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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 7, Summer 1945
Page 157
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 157 resembling that given in Shaver's stories. One wonders, indeed, if this is not the prime source of the author's material! By good publicity this lunatic fringe being catered to might easily be led to persuade others in a similarly unenlightened condition that this Lemurian material would form a suitable background for social and political action. They could influence and control a great deal of public school education in many communities. If Palmer were to succeed in uniting the elements in the lunatic fringe he would have created a powerful public opinion backed by people with a crusading spirit. In many cases persons of this nature are dissatisfied with existing faiths and do not possess the mental stability to grasp the facts of modern science nor the breadth of vision to collate available data; they feel a yearning, and "sense" things unseen---an action characteristic of schizophrenics and paranoid patients. Also, many of them have run away from the hard work required to master some field of knowledge and prefer to dream of attaining it without effort by the use of "ancient wisdom." The slow development of knowledge by experience and experiment is too laborious for people with unstable mentalities. It is far easier to believe that the hard work of gathering and systematizing data has already been accomplished, and that all that is necessary is to get the key to unlock reams of useful and astounding wisdom. (The crack-pots usually speak of "wisdom" instead of knowledge---possibly because the traditional form of religious wisdom, supposedly pulled down from thin air, is more analogous to their preferences than is knowledge, which implies hard work.) A united lunatic fringe even slant education to such an extent as to menace progress. Impossible! Well, did you ever hear of Tennessee's anti-evolution law? Or of Zion, Illinois, where (until comparatively recently) school books taught that the earth was flat and had the form of a huge, round dinner plate with the North Pole at its center; and that the sun was a glowing ball of iron some 3000 miles away? Almost all states have passed laws banning certain aspects of science, in fact. (Clement Woods, in his War of Modern Sciences, discusses several examples of these.) At the present time there is in Congress a strong lobby which has the avowed purpose of stopping all forms of experimentation in which animals are used. Already some states do not have adequate medical schools because they are not allowed to use animals in experimental work. Let us suppose, just for a moment, that the Shaver system of history is taught, and that his nonsensical theories concerning physics, physiology and biology were also taught. Then all research work can stop---for why should anyone slave in a laboratory when all knowledge has been discovered ages ago and is awaiting discovery in various caves? Then we can spend out time in lunatic asylums, as Mr. Shaver's letter implies, taking down the ravings of the insane, and utilizing them as a basis for our science. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Yet in India today a large portion of the population relies on the religious utterances of fakirs, many of whom are insane, for their knowledge. Many of the crack-pots have both the money and influence necessary to sway venal educational boards. The danger lies in the fact that the saner elements of most communities simply do not believe that such things could ever happen, and therefore make no effort to prevent the early symptoms from spreading. A recent letter to the readers' column of the Summer, 1945 number of Planet Stories indicates the general trend of this vociferous group; the typical anti-social, Gott mit uns mind possessing some "inner knowledge" reveals itself clearly. Should unified action ever be taken against the lunatic fringe because of their detrimental effect on society, the effects could be far-reaching. Were public opinion to crystallize against the Lemuria-Mu bunk in Amazing Stories, it (concluded on page 162)
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 157 resembling that given in Shaver's stories. One wonders, indeed, if this is not the prime source of the author's material! By good publicity this lunatic fringe being catered to might easily be led to persuade others in a similarly unenlightened condition that this Lemurian material would form a suitable background for social and political action. They could influence and control a great deal of public school education in many communities. If Palmer were to succeed in uniting the elements in the lunatic fringe he would have created a powerful public opinion backed by people with a crusading spirit. In many cases persons of this nature are dissatisfied with existing faiths and do not possess the mental stability to grasp the facts of modern science nor the breadth of vision to collate available data; they feel a yearning, and "sense" things unseen---an action characteristic of schizophrenics and paranoid patients. Also, many of them have run away from the hard work required to master some field of knowledge and prefer to dream of attaining it without effort by the use of "ancient wisdom." The slow development of knowledge by experience and experiment is too laborious for people with unstable mentalities. It is far easier to believe that the hard work of gathering and systematizing data has already been accomplished, and that all that is necessary is to get the key to unlock reams of useful and astounding wisdom. (The crack-pots usually speak of "wisdom" instead of knowledge---possibly because the traditional form of religious wisdom, supposedly pulled down from thin air, is more analogous to their preferences than is knowledge, which implies hard work.) A united lunatic fringe even slant education to such an extent as to menace progress. Impossible! Well, did you ever hear of Tennessee's anti-evolution law? Or of Zion, Illinois, where (until comparatively recently) school books taught that the earth was flat and had the form of a huge, round dinner plate with the North Pole at its center; and that the sun was a glowing ball of iron some 3000 miles away? Almost all states have passed laws banning certain aspects of science, in fact. (Clement Woods, in his War of Modern Sciences, discusses several examples of these.) At the present time there is in Congress a strong lobby which has the avowed purpose of stopping all forms of experimentation in which animals are used. Already some states do not have adequate medical schools because they are not allowed to use animals in experimental work. Let us suppose, just for a moment, that the Shaver system of history is taught, and that his nonsensical theories concerning physics, physiology and biology were also taught. Then all research work can stop---for why should anyone slave in a laboratory when all knowledge has been discovered ages ago and is awaiting discovery in various caves? Then we can spend out time in lunatic asylums, as Mr. Shaver's letter implies, taking down the ravings of the insane, and utilizing them as a basis for our science. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Yet in India today a large portion of the population relies on the religious utterances of fakirs, many of whom are insane, for their knowledge. Many of the crack-pots have both the money and influence necessary to sway venal educational boards. The danger lies in the fact that the saner elements of most communities simply do not believe that such things could ever happen, and therefore make no effort to prevent the early symptoms from spreading. A recent letter to the readers' column of the Summer, 1945 number of Planet Stories indicates the general trend of this vociferous group; the typical anti-social, Gott mit uns mind possessing some "inner knowledge" reveals itself clearly. Should unified action ever be taken against the lunatic fringe because of their detrimental effect on society, the effects could be far-reaching. Were public opinion to crystallize against the Lemuria-Mu bunk in Amazing Stories, it (concluded on page 162)
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