James Tranmer
17547-050
P.O. Box 1000
Lewisburg, PA 17837

September 4, 1996

Hello Carl, Please ignore the surplus Hallmark.  It was free from the chapel so I picked up a few.  I am, however, happy for you because it seems a worthwhile expenditure of the happy emotion. I thank you for your continued consideration of an old goat like unto myself.  I appreciate your thoughtful assistance toward my postal expenditures and I am well supplied with stamps even though I have been a bit negligent in communicating with those that I should be communicating with and also with several folks who, more than likely, have no desire whatsoever in hearing from me.  Believe me.  My musings and my meditations are not of a type which would be extremely popular with the masses.  And they are not of a carnal nature, as I have by some act of divine grace been able to subdue those pesky, guilt-ridden little morsels of banality.  HOORAY! I always enjoy receiving your newsletters and I laud your efforts to somehow make a reasonable argument of common sense to a set of religiously and politically indoctrinated, self-serving coterie of prejudiced money-grubbers whose motives are not righteous and who have redefined justice and liberty to suit themselves and their puppeteers. But over all, what I have enjoyed the most from what you have sent to me were the letters from Brian and your replies.  Whichever came first I do not know, and which was a reply I cannot say, but I will say that I am very proud to be Brian's father and his perception of humanity is very moving to me.  It was very kind of you to show an interest in the young man and to encourage him in the manner that you have.  I know he has to be uplifted whenever he receives any correspondence from anyone.  He has been persecuted to a draconian degree because of the herb and he has withstood all of these diabolical forces.  Regardless of what anyone may think about ganja and society's resistance to people like Brian and myself who refuse to acquiesce to the mischief that they say is law, we will most likely remain the stubborn, stupid, quixotic dolts that we are until they succeed in squeezing the life out of us. Judy has been seeing a lot of the old brothers and sisters over the past several months and she has been completely delighted in the company of each and every one of them even though some animosities and a variety of misunderstanding seems to linger between various cliques so to speak.  Is it possible that these old characters could ever be of one heart, one aim, one destiny as well all professed when first we saw the light?  Of course it is possible.  Is it probable?  Only the bookmakers know the odds on that one.  When Cliff sends you the cryptic little question, "What happened to the brethren?" I suspect that this is simply a rhetorical question disguised as some great mystery.  I suspect we all have some clue as to what happened to us as individuals and also what happened to us as a collective group.  There were also many sisters.  So the question is not simply, "What happened to the brethren?"  More aptly, "What happened to the sisters and the brethren?"  Note: I now put the ladies before the hairy reasoners. I received the Garvey book.  Thanks!  I will write something to the Senator and I'll send you a copy.  I love you all very much and almost all of my thoughts are of the HOOD.  Female & male.  Jane Zimmerwoman is a great gal.  Jim