This
brief essay is dedicated to the memory of
my dear friend, mentor and fellow stamp collector,
Professor
Fred W. Neal
1915-1997
Religion Department, Rhodes College, and director of
the "Search" course.
Trampled Veneration
175
Years Of Elitist Autocracy
Megalomania, Antisemitism & Racism
1848
-2023
The Dying Lioness Of Nineveh
Assyria 645-635 BCE
The Dying Lynx Of North Parkway
Memphis,
Tennessee 1848 - 2023 CE
Once a college degree becomes a pedagogue's license to exercise authoritarian
hypocrisy
the
values that they searched for and discovered in the light of western history and religion
become meritless, trashy, insolvent,
obsolete, dishonorable and bankrupted.
Their lives are filled with insidious nightmares instead of
brilliantly illuminated dreams replete
with moral excellence
and a redemptive measure of that which is good, meritorious and useful.
Filthy academicians that behave as arrogant elitists should have
their
worthless diplomas stuffed in wooden crates labeled "environmental waste",
rocketed into space by NASA, returned incinerated, glowing
like a meteor, a Roman candle
upon reentry into the earth's atmosphere for the entire planet to witness and celebrate.
Every academician, professor, any faculty member that displays an
unwarranted, baseless, unfounded,
unjustifiable attitude of
irreverence
toward any student, or layman, is a scornful, abusive
criminal that imperils the welfare, prosperity,
dignity and future of that student.
Laymen will reject you, nor trust you,
look down on and despise you,
harbor contempt for and fully disrespect
you.
Pedagogues obsessed with a compulsive desire to exert groundless
control
over
colleagues and students routinely use naive pupils as dangerous decoys.
Gullible
pupils become felonious accomplices once they regurgitate inane,
recondite, unoriginal, outdated profundity overheard in a stale classroom
classically puked from the mouth of an irksome, immodest
lectern lunatic
addressed
as "professor". A faculty member that has neither conscience, respect,
scruples or moral sense for themselves, their profession
or their students.
Roll,
Lynx, roll away the stone.
The
tedious search is over and there's nothing of value in that empty space.
Because of your exaggerated opinion of your importance
your
immodest sandstone, slate and limestone edifice eroded,
fretted away and became gravel,
dirt and dust once again.
Climbing the intellectual and academic
ladder at Rhodes College isn't possible
if the ladder's rungs are missing and broken.
You
will fail and you will fall.
I
caution students to never get on the bad side of
small-minded faculty members who have a little authority.
You'll discover that your diploma is a worthless piece
of paper bearing the signatures of
drumbeaters, partisans and zealots
who routinely barricade student resources necessary to overcome challenges, and deny
and rob these resources with elitist
autocracy infused with greed and self-aggrandizement.
My friends at Rhodes College, and
elsewhere,
will
tell you that I once believed that for every bad thing found
in the heart of every man or woman there are ten good things
that will make themselves visible
to you in time.
Not this time.
It's
bad enough that Rhodes' College Alma Mater
is a musically plagiarized version of
"I've Been Working On The Railroad".
Mark Twain said,
"Never argue with a fool in
public. Onlookers will mistake you both for fools."
I trust those with honor will tell PJ
that I'm away because
of these fools and that
I don't argue with them in public or private.
I've read the literature, seen the paintings,
listened
to the music, witnessed the science,
and heard the voices of enough fools.
I hope that they keep their hands far away from your
food and water.
I'm
filled with fear that they'll poison your bowl with
dogma, anti-semitism, racial and fanatical religious segregation.
Yet, my dear, sweet little friend, there are fortunate
few among you who
enter the door to the hallowed halls where you daily dine.
Those whose hearts are compassioned, charitable and kind.
Those who will always remember that I was yours.
And you were mine.
-David-
~~~~~~~~
“And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to it for help -- for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.”
― Omar Khayyám ―
b. May 18th 1048 - d. December 4th 1131
~~~~~~~~
David
Cleve Saks may seem docile, mysterious and different on first impression.
However,
he is a remarkable man. Saks is highly independent and self-sufficient.
His
exceptional intelligence, sense of humor and wisdom are quickly noticed upon interaction with him.
He is a respectable man and many are deeply and positively affected by his very cordial, warm
and sincere nature.
Saks is not one to attract people on the basis
of his warmth or compassion, however - though he is loaded with both - but because of his obvious insight and common sense.
Saks may appear to be hard to get to know and is often withdrawn,
but this is the fabric of a rather modest man. It is common for people to see his focus turn inside of himself in the middle
of a conversation.
Saks clearly has the makings of an intellectual,
but he has, in remarkably humble fashion, guarded against arrogance and an attitude of "I've got it all figured out".
There have been periods in Saks' life when he had little concern
for style, while at other times he is very aware of his surrounding and uses it to make a specific impression.
Saks appears dignified no matter how he perceives
the moment, but he is a rather well groomed man with a touch of dash and definitely has some advantages.
Saks is quiet and never exhibits self-importance. His confidence increases when he knows he
is well received.
Saks is a gifted musician, an extraordinary
pianist, brilliant, spiritual, religious, and a romantic at heart with his very own ideas regarding the purpose of life which
at times tragically self-inflict controversy for him.
He is an inspired speaker and conversationalist
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common when discussing subjects that interest him.
Otherwise, Saks is not one for chatter.
His
love of knowledge and his wisdom manifest of such surpassing excellence as to suggest divine inspiration.
David Saks first arrived on the Southwestern at Memphis / Rhodes College campus in 1970.
Although a Rhodes student, and awarded a scholarship, he never
chased a degree.
David's loyalty, respect, devotion and great
love for learning, the piano and Rhodes College are distinctive characteristics that have distinguished him as a beloved member
of the community.
