Stewart Myrent

The library has been closed for over a month now (have no idea when it will re-open - if ever) & I finished my last book rental several weeks ago & I was looking for something to read at home & came upon "American History Revised: 200 Startling Facts that never made it into the textbooks", by Seymour Morris, Jr.  I finished the book & then started at the beginning a 2nd time & found this gem.  It is about a man who is selected to deliver an urgent message to Gen. Garcia (a real person) during the Spanish-American War.  The book, "A Message to Garcia", is the 5th "most widely distributed book of all time (after 'The Bible', Mao's 'Quotations', Noah Webster's 'American Spelling Book' and Jehovah's Witnesses 'The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life')." The book is forgotten because it takes place during the Spanish-American War.  "My heart goes out", 'A Message to Garcia' concludes, "to the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly takes the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it... Civilization is one long, anxious search for such individuals."

Jack Edmund Bookwalter

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Words kill!

Beware the bombast.

The country is frustrated and angry.

This is no time for politics.

Paul Richard Hain

Hello everyone,

I remember learning about "Message to Garcia" in the Boy Scouts. That must be because Jack and I were in the same Boy Scout Troop #26 at Sharp Corner School and then we moved to troop #226 at Jane Stenson School. I vaguely remember the story, but the take away lesson was dedication to a task (getting the message through) and overcoming personal fear. 
 

Scouting was real important shaping character and doing fun activities. I remember learning Morse Code, practicing sending messages in code a short distance to other scouts who decoded the message. We even learned semaphore (flag) signaling. These were skills we probably did not use as adults, but they helped us to grasp how difficult it was to get that message through to Garcia. 
The scouts were about being helpful, brave, clean and reverent. It was true to the first scout, Baden-Powell.  There was none of the abuse and nonsense that plague today's scouting. 
Thanks for bringing this back to memory. I'm sure it is remembered differently by others. But, to this day, my scout training comes in handy, lighting a fire, putting up a tent for my grand daughter or sharpening a knife. I think David (Steinberg) Noel, Tom Hansen and George Goldberg were in scoutes with us. 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

"There was none of the abuse and nonsense that plague today's scouting."

What are you saying, Paul?
What's the nonsense?
Pedophilia is as old as time.  
It is not helpful to be naive about this,
and to take a whack at Scouting today.

Marvin Irving Blusteln

All that we are exposed to and subjected to at the present exists largely because of one person and one group.

My lament, "shame on them they are not patriots."

Paul Richard Hain

Yes, Janis, pedophelia exists and has always existed.  But, don't judge my scouting experience based on your perverse view that it is endemic in all scouting and naiveness to know otherwise.  Let's face it: you simply don't know what your talking about and seem to get joy in putting down those of us who had good Boy Scout training.  Perhaps, you could benefit from personally keeping the Boy Scout oath.  "On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.  Scout Law is: to be Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.

Tell me, if you will, what is objectionable to boys learning that to guide their lives?  If you desire it, pedophelia would ruin scouting and religion?  Are you willing to let that happen?  There are good, safe Boy Scout troops just as there are churches.  I hope you will agree with that?

Scouting and religion forms life-long character.  We need both, and we have to help make them both free from the stain of pedophelia by being "wise as a serpent, harmless as a dove" as we watch closely at what our children and grandchildren involve themselves. 
 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Paul, I'm glad you had a good Scouting experience; I know many who have, and hope Scouting continues into the future.
My objection was to you universalizing your Scouting experience to that of all Scouts in your day, and suggesting that Scouting today isn't what it used to be.

I have lived by the values in the Boy Scout oath,
and instilled those values in my children and grandchildren.

Have you seen "The Two Popes"?

Paul Richard Hain

Yes. 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Are you suffering cabin fever, Paul?
I was taken aback by your suggestion that I have a perverse view of Scouting.  
The confusion was over your statement "There was none of the abuse and nonsense that plague today's scouting."

Would that Americans could have the depth of dialogue portrayed in "The Two Popes."

Be well.  
Stay safe.
Wisconsin is on a stay at home order 'til May 26th. I am not aware of churches or synagogues or mosques in Wisconsin defying the stay at home order, though again May 12th Wisconsin will have an in-person election for an open Congressional seat in northern Wisconsin.

Jack Edmund Bookwalter

Paul Richard Hain

You nailed it, Jack!  

Paul Richard Hain

Janis, I was not "universalizing" my Scouting experience.  That is your term, not mine.  That was never my intent. You read too much into what I said. I am happy for you that you do know others who benefited from Scouting and that you live the values it taught. 
No, Janis, I do not suffer from cabin fever suggesting it was perverse of you to take my comments the way you did. It's par for the course for you to attack or twist my words when I post. 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Paul, in your professional background you know how important it is to commuicate clearly, carefully, and accurately. The sentence in question was unnecessary in your original post. You did not use the word "universalizing" but you made what was understood to be a universal statement by me and parents in scouting today. I did not twist your words. Your statement was unnecessary (and careless) and was heard as a disparaging comment about Scouting today.

If you prefer, I could take great umbrage at the totality of your messages. You might have gracefully accepted "cabin fever" as an out (and stopped your "critical" demeaning messages to me); accepted Jack's post as the gift it is and moved on after a grateful response for the interesting info he shared.

*** Paul, I hope you reconsider one sentence and delete it from a beautiful memory and story you might well repeat in the future.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

It's OK to not be OK in this time.  
The days are running together.

Thank you to everyone working on the front lines and in essential services - they are carrying us through this crisis. 
Recent news is good but only compared to the terrible news we've been living with. As Dr Fauci says, "The virus will tell us" - the numbers are contingent on what we do.
Let's learn from this experience and build back smarter.

Alan A. Alop

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

We do not need protests to convince us we want "OUT!"  
We must be patient.
The question is to know when it's safe to be out and do no harm.  
We need tests, tests, tests,
and contact tracing.
We will see the results of our decisions.

Have a good day, we're in this together.

Marvin Irving Blusteln

     Janis,     Re:1688.   The problem is not with many of us.  We do not need to learn we know.   This brings to mind a post I saw on facebook.  Son asks his father "Dad, what is science." Dad replies, "son, we're republicans, we don't believe in science."

Jack Edmund Bookwalter

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

👍

Let's get to this 📉

Get off the "tracks" 🚂to save the 🌎

  a train wreck in slow motion

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

"I became a mask maker
because your life is worth my time."

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

At least seven covid-19 cases have been traced back to in-person voting in Wisconsin's April 7th election. Milwaukee health officials confirmed seven cases which include six voters and one poll worker in Milwaukee where 180 voting locations were pared back to five, and there were hours-long lines to cast ballots.

The Wisconsin Democratic governor declared a state of emergency on March 12th and tried to delay the April 7th election or move all voting to mail-in ballots. Both Wisconsin and U.S. Supreme Courts upheld appeals by the Republican-controlled state legislature to hold in person voting.

The Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly dressed in full PPE garb April 7th to assure Wisconsinites it was safe to be at the polls.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

 
  in celebration of  Earth Day

"Time spent among trees is never wasted."

The number of Wisconsinites infected during in-person voting on April 7th and showing symptoms of or diagnosed with covid-19 is growing.  
The Republican-controlled state legislature will not consider healthy voting alternatives for the May 12th special election to fill a vacant Congressional seat in northern Wisconsin.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

   🥀  iF   YOU   THiNK  

   ARTiSTS  ARE  USELESS  

    TRY  TO  SPEND  YOUR   

     QUARANTiNE 😷

🥁 WiTHOUT  MUSiC,  BOOKS  

         POEMS,   MOViES  🎭

          PAiNTiNGS  AND  

                    GAMES   🧩

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

  WARNING:

  DO  NOT INJECT 

      DISINFECTANT