The Washington Post, December 19, 1982, ran a front page article: "The Odyssey of Norman Mayer, Victim of an Undying Will." While Blaine Harden, the author, was aware of Norman's FIRST LAW OF REALITY there was no reference to it in the article.
"THERE IS ONLY THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE REALITY, AND THE INDIVIDUAL DISTORTION. EACH MIND STRUGGLES TO CONCOCT A SEMBLANCE REALITY SUITABLE TO ITS COMPREHENSION, WITHIN THE LIMITS OF ITS FACTUAL AWARENESS, AND UNPROVABLE ASSUMPTIONS."
To profess an accurate portrait of Norman Mayer while ignoring Norman's FIRST LAW is to slander understanding.
I was misquoted as saying "I knew" there were no explosives. I had not seen Norman or his van for three days prior to December 9, 1982. Therefore I had no factual awareness of the contents of his van, or if anybody might be accompanying Norman on that specific day.
At the monument that day Norman Mayer was the truth
(incomprehensible reality). There were, of course, many individual distortions of the truth. At the time I arrived the most popular distortion seemed to be that of the police, who, acting upon reliable information, suspected Norman of preparing to deface a national icon ... with violence.
At that point my only factual awareness which seemed relative to the moment was that Norman, a man I KNEW to be a teacher, was in a perfect position to demonstrate the validity of Norman's SEVENTH LAW OF REALITY:
"WHEN MEN ARE IN CONFRONTATION THEY USUALLY DO FOOLISH, REGRETTABLE THINGS. MEN IN CONFRONTATION WITH MEGATON WEAPONS WILL DO FOOLISH, REGRETTABLE THINGS ... WITH FINALITY."
I was also factually aware that, in the early afternoon, Deputy Chief Lindsey had been told, "The sharpshooters are in place, and ready."
In my opinion, on prior occasions Deputy chief Lindsey had illustrated disregard for life and liberty.
It was also my opinion that in the past Norman had displayed high regard for both life and liberty.
I BELIEVED, but had no way of KNOWING, that there were no explosives or accomplices.
I believed that Norman was teaching, the police believed that Norman was terrorizing. Preceiving themselves as Good, they assumed that Norman, who certainly appeared to be in confrontation with them, must have been Evil.
Generally, it seems, humanity has an odious tendency to assume in others their own evils. Perhaps this explains Norman's martyrdom.
I believed in what Norman symbolized: individual sacrifice, if necessary, for the survival of the species. the police believed in themselves.
In order to mislead the police it was not necessary to lie, or distort factual reality. In fact it would be far more accurate to say that they misled themselves. Not one word was mentioned about attempting to meet even one of Norman's demands. the obsessive idea seemed to be how best to take him. Norman wanted a dialogue, the police wanted Norman. I simply made no effort to lead the minds of the police from their belief to my belief, which subsequent events have proven was the correct one.
Norman's lie, that he would blow something up when he hadn't the capability, hurt only Norman. "A small price to pay for saving the world," said Norman. Norman also said that those who have the capability to end all life, but won't blow anything up, are also liars. Who will they hurt?
Norman proved that one can't insure security by threatening to blow something up.
While many consider Norman to have been, at least, eccentric, at this late date it is interesting to note how few clearly see the absurdity of society mirrored in Norman's "irrational" action.
Roger Molander head of Ground Zero, who repeatedly declined opportunities to meet with Norman, once said, "Philosopher Kings could lead humanity out of the mess it's gotten itself into, but, alas, there are no Philosopher Kings."
"It's easy to sell shit," Norman used to say, "but you can't give the truth away."
Norman Mayer would have been capable of leading humanity out of the mess. One big problem is that today many good folks have confused the manure they sell with wisdom. True lovers of wisdom (Philosopher Kings) are usually reviled by the "wise" of this world because they have an irritating habit of calling shit "shit."
NORMAN'S SECOND LAW:
"CHANGE IS THE ONLY IMMUTABLE FORCE ENDLESSLY CONTINUOUS. ALL THINGS AND SITUATION CONSTANTLY ALTER AND REARRANGE."
Norman was saying: Unless you stop stoning your Wise Persons, you will enjoy a fiery doomsday.
Maybe Norman would have escaped summary execution had the police not been ignorant of the fact that he had no explosives. Certainly we would like to think so.! If such is the case, perhaps we can agree that Norman was killed from ignorance. If we were to say that ignorance is sin, then we could further say that Norman was killed for the sin of the world.
At the monument the police saw the truth as a threat to life and property. If they could somehow get the beam out of their own eyes they would realize that the truth threatens only false ideas. Babble on, America, and read about yourself in the eighteenth chapter of Revelation. Believe in the meaningful dialogue of Norman Mayer, and be saved.
Thomas
12/21/82
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