| MARCH 5, 2024 -- A few issues ago I wrote about the trials of Artificial Intelligence (AI), where guardrails are needed to protect our youth from dishonest people who use AI for bad things. At the Northeast Leaders Conference in Concord, NH, we had a seminar on this topic. When asked about AI, I stated “it’s bad,” as in my article there are great things that can be done with AI, yet the bad always shows its ugly head. At a Connecticut high school AI was used to enhance photos of girls in a class with nude features and distributed to the school for a rating game. Some of the students involved were 14 years old. This could have been your daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend. This abuse is what needs to be controlled, regulated, guarded, and punished. Our legislators are looking into this. I know Senator Blumenthal is working with Senator Blackburn on a bill that will regulate this type of misuse. Even Taylor Swift has complained about her image being turned into pornography.
The rise in hate events against Jewish people after the horrific attack in Israel resulted in Congressional hearings involving the presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania. All three were poorly prepared for the hearings and had a rough time expressing views and policies. The president of the Univ. of Pennsylvania resigned. The president of Harvard eventually resigned due in part to the Congressional hearing and allegations of plagiarism that spanned her academic career.
Since the standard has been set at Harvard, let’s investigate all staff at Harvard for plagiarism. If it’s good for the President then all should be looked at. Boy this would lower the cost to operate. Fair is fair.
The Grange is the only Fraternity, at the time of its founding, to bring women in at the Grange level. Our founders knew that women were an important part of our Grange family. The Grange took on greedy corporations and won in the Supreme Court. Women fought for the right to vote. Many Granges rallied for the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1919. During World War II, many Grangers went to fight Germany and Japan, raising war bonds, junk drives and victory gardens to help with the war effort. Grangers helped defeat fascism and suppression from Japan. These are the good things about the Grange. Yet we are coming to that time where good and evil are at the door, and the call will come “Which side will you be on?”
When I was in high school we had to read two books which I think fit the times we are in - “Fahrenheit 451”. This is a story of a future earth where the government controlled everything, the media, your jobs, who you married, where you lived, and the fire department’s main job was to burn books. The government banned books so people hid them. It was the community’s duty to report them and the fire truck would come and remove the books and burn them in the streets. The hero of the book is a fireman who would question the reasoning for the rules and finds an underground group that protects and preserved banned books to educate and teach right from wrong. This government run television ran constant brainwashing programs which dumbed down the minds. In the end, our hero fireman finds a utopia of learned people and with his stolen books, helps rebuild the world.
The other book was “Animal Farm.” This was about a farmer who died and the animals worked the farm as a commune. The rules were voted on. 1) No animal lives
in the house. 2) No animal talks to humans. 3) All work for the group. After the first year, when all but the pigs complained and moved into the farmhouse, when questioned the rules were changed. Rule 1 now said no animals, but pigs can live in the house. The working animals, not being so smart figured they read the original sign wrong and labored on, then one day the pigs were talking to humans and making deals without the group knowing. When questioned about rule 2 that too was changed to pigs can talk and trade with humans. Again, the working animals believed the pigs and all was well. One day the plough horse went down, the animals went to the pigs who said a wagon would take the horse to the doctor, as the horse left the farm the animals heard the pigs and humans making a deal to sell the horse for slaughter, the other animals cried for the horse to get out of the wagon but it was too late and he died. The ending was the pigs and the humans were in the house fighting for who was right and the other animals watched from the outside unable to tell which was a pig or which was human.
These are great books and everyone should read them or watch the movies. During these troubling times the answer might become clear. Who are you for, I hope a “good Patron,” I do find comfort in Bruce Nelson’s songs on YouTube. My favorite is “I’ll be silent (Once I’m Dead)” Happy Grange Month in April.
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