Sarah Polito and John French

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Well, here's the first cartoon I've done since my return from glorious Newfoundland and Labrador.  Today, I noticed a young guy actually reading the sign placed in front of my house:  The American Dissident.  On it are a few dissident poems and notice of the permanent banning of my ideas by Lucy Loomis of Sturgis Library.  I also keep AD flyers in a little box by the sign and mail box.  To date (three years later), I've yet to hear from a neighbor on the sign and flyers.  People don't really give a damn about freedom of speech in these parts.  Below is the email I sent to the English profs of Cape Cod Community College, as well as the student newspaper.  Most student newspapers don't really give a damn about issues of freedom of speech, including valid criticism of professors. 
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From: todslone@hotmail.com
To: ksoderstrom@capecod.edu; briley@capecod.edu; spolito@capecod.edu; pmolendze@capecod.edu; pmcgraw@capecod.edu; jkershner@capecod.edu; dgregory@capecod.edu; jfrench@capecod.edu; cesperson@capecod.edu; wberry@capecod.edu; pallen@capecod.edu; ldebower@capecod.edu; dmccullo@capecod.edu
CC: sturgislibrary@comcast.net; cwish@fawc.org; capecodpoetryreview@gmail.com; jleghorn@fawc.org; mroberts@fawc.org; jmcdonough@fawc.org; thomasgelsthorpe@gmail.com; hrc@barnstablecounty.org
Subject: Poet in Residence et al
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2014 11:12:03 -0400

To the English Professors of Cape Cod Community College (Sarah Polito, Chairperson, Lore Loftfield Debower, Patricia Allen, Bill Berry, Christine Esperson, John French, Dianne Gregory, James Kershner, Patricia McGraw, Michael Olendzenski, Bruce Riley, and Kathleen Soderstrom): 

Your poet in residence Joe Gouveia is now dead. Please do read my essay on that here:  http://theeyeoftheneedlevortice.blogspot.com/search/label/G.%20Tod%20Slone.  It will certainly be different from what you’re used to reading.   In fact, why not mention it to your students, while underscoring the utmost importance of alternative viewpoints in a thriving democracy?  

Please consider me as a possible replacement for Gouveia, as poet in residence at Cape Cod Community College.  Unlike Gouveia, I do possess a doctoral degree and ample college teaching experience, both in France and here in the US.  Unlike what he did, I do “go upright and vital, and speak the rude truth in all ways” (Emerson), even at the risk of job, which, I suppose, is why I do not hold a tenured university position.  OR is that what a poet should not do in today’s colleges, poet residencies, and writers’ conferences?  (Uh, Professor Polito, will you ever be responding to the emails I sent your Cape Cod Writers Conference?  Hmm.)  How, one must wonder, do such entities end up being so closed-minded, so anti-dissident, and so established-order friendly?  Well, only you can answer those questions.  I cannot.  After all, cooptation is not my goal.  It is yours! 

Finally, how can each of you be so apathetic regarding what happened to me, a local poet, here in Barnstable?  Recall I brought to your attention a while ago that I was permanently banned without warning or due process from Sturgis Library because of written criticism, especially regarding its written policy that “libraries should provide material and information presenting ALL points of view.”  Well, my point of view and the points of view of those published in The American Dissident have been permanently excluded, proving the hypocrisy. 

How can one celebrate Barnstable and the likes of Mary Otis Warren when you and most others in the County remain indifferent to such human rights abuses?  My very civil rights are being denied in Barnstable!  I am not permitted to attend any cultural or political events held at my neighborhood library, which my very taxes help pay for.  Not even the Barnstable County Human Rights Commissioners care!!!  And you backslap and self-congratulate as if nothing! 

Thank you for your attention, though not for your likely silence.