Wednesday, March 18, 2009
"Numbers are slippery things". Hmmm...
Dr. Ben Ricci was my favorite Umass Professor (friend and mentor—even though he gave me a C in Kinesiology.) He single-handedly, against all odds, took down the State School in Belchertown--a government operated warehouse for the mentally retarded.
And amazingly he did it in the pre-internet age (early 1970’s) when activism was a Hell of a lot harder than it is today.
He had a saying he used in class about once a week (born out of his political activism no doubt): “Figures don’t lie, but liars do figure.”
Now we have a new post-internet age slogan from rookie Selectman Aaron Hayden: “Numbers are slippery things.”
No Mr. Hayden, numbers are not slippery things. They are simply numbers. They are what they are! And you or anybody else should not be afraid of them. And if so, what are you trying to hide?
"Sunshine is the best disinfectant"
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3 comments:
I have no doubt that Ben Ricci was well motivated, but B'Town should have been cleaned up, not closed. Closing it and Northampton State created problems which linger to this day. And I honestly am not sure that the care now is better, it is far more expensive, but I would dispute "better."
Larry,
What's your email address?
amherstac@aol.com
or
amherstac@yahoo.com
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