- Plans
for the Third annual Ratification Day celebration are complete. Please
mark your calendar: Tuesday, June 21, 6:30 PM, Bluebonnet Branch
Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd. See more details online at theadvocate.com/calendar#/details/Third-Annual-Ratification-Day-Celebration/2329003/2016-06-21T18
- Diana Dorroh organized us and got the final rules onto the blog for the personal preamble writing contest.
- Ruth Finklea, Henry Soniat and I are judges.
- One entry beat the June 14 deadline.
- Realizing that the preamble was signed by representatives of only twelve of thirteen states, our goal is 65% rather than 70% of willing people involved in a civic people (ACP) by Constitution Day, 2017 (September 17). Still a huge goal.
- We have a draft statement of purpose: A Civic People (ACP) uses physics to discover the facts of reality for moral living rather than to suffer governance based on dominant opinion. Comments would be appreciated.
- The overall goal evolves, and lately has been, real-no-harm (RNH) private liberty with civic morality (PLwCM) and its corollary, private morality with civic liberty (PMwCL). After introduction, RNH is used in wrting separately from PLwCM, which intrinsically requires RNH. PMwCL, so far has not been needed. Thus, RNH is used as needed, and emphasis is on PLwCM. The three elements seem awkward yet effected two powerful thoughts—RNH and PLwCM; improvements would be welcomed.
- So
far, I must share that A Civic People of the United States (ACPUS) is
not very popular in its home town (although there are daily, worldwide
views of the blog’s infrequent posts). Here are some views of what is
happening:
- ACP blogs do not involve collaboration: no one comments on
- A Civic People of the United States with 6200 views since 2/9/14
- A Civic People of Baton Rouge with 315 views since 10/21/15
- www.quora.com offers extensive collaboration, with 14,800 views and 75 upvotes since 12/28/15
- Collaboration happens on http://www.libertylawsite.org since August, 2015
- One person accused attention-seeking condescension attempt
- Collaboration is slow but exists at http://theadvocate.com/news/opinion
- ACP blogs do not involve collaboration: no one comments on
- ACP
continues work to get semantics right, then be consistent yet alert to
improvement. It is not an easy task, so help is welcomed (and ubiquitous
per Item 5 b-d)
- ACP typically uses “physics-based morality” (Note 1) as the bedrock for civic collaboration, leaving religious morals a private concern.
(No one civically collaborates about their personal god or none—even
though lots of people try to impose their god on the rest of the
people.)
- ACP defines physics not as a scientific study but as the object of study: mass, energy and space-time (x,y,z,t) from which everything emerges. ACP expresses explicit evidence rather than the details of how physics effects the elements of life. (See the physics of slavery, below.)
- After the statement that the facts of reality are discovered through physics, use of “reality” seems effective public expression (Note 2).
- “The facts of reality” seems explicit in competition with opinion if it is made clear that physics is used to discover the facts of reality.
- Discovered physics does not negate the god hypothesis; however, some god theory does not conform to reality and therefore cannot be accepted as civic morality. RNH theories about gods are for believers; when there’s harm the theory may become civic concern.
- morality expresses ACP’s collaboration whereas neither social morality nor religious morality could.
- The preamble is a civic rather than secular sentence.
- Civic connections (Note 3), both direct and indirect, are the RNH faction of ineluctable public encounters.
- RNH factional cultures or persons (such as churches) work for their faction as well as for an overarching culture for PLwCM.
- ACP realized on June 1, 2016, that the irony in Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter XI (Note 4), is better represented as: The priest-politician partnership picks the people’s pocket; only a dreamer would resist.
- ACP realized that Albert Einstein’s debates for science vs religion societies would have been more mind-opening as physics-based morality vs imagination-based dominance. (Note 5)
- ACP realized that US Supreme Court majority opinions are opinion about existing opinion and therefore are not and never have been the bedrock the people can accept for civic morality. Discovered physics offers the bedrock for civic morality.
- ACP typically uses “physics-based morality” (Note 1) as the bedrock for civic collaboration, leaving religious morals a private concern.
(No one civically collaborates about their personal god or none—even
though lots of people try to impose their god on the rest of the
people.)
- The
significance of the Civil War: The intention for Ratification Day,
2014, was an 8-hour conference featuring discussion of four timelines of
history respecting settlement of this land. We barely covered the
preamble and one timeline. The timeline on slavery has proved
instructive for recent events. It seems erroneous views from the past
promote possibilities to increase misery and loss for present living.
The facts of reality could help preserve life, and collaboration is
requested.
- 3800 years ago, Hammurabi’s code regarded slavery as an institution.
- The physics of slavery was plain: chains, whips, brutality, and rape for slaves and burdens for masters.
- 1700 years ago, men canonized the Catholic Bible including passages that condone slavery; for examples, Leviticus 25:44-46 and 1 Timothy 6:1-2. The could have, should have, excluded those passages and others.
- 560 and 520 years ago, papal bulls granted monopolies on African-slave trade.
- 500 years ago the Protestant reformation took hold but did not address apparent slavery affirmation in the Bible.
- Consequences
of erroneous Bible interpretation became the responsibility of the USA
on June 21, 1788, draft-constitution ratification day, when slave-states ratio was 8:5.
- By 1861, another fact of reality came into play: the physics of military power of slave states had reversed to 15:19.
- The CSA fired on the Union with a states ratio 7 slave:27 slave & non-slave.
- White Christians waged war with white Christians to resolve Bible opinion that seems to defy the physics of slavery, thereby ending African slavery in America. The path to that horrific event began with canonization 1700 years earlier. The nations that colonized the USA did not suffer and have not observed the resolution of physics vs scripture.
- The slavery timeline is a very powerful illustration. The physics of slavery makes it clear that Bible interpretation should not support war to establish or maintain slavery. It follows from this and other examples that ACP should not have Bible interpretation or any other religious dogma imposed on them.
- On the other hand, the facts of reality do not discourage Christians and other beleivers who in privacy are helped by the RNH use of their scriptures. RNH religious beliefs are not civic issues.
- It
is up to ACP to take advantage of the cultural diversity the USA possess
but so far has never enjoyed. ACP wants to collaborate for that happy
event.
- History timelines are more instructive than textbooks about the events.
- However, scholarly expertise could help.
- Help will come only from willing scholars. In addition to being scholars, scholars should be civic citizens.
- Excited
by the statement that he wants to talk with constituents, even those
who may oppose, I contacted Congressman Garret Graves’ office, asking
that one of the staff become familiar with ACP. I sent an email with the
“theory” on May 26.
- With no response, on May 31, I attended Garret Graves’ public meeting.
- The role of the Baptist minister was more than legislative prayer. The minister
- Reported leading a worship service for Congressmen.
- Reported Graves’ voting record according to the political-right.
- Prayed “in Jesus’ name.”
- Presented the impression/image the he is important—on par with a Congressman for our congressional district
- The Christian-gestapo mood was more than I ever suffered under Senator Vitter’s regime. Perhaps the right is agitated on many fronts and look to their personal gods for the usual relief; personal posterity suffers.
- Also, the USA may be experiencing historic clergy arrogance based on Greece v Galloway, 2014. Quoting the decision (opinion):
- "The prayer was intended to place town board members in a solemn and deliberative frame of mind, invoke divine guidance in town affairs, and follow a tradition practiced by Congress and dozens of state legislatures.”
- "If circumstances arise in which the pattern and practice of ceremonial, legislative prayer is alleged to be a means to coerce or intimidate others, the objection can be addressed in the regular course. But the showing has not been made here, where the prayers neither chastised dissenters nor attempted lengthy disquisition on religious dogma.”
- “That public proceeding becomes (whether intentionally or not) an instrument for dividing her from adherents to the community’s majority religion, and for altering the very nature of her relationship with her government. That is not the country we are, because that is not what our Constitution permits. Here, when a citizen stands before her government, whether to perform a service or request a benefit, her religious beliefs do not enter into the picture.”
- “I turn now to the narrow aspect of the principal dissent, and what we find here is that the principal dissent’s objection, in the end, is really quite niggling.” [Niggling means petty.]
- My personal inquisition, niggling as it may have been, bears on the above tyranny by the USA
- In my late forties Sunday school, I was challenged to say “Jesus died on the cross to redeem me.” I answered, “The god I worship could have handled Pontus Pilate allowing Jesus to live.”
- The role of the Baptist minister was more than legislative prayer. The minister
- With no response, on May 31, I attended Garret Graves’ public meeting.
- However, if I attend a Congressman Graves public meeting I may have to submit to Baptist preaching.
- I am alienated by legislative prayer and by the Court and by Congressman Graves’ Christian gestapo.
- I am also alienated by the citizens who accept and promote this tyranny.
- Quoting Abraham Lincoln, “Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world?” I sense that Congressman Graves represents the far right and there’ll be no help from him until 65% participation in ACP is happening.
- The experience with Congressman Graves’ organization coincided with some more clergy arrogance and I posted “End clergy coalitions,” on A Civic People of Baton Rouge .
- I mentioned two-years’ work on the “Child incentive program,” and someone asked me to post it on promotethepreamble.blogspot.com .
- I wonder if Charles Koch, who’s fed up with “a ‘rigged’ economy that leaves behind the poor,” would like the proposal. See http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c06e2891ffcd4119a403a8cd634b75b0/ap-interview-billionaire-koch-fed-politics-usual .
- I continue to post on www.libertylawsite.org/ and can’t say that friends are being made.
- However, posts on www.quora.com/ seem well received.
- For people who are interested
- The online-resource suggestions ACP listed in the past are posted in one file at A Civic People of Baton Rouge .
- Any suggestions to add to the list of online resources would be welcomed.
Notes:
1. The present status of this phrase evolved from past expressions by Mona Sevilla, Doug Johnson and other people.
1. The present status of this phrase evolved from past expressions by Mona Sevilla, Doug Johnson and other people.
2. We often express commercial gratitude for the phrase
“the facts of reality” associated with “physics”. Contact copy editor
Kate Gladstone at handwritingrepair@gmail.com, phone 518/482-6763.
3. Our awareness of “connections” came from Diana Dorroh.
4. Online: http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince11.htm .
5. See Einstein’s essay in https://www.samharris.org/blog/item/my-friend-einstein .
