Summer Vacation during August:
No Meeting Planned
We will be taking off the month of August for "summer
vacation," resuming our meetings in September. Enjoy the rest of your
summer, and we look forward to seeing you at the next meeting. In
September, John Drake will give a presentation on epistemology, and in
October, we will listen to "How to Win Arguments," a taped
lecture from Dr. Carolyn Ray from the TOC Summer Seminar.
The Outdoor Objectivist
Outdoor activities and a barbecue highlighted our July meeting as we
spent the afternoon at Joy and Jeff's cabin at Innsbrook. After
canoeing and feasting, Frank Bryan talked about the recent TOC Summer
Seminar. He gave a short summation of each lecture that he attended, as
well as his impression of it. Frank, as expected, enjoyed many of the
lectures, including "How to Win Arguments" by Carolyn Ray, which
addressed communicating with both Objectivists and non-Objectivists, and
"Property Rights" by Ed Hudgins, which looked at government
intrusion in many areas of our lives. Some of the other excellent courses
offered were "Objectivism is Child's Play!" by Lorie Bugby and
John Bechtel's "Seduction, Power and Happiness: Combating
Cultism."
Frank also talked about the many participant-sponsored sessions, David
Kelley's State of the Culture address, and a panel discussion on the
future of Objectivism. One of the most exciting announcements at the
seminar was about the soon-to-be-released CD-ROM titled "The World of
Atlas Shrugged," a behind-the-scenes look at the book, allowing
people to better understand and appreciate it. We will provide you with
more information when it becomes available.
Thanks to Joy and Jeff for their wonderful hospitality at this
fun-filled meeting.
Reason v. Kansas Board of Education
Voters in Kansas responded to the anti-evolutionary science standards
set last year by the Kansas Board of Education, voting to defeat
candidates who support the standards. In primary elections on August
1, three of the four candidates, including the board chairperson, were
defeated. It is anticipated that the standards will be reversed this year.
The Influential Gore
Vice President Al Gore has done more for this country than any other
vice president in history, according to President Bill Clinton. The
Associated Press reported on July 14 that Clinton, speaking at the NAACP
annual convention, said, "We've never had a vice president that did
so much good as vice president as Al Gore - never, not ever in the history
of the country."
And he didn't even mention Gore's biggest contribution - his invention
of the Internet.
Rand Appears in the Post-Dispatch
"When Atlas Shrugs" appeared in bold at the top of the
Commentary page in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on July 12. M.W. Guzy, a
retired policeman and frequent contributor to the Post, wrote a column on
recent issues with police that began: "What would happen if the
people who shoulder the weight of the world grew weary of the burden? What
if the people who make society work simply gave up and abandoned ship?
Novelist Ayn Rand explored that prospect in Atlas Shrugged. Though Rand's
book was fiction and had nothing to do with police work, two recent
incidents involving cops hint at the real world consequences of her
speculations."
Guzy then examined the recent mass assault on women in Central Park and
the riots following the final game of the NBA championship in Los Angeles.
He discussed the inactivity by the police in each situation, which was a
result of cops finding themselves stuck in the middle between
"so-called community activists" and police administrators who
court public opinion.
Guzy says that the importance of allowing administrators to conduct
independent investigations, rather than placating activists by charging
cops immediately after an incident, is vital because "when Atlas
shrugs the rest of us shudder."
Thought of the Day
(Reprinted from the last issue of The Gateway Objectivist)
"I am not part of the problem. I am a Democrat." -Al Gore |