March 19, 2017

Phil Beaver works to establish opinion when the-objective-truth has not been discovered. He seeks to refine his opinion by learning other people’s experiences and observations. The comment box below invites sharing facts, opinion, or concern. If you like the wok, share with people who may be interested.
Note:  I often connect words in a phrase with the dash in order to represent an idea. For example, frank-objectivity represents the idea of candidly expressing the-objective-truth without addressing possible error or attempting to balance the expression.

The Advocate:

Our Views. It is difficult to imagine my hometown newspaper, The Advocate, so willing to present the evidence that they misrepresent the facts: "Trump . . . has been wobbly on the importance to the United States of . . . the NATO defense alliance."

 

When NATO is failing itself by the EU countries not contributing their 2% of GDP, Trump puts them on notice that the USA will join their absence at the altar of commitment. Germany and others say they will be forthcoming but are reluctant to reimburse the USA for past failures to pay. Mike Pence met with them to reiterate the USA’s position.

 

Shame on The Advocate. Perhaps consider this journalism principle appreciating integrity: Privately harbor fake news or publish and remove all doubt. There is freedom of the press but there are consequences for faking journalism.

 

Today’s thought. Never, never, never, give up on the people. There is no other hope for civic justice.

  

Jim Gill column. I agree, and it holds true in all public service. Anyone who proposes weakening ethics oversight is suspect.

Mark Ballard column. The paragraph about gold and sliver is annoying.

 

Havard’s suggestion of settling for 10 cents is political grandstanding, IMO.

 

George Will column.  “Walt Whitman neglected to say . . .” is more annoying than most cute tricks. 

 

I agree. The NEA may end without harming a civic culture.

Eight charters (Page 1B). I’m impressed with the smallness of these schools: grow to 900; start with 38 . . . grow to 140; 134; start with 150; eventually 540; start with 180 . . . grow to 550; ultimately 424. Is the current average enrollment in EBRP charter schools 500/school? Statewide, the enrollment seems to be 537/school. See louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/school-choice/2015-2016-charter-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=9 .

Is tailoring the school to the child or parent the right approach? Consider Plato’s cave: faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/cave.htm . Protected opinion seems hazardous to the person, but one opinion seems clear: Excellent education is essential to human living.

 

Imagine the unknown era today’s children face. Consider Gibran’s thoughts in “On Children,” katsandogz.com/onchildren.html . I prefer to ignore Gibran’s theism, beautiful as it is, so as to focus on the civic morality, where “civic” refers to parents, teachers and administrators appreciating the person the child may discover (has the potential to develop). Gibran asserts that a parent may morally try to mimic the child’s person but must not impose the parent’s psychology on the child. Perhaps the child should be entrusted with his or her learning, with schools serving to coach for authentic human living more than impose extant knowledge.

 

EBRP schools has 42,618 students in 90 schools; 474 students/school and 90 principals under one school board rather than one board per school or a few. It’s no wonder that charter schools divert money from childhood learning to adult employment. Public schools may reform so as not to enhance the market for charter schools: may compete.

 

Education head and governor (Page 3B). Many public schools fail students. I think that is because of an adult shell game that creates new markets for new curricula, books, tests, and higher adult revenues. 

 

With education reform, public schools may place its trust in the children as persons. Reduce school board objectives to the continuing basics: discipline and security; reading with comprehension; writing with understanding; fidelity in human bonding, history, civics, and fine arts; and STEM to instill ever renewed personal curiosity. I omitted somethings, so please add them, but let’s fix them and create, for example in EBRP, ninety grade-A schools in time for today’s persons who are children.

Film tax (Page 1A). When a tax is good for nothing it should end.

Medicaid (Page 1A). The fed is pushing this dilemma onto the states, where balance between human self-discipline and medical care is more evident. Louisiana is about to go into legislative session, and Medicaid as solely a state responsibility may be discussed.

30-foot wall (Page 2A). Whatever it takes, philanthropy and drug traffic that brings so much misery and loss to the USA may stop. See “Family of dead teen settles for $1 million.” I don’t even want to know the claim; just build the wall.

Tillerson (Page 2A). Evidence for potential global collaboration is beginning.

Orly Airport (Page 2A). Keep people who want to die for mysteries away from the USA.

Appeals court (Page 2A). That’s good. Why do courts oppose immigration reform? How is that going to play out?

Gorsuch (Page 3A). No matter what happens next week, we won’t know what the future holds in the contest for dominant opinion. 

 

What does neutrality of law mean? I mimic a definition for nations, from lectlaw.com/def2/n050.htm:

  

“The state of a court which takes no part between two or more other litigants at war with each other. Neutrality consists in the observance of a strict and honest impartiality, so as not to afford advantage in the war to either party; and particularly in so far restraining its trade to the accustomed course which is held in time of peace, as not to render assistance to one of the belligerents in escaping the effects of the other's hostilities Even a loan of money to one of the belligerent parties is considered a violation of neutrality. A fraudulent neutrality is considered as no neutrality.”

 

Justice Kennedy is a self-appointed lord of dignity and equality. By what authority does he establish impartiality? For example, a child is a person. Same-sex partners contract with other adults to procreate a child for the partners to parent. The child has competing fathers rather than a father and a mother and could reasonably fall in love with one of the fathers causing a divorce.. Kennedy, in his lordship, says it’s a neutral contract. May the child disagree? If so, who can override Kennedy’s neutrality?

 

And Justice Thomas asserts that the constitution for the USA fulfills the Declaration of Independence. Is his opinion neutral to the constitution? No. Is his opinion neutral to the aims and purpose stated in the preamble or thus to a civic people? No.

And the court says I am niggling to object to legislative prayer. The court is wrong to so accuse me.

 

Regardless, I do not trust the Associated Press, in this case, Nancy Benac and Mark Sherman, who used the phrase ‘neutrality’ of law with no explanation.

Top economies yield (Page 3A). President Trump is being heard and leaders are responding. We’ll see how it turns out.

Republicans at odds. (Page 7A) and repetitiously still fighting (14A). Is there one American who is not at odds? I especially mistrust the Associated Press and its writers, including Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar.

Germany to pay the US. (Page 10A). Hard for Germany to feel obligated for the recent past?

Hawaii judge. (Page 10A). I’m just glad my emotional side can be kept private.

Young Americans (Page 10A). Young or old, most Americans do not understand the civic agreement stated by the preamble to the constitution for the USA. Yet, most mature adults practice it.

Opinionated rather than physical bathroom use (Page 15A). Some bills must be rejected and some wars must be won. Cost is not a concern.

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, an education non-profit. See online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.