Everything's Alive

[Alan E. Jackson]

To: cellbiol at net.bio.net
From: Chris Barry <chbarry at mackiller.llnl.gov>
Subject: Re: Everything's Alive
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 09:13:05 -0800
Tara Johnson wrote:
> 
> Does anybody know of a way to prove whether everything is alive or not?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  If I may,
    In science we know that things can not be proved. Only disproved.
    We have certain criteria for things that are considered to be
  alive. It they are not met, when we say a thing is not alive, or no
  longer alive. 
                                              At your service,
                                              Alan E. Jackson
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Something to think about;

  WAKE-UP. 1.

                              "SLEEP WALKING"

   This room had been selected because of the view it would soon provide
 to the people who now were gather together in it.  The short notice and 
 urgency of the request, added to the bewilderment of all but one of the 
 faculty members, now present for the meeting.  The dean of the college
 was waiting for the right moment, then he would share with the others,
 what had been brought to his attention, only yesterday.

   His secretary entered the room as planed, made eye contact with the
 dean, and left as quickly.  The head of the faculty felt the uneasy
 feeling grow. It had been there, in his gut, for a day now.  He made an 
 effort to lessen its effect.  He swallowed hard, and took full breaths. 
 The dean began a walk to the windows of the one outside wall, while at
 the same time requesting that the others position themselves along that 
 wall, looking out.

   "An event is about to take place, outside.  I'm asking that each one
 of you watch closely, and quietly.  Afterwards, I will do my best to
 explain the event, and share with you information given to me only 
 yesterday."

   As the dean spoke the word yesterday, a military jeep coming to a stop
 at the curb, captured the attention of each person in the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  WAKE-UP. 2.

              In a society whose structure is based on equality,
              respect given, is as food to the humble.
              Respect demanded, is as poison to the wicked.

   They watched, as two of the four soldiers stepped out of the jeep,
 and began their walk up the path which led to the flag pole.  The
 soldiers were dressed in full battle gear.  Along with their weapons,
 one could be seen to be carrying a flag.  When they reached the pole,
 they attached the flag.  The flag began to unfurl as it was raised,
 and the two left in the jeep, stepped out. The two at the pole secured
 the flag at the top, faced each other, each saluted.  One walked back
 to the jeep, the three then got back in and drove off.  Leaving one
 armed soldier at the flag pole.

   They stood looking.  They had watched the event from a distance. 
 Following their leader, they began taking seats at the table.

   The dean bean by saying, "The one soldier remains because we have
 failed a test.  I was informed of his time of arrival, by written
 statement, signed by the president.  The soldier's orders are, that
 he not allow anyone to lower the flag.  There will be a soldier at
 the flag pole twenty-four hours a day, to remind us that we are being 
 watched."  The dean paused, opened the folder which was before him,
 and drank from the cup.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  WAKE-UP. 3.

   Continuing, the dean said, "There was a time in this country, not
 long ago, when any person could claim he was a doctor, or a lawyer,
 or amy type of worker, without braking any laws.  Slowly this has
 changed.  Before, what we now call a college was made available, a
 person would become a worker in a profession, by working with someone
 with more knowledge in that profession.  You then were known by your
 works.  By an act of choice, members of a community would give respect
 and gratitude to whom they felt had earned it.

   Then came many colleges and universities.  What they did was find a
 highly respected member of a profession, and offer him space in their 
 building, were many people could learn from him.  Then the colleges and 
 universities asked the communities to show respect to those who had
 learned at their buildings.  More colleges and universities sprang up,
 both in this country and in others.  And this provided help to those
 not close to someone working in the profession of their choice.

   But then something happened.  Nolonger could any person claim he was
 a doctor.  And nolonger could each member of a community give respect to
 whom ever they deemed deserving.  Laws slowly came into being which
 demanded that respect only be given to those who learned at colleges and 
 universities.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  WAKE-UP. 4.
                                   "AWOKE"

   This trend continued, both in this country and in others.  But this
 country had different laws.  In the United States the law was equal
 rights.  We became a nation of hypocrites, praising freedom, while
 denying it.  People who did not like the new laws were told this new
 way would give them better doctors and lawyers, and if they still did
 not agree with the new laws, they could consult a licensed doctor or
 lawyer.

   The soldier is outside now, because this has come obvious to many,
 that this approach to education is not only in violation of the 
 constitution, but has retarded educational growth throughout the world.

   The government acknowledges some blame, by affording those associated
 with academics a period of time in which we may attempt to right this
 wrong. The hope is that our actions will avert marshal law.

   What awoke the government to this situation, was a man with a major
 discovery, who had been knocking on our door for ten years, but found
 nobody home who was interested.  This discovery, would have by now,
 greatly improved the health care systems in many nations.  But because
 we did not view another as having the same rights as us, we have been 
 preventing good by doing wrong .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  WAKE-UP. 5.
                          "RIGHT THIS WRONG"

   The difference between us and the Nazis, is that we have been caught
 by our own government.  And the so called drugies in prison, have been 
 persecuted for not following us.  It only took one of them to reveal the 
 crime we committed, to everyone.

   There is a soldier like this one at fortyRnine others flag poles, one
 in each state of the union.  Each of you will find a copy of the
 information received yesterday, in your mail box.  Another meeting is
 set for tomorrow, same time.  A link between us and the forty-nine 
 institution will be provided by the government, and I'm sure it will be 
 monitored.  I don't think we will be allowed much time in which to,
 shall I say, repent".

     NO MAN CAN SERVICE TWO MASTERS: FOR EITHER HE WILL HATE THE ONE,
     AND LOVE THE OTHER; OR ELSE HE WILL HOLD TO THE ONE, AND DESPISE
     THE OTHER.                 S.MATTHEW, 6: 24.

     KNOWEST THOU NOT THIS OF OLD, SINCE MAN WAS PLACED UPON EARTH?
     THAT THE TRIUMPHING OF THE WICKED IS SHORT, AND THE JOY OF THE
     HYPOCRITE BUT FOR A MOMENT?     JOB, 20: 4,5.