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View Full Version : Dropping an idea and passing on


Zeno
04-08-2004, 03:18 AM
The following is an excerpt from a small article called ‘Under the Elms’ penned by H.L. Mencken in response to complaints that he was some how responsible and the cause for several student suicides that were played up in early 1927. The specific charge was ‘too much Mencken’.


“I hope no one will be upset and alarmed by the fact that various bishops, college presidents, Rotary lecturers and other such professional damn fools are breaking into print with high-falutin discussions of the alleged wave of student suicides. Such men, it must be manifest, seldom deal with realities. Their whole lives are devoted to inventing bugaboos, and then laying them. Like the news editors, they will tire of this bogus wave after a while, and go yelling after some other phantasm. Meanwhile, the world will go staggering on. Their notions are never to be taken seriously. Their one visible function on earth is to stand as living proof that education is by no means synonymous with intelligence.

What I’d like to see, if it could be arranged, would be a wave of suicides among college presidents. I’d be delighted to supply the pistols, knives, ropes, poisons and other necessary tools. Going further, I’d be delighted to load the pistols, hone the knives, and tie the hangman’s knot. A college student, leaping uninvited into the arms of God, pleases only himself. But a college president, doing the same thing, would give keen and permanent joy to great multitudes of persons. I drop the idea, and pass on. “

John Cole
04-08-2004, 03:38 AM
Zeno,

Amazingly appropriate. We've been having, that is, our English Department, has been having a wave of talks with both the President and Vice-President, and many of us would heartedly endorse Mencken's proposal. In fact, I think I'll send this along.

--John

HDPM
04-08-2004, 09:59 AM
All the mencken quotes were great, but I realy liked the "other such professional damn fools" line. Making careers of inventing bugaboos. True indeed. And how taxes increase actually.

Zeno
04-08-2004, 02:49 PM
John,

I am both pleased and uplifted that I could, in some small measure, contribute to your battles and duels with the College Lords. Fighting bureaucrats is an uphill war on a muddy slope.

If you need it, I'll loan you my beloved 45 auto. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Good Luck!

-Zeno

PS, I've had my own minor fights with University Adminstrators etc. I'll relate some fun stuff later on.