In 1972 a philosophy professor put a .45 automatic Colt to my head and said ..

[DemoTex]

"Defend your existence!"

In retrospect, he was trying to jolt me out of a quasi-suicidal, post Vietnam funk. We were studying Kant at the time, and I had just submitted a required paper that said only" "I kant! I kant!"

He called me to his office for a consultation. Hence the gun-play episode, which changed my life. His too, probably.

I defended for two hours. Specious syllogisms from me got a cocked gun from him. Was he serious with the .45? I don't know. In the end, I said what he wanted to hear .. and it was, indeed, what I believed. The gun went into his desk drawer and the reefer came out.

Did I ever report him to university officials? No. Did I re-read and re-write the assignment on Kant? Yes. Did I clean up my post-Vietnam act and quit feeling sorry for myself? Yes.

I tell this story as a part of a collection I will tell over the next few days. Stream-of-consciousness (perhaps) leading into the 40th anniversary of the 1968 Tet Offensive (1/31/1968).

Mac