Scott Campbell

Posted on: Jul 18, 2023 at 4:33 AM

Posted on: Feb 15, 2022 at 9:10 PM

I've been told by some that I am the Class Columnist. I don't recall seeing that in the yearbook, but then, Mine got lost on a military move decades ago. In any event, I guess I've sat on my tookus long enough, and need to start earning my keep here.

To begin with, I had totally hoped on making the February Luncheon, my both my wife's and my medical appointments precluded that. I miss our get-togethers. WE have a great bunch of classmates from all walks of life, so very m uch more mature and wiser than we ever were over 60 years ago. Amazing what chums we have no, whom we wouldn't have gone near during our high school years.

Life has been difficult for this member of the Lynnfield diaspora. Have been plagued with vertigo for nigh 18 months now. I also, during the COVID-19 stretch, became less active. I was on mandatory stand-down with the Coast Guard here, and that was so frustrating. That, Between the quarantine, the vertigo and the stand-down, I became more sedentary, and my cardiovascular health suffered. Not blaming any other person, place, or thing - it was my own failed responsibility. As some of you are aware, I, along with all of my male siblings, had a heart attack in my 40's. Honathan followed me the very same weekend, at age 41. Jeff, who ran in road races every year, and a persistent runner like our Dad, had one a little later in his 30's, and my youngest brother, David had one a while back in his 40's. I started developing angina symptoms with only mild exertion, and knew the jig was up - - - again! I was scheduled in November for a 4-hour outpatient Cardiac Cath. Ha ha ha! The cardiol;ogist said "You're not going anywhere, buddy." and I was pushed to the top of the list of open-heart procedures at Rhode Island Hospital (with the VA footing every penny of the bill!). On December 2nd, I had a "Triple CABG" (pronounced like the leaf vegetable that Irish and Poles are so fond of), or three separate Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts to my heart. Obviously, I survived. I am now active in Cardiac Rehab 3 times a week and have dropped about 50 pounds - and counting.

I won't get into my wife's medical situation, but suffice to say that I am a member of the Pink Ribbon Brigade. Other than that, she is coming along nicely. My knees have become very tender from giving thanks to my Creator.

Now, for the Op-Ed Page:

Recently, I have been watching a lot of documentaries with various political slants. I am gravely distressed over the way we treat each other. I thought things were bad during Vietnam, but nothing holds a candle to what we are doing to ourselves now.

First, was a series this year, narrated by Mandy Patinkin, called "Indivisible: Healing Hate". IT is available for view on Paramount+ streaming network. Now, I am not going to get into the Right, the Left, the Moderates, the Radicals, or any other political paradigm, and neither does the documentary. What it does deal with, is the change in the way in which we treat our fellow Americans. We used to have friendly, respectful debates, where no one felt the need to forcefully silence their opponent, especially with our feelings of justification to use maiming and deadly force against our neighbor. When did it become OK to kill people in a supposedly "peaceful" demonstration, just because they disagree, by180 degrees, from my beliefs? Am I not endowed of the Creator, of the inalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, equally to any other person on U.S. soil? Note the wording, though. We have no entitlement to happiness, or obligation to give it to others, however we do have the right to freely pursue that happiness, as we each interpret it to be, so long as we do not deprive the other person of that self-same pursuit. As Americans, we also have a solemn duty to guarantee those things to our neighbor, predating the Articles of Confederation, or the Constitution. This entails being respectful, and deserving of the respect of others, regardless of their actions. Regardless of the behavior of our neighbor, we have a duty to respect their humanity. Now, that is not to say that we should welcome a sexual predator into our children's playroom, but that predator, even if they need to be imprisoned, is a full-fledged human being. You see, the first step on the slippery slope is the totally natural tribal tendency to establish an "Us" and a "Them", be it over skin color, cultural traditions, language, religion, politics, or which side of the tracks they reside upon. Look at Boston and New York fans . . . OK . . .bad example. To a Red Sox fan, a Yankees fan really is a sub-human life form . . . LOL! The point is that the "Us" people dehumanize thye "Them" people. Once we dehumanize them, we don't have to respect them, or their liberty, especially if their Creator does not meet the attributes we pin on our Creator. Once we disrespect, we justify doing inhuman things to inhuman beings. Our self-appointed moral persuadors publish memes in social media, encouraging us to hate anyone who is not a cookie-cutter "Us". At that point, laws don't matter. Rights don't matter. Constitutional articles and amendments don't matter; they only apply "to real humans", not to other species. After all, does your dog have a protection against your unwarranted search and seizure of that rabbit he killed? Does he deserve a fair trial before a jury of his peers, before punishment? Don't you see? That slope is slippery, made so by the tallow of our egoes spread upon it. For the record, I am not Conservative (which I once was, in different times and climates). Nor am I a Liberal. I am far worse than that: I am a Moderate. Both extremes hate me equally. However, I refuse to accept that any Liberal or Conservative loves our Republic any more, or any less than you or I do. If we open our eyes, we are all Americans. I won't even get into the planetary scope of that.

The second documentary is entitled "How to Become a Tyrant" (Netflix 2021). It is about humans as political beings, and the willingness to give extraordinary powers to a narcissistic egomaniac who claims to have the only answer to all of our problems, which are all the fault of . . . wait for it . . . a "Them" group! IT tracks Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Idi Amin, and Saddam Hussein through their rise to power through almost identical means and philosophies. Watch it, and you can see how history repeats itself.

The third documentary is "American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel" (Butlerfilms, 2019). It follows two denominations in Oklahoma's Bible Belt: The Unitarians, and the same denomination as resides in Centre Congregational Church: United Church of Christ, Congregational (UCC). The UCC Congregational denomination is a direct descendant of the Plymouth "Pilgrims" and the other Massachusetts "Puritans" who settled in New England in the first half of the 17th Century. To its discredit, many of its members prospered in shipping on the Molasses/Rum/Slave trade. Later, in contrast, many of its members, along with the Quakers, participated in the Underground Railroad and the Anti-slavery movement. At one time, it was considered to be pretty much mainstream Protestantism. Unitarianism branched off in New England in the 18th Century, to be more secular humanist. Many New Englans signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were either Congregational or Unitarian. Today, both denominations are shunned by many evangelical newer conservative denominations, especially in the South, like various Pentecostals and Southern Baptists. This gets back to my opening paragraph: "Us" versus "Them". It has become acceptable for conservative denominations in this country to launch campaigns against the very denominations that grabbed muskets on April 19, 1775, throughout Middlesex and Essex Counties. Now, they are seen as "heretics" and no longer "real" Christians, mostly for not hating non-Christians, "Sinners" and religious outcasts in our community, who are not deserving of Grace to be bestowed by that Creator who supersedes all mortal thought.

Hatred? That is simple! It has always been about "Us" versus "Them"

WEll, I have covered Politics and Religion. I am still in CArdiac Rehab, so one of the rest of you can discuss sex - LOL

My friends, walk in whatever light you have chosen to illuminate your path in life, and so long as that light shines for you, let no one tell you that it is not a true light. It is true to your being, and that is all that matters. Be well, friends, and stay safe!

Posted on: Jun 05, 2021 at 12:00 PM

Whoa! Just checked out Portage. Waaaaayyyyy up in "the County"! I'm a Mid-Coast Native (except for Gardiner, when my Dad worked on the Kennebec Journal.) While I grew up later in MA, with no disrespect to our classmates, being a natice "Mainiac", my heart still lives in Maine. I guess "You can take the boy out of Maine, but you'll never take Maine out of the boy".

As a fellow squid (Career HM1), welcome home, shipmate!

US Navy School of Music, LCreek, Class 6905-A (voluntary change to Corpsman Striker)
US Navy Hospital Corps School GLakes
US Naval Hospital BSN (Chelsea)
US Navy Field Medical Service School, Camp LeJeune NC (HM 8404)
USMC 3/5, First MarDiv
NAS Albany GA
USS Springfield (CLG-7) HP: Gaeta, Italy
NavSta Brooklyn
HHC, 1/182 Inf, 26th Ing Div, MA Nat Gd (SP5/E5 91B20)
NRMC PhiliPA
NRMC Branch Clinic, Lakehurst, NJ
Advanced Hospital Corps School, PortsVA (HM 8425)
USS Vogelgesang (DD-862) HP: NPT RI
USCG Aux 013-07-02 (current)
USCG Recruiting Office, Province Ri (past)
Sector Southeastern New England, Waterways Management Div (current)

Posted on: Jun 05, 2021 at 11:28 AM

Hope you are well. Best wishes!

Hey Reed!

Posted on: May 14, 2021 at 4:18 PM

It's been rough going lately. My apologies for dropping out of sight. During this COVID isolation, my Major Depression certainly has not improved (but I continue to work on that and my PTSD through the VA).

I have had a long history of vertigo episodes, especially when looking in certain directions (perfect excuse for not hanging hooks on doors for my wife - LOL). Last fall, it became 24/7. It was also discovered that I have had a small lacunar infarct in the right pontine area (a minor stroke - although I always thought that, like minor surgery, a minor stroke was the stroke that someone else had). I also had a high risk for further strokes, with over 90% blockage of my right carotid artery. Had a successful carotid endarterectomy (basically, roto-rooter job) last November. Now working with VA Physical Therapy on gait, balance, and positional issues. Other than that, I am the same feisty Scotsman I have always been (except with age, a bit more crotchety.) :)

I wish all of you and your families well, and hope we can soon re-unite in person.

Be well, stay safe, and above all, be civil!

Posted on: May 14, 2021 at 4:00 PM

We are long over-due!

As I scanned through my FB account, I read a post by our under-classmates from 1969 about a possible get-together. What really caught my eye, was Ellen Rizzari's having responded to that post. Never being one to not be inspired by her ever-kind example, I wrote a short post. I then realize that, I have not posted anything of real substance here in quite a while, acknowledging that some may think that nothing I have posted has any real substance. Be that as it may, I am reminded of Edmund Burke's statement about the triumph of evil, and am sitting here chastising myself for my prolonged silence. Whether or not I am qualified to be considered one of "good men", remains in the ever-approaching judgement of my Creator. So, without sitting in judgement of others, their words, their conduct, their worth, or their souls, I shall proceed to bore you with my commentary.

Some 53 years ago, we all stood on risers in the middle of our Alma Mater's parking lot, feeling so full of ourselves, and the promise of great things to come. Our parents wept, either out of joy at our successes, or out of relief that we had made it to that scaffolding in our shiny caps and gowns. We all had that enigmatic coupling of self-assuredness and self doubt. In a sense, with our rite of passage, we were being handed the keys to the world - a very daunting gift, to say the least. However, in that paradoxical confusion, we stood together with a singleness of purpose and dreams of perpetual amity and unity.

52 years later, we were knocked flat onto our butts, not from without, but from within. We tore ourselves apart, or more precisely, tore others from our fabric of unity.

I shall not debate here, or anywhere else, the aspect of any political views, religious views, scientific views (especially epidemiological views), and am certainly not going to sit here and judge or condemn anyone for their professed beliefs. To do so would be contrary to my intent not only here and now, but also in most of my writings.

The truth is, that over one factor or another, we have polarized ourselves into the sociological "Us versus Them" paradigm. In saying that, I point my finger at none of us, at all of us, and invariably, at myself. We have so divided ourselves, that we dehumanize those with whom we do not agree. We judge them as "stupid", "racist", "evil", "traitors", "godless", and any of a hundred other negative labels we can think of to place upon people. In actuality, we were doing this well before the dawn of COVID-19. However, the vehement disagreement over, and enforced isolation of, our COVID-19 experiences has further disunified, alienated, and even turned against our erstwhile friends and peers.

I have been chastised many times on other social media for my views, and even "defriended" over them. As a self-professed Constitutionalist Moderate, I am hated equally by my Conservative peers as being a closet Socialist, and by my Progressive peers as being a closet fascist. Well, this is the land of equal opportunity, after all! What my views are, or were, are not of any consequence at this moment. As a long-time servant of my country, I permitted myself to reciprocally denigrate those who have labelled me a traitor, or "Un-American". While I cannot possibly atone for others having done that to me, I must atone for my having done so to them, in a knee-jerk unthinking reflex. Such is my weakness, and I freely admit ownership of that flaw, as well as many others.

So, for the past 15 moths or so, we have been cooped up un our living rooms, yelling and swearing at some talking head on what our generation once called, and possibly forgot, to be an "idiot box". We listened only to those who told us what we wanted to hear, often with no empirical proof, taking it for the pure Gospel of the Annointed Ones. Suddenly, we merged matters of political thought and medical theories, into matters of Faith, not to be debated or questioned. To even ask the "wrong" questions brought us condemnation into the ranks of the reviled apostates and heretics. The more we listened only to those who supported our beliefs, the more we sought to denigrate those who did not, sending them into the very depths of Hell.

From my recollection, most of us who have not professed atheism, come from some sort of Judeo-Christian upbringing in our lives. As top whether we profess those today, is immaterial. The Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, as well as the subsequent Quran, all enjoin us to not judge others, and to refrain from hatred. So many of us, without any knowledge, curse Islam, yet the Q'uran tells us:

"111 They declare, ‘None shall ever enter Heaven unless he be a Jew or a Christian.’ This is their own wishful thinking. [Prophet], say, ‘Produce your evidence if you are telling the truth.’

112 Indeed, those who submit themselves to God and act righteously shall be rewarded by their Lord: they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.
113 The Jews say, ‘The Christians have no ground to stand on,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Jews have no ground to stand on.’ Yet they both recite the Book, and those who have no knowledge say the same; God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning their disputes." (Khan, 16).

Now, as said before, I am not here to push one religious or political belief, or another. However, the passage very well describes what has become of us.

SO, WHAT DO WE DO?

Without arguing about belief systems, the fact remains that, as a group of people with over 12 years of shared experiences, we have broken our solidarity. This is fact. however, I do not suggest that our unity is broken beyond repair. To the contrary, I sincerely hope that it can be not only repaired, but strengthened.

Now that masks and restrictions are being lifted, we need to get back together and share smiles, hugs, and tales: both old and new. Living in Rhode Island, I have no idea as to whether or not Leaning Tower even survived the COVID scourge, but it would be place to start.

It is a very scary thing to challenge our fears and prejudices, but if we never try, they only become harder and thicker. I submit that none of my classmates really wants to think of themselves as a coward, for not opening their eyes. Opening my eyes, I see no cowards; only the smiles and laughter of old comrades.

In my studies, I can attest that many other theologies and philosophies echo those messages. Yet, we judge, believing we shall not be judged; we cast stones, disillusioned by talking heads into thinking we are without sin.


WORKS SITED:

Khan, Maulana Wahiduddin; Goodword. Quran: A Simple English Translation (Goodword ! Koran) (p. 16). Goodword Books. Kindle Edition.

Belated Happy Birthday! Best to you and your family!

Happy Birthday, Susan. Be well and stay safe! hugs! I regret that i did not do all that well at math in school. When computing women's ages, I just can't count past 39!

Posted on: Feb 20, 2021 at 4:55 PM

In the past year or so, I have received several invitations to write comment. With all the really unfriendly traffic out there, I have been in fear at times, that not only would my views be attacked, which is totally appropriate, but that I, or my intelligence, integrity, and life, may be attacked, as well. Lately, I have been considering my cowardice in speaking out, and my dismissing that Democracy is an adversarial form of government. Hopefully, every time someone states "We absolutely *must* do this!", we realize that it is perfectly OK for Someone to answer back, "No! We must *not*, under any circumstances, do that!"

The past year has been a very important time period, not only in our country, but throughout the entire world - politically, economically, and medically, just to name a few issues. We, who witnessed and in many cases, were deeply involved in events of the 1960's, and particularly, the year in which we graduated. We feared that our Republic would come apart at the seams, over one issue or another, be it politics, war, racism, the bomb, and numerous other subjects. Yet, in spite of our arguments, some how, we managed to cling to our principles, and endure the storm. However, 58,220 Americans were sent away to another land, and did not come home. Even so, we clung on for dear life, to our Republic. In Chicago, there was a mob of people who were trying to interfere with the Constitutional progress of our governing ourselves. Little did we know, that Chicago was merely a flicker, compared to the schism we have created between ourselves, over the past year.

I cannot recall, in our 70 or so years on this planet, a time when hatred and fear dominated our country to the level it did in the past year, Not only did we have hatred and fear, but also a devastating pandemic, in which politics played so much of a role in the health and safety of our people. Some people listened to, and understood the science behind what medical professionals were telling us. Others followed other voices, that ranged from COVID-19 not really existing, and that it was just a governmental conspiracy. Others believed it, when they were told that it was no worse than a bad case of the flu, ignoring the fact that somewhere around 500,000 to 850,000 Americans died of the flu, just one century ago, in the US alone. That was figured to be 0.81% of our population. While some people wore masks, others felt that taking measures to their transmission of COVID to other Americans was somehow an infringement upon the no-maskers' civil rights. (Fact Check: None of the experts ever claimed that cloth masks would protect the wearers from the virus, or even that it would totally stop the spread through infected droplets. However, the masks do limit the velocity and projectile distance of infected droplets. So, many people, despite the science, decided that they had the right to infect other members of society. Oh, and if you ask me what medical school I went to, it was George Washington University School of Medicine and Allied Health Science.) But i digress....

We also, divided ourselves even further politically. The Liberals hate the Conservatives, the Conservative hate the Liberals, and the both hate Moderates. Somehow, being reasonable and being willing to look at all sides of an issue became a bad thing, with the extremists from both sides claiming to be the ony truly patriotic citizens. Over time, often stoked by talking heads from both sides, we actually hated and dehumanized those who did not vocally support our point of view, let alone those who disagreed with us. It became perfectly acceptable on both sides to destroy property and to harm other people, some by claiming to not only be infallible in their political views, but also, in many cases, claiming to be doing God's work. Oh, and by the way, it wa also decided that only conservative evangelical Protestants could perform God's work; that Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and more mainstream Protestants were evil, doing the Devil's work.

Then, after a political rally by one politician, one group of extremists actually believed that they were righteously being called upon to invade the "corrupted" chambers of Congress, many stating they intended to execute Congressmen and Senators, to prevent them from performing their required duties, as stated in Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution and federal statute (3 U.S. Code § 15 - Counting electoral votes in Congress).

Please note that I am not taking any political sides in all of this, and I would never accuse any Liberal of loving our Republic any less than any Conservative. I will not comment upon who is right, and who is wrong. However, I shall comment upon the wrong we have all done to ourselves and to our fellow Americans. As a society, we have allowed ourselves to be led into ideologies that dehumanize and condemn other citizens, solely for their views. Is this who we really have become? Even more importantly, is this who we even *want* to become? Will we tolerate rule by a mob claiming to represent all of the "real" American Citizens? If so, how did they get elected?

Almost everyone who knows me, knows that I very much enjoy an intellectual and respectful argument - the more heated, the better - so long as all parties are respectful of all other parties, and have no interest at all in harming anyone's person or integrity. We live in a democratic republic, which cannot endure, if we don't agree to disagree.

I live in Rhode Island, where many Democratic politicians run unopposed. When I lived in another district in my city, I was good friends with Elaine Coderre, my Representative in the RI General Assembly, who was a Democrat. Once, we were sitting over coffee, and I said, "You know, I am a registered Republican, and I should consider running against you for the General Assembly." She asked me why, and if I disapproved of the way she was performing in office. I answered, "Oh no, Elaine! You're doing a great job as my Representative, but you always run unopposed, and I have a problem with that." When she asked me why, I said, "Because there should always be an opposing voice, ready to present an equal and opposite reaction to your every action. It is what keeps our Democracy safe." She then smiled, saying "I know. you are absolutely right." My financial situation would not have survived any attempt on my part to run for election. I live in a city of over 70,000 people. The Head of the Republican party in my city told me that I am one of a little over 300 registered Republicans in my city. I can respect, and even like, Democratic Party members, even though, at the local level, my voice is very weak. At least I have one.

My real point here is not a Republican point, or a Democratic point. My point is that we are all Americans, and I know of no one among our class who does not love our Republic, nor would I ever dream of accusing any of us of that. If we love America, we must remember that we are a nation of people, and to love our nation, requires that we love each other, and as Lincoln stated: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations".

Posted on: Oct 01, 2020 at 8:37 PM

Bill: I noticed you had added to your profile, and to be absolutely honest, I don't know what that might have been.

I saw "upland bird hunting" and it made me smile and want to oil up my 12 Ga pump. I haven't gone in a while, but always enjoyed it. Pack a sandwich and snack, a thermos of coffee, get out in the fresh autumn air, walking through the fields and groves with a shotgun hooked over your arm. The foliage is alive in its annual splendor of colors. The mockingbirds, catbirds and whip-poor-will's haven't headed south yet and are singing. Even if you don't get a shot off all day, it doesn't get any better than that.

Stay well!

I believe Alan was a vet.  I seem to recall running into him, and his being in uniform.  I gave him a ride from wherever it was (Boston????) to home in Lynnfield.  Woul place that somewhere around 1969 or 70