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Several readers wanted to know why Grim wanted to get a PhD. It was going to be a pain in the ass. Why move out of the house? Why spend all the time doing it?
Why does anybody get a PhD? Because they want to! I remember when I was getting my MBA, going to school nights while living in a one-bedroom apartment with a daughter sleeping on a cot in the dining room. Why did I do that? (More than once since then I've asked myself the same question.) Real answer, it was either that or a PhD and I didn't want to do research. Still, it could have been for any reason.
Anyway, Grim wants to get his doctorate. I can tell you flat out that a doctorate really opens a wide range of possibilities in academia, in case you want to become a teacher. I would bet it would also look good on a fancy resume for a consultant. Probably make for a nice looking business card, too. We'll just have to wait and see!
Enjoy!
There were a couple of complaints about possible ways to misread a few paragraphs. Fixed. Also, the thesis/dissertation debate seems to depend on your country. I have heard from readers in Canada and England that it is reversed. Not sure how much that matters, but it's interesting.
I've been asked why I haven't turned on voting yet. The simple answer is that I'll turn it on when the story is about halfway done. By then the haters will have stopped reading, and trust me, there are already haters. We already know that some readers don't like the fact that Grim has gotten into it with Donald Trump. That won't be happening in this story, but the fact that they have some history can't be ignored. It will be mentioned, even if only in passing.
Why do I bring this up now? In Chapter 6, Grim states "The first segment was on the threat of Islamic terrorism in the United States, which was actually a very low risk. Most terrorists in America are right wing nutjobs and white supremacists." In response, I got an email stating:
"I am not at all sure about the relative amount of terrorism caused by Islamic terrorists and right-wing terrorists. When Obama the great and wonderful mischaracterizes countless Islamic attacks as workplace violence or the equivalent (The Fort Hood shooting, the gay Florida club and the Christmas shooting in California are just three examples) I am also aware that several attacks by apolitical nut jobs (like the one who shoot Rep Gifford) that were blamed on right wing nuts. It is unfortunate that there is no one or no organization that will actually take the time and effort to accurately characterize terror attacks not only here, but around the world."
Another email stated:
"Where you say "Most terrorists in America are right wing nutjobs and white supremacists." You are reflecting misinformation. Most terrorist are left wing nut jobs. A prime example is the nut who shot up the congressional baseball game. I am not saying there are no right wing nutjobs. Just that most of the actual terrorist are left wing nutjobs."
And finally:
"You really need to check your facts. Try the justice department stats. I know you won't believe me. So please continue writing the good stories like you do. Just keep your biased politics to yourself."
First, I'm no fan of Obama, not that it matters. What matters is that Graham W. Reaper is a fictional character. If I write a story where a character is a Nazi, it does not mean I am a Nazi. It means I am writing fiction. And my politics aren't biased. I am registered as an Independent. As Shakespeare once wrote, "A plague o' both your houses!"
Second, there are plenty of organizations that actually take the time and effort to accurately characterize terror attacks. Many of them are part of the Federal government, like the FBI and the GAO.
According to a 2017 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, "of the 85 violent extremist incidents that resulted in death since September 12, 2001, right wing violent extremist groups were responsible for 62 (73 percent) while radical Islamist violent extremists were responsible for 23 (27 percent). The total number of fatalities is about the same for far-right wing violent extremists and radical Islamist violent extremists over the approximately 15-year period (106 and 119, respectively). 52 percent of the deaths attributable to radical Islamist violent extremists occurred in a single event - an attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016." Additional reports showed that in 2018, most ideologically motivated murders in the United States of America were linked to right-wing extremism. With the occurrence of the 2019 El Paso shooting, right wing terrorism has been responsible for more killings on US soil than Jihadi terrorists after the September 11 attacks.
These reports are from Trump-era departments, not pre-Trump, so bias can't be considered a factor. As for terrorism in other countries, I really don't care. Grim is in Georgia. He probably doesn't care, either. My editors, mostly professional police officers, had no complaint with my statements. My advice to the haters: if you don't like it, stop reading.
It was noted that a thesis is only needed for a masters; a dissertation is needed for a doctorate. BTW, not all masters need a thesis; I never needed one for my MBA. There was also a correction on the details of the GI education benefits Grim received. Nothing major, but I wanted to be accurate. Fixed. I uploaded a corrected chapter 5.
Chapter 6 is a short chapter. Sorry about that, but chapter size is not a function of word count. It is a function of story segmentation. The next chapter is about something different. That's just the way it works. In any case, enjoy!
Everybody seemed to like the new slogan of RSC: 'If We Can't Make Money Solving Your Problem, We Can Make Money Prolonging It!' Despair.com (a wonderful company) has a similar poster: 'If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem!'
This all reminds me of my misspent youth in the 70s as a chemist. At the time, Dupont had a corporate slogan of 'Better Living Through Chemistry!' My company, a lab division of ITT, had an employee contest for a new slogan. We were an extremely jaded group and totally burned out. The runaway winner was 'Better Cancer Through Chemistry!' The contest was immediately shut down.
Anyway, enjoy!
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