Writing That Transcends Time And Space

"Their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them. 'There was a real railway accident,' said Aslan, softly. 'Your father and mother and all of you are---as you used to call it in the Shadow Lands---dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.'

And as he spoke, he no longer looked to them like a lion; but things began to happen after that that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us, this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has ever read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better then the one before."

C. S. Lewis, from The Last Battle

Happy Birthday, Stetson Kennedy

Stetson Kennedy was born on October 5, 1916 in Florida. He was, in addition to being a writer and researcher of folklore, a human rights activist. The latter actually began as a means of research, in order to write about the Ku Klux Klan, which he infiltrated after World War ll, in a successful effort to gain information. From this research and information, he authored the titles, Southern Exposure, and The Klan Unmasked. He also gave information about the Klan to comic book writers, who used it in creating villians to be defeated by Superman. Anonymous hackers would have been proud.

This method of infiltrating, researching, then finally exposing is what shedding light is all about. Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia at a time when that hate group controlled Southern politics, and heavily influenced Northern politics. When he felt that he had enough information to address the public about who the Klan actually is and what they do, he went ahead and exposed them, nothing withheld. He wasn't worried about keeping anyone's secrets, hiding anyone's incompetence, or covering up anyone's criminal predilections. This not only what makes his writing great, but what makes the First Amendment great. Stetson dared to tell the world what he saw firsthand, and our Constitution allowed him to do so, even when it meant blowing the whistle on some very powerful terrorists.

Kennedy died in 2011, after a lifetime of publishing books and articles about folklore, activism, and human rights. He was richly rewarded by following his passion, and not many people believed the social strata of the United States, before the Civil Rights Movement, would ever change. He was never terribly clear on whether or not he thought he would see change at the time he wrote about the Klan, but the efforts of political activists and counter culture revolutionaries paid off. We need more writers like Stetson Kennedy.

 

 

Update On Cinderella's Petition

A few days ago, I wrote this post, about a young lady named Rhiannon Ambrose, who attempted to take advantage of open enrollment in Kansas by enrolling in Marysville High School, where forensics, speech, and drama are part of the curriculum; instead of enrolling in Frankfort, the public school closest to her home, where none of those classes are offered and one of the teachers is a confessed, yet unprosecuted, child abuser. Today, in a telephone conversation, superintendent Randy Freeman explained to Rhiannon that his initial reason for accepting all students requesting transfer from other districts, except her, would remain undisclosed, but that a new reason is the petition she wrote. Randy Freeman does not welcome students who write and send petitions, either online, or take hard copies of the same door to door. He also stated that he does not welcome students whose parents write and have published various written works. This writer finds that position quite interesting for an educator at an American school! Has Randy Freeman not heard of the Constitution? And the First Amendment? Petitions and public announcements are the cornerstone of Freedom of Expression! In essence, Randy Freeman has told Rhiannon that because she has engaged her First Amendment rights and petitioned, via written word, and because she has first degree relatives who write and have published their work, she is unwelcome in his school, while other transfer students whose parents do not know how to write, are welcome! Are there any more questions about exactly how American public schools have gotten "dumbed down"?

Here is the Updated Petition, don't be shy about signing it! Now that we have an administrator who openly admits that he only wants average or below average children in his school, gifted and talented need not apply, this has become bigger than one child in Kansas. All of our children have a right to learn about communication and about their rights as citizens. Today, an arrogant man, to whom quite a few childrens' educations have been entrusted, proudly announced that he does not encourage learning about the Constitution, or about writing or communication skills.

 

The original post about this whole matter can be read here.

 

Message

Another video from Anonymous.