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I have been reading the posting on this website for several months. I am appreciative of the news, but am absolutely addicted to the social satire. Citizens write in under non-de plumes ranging from past presidents to obscure Greek generals. One has even signed in under the name of the inquisitor of Joan D?’Arc. I get most of the references, but I can still not get the allusion to the most brilliant literary creation of all, the person writing under the obviously false name of ?“Mark Usher?”. Is this a reference to some obscure Russian novel of a character from Sinclair Lewis?’ ?“Main Street?” or ''Winesburg, Ohio''? The character is such a simple-minded booster of the type parodied in Lewis books and other nineteenth century literature that I have perused scores of novels with no luck. Perhaps the name is an anagram, but the best I can come up with is ?“Muck Hare?” which is perhaps an attempt to synthesize Carroll?’s character, the Mad Hatter and the Mock Turtle.
In any event, I am sure that the character is fictional, as no real person could obviously exist. The beliefs of this character are so simplistic and yet contradictory that it would be impossible to find such a person functioning at any level in the outside world. Any real person could not hold such mutually contradictory ideas without creating such cognitive dissonance so as to render the person incapable of speaking in public without drooling on his shoes. Should such a character exist in the real world, the disdain and disgust he would engender among his fellow citizens would likely cause him to either leave town or lock himself in the basement with the lights off from fear of revivals of the old practice of tar and feathering. The character is so impish that if not for the obviously modern spelling of the name I would expect an obscure reference to one of the minor demons in Dante?’s ?“Inferno?”.
Consider the odd ideas of this man. He writes incessantly on this forum, yet apparently believes that this is some sort of secret political action committee designed to spread subversive ideas. Look over the past years of writing. Who has published on this site more than any other single person without any charge to him or with any attempt to silence his rather odd ideas? Examine his professed concern that we do not economically discriminate against those who wish to live in smaller homes and apartments and compare them with his actions in seeking to keep these same people from going to school with his ?“brilliant?” children. Behold the man who?’s concerned about ?“democracy?” in a private organization, but freely endorse city politicians who routinely cut off the rights of citizens to vote. Note the strangeness of a man who believes that the leading vote getter in the last municipal election actually lost because one apartment complex voted against him and that the real mandate of the people was granted to a universally disliked politician who has lost every election he has been where he has had an opponent. He deplores personal attacks, but spends apparently every waking hour thinking up new insults to heap upon others. Here is a man who claims to be a very successful businessperson, but how can that be when his primary occupation appears to be that of a self appointed busybody. Here is a literary creation that (with tongue in cheek no doubt) chastises people for feeling the need to conceal their real identity, but fanatically pursues anyone who actually uses their real name. Friends Romans Countrymen, I come to praise Mr. Rigelman, not to continually harass the man by trying to get him fired. This is satire of the first degree.
By Sam Clemens
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Explain continued
The writer even creates a vivid mental image of this sadly pathetic character. Imagine the lumpy elongated head with the funny little mustache placed down upon the most misshapen and unathletic of bodies. Mr. Potato Head made flesh. Here is a man who obviously so devoid of personal athletic achievements that he actually takes pride in the athletic accomplishments of children. They become not only a source of enjoyment to him, but also the sine non qua of any argument. What city does a better job of financing schools? It is obvious to Mr. Uher; let?’s just look at the football schedule. This obsession with the athletic accomplishments of others creates the most modern of comic characters, the ?“athletic supporter?” (balding, overweight with no apparent grace of skill to mark his outward form and a marked history devoid of his won achievements).
I am sure that I would appreciate this character more if anyone could explain the significance of the non de plume of ?“Mark Uher?”. Please help
By Sam Clemens
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The Pickett Charge
Sam Clements you have been away for nearly a century now. Wasn?’t your Nom De Plume Mark Twain? It seems Mark is commonly used for concealing the name of the writer. However, your Mark Uher claims to use his real name. The jury is still out on that one.
I believe I recall that you selected your pen name from your Mississippi River Boat days and from the ?“Sounding Line?” they used to measure the depth of the water and the speed of the boat with. If you were to think it through I believe your Mark Uher is very similar to the Sounding Line. If the boat gets in swallow water it will surely go a ground. If boat didn?’t keep its speed up it won?’t reach its intended port on scheduled time. Obviously the reports from the sounding line to the Captain will have a great affect on the direction and course that the Captain takes. Could it be argued that your Mark Uher provides that information to the local developer and the Pickerington School administration?
Two years ago the information available to the voters was the local weakly papers. They also had internal paths of communication through the PTO?’s and letters sent home with the school children. Then they could tell the half truths and the slanted stories and there was no one to give another opinion. The same goes for the City Hall. Mark Uher was so effective in changing the course by his information that he was recruited by the local developer to advise the City Council by the back door.
Mark Uher has never been to a Pickerington City Council meeting nor has he been to very many School Board meetings. Yet when he does show up at the board he always has something to say. A sounding line has a lead weight at the very bottom. If that weight becomes or is too heavy it will lead to inaccurate readings for the Captain.
Mark Uher reminds me of the real life historical character General George Edward Pickett during the battle of Gettysburg on July 3rd 1863. General Pickett lead his men across a flat battle ground solely on the orders of his General Lee. The union solders were well covered behind a stone wall and elevated six feet higher than the confederate solders. He proudly ordered his division across the mile or so of open field to the many deaths within his ranks.
Below is a quote from a letter the general wrote to his wife on July 6th 1863. Have the Pickerington school supporters put all of their faith in Mr. Uher?
?“Even now I can hear them cheering as I gave the order, ''Forward''! I can feel their faith and trust in me and their love for our cause. I can feel the thrill of their joyous voices as they called out all along the line, ''We'll follow you, Master George. We'll follow you, we'll follow you.'' Oh, how faithfully they kept their word, following me on, on to their death, and I, believing in the promised support, led them on, on, on?”.
What happens if on November 5th 2002 Mark Uher attacks the voters and they are armed with the deadly facts about the condition of our schools and how we all got here? Will Mr. Uher be writing his wife a similar letter on November 6th?
By Marlin
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Motives
I think to understand Mark Uher you must understand the corrupt political / social order we have here in the Pickerington area. Let me spell this out for those that still don?’t believe that the corruption is wide spread. The organizations that I refer to include; The Pickerington City Council/ Mayor/ City Manager, The Pickerington Local School board and administrators, The Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce , The Pickerington athletic boosters, The Lions Club, and the Violet Festival commission. Now I am not saying that all members of these organizations are corrupt and I know they have members that are hard working and truly want to see an improvement in our lives here in Pickerington. Those members I salute. However there always seems to be a character or two that lurks in the background of these organizations only coming out once in a while to correct the screw ups of his subordinates. I also believe most that visit this web site knows who he is.
I want to point out that the Pimp keeps their prostitutes in line with violence. Sometimes so violent that it ends in dead. If the hooker refuses to work or do as directed they are dealt with by an enforcer that will straighten her out with even the fear of death. Granted my example is extreme; however is the fear of having your family disgraced or being humiliated in front of hundreds of people in the school auditorium any less effective that what the Pimp above does?
To keep this corruption in place the members of the above organizations have been intimidated and threatened to keep their mouth?’s shut. Even the elected officials have been threatened with having their place of business boycotted. Some have even received threats of being spit upon in public. Sometimes they resort to try to have the offender (One who exercises his rights to free speech) fired from their jobs. However with great courage we now have a few elected people that have been standing tall in the face of the constant threat from the corruption above.
Mark Uher has been the enforcer so to speak in the run at the local system. He is very willing to grab this web site and slam anyone that may oppose his group of leaders in the community. He has no problems getting very personal. Many times he and his supporters know little about issues that they so zealously support. He has demonstrated here on this web site with his lack of knowledge of how our schools are funded. However Mr. Uher does his best work behind the scenes with late night e-mails and letters to your boss. Many times he boasts about being a community leader and threatens to sue or boycott. This of course never reaches the public and if others don?’t know then Mr. Uher is free to continue his practices. Slowly people have come to this web site to share their experiences with others using a ?“Nom de Plume?”. This has frustrated Mr. Uher to no end. He then tries to discredit the web site as being an illegal PAC while at the same time being it most frequent user openly supporting his candidates or issues. We must give Mr. Uher his due. He is the most effective charter assassin in Pickerington.
By Steven W. Brown
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