahoma), and Damon French (of Florida).

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way.”  Psalm 37:23

 

Love you, Dad. 

 

The Stages of Grief at the Frontier

Can't help but be reminded of an old maxim usually ascribed to Mark Twain: "History doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes." Grygiel has taken a look at the waning days of the old Roman Empire, specifically the lands and people on its periphery, to gain insights into how those affected adapted to their changing circumstances. I think the warnings about how peoples fail to appreciate what is necessary to sustain security and prosperity are of greater relevance to America in our time. The article isn't lengthy at all and worth the time to read but the highlights are wrapped-up in the concluding paragraph:

"Severinus’s story parallels our times (with all the necessary caveats). The stages of geopolitical grief are not as vivid today as in this story, but doubts are growing about the resilience of U.S. power and Washington’s commitment (under the current Administration or future ones) to allies. As U.S. power retrenches or is questioned, the frontier regions then experiences a series of adjustments. Insouciance about how security arises gives way to shock and panic when the security provider vanishes; then, self-delusion follows, as people convince themselves that security will sustain itself or that the threat is not real; and finally, if lucky to be fortified by a firm belief in something more than material goods or the satisfaction of one’s own transient preferences, the polity may find a reason to defend itself. The West may be going through all three stages at the same time, as many seem to put faith in the automatic harmony of international relations, do not necessarily believe in the dangerous nature of geopolitical competition with assertive rivals, and—perhaps most worrisome, and different from Severinus’s tale—do not seem to find a strong reason to devote resources to sustain the order from which they benefit."

Published on: June 1, 2016

The Stages of Grief at the Frontier

Jakub Grygiel

Or, how to survive when your empire dissolves.

What happens when the clout of imperial forces fades, and when the order they had created and sustained is doubted by those who benefited from it as well as by those who aspire to challenge it? What are the new dynamics that arise? How do those who were under the empire’s protective power respond? One way of answering this question is by looking at how the outer edges of empires coped with the fraying of the imperial order. That is where imperial sway is at its most fragile—and where usually its waning is felt first. This is the unquiet frontier.

In those frontier outposts, the locals have to make difficult decisions based on an assessment of how resilient their empire is, how persistent and dangerous the enemy appears, and how strong their own will is. And they experience different stages of geopolitical grief from denial and delusion to perhaps, in the best case, an attempt at indigenous security provision.

A telling case is the second half of the 5th century C.E., along the Danube that still separated a tenuous Roman order from the barbarian lands. The empire was in disarray, already weakened by internal mismanagement and foreign incursions. And the barbarian lands, as far as we know, were shaken by various tribal forces, unleashed after Hunnic dominance had quickly disintegrated with Attila’s death (of a nosebleed induced by heavy drinking, so rumor has it). Roman settlements along the Danube were thus in a dangerous spot between a frail empire and a gaggle of raiding barbarians. What to do?

The story of a most unusual character, Saint Severinus, supplies us with a picture of the situation and the challenges facing the frontier locals.

Elbert Guillory and What "Conservatism" Really Means

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Elbert Guillory, currently a Louisiana State Senator running for federal office. In the course of researching his background, I came across his explanation (recorded in 2013) for switching from the Democratic to Republican political party. Though his is speaking specifically about his reason for switching parties, I think his rationale is the most concise, clearly stated, compelling defense for the principles that serve as the foundation for the conservative movement that I can remember hearing. I don't much more about the man, but I loved his message!

Why We Fight -- Yesterday(!) and Today(?)

In recognition of the 239th birthday of our great country this past week, my family watched the first two installments of Capra’s classic series “Why We Fight.” My wife and I were struck yet again by the similarities between then and now, i.e. Hitler’s (and even Japan’s) approach to manipulating the national attitudes and political/societal reluctance of the Western Powers (France, Great Britain, and the U.S.) to stand-up to his blatant violation of relevant laws, treaties, and agreements and what we’re seeing from Russia, China, and Iran today and the same reluctance from the US, England, France, and Germany, among others.

The big lessons: wishful thinking doesn’t displace reality; certainty and confidence in what one believes and is willing to fight to preserve are essential; and appeasement only increases the cost one ultimately pays when finally forced to confront totalitarianism.

If you’re not family with this series commissioned by the US Government during World War II, here are some snippets from the Wikipedia entry:

Prelude to War (1942; 51min 35s) (Academy award as Documentary Feature) – this examines the difference between democratic and fascist states, and covers the Japanese conquest of Manchuria and the Italian conquest of Ethiopia. Capra describes it as "presenting a general picture of two worlds; the slave and the free, and the rise of totalitarian militarism from Japan's conquest of Manchuria to Mussolini's conquest of Ethiopia."

The Nazis Strike (1943, 40min 20s) – covers Nazi geopolitics and the conquest of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland. Capra's description: "Hitler rises. Imposes Nazi dictatorship on Germany. Goose-steps into Rhineland and Austria. Threatens war unless given Czechoslovakia. Appeasers oblige. Hitler invades Poland. Curtain rises on the tragedy of the century—World War II."

Divide and Conquer (1943, 56min) – about the campaign in Benelux and the Fall of France. Capra's description: "Hitler occupies Denmark and Norway, outflanks Maginot Line, drives British Army into North Sea, forces surrender of France."

The Battle of Britain (1943, 51min 30s) – depicts Britain's victory against the Luftwaffe. Capra's synopsis: "Showing the gallant and victorious defense of Britain by Royal Air Force, at a time when shattered but unbeaten British were only people fighting Nazis."

The Battle of Russia (1943, 76min 7s) Part I and Part II – shows a history of Russian defense and Russia's battle against Germany. Capra's synopsis: "History of Russia; people, size, resources, wars. Death struggle against Nazi armies at gates of Moscow and Leningrad. At Stalingrad, Nazis are put through meat grinder."

The Battle of China (1944, 62min 16s) – shows Japanese aggression such as the Nanking Massacre and Chinese efforts such as the construction of the Burma Road and the Battle of Changsha. Capra's synopsis: "Japan's warlords commit total effort to conquest of China. Once conquered, Japan would use China's manpower for the conquest of all Asia."

War Comes to America (1945, 64min 20s) – shows how the pattern of Axis aggression turned the American people against isolationism. Capra's synopsis: "Dealt with who, what, where, why, and how we came to be the USA—the oldest major democratic republic still living under its original constitution. But the heart of the film dealt with the depth and variety of emotions with which Americans reacted to the traumatic events in Europe and Asia. How our convictions slowly changed from total non-involvement to total commitment as we realized that loss of freedom anywhere increased the danger to our own freedom. This last film of the series was, and still is, one of the most graphic visual histories of the United States ever made."

Capra was convinced that the most compelling case for U.S. involvement in Europe and the Pacific could be made by using the enemy’s own propaganda to reveal their perspectives, plans, and objectives; news reporting to show on-the-ground realities; and America’s own history to illustrate the differences between our values and interests and those of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperialist Japan. I think much the same can be said today with regard to Putin’s Russia, Khamenei’s Iran, Kim’s North Korea, or al-Baghdadi’s Islamic State.

You can purchase the DVD set online but can also access all the films on YouTube:

1. Prelude to War 

2. The Nazis Strike 

3. Divide and Conquer 

4. The Battle of Britain 

5. The Battle of Russia 

6. The Battle of China 

7. War Comes to America 

Policy Debates and the Reality of War

Several weeks ago I was asked by a senior staffer for a Member of Congress for some good references about what ground combat is like. Among the multitude of military affairs issues being debated in Congress is the role of women in combat. The military services have been tasked to open all occupational fields to women unless cause can be shown why a particular field should remain closed. Over the years just about all fields have been opened with the exception of the ground combat arms communities such as infantry, armor, artillery, and related elements of special operations. (The Army and Marine Corps (the Corps in particular) have been conducting a series of tests to determine what standards are relevant to making a determination and, most importantly, why. They are to report their findings and recommendations in the coming months.)

The staffer was wanting to help the Member get a better understanding of what ground combat is like. It is one thing to debate the pros and cons of the issue in the peaceful confines of the Capital and quite another to deal with the brutal realities of war on an actual battlefield. Clearly few Members and their staff have, or can easily gain, direct experience to inform their arguments so they look to materials like reports, testimony, and visits to units. There is a wealth of literature that accurately describes war but it seems no one has time (or the willingness to make the time) to read so video can have a powerful impact.

I queried a solid group of colleagues who are well versed, personally experienced, and have a balanced perspective about ground combat. Almost to a person they suggested just about the same sample of references especially for short film clips. Recommendations for books were also fairly narrowly focused but, as mentioned, most people have little time for reading several hundred pages so…back to film clips.

Hollywood routinely inflates or glamorizes war with a bias toward dramatic effect and with scant regard for accuracy. However, there are exceptions...depictions where combat veterans will nod their head and say, “Yep, that’s just about as best a telling of how it actually is as I can think of.” Among the films that garner such comments are Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers, Lone Survivor, Fury (for the tank battle scenes), and the HBO series Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

One can certainly be skeptical of historical references dating back to WWII. After all, it is easy to presume that since it’s 70 years on things have changed quite a bit especially in the technological sense. But that’s just not the case in ground combat, especially when it comes to infantry operations. Yes, modern forces have more resources to draw on to find the enemy and more weapons available with which to engage but a bullet, grenade, rocket, and knife are still in as much use today as they were back then and the reality of ground combat is the age-old reality of men locked in brutal, physical combat with each other. Not shown in the below clips (but often implied) is the always present task of many long days and miles of carrying everything with you necessary for a fight…and the heat or cold, the terrain, the weariness, the uncertainty (when will you find the enemy or be found by him?), etc., that accompanies war.

These extraordinarily accurate clips show what close combat is really like. Whether it’s a beach, town, open area, or heavily wooded location, such terrain exists today and poses nearly the exact same problems as it did a half-century or more in the past. Rubble is rubble and bullets (from pistols, rifles, and machine guns), grenades, knives, and rockets do the same damage today and are employed in the same way as back then. One need only see current news stories out of Iraq, Syria, Libya, or Ukraine to see that little has changed.

War is brutal, unforgiving, and lethal. The decision to engage in it and to commit people to it should be the gravest and most seriously considered of all that are undertaken by Congress, the White House, and the public.Those who engage in the debate should always be mindful of the reality they demand our men and women to confront. Any change recommended to or imposed upon our forces should always consider first and foremost whether it helps our military defeat the enemy's in combat.

WARNING: These scenes are quite graphic.

Saving Private Ryan – Omaha Beach (Spielberg and Hanks insisted on historical accuracy in making this movie. This scene captures the reality of what people have to contend with when trying to establish a foothold in enemy held terrain, whether it is a beach, town, or complex terrain. The noise, confusion, death, and danger permeate one’s existence.)

Saving Private Ryan – Mellish and Upham (a classic rendering of what hand-to-hand fighting is all about in the real world. None of this Jason Bourne silliness)

Hand To Hand in Fallujah (this is a reenactment of a fight that took place in Iraq just a few years ago that almost exactly replicates the scene shown in Saving Private Ryan)

Band of Brothers – Battle of Bloody Gulch  Just as he did in "Saving Private Ryan", Spielberg insisted on historical accuracy in both Band of Brothers (which follows the experiences of a real world Army unit that somehow experienced nearly all the major actions in WWII Europe) and The Pacific (a telling of Marine experiences in the WWII Pacific theater.

The Pacific – Bunker scene

The Pacific - Peleliu Airfield

Tribute to the Dog

If you are a dog lover, you'll love this item by Jonah Goldberg. It was one of the best things I'd read in quite a while especially since most of my time is spent with the mind-numbing silliness that spills out of our government these days.When I sent it around to friends, one of them replied with this short speech by George Graham Vest, a US Senator from Missouri back in the late 1800s.

Tribute to the dog

Gentlemen of the Jury: The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.

The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.

If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.

George Graham Vest - c. 1855

And then I was reminded of this wonderful poem by Jimmy Stewart:

And now on to Goldberg's take...

What Having a Dog Can Teach You about Life

By Jonah Goldberg — May 18, 2015

Editor’s Note: The following article is excerpted from the new book The Dadly Virtues (Templeton).

Here is wisdom:

Have a kid? Get a dog. Want a kid? Get a dog.

Don’t want a dog? Get a cat, which is like training wheels for dog ownership.

Have a cat already? It’s probably time to get a dog. Don’t like dogs? You’re wrong.

Those of you already encumbered with a very small human in your home — and I don’t mean Robert Reich — might be asking, “Why?” After all, the humanoid is already making demands on my tolerance for poop disposal and unremunerated feedings. Why would I saddle myself with more and similar obligations — particularly when the four-legged dependent will make demands on me forever and will never carry on the family name or provide me with any kind of tax benefit, or expand the borders of my empire into the barbarian lands of the Gauls?

I can make the practical case. Dogs make good guards, particularly of young children (though this varies by breed; Dachshunds, for instance, are tubular snapping turtles). They are fun to look at and can be entertaining companions. Children raised in households with dogs are less likely to get various immune system–related ailments, such as eczema or asthma. And I suppose if you were starving to death you could consider a canine an emergency reserve supply of protein.

But such arguments fall under the category of rank utilitarianism or instrumentalism. And I want to make a broader case for the beasts, so let me start with first things.

The PC Crowd Notches Another Kill

This reminds me of the fate that befell Mozilla co-founder and CEO Brendan Eich, last year, when it came to light he had made a financial contribution to a cause the liberal-left abhorred. They quickly took to social media to disparage the man in the most insulting ways and Mozilla caved to the social pressure and fired him for a perfectly legal, personal, and civically responsible act (meaning participating in the civic processes of our land via the ballot box vice social militancy) that occurred a half-dozen years prior.

In the below case, a scientist and academic of notable standing, who has made extraordinary contributions not only to his field but to global public health, attempted a joke (something most academics aren’t very good at…that was a joke) and was summarily ‘executed’ in the professional sense by his own institution who appears to have handled it quite badly all around.

This is the sort of thing is implied in VDH’s recent essay Building the New Dark Age Mind. Though he was explicitly addressing the tactics of the Left in rejecting evidences that refute preferred positions, using “perfunctory charges of sexism and racism, and seek cover in ‘fairness” and “equality’” to discredit their opponents, the underlying theme is the inability or unwillingness of supposedly responsible adults and institutions to stand up to this sort of destructive nonsense.

Why is it that major institutions like Mozilla or University College London cannot find the confidence and summon the courage to ignore or explicitly reject character assassination-by-social media, place personal actions or statements into proper context (it was a donation, not a firebombing or a bad joke, not an assault), and not give light, fertile soil, or encouragement to a rabid minority that viciously attacks anything and anyone that doesn’t conform to its narrow-minded view of what is acceptable?

Cowardice, both moral and ethical, is the only conclusion I come to.

Related story about below here.

Tim Hunt: ‘I’ve been hung out to dry. They haven’t even bothered to ask for my side of affairs’
In an exclusive interview Tim Hunt and his wife Professor Mary Collins tell how their lives fell apart after his quip about women in science went viral on Twitter

Tim Hunt with his wife Mary Collins at their home in Hertfordshire. Photograph: Antonio Olmos for the Observer

Robin McKie

Saturday 13 June 2015 15.03 EDT Last modified on Sunday 14 June 2015 07.05 EDT

As jokes go, Sir Tim Hunt’s brief standup routine about women in science last week must rank as one of the worst acts of academic self-harm in history. As he reveals to the Observer, reaction to his remarks about the alleged lachrymose tendencies of female researchers has virtually finished off the 72-year-old Nobel laureate’s career as a senior scientific adviser.

What he said was wrong, he acknowledges, but the price he and his wife have had to pay for his mistakes has been extreme and unfair. “I have been hung out to dry,” says Hunt.

His wife, Professor Mary Collins, one of Britain’s most senior immunologists, is similarly indignant. She believes that University College London – where both scientists had posts – has acted in “an utterly unacceptable” way in pressuring both researchers and in failing to support their causes.

Certainly the speed of the dispatch of Hunt – who won the 2001 Nobel prize in physiology for his work on cell division – from his various academic posts is startling. In many cases this was done without him even being asked for his version of events, he says. The story shows, if nothing else, that the world of science can be every bit as brutal as that of politics.

Free Speech and Courage are Inseparable...

...and they are more important now than ever. Sadly, they are almost entirely absent from our college campuses and public discourse.

Building the New Dark-Age Mind

America’s descent into the Dark Ages will not end well. It never has in the past.
By Victor Davis Hanson On June 8, 2015



History is not static and it does not progress linearly. There was more free speech and unimpeded expression in 5th-century Athens than in Western Europe between 1934-45, or in Eastern Europe during 1946-1989. An American could speak his mind more freely in 1970 than now. Many in the United States had naively believed that the Enlightenment, the U.S. Constitution, and over two centuries of American customs and traditions had guaranteed that Americans could always take for granted free speech and unfettered inquiry.

That is an ahistorical assumption. The wish to silence, censor, and impede thought is just as strong a human emotion as the desire for free expression — especially when censorship is cloaked in rhetoric about fairness, equality, justice, and all the other euphemisms for not allowing the free promulgation of ideas.

George Orwell devoted his later years to warning us that while the fascist method of destroying free expression was easily identified (albeit only with difficulty combatted), the leftwing totalitarian impulse to squelch unpopular speech was far harder to resist — couched as it was in sloganeering about the “people” and “social justice.” It is easy to object to the speech codes of a self-interested, corrupt dictator in sunglasses and epaulettes, but difficult to fight censorship that allegedly helps the poor, minorities, and the helpless.

We can all but write off today’s university as a place of free expression. In the age of Obama, zealots in the university have clamped down on any thought deemed reactionary. “Trigger warning” is a euphemism for trying either to censure literature or to denigrate it. “Safe space” is another term for the segregation of campus areas by race, class, or ideology. “Hate speech” has become a pejorative for uncomfortable truth.

Past, Present, and Future of War Funding

This is a pretty neat four-minute video from CSIS Senior Adviser Mark Cancian. My quibble with it is that it comes across (to me) as favoring the political left/Democrats vs the political right/Republicans. It pits Republicans against the President without ever mentioning Democrats who are obviously part of the Congressional debate on defense vs domestic spending or discretionary vs non-discretionary spending. And it favors Obama over Bush-43 in the way things are phrased. The politics aside, a nifty way to present defense spending issues.