Exits

From recent correspondence

Edited by Morris Dean

Excellent analysis on the Brexit [UK exit from the European Union] press: “Who Is to Blame for Brexit’s Appeal? British Newspapers” [Martin Fletcher, NY Times, June 21] Excerpt:

LONDON — No one should be surprised that Britain could vote to leave the European Union on Thursday [today]. For decades, British newspapers have offered their readers an endless stream of biased, misleading and downright fallacious stories about Brussels. And the journalist who helped set the tone – long before he became the mayor of London or the face of the pro-Brexit campaign – was Boris Johnson.
    I know this because I was appointed Brussels correspondent for The Times of London in 1999, a few years after Mr. Johnson reported from there for another London newspaper, The Telegraph. I had to live with the consequences. [read more]

Virtually ALL of the various things people do to prepare for a situation where someone is shooting at them or coming at them with a knife or club will never pay off as anticipated – mainly because such a situation will never arise for them, but also because their gun will be locked up, they will not be able to shoot straight, they will shoot themselves or a family member, the assailant will get their gun or their axe handle away from them, they will break their fist and just make the assailant mad, etc., etc. There are SO MANY THINGS that can (and do) go wrong. Also, a martial arts expert told me that studies show that if you have a gun in your belt or pocket but don’t spot someone coming at you with a KNIFE before he is 20 feet away from you, you will not be able to get your gun out and fire before he gets to you and stabs you with the knife. Millions and millions of dollars have been wasted enriching gun manufacturers by scared people tricked by the NRA and its converts and bought politicians into believing guns make them safer. And, of course, it has the opposite effect. Gun-happy America has homicide rates vastly outstripping those of other developed countries (European countries, for example, and Australia & New Zealand).
    Better simply to practice caution, circumspection, being on the lookout, having your car doors locked when you stop at an intersection, parking in the open, avoiding gatherings, keeping your doors locked, checking who’s there before opening a door, etc., etc.



When it comes to your dying, take the attitude of Yossarian, from Catch-22: his goal was to live forever or die in the attempt.
    Or William Saroyan: he knew everyone died, but somehow he thought in his case an exception would be made. Trust me, it’s a long time off.

Everything that has gone before is but prelude to the present moment.

Grateful for correspondence, Morris Dean