January 11, 2017

Request: Phil Beaver works to establish opinion only when the-indisputable-facts-of-reality have not been discovered. He seeks to refine his opinion by learning other people’s experiences and observations. Please use the comment box below to share facts and opinion.

 Our Views:  Common language distorts the facts. Civic justice can only come from the people. However, with the right word choices we may perceive in 2017 that most of us want mutual Security.
“Human depravity” is not the cause of 2017’s dysfunction: The cause is failure to establish pubic-integrity. No evidence has been reported that the Missouri shooter was “disturbed” beyond evil disposition. I have no idea what The Advocate intends, but the only valid “society at large” is the one that seeks broadly-defined-safety-and-security, hereafter, Security. Most of us want individual-independence. “Our thoughts and prayers” is the modern insincerity that led to “violence that is, sadly, becoming all too routine,” and follows with “Here’s hoping for a more peaceful year.”
The Advocate could remind us of some historic nudges like the 1787 preamble to the constitution for the USA. The preamble is a civic contract rather than a secular sentence (so labeled by Christian mendacity or another cliché, “the Christian thing to do”). In 1861, facing Christian factions entering war, Abraham Lincoln, IMO objecting to god-military-might said “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?”
We the [Civic] People of the United States may begin to establish public-integrity anytime we decide Security is what binds our civic society. With Security each person may pursue during his or her candle the perfect life he or she may privately perceive as an adult.

Today’s Thought. I mean no offense to readers who love this long-standing feature. I am offended by the absence of ideas that could promote appreciation for trust and confidence in the-objective-truth (I now pay my subscription cost but may not always so subject myself).

Dean makes a public statement that, as evidenced by “do the Christian thing,” portrays Jesus as an abject failure. Christianity is itself fractionated into perhaps 4000 parts, with perhaps the largest fractionated faction representing only 30% of all Christians.

Anyone who would like a clue as to why these factions after 2000 years with 1700 years dominant influence may find it in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1838 essay, Divinity School Address, online at emersoncentral.com/divaddr.htm . Fair warning: Indoctrinated as I was, it took me about 15 years and as many readings to grasp Emerson’s message. Once I got it, I changed my indoctrination toward public-integrity.

Another reference is interesting and perhaps more familiar. On June 20, 1785, James Madison said, “During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.”

If Christianity is dysfunctional globally, that does not mean your Christianity is not helping you. If it is, don’t change.

Climate Change (Schell). Writers like Grace are out of step with the reality: 1) climate change has a human-contribution component that seems small relative to cosmic cycles, and 2) the feasibility of human influence to lessen the change is even smaller. Population control is attractive in that it reduces the human contribution as well as exposure: fewer people here means fewer people in misery and loss.

A 2009 economic conference, reported online at c2es.org/international/negotiations/cop-15/summary , concluded that personal provisions to lessen the pain and misery of global warming is probably the most viable option. By all means, trying to change the behaviors of some 7 billion people to save the Louisiana coast-line seems like an emotional-Grace-idea.

Tax Favors (Head). I appreciate your work from afar. Your letter reminds me that mayoral favors to groups picks my pocket. True, it offsets the unjust favor granted to religious businesses. I favor taxing all businesses, whether non-profit or religious.

Scott Wilson praises Dabadie (Page 1A).

With excellent annual performance data and widespread support, I hope Dabadie will continue to offer his services to the people of Baton Rouge.

We hope Scott Wilson’s preference for “common-sense” collaboration with Mayor Broome will defeat both the local GOP’s divisive label versus Democrat labeling and The Advocate’s bias against civic-morality.

Baton Rouge can originate public-integrity in the USA, because the practice-theory was developed in EBRP library meetings and beyond. Public-integrity starts with iterative collaboration for broadly-defined-civic-safety-and-security, hereafter Security. Security must arise from the people, but government (without the religion partnership) can nudge the people in that direction, and that is what we will look to the Metro-council and mayoral administration to do.

It is true that the US Supreme Court in Greece v Galloway (2014) condoned the religion-government-partnership, which IMO is the source of angst against Dabadie, but that does not mean the people must either impose or tolerate the tyranny of religion, such as the influence of Together Baton Rouge.

I cannot imagine a more opportune scenario to demonstrate executive-common-sense than to reform from an erroneous political promise. IMO Mayor Broome has a rare opportunity.

Racism v Sessions (Page 1A).

Participants in the confirmation hearing assert: Recognizing the-indisputable-facts regarding Sessions, I will not be the racist that suggests racism. But Hannah Allam volunteers: I, alone, will be the racist representing TNS. Perhaps some writers are racists led by their bosses.

 

The un-grounded, pitiful numbers, 400, 1400, 1000, and 70 can’t compare with the 3084 of 3144 counties that tacitly affirm Sessions as Trump’s choice for excellence. See snopes.com/trump-won-3084-of-3141-counties-clinton-won-57/ .

The Congressional Black Caucus demeans “whole departments and whole groups of people,” deluding that they are immune from justice and woe. However, Cedric Richmond begs more woe when he ignores CBC’s five-decades of influence. And suppresses the challenge by 1966 marcher James Meredith, "Citizenship . . . Duty and responsibility are . . . the part the black race has failed to pay any attention to." See bigstory.ap.org/article/5a306dbff24149cea8a84e2a88bcf97d/civil-rights-marchers-us-still-needs-address-inequality .

Do readers think it is possible for Cedric Richmond to hold Louisiana first in his trust and commitment? I do not.

Rich Lowry column. This column seems a day or two out of relevance. Otherwise, I could have done without it.

Related Effort. I do not subscribe to social movements that differ from A Civic People of the United States (have my hands overflowing). But people who do not like our approach, public-integrity, might consider mannersoftheheart.org as a vehicle for improving life in Baton Rouge. I could sign for six of their nine commitments, which is 2/3---my kind of ratio.

George Will column. “Humans are, as Job knew, born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward.” Maybe the book of Job is 4500 years old. Citing such old thought as first principle is a common practice by self-styled journalists like Will.

The widespread dysfunction that is obvious in 2017 awakens some of us to a new way of living, called public-integrity. It is a civic culture wherein most people iteratively collaborate for broadly-defined-civic-safety-and-security, hereafter Security. Thereby, each person may practice individual-independence---the pursuit within his or her 85-year candle of the perfect life they perceive as a mature adult.

We assert that this way of living is achievable. It just has not been tried by any nation ever. The goals are spelled out in the preamble to the constitution for the USA. The standards of civic morality may be established on the-indisputable-facts-of-reality.

“The nation’s $53 billion civilian intelligence institutions,” apparently doing everything they can to discredit its President for the next four or perhaps eight years could benefit from some better advice. Perhaps it would come from a sincere George Will rather than a paid writer.

Dana Millbank column. The writer who claims that Trump will end Democare without replacing it is conveying the Democratic Party’s mendacity of the day. It is fun to read here the very moment the party turned its back on “Obamacare” for a new political correctness---after Obama’s “You are welcome,” speech.

Trump press conference. A CNN reporter learned that he must write the-objective-truth to retain a seat in that hallowed room. Perhaps every writer there received notice: Mr. Trump is no longer running for president of the United States. It is difficult to imagine how psychologically slow the writers for the media are.

But what a fantastic announcement Trump instructed his special tax attorney to read for perhaps thirty minutes! He already said he will be president without a salary. See politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/donald-trump-salary-george-washington-214458 .  He’ll also be president without the company he built. 

Phil Beaver does not “know”. Phil trusts and is committed to the-objective-truth of which most is undiscovered and some is understood. Phil Beaver is agent for A Civic People of the United States, a Louisiana, education non-profit. See online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.