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The Layman's Petition

by Anonymous

95 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #07-0164; ISBN 1-4251-1701-5; US$12.13, C$13.95, EUR9.46, £6.27

A former high school dropout speaks directly to parents, educators, seniors and veterans about the generation gap, charter law assumptions, history, education and a contemporary interpretation of the twentieth century.

About the Book

Borne of a high school dropout's unyielding drive to illustrate civil accountability, The Layman's Petition is the astonishing social statement destined to change the tone and direction of cultural/political thought well into the twenty-first century. Designed originally as a single act live reading, the one-time anonymous author distils the essence and paralysis of his generation's cohesive diffusion into a single and compelling message of hope, contemporary integrity, respect for the past and a globally framed forward-looking enquiry into the very nature and divisive product of thought itself. 'Where does the human equation go from here'? 'At what point does our collective cultural innocence, concerning the nature of human consciousness, become obscene'? These are the troubling questions folded uniquely into this intensely personal account of growing up in Canada immediately following the 1960s. Described as 'poetry,' as 'a love song,' as 'an expansive painting,' The Layman's Petition took over eleven years for the former high school dropout to write and edit and represents thirty years of sustained and deliberate reflection on the subject.

Whether an accomplished scholar, educator, unschooled labourer or marginalized member of society, The Layman's Petition delivers a ground level and dignified look into the mechanism behind civilization's single most divisive aspect and offers an insight into the fundamental makeup of the individual through which the door is opened to a whole new level of social and global interaction. Seniors will find this book an unexpected joy and revelation to read; middle-aged adults will welcome its startling clarity, and, although deliberately designed to discourage younger readers, mature young adults filled with the drive and inner resolve to secure their future will help to articulate the developing discussion toward its logical and constructive expression. Sentimental nostalgia or defining historic moment, The Layman's Petition offers a refreshingly pleasant and thought provoking read that can be enjoyed at any level. Fifty percent of net proceeds from the sale of this book are directed toward registered charity or non-profit organizations.

Reviews

"… An epic endeavour… gave me much to consider… and has taken more than one reading to fully appreciate… (the author has) written a love song that may play for a long time… (he has) discovered one of life's great treasures, one of life's essentials, that is an awareness of the efforts of others… Thank you for the extraordinary effort"

"… you have an excellent descriptive ability to bring your life experiences, opinions and viewpoints into the reader's reality… I wish you good fortune with your 'project'."

(Retired Major-General)

"… What an endeavour to examine yourself and your family so very personally. … As a retired social worker and educator, with many years in special education, my attention was grabbed immediately by your experiences in the education system. … I was so touched by the continuously woven thread of your father. … I trust there will be a wide audience for your carefully collected thoughts. Perhaps "The Layman's Petition" should be required reading in teachers' colleges and colleges of Education. Good Luck!"

(Retired Teacher/Social Worker)

"… I don't know how you did it, but you have taken me right back to my youth. There is a lot in here that I can relate to."

(Veteran/Merchant Marine Navy)

"… As I read the manuscript, I found myself at times identifying with you and your feelings, while at other times I would be off on my own thoughts and recollections of my life. What you have written is so incredibly personal, and because it is so personal, it causes the reader to make it so very personal to him or her. . . I found that I tended to both understand and agree with much of what you have written. I think that most thoughtful readers will also find a great deal of common ground as they reflect on who they are, how they have got to where they are and what is truly important in life. You have emphasized how important the past is, not just our past as individuals, but also the past of our parents and grandparents. To deny the importance of the past in the shaping of today is a tragic mistake. Further, the past must be made personal to each of us and we take from it what is important to us and not what others tell us is important… "

(Retired: Teacher, Principal, Education Officer-Ontario Ministry of Education)

"What makes each of us who we are? The challenge to answer that question for oneself can be found in this slim volume that belies the weight of its content. It provides deep insight into the mind and soul of an individual who, like each of us, mirrors his environment and all of its influences. But the writer goes beyond that, he actually questions the effect of those influences. This unique and sensitive portrayal of a developing life should, if the reader looks deeply enough, and thoughtfully considers what is said and implied here, with first the challenge, and then the motivation to consider his own life and perhaps find the answer."

(Retired Teacher)

"… You will be urged to go back and look again at the flaws inherent in isolated thinking. To recognize that "the sea-level view is a questionable thing", that personal perspective acquired by peeping through the keyhole of individual thought, results in prejudiced prejudgment… "

(Special Education Teacher)

"The author has managed to convey a very sensitive and interesting narration of his early youth… I particularly enjoyed his excellent use of English… You do not find writing like this anymore… impeccable!"

(This reviewer refers to an early draft punctuated for a live reading)
(Active Senior. Recalls with pleasure her English Language schooling in the 1930s)

"As we enjoy the environs of an area, we are unaware of its affect on our lives. Nor do we realise the changes caused by our presence. This seems to be true in the story of Collingwood by our author."

(Retired Teacher/Senior Student. At 93 & 94 years old, this reviewer was attending a Toronto university earning both a B. A. and a Masters Degree in Political Science. Born in 1907, she was the first person sought out by the author to provide specific sentence structure and grammatical advice. Her hard work and enthusiastic contribution resulted in many lasting improvements to the manuscript. Passing away in 2006 at age 99, the author deeply regrets the loss of her thoughts on this final draft.)

"… was very enjoyable reading… I must admit I was moved to tears mainly in the first chapters, recognising my own dad in the description you give of your dad and your relation to him… I strongly believe that this work merits to be published. The sole fact that a pure stranger like me could relate to it and is inclined to pass it on to friends is commendable… I congratulate you in your tenacity and perseverance to bring forth this manuscript. Wishing you the best in making this reflection available to all enquiring minds, young and young at heart."

(Former Teacher) This reviewer was located through an organization known at the time as the "Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada". Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was the twentieth century Indian philosopher who collaborated with nuclear physicist David Bohm. David Bohm (1917-1992) was the visionary physicist interviewed in the final episode of the ground breaking CBC television series, "A Planet For The Taking," with David Suzuki. Albert Einstein considered David Bohm to be his "intellectual son". In a 1990 correspondence with the author, Professor David Bohm wrote, "Thank you for your excellent letter, which I read with great interest. I feel that you have a very good understanding of what Krishnamurti and I were talking about… I would like to encourage you to keep on with your keen interest in the key question of thought. I feel that you have a very good grasp of what it is all about."

Preceding reviews relate to unpublished drafts of The Layman's Petition

About the Author

Born in Canada in 1959 to British parents, the author found traditional education unaccommodating to his psychological reality and subsequently dropped out of school at age sixteen. Inspired by the 1985 CBC television series "A Planet For The Taking" with David Suzuki, the author initiated direct communications with provincial education authorities toward the development of a clearer explanation as to why he, as an ageing high school dropout, had found it necessary to reject the assumptions underpinning formal education. Although made to feel welcome in that 1990-91 overture, education authorities were unable to identify an 'authorized process' or 'vehicle' through which the former high school dropout could participate in meaningful discussion. In 1994, the author made a significant written submission to the subsequent Ontario Royal Commission on Learning, on the understanding that a central purpose of the Commission's work was to 'provide a forum (authorized process) for all stakeholders to participate'. When the Commission's extensive findings were published, the only possible or remotely relevant trace of the author's topically legitimate submission were the categorical and ambiguous words, 'profound questions had been raised'. Realizing that his government's commission had effectively negated, silenced and withdrawn the 'Charter Status' of his peer community's 'non-academic citizenship,' as 'stakeholders in the issue,' the unschooled participant set about developing the communication skills he would need, no matter how rustic, to challenge the suffocating and abusive myth of social, cultural or political equality in Canada. Through the course of over a decade of severe financial hardship and the social/philosophic isolation associated with the direct challenge of so volatile an issue, the author, with the unfailing support of his wife and family, finally rendered 'The Petition' into a publishable document. The author and his thirty-year companion/wife still live in the Collingwood area.

Excerpts