When I
retired from the Navy I was in my early forties and my wife was in her late
twenties. We bought an old farmhouse
one mile into the woods that had no electricity, sewerage or running water; and
the following fall entered the University of Maine as Freshmen. This lifestyle change was necessary for us
to both be able to afford college at the same time.
We were
different from the younger Freshmen as we actually took our classes seriously
and studied. We would return home,
light the wood stove, carry water from the stream behind the house, make supper
and then study our subject materials and notes, do homework and finally turn
out the oil lamps and go to bed listening to Maine Public Broadcasting on the
battery radio.
But, this is
not about us. For our second semester we
signed up for Logic as one of our five classes. The instructor was Dr. Reed. He had worked as a janitor at the college
before being hired to teach Logic. Dr.
Reed was a true eccentric, he was heavy set, his clothes always rumpled and
looking like he had slept in them, he truly looked more like a janitor than a
Doctor of Philosophy; but he was brilliant.
His class
ended up being the most demanding of any class we took during our four
years. He assigned copious readings and
extensive homework, he tested weekly and he graded stiffly.
We spent
more hours at home having to studying logic that second semester than we spent
on the other four classes combined. It was the hardest class we experienced in
college and the one that challenged us most.
Dr. Reed was
later released by the college because he failed too many students and would not
agree to curve his grades.
We still see
Dr. Reed occasionally, mainly at Republican rallies where he is usually dressed
in bib overalls and playing the banjo.
But this
brings me to the subject of this post.
There are
petitions floating around Maine for a referendum to vote on the legalization of
marijuana during the fall election.
Most Republicans,
including our illustrious governor, are opposing the referendum stating the ‘most
people hooked on heroine started with pot (therefore,
pot leads heroine addiction.)’
Post Hoc
Ergo Propter Hoc
Roosters
crow when the sun rises, therefore roosters cause the sun to rise.
Thank you
Dr. Reed
the Ol’Buzzard
