The Forgetting of Dr. Thorne

In 1999, Walter P Thorne conceived of a doctoral dissertation that would become a catalyst for an unspeakable horror. It was written, successfully defended, and released for professional dissemination and analysis without issue. His work, the culmination of a life dedicated to Philosophy and the natural sciences, garnered moderate praise, and would eventually, by means of an exhausting purge of the unthreatening thesis from the global consciousness, vanish from existence. What was contained in the 327 page dissertation is, altogether, of little importance. All that matters, or all that should concern the historian, is the decision and subsequent execution of the forced forgetting, the excessive and reckless display of power, and, for the sake of civil rights, and in order to maintain the value once placed on the concept of the individual, the name that is both irrelevant and all-important: that of Walter P Thorne.

I am unable to present dates, conversations, list of key players, or additional background to supplement my testimony. I can only share that Thorne presented, twice, his dissertation; once opposite James Lewison, author of "Medicine in Practice: 17th Century Medicine and Mind", and once more at the 23rd Annual Conference of Meta-Psychology in San Jose, Costa Rica.

I can also share that Thorne once spoke to a half-filled auditorium at an unknown university about, and this point is arguable, the late 20th century sublime. This account was told to me well after the fact by a source that I have found to be quite questionable, although the very fact the source knew of Thorne after the abhorrent incident lends either credence to the story, or deems it the ramblings of a mad man.

It is said that if a star's shrinking size nears 1.125 times its critical circumference, the central pressure becomes infinitely large and the star is squeezed into a catastrophic implosion. This is the best way, or rather, the only way that I am able to explain to you the events that I wish to convey. I, while intent on remaining outside events, must admit that I am quite unable to in this case. Nothing escapes the gravitational pull of a black hole, in the same way I am a victim of a crime whose force is beyond my resistance. What has become, not history, but anti-history, is not about Thorne; his individual character is altogether unimportant in the grand view, or story, of humanity. As a star implodes it surely must take some molecules along for a deeply disturbing, and quite unfortunate ride. And at once our past has become all about Thorne.