December 31, 2016

Recall: Phil Beaver trusts and is committed to, but does not know the-objective-truth, of which most is undiscovered yet some is understood. He works for opinion when the-indisputable-facts-of-reality have not been discovered and seeks refinement through other people’s experiences and observations.

Our Views: One scribe’s truth. Thanks to Jack Hamilton, some readers studied “A Free and Responsible Press”, Midway reprint 1974. This reader paraphrases: We the [Civic] People of the United States iteratively collaborate among We the People of the United States, and the media workers and management either choose or default to one of the aforementioned groups. A civic culture marches inexorably toward civic justice; knows the difference between media truth and the-objective-truth; and suspects persons who do not address TOT. The media may choose a business plan that iteratively collaborates to establish and maintain a civic culture---a people that seeks public-integrity as civic justice. We hope 2/3 of Baton Rouge inhabitants are working to establish a civic culture by September 17, 2017, a national Constitution Day.

Today’s Thought. If G.E. Dean’s purpose is political force, such as a master’s temptation to power over slaves, he could not find a better reference than Dean-Bible interpretation.

FEMA (Stolar). Two sentences invoke concern. "We continue to accommodate individual family needs, and most important — their requests." I can't believe you think requests are more important than needs. "Mitigating against future events will be an expensive, long-term effort but the outcome will better prepare the people of Louisiana for the next natural disaster.” People in the Great State of Louisiana buffer the USA at the Gulf of Mexico. This long term effort has been long term forever and identified for a least a century. The next heavy rains may come next season. It is time to deliver relief rather than write excuses.

Religion and Justice (Bates). For justice, ministers should resign from their institutions and become civic practitioners: People trained to help each person achieve individual-independence with civic-morality. The sole purpose of religious institutions is to preserve the institution regardless of the cost to humankind.

Edward Pratt. Here’s my nomination for exemplary appreciation of the year:  “Coach . . . was perfect for me.” Behind the statement is a story of mutual appreciation each of us may earn. Love is overrated and often inappropriate, but everyone wants and most people, I guess 2/3, work for appreciation.

Overdoses (Porter). I dislike a culture of acceptance and think nudging people into fidelity to their person is better than force. This letter seems exemplary in its comprehension, understanding, knowledge and motives. Thank you.

Whitehead praise (Catarella). I reviewed her summary and comments at lifechangeroftheyear.com/jennifer-whitehead-3/ but could not comment.

Fiscal Responsibility (Lindenfeld). I agree. Homeowners owe to themselves to be faithful to the-indisputable-facts-of-reality. If a slab flooded once, it will again. Religion-government-partnerships are not reliable, as Chapter XI Machiavellianism informs a civic people. Religion is likely to remain unchanged for an infinity, but the Metro Council may reform anytime they perceive the incentives.

Robert Reich column. Yesterday’s Roberts column informed us that the Clintons are habitual dissemblers---a trait that is understandably deemed worse than liars.  Does that raise questions about the people who gave Mrs. Clinton a 2.8 million majority vote? I think so. Reich’s party, the Democrats, struggle for communitarianism, collectivism, socialism, and communism. Democrats do everything possible to unify groups that prefer groupism to individualism. That’s why the Congressional Black Caucus exists despite their harm to black persons. There is only one valid group in the USA:  We the [Civic] People of the United States inexorably march toward individual-independence with civic-morality. Civic is introduced to emphasize that the preamble is a civic agreement rather than a secular divider. For a half century, the Alinsky-Marxist organizers (AMO), assisted by leftist thinkers such as Reich, played on the appreciative tendency of a civic people. A civic culture helps people who by nature cannot alone establish individual-independence with civic-morality. Also, a civic culture nudges rather than coerces able people toward individual-independence with civic-morality; a civic culture constrain dissidents, criminals, and evils. Social democrats like Reich have been a threat to the American republic---the rule of statutory law, but their half-century is over. Individual-independence seems at a nadir but the ascent has begun. The civic culture regained control, and it is up to Trump to iteratively collaborate with We the [Civic] People of the United States, perhaps 2/3 of We the People of the United States. Reich and other Democrats may reform, but they can neither succeed with group voting nor make dissemblers their party leaders, IMO.

Bernard Goldberg. I nominate this opinion as the column of the half-century. Since 1966, the media has attempted to form national policy by influencing public opinion--- false emotions lull an indolent people into tolerance for social democracy instead of democratic-republic; social morality instead of civic morality; communitarianism instead of individual-independence; welfare enslavement instead of freedom from federal oppression; tax-obligations instead of liberty to pursue personal goals; prayer to factional gods instead of collaboration for civic justice. I am reminded of James Meredith’s reflections on his 1966 march: “Duty and responsibility are an equal part [of citizenship], and that’s the part the [press] has failed to pay any attention to.” See concordmonitor.com/Civil-rights-marchers-U-S-still-needs-to-address-inequality-3635924 to read Meredith’s words, which I cannot interpret. However, they come under the press’s caption, “Civil rights marchers: U. S. has work to do." IMO, Meredith’s words claim the black race has work to do a half-century after his march.

Ron Faucheux. Here’s my nomination for pseudo-wisdom of the year:  “National polls only measure the popular vote.”

Sewer taxes. The present disclosure of municipal neglect in St. Joseph and elsewhere in Louisiana gives some comfort about EBRP taking care of infrastructure. Yet, we are answering to federal oversight after "authorities in the 1970s and 1980s neglected sewer maintenance." A civic people may monitor the Metro-Council's agenda to make certain it and the Mayor-President are taking care of needs rather than commercial dreams---like the rail to connect the City of LSU with the Downtown Development District. What's wrong with Uber and buses for that function? Mobile capital's operators can avoid floods: rail capital and rail-car capital in floods . . . flood. Also, EBRP may reform from answering to the religion-government-partnerships, for example, Together Baton Rouge and Together Louisiana. The alternative to public-integrity is misery and loss.

Hillar Moore objects. The Advocate should learn the facts and report them. When Moore objects I want to know the details of why. I cannot reform an opinion without the details. Moore seems authentic, and without more detail the other party is wrong IMO. I appreciate the opinions I form. I need either the-objective-truth or well-grounded-new-evidence to change. It seems that Gov. John Bel Edwards needs to reform to public-integrity. He seems to be smoking the power of the religion-government-partnership or Chapter XI Machiavellianism. While disclosure of Chapter XI Machiavellianism is 500 years old, I hope a civic people will soon establish public-integrity.

Religious Freedom Act (Winston). Paraphrasing Trump, you can’t learn the-objective-truth from the media. Ms. Winston tells us “The new version of the law, named for a former Virginia congressman . . . extends protection to atheists.” That congressman was Republican Frank R. Wolf. Further, HR 1150 was sponsored by Republican Christopher H. Smith, New Jersey. Would your first guess be that Ms. Winston and her media bosses are leftist democrats? I hope IFRA will lead soon to amendment of the religion phrases in the First Amendment so as to protect and nudge thought, an inalienable duty in individual-independence, rather than religion, a for-profit business that should be supported by adult customers only. Substitution of conscience for thought is an effort by religious institutions to claim that religious thought need not make common sense. Allowing conscience to coerce your person to neglect common sense is voluntary slavery. It is hard to believe Professor Corbin so shamelessly ignores the fact that this historic Congressional Act is a republican-sponsored improvement on statutory law. We’ll see what reforms it demands from the US Supreme Court, the infamous opinionaters who are way out on the rotten left limb of opinion about opinion. For example, Greece v. Galloway (2014) could reverse because of the formerly niggling interests of atheists and others like me. HR 1150 is at congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1150/text .
 

Faith (Robinson). A skill of Alinsky-Marxist organizers (AMO) is to create phrases that identify a group interest that may be used to defeat public-integrity or individual-independence with civic morality. One such phrase is “faith community.” Every civic person has faith. For example, I trust and am committed to the-objective-truth of which most is undiscovered but some is understood. AMO wants communitarianism, socialism, communism, and other fist-raised solidarity. It’s un-American, IMO. “Together” groups should be avoided like the plague. Also, “. . . faith leaders were called upon to provide counseling and consolation” reminds me that counsellors should resign ministries and become licensed civic practitioners with university degrees in living according to civic morality: fidelity. Let adults pursue any spiritual life they may want, but end the religion-government-partnership that coerces people to spend part of life pursuing hopes for a favorable afterdeath: let such pursuits be a private preference with no coercion.

Secular France (Heneghan) This article provides evidence of why the civic preamble to the constitution for the USA is preferable to France’s 1905 law requiring church-state separation. The preamble, labeled secular by American Christianity, is neutral to religion. Thus, a civic people---those who collaborate for civic morality according to the goals in the preamble---create and observe statutory law. As long as a religion has first principles that do not conflict statutory law, church and state are separated. As long as elected or appointed officials observe statutory law, their real-no-harm private pursuits, such as religion, are not of civic interest. When a person is elected to office, he or she is expected to perform the duties under statutory law, and his or her prayer life has no impact on their civic leadership beyond the personal value to him or her. According to the preamble, religious oaths are private matters.

Malta vs pope (Winfield). I often write that the branches of religions are fractionated, but had not run across organizational factions in Rome. I’m glad to have this reference. Professor Martens apparently referred to “the Holy See under international law.” I suppose that’s Catholic law, but do not intend to research it.

Christopher Simon. Ben Franklin’s thirteen virtues are: temperance, silence, order, resolution; frugality, industry, sincerity, justice; moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity; humility. See thirteenvirtues.com/ . These virtues seem private intentions---fidelity to self. For example, I recall Bill Clinton’s disassembly, “I did not have sex with that woman. [She had sex with me.]”  Integrity (both wholeness and factual understanding) and fidelity seem covered by the thirteen virtues. Regardless, intention to perfect your person is a very good idea, and the first step is to think it can be done, low as you may now be. I’m quoting from emersoncentral.com/divaddr.htm .