March 4, 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.
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:

Three things: It’s income-tax time, always a burden to me; I am bored with the media’s dominance of what I can read; I must get MWW's yard ready for spring. But consider "republicanism."

In my eighth decade, one of the word quandary’s of my life has a nuance obvious to many people but new to me: "Republicanism" means iteratively-collaborating for civic justice during the person’s particular life. In my words, a civic person practices republicanism and a republican is a civic person. A civic person may belong to either the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, the Libertarian Party, other party, or independent and still iteratively-collaborate for civic justice. Likewise, he or she may be religious or not and if religious theistic or not and so on. A civic culture seeks neither ideological justice nor civil justice but civic justice; neither religious morality, social morality, nor civil morality, but civic morality.

A civic people, defined in the 1787 preamble to the constitution for the USA, conditionally ratified by 9 of 13 free and independent states on June 21, 1788, established by practice with 11 ratifying states on March 4, 1789, and ratified in negotiated completeness by 10 of 14 on December 15, 1791, employs republicanism to assure that the constitution for the USA serves the people living in this place rather than the people of the past.

Generations before ours neglected the preamble, which states the aims and purpose for the USA according to republicans in their states. After 226 years practice, it seems to me some amendments to the constitution are in order, including the following:

1.      Amend the First Amendment.

a.       Either delete the religion clauses or amend them to protect each person’s opportunity and duty to seek and use the-objective-truth rather than establishing religion as an institution with long standing practice that only theism, in particular Judeo-Christianity is traditional.

b.      Establishing obligations that freedom of expression by constrained so as not to incite harm. For example, you can’t yell “Fire” to stampede a crowd.

c.       Establish obligations that assembly will not cause harm. For example, protest organizers are held responsible for property damage, personal injury, or death resulting from their event.

2.      Recognize the media as a fourth branch of government, and devise a method whereby the people hold the media responsible for integrity. Perhaps hold elections for the top three media companies in each of the extant political philosophies. Only by vote of the people may a media business be licensed.

3.      Consider aspects of the constitution that allow courts to legislate regardless of harm to republicanism or the quest for civic justice and carefully amend so as to restore the powers of the people or their states.

a.       For example, in education, clarify that the purpose is to coach the child from feral infant to civic adult during the two to three decades or more that may be required, depending upon the natural abilities of each child.

                                                                  i.      Providing the workers the nation needs is a secondary consideration that is left to free-market match with the child’s aspirations and abilities.

                                                                ii.      Every newborn is a person and the person’s unique perfection is critical to his or her country. “Perfection” in this perspective relates to “be all you can be” more than an unattainable ideal.

                                                              iii.      Specify that a child should be coached so as to take charge of his or her authenticity at an early stage in his or her person’s life.

                                                              iv.      Relegate the responsibility for education to the states.

b.      Amend the judicial so as to provide a means of removal of a justice that errs to legislate rather than uphold the law. A recent example is Chief Justice John Roberts legislating a tax on a non-purchase. For the ACA, Roberts changed a fine for non-participation to a tax on the non-purchase.

4.      Give the preamble the importance it deserves.

a.       State that the preamble is areligious rather than secular: Every citizen’s religion is a private pursuit of no interest to the government; however, every citizen is required to either observe statutory law or risk statutory-law enforcement.

b.      As a provision for voting, the citizen must study the preamble, and as a show of comprehension, paraphrase it according to their commitment for living now in this place. Sign a statement of trust and commitment to the preamble for civic morality.

c.       Require all federal departments to commit to fulfilling the preamble in their practices.

I will continue to think about these ideas and would appreciate comments.

Meanwhile, I must do my income tax, prepare the yard for summer, and hope the media discover their role: integrity.

Our Views. Continual writing about the littering problem and remedial efforts prompted thoughts about republicanism. The Advocate’s appeal to noble motives is good and can be expanded in future.

 

One of the word-quandary’s of my life has a nuance obvious to many people but new to me: Republicanism means iteratively-collaborating for civic justice during the person’ particular lifetime. In my words, a civic person practices republicanism and a republican is a civic person.

A civic person may associate with either the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, the Libertarian Party, other party, or be independent and still iteratively-collaborate for civic justice. Likewise, he or she may be religious or not and if religious theistic or not and so on.

  

A civic culture seeks neither ideological justice nor civil justice but civic justice; neither religious morality, social morality, nor civil morality, but civic morality.

“A civic people” seems a useful phrase. It is possible for Baton Rouge to establish a civic culture.

 

Today’s thought. Isaiah 1:18. Perhaps Isaiah ben Amoz, 2800 years ago, recommended collaboration respecting not repeating committed error.

 

Dean followed Amoz’s lead, referring to the judge as “the Lord.” It is possible that Amoz sought an expression for the-objective-truth.

Abraham Lincoln, facing a religion-driven civil war, attributed judgment to a civic people. “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?”

Was it coincidental that the people who refuted bible interpretation that condones slavery prevailed? Did clergy in the south mislead people to think their God would enable them to defeat a superior military force? Did the people err, or was it their religion-political-leadership that failed? Does republicanism serve the people for life or is it better to depend on clergymen, politicians or their partnership?

Letters

Writers may note that according to freedom of the press, The Advocate makes political use of writers’ thoughts with writers’ signature but with the editor’s caption. Writers my try to constrain The Advocate with explicit expression. This awareness is useful to readers as well. If you think the caption expressed an idea the message did not intend, you may be correct.

Severance taxes (Gibbens). It seems to me Gibbens, intentionally or not, makes an appeal for particular adult satisfaction addressing civic impact.

I think severance tax, while partially adverse to the affected enterprise fairly distributes cost of taxation and value of natural resources. Low or no severance tax helps investors at the expense of the people.
 

Taxes that adversely affect groups of citizens are not as fair. For example, the recent 20% increase in state sales tax does not seem fair to the poor and middle-class. Also, proposing property tax to benefit the Council on Aging seems egregious. Gibbens did not seem to mind the message “Any tax will do.”

For the longest time, reductions in expenditures for higher education in Louisiana have been corrections for out-of-control mismanagement of education in general. It is hard for me to say there is a healthy balance, but I doubt it. I think more state revenue should be spent coaching every K-12 student to think 1) he or she is a person of high interest to the Great State of Louisiana and 2) the difficult transition from feral infant to civic young adult with understand and intent to live a full life may best be the responsibility of the person, because the community cannot possibly help a person who is not helping themselves.
 

We propose well-grounded coaching of children to become civic adults with incentives: google [phil beaver+child incentives brief].

Anti-immigrant (Babson). To C c Dawson and Andy: I agree. It’s a matter of viewpoint, and the writer seems egocentric in every way I can imagine.
 
There’s nothing in the preamble to the constitution for the USA that says this nation’s aim is to solve the problems people suffer in their homelands. Yet this country alone, holds the key to solving the problem: We may adopt the long neglected preamble, establish its power, and the world may observe and mimic public-integrity. Of course philanthropists can satisfy private preferences, but they cannot impose on people more intent on national responsibilities.

 

Who can forget the picture of a starvation-bloated-infant sitting in the African desert with a fly drinking from his or her tear? I searched for the picture I recall and found worse---hard to take: pinterest.com/pin/346003183849309653/ . Be prepared to hurt, or don’t go there.

 

I can express opposition to the politics in another country but may dedicate my life to civic morality for children here. It is barbaric how this nation promotes procreation of children for both personal and civic abuse. Here, there are about 6 million reports of child abuse per year with only 4 million live births a year. I think that equates to 30% of the population, 100 million people, involved in child abuse either as perpetrator or victim or both. 

 

Knowing the facts, who would want to share USA practices with immigrants? Let’s solve our child-abuse problems before we try to solve the world’s problems.

Cal Thomas column. Both clergy and politicians are subject to the people, but media workers are free to impose on the people. Let’s make the media subject to the people.

Edward Pratt column. Thank you for the information.

It seems to me this program could be accomplished with cellphones and computerized monitoring by one operator at a fraction of the imagined cost. I hope our city follows up and recommends a cost-efficient program. The horror of murder-by-baseball-bat exacerbates the pain of this important column. Also, the last victim in this case may be the perpetrator.

I found out I had a temper by ramming my fist through a bus window; I did not feel the impact. The bus-company let me replace the window with no other attention to the incident, which may have saved long-life since then.

A GPS service could help people who can’t control temper even after they discover it.

Byron York column. This column reflects my vote. 

 

The last five decades convinced me that both the GOP and the DNC are against the people. There had to be change and the only hope is President Donald J. Trump, thanks to my vote. 

After a few weeks, I have even greater trust in my vote. President Trump has the integrity to fire Michael Flynn for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence and the integrity to not fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions for telling the truth and properly exercising his office . . . so help him, Jeff Sessions.

Dana Milbank column. Milbank misses again. 

 

Conservatism by definition lives on against all competition and will eventually find its way to the-objective-truth. There is a possibility that President Trump’s influence was necessary for progress in the nick of time.

Marcelle criticism (Page 1B). The report stated that at about 7:30 PM, Marcelle called the chief, an assistant chief, then the main number. I did not read about her call to 911. Political-power begets uncommon results.

 
Also, citizens who want help identify themselves when they call 911. I do not want to change the rules, but would like authorities to consider them. Like for example, have the 911 operator forward the message then ask the caller why the do not want to be known.

  

Responsible taxation (Page 1A). I voted for the mental-health-facility last fall, because of the recommendations of first responders and the people who actually support them, who I will not try to name. 

 

I voted against a special-interest non-profit that seems out of control, the Council on Ageing.

However, going forward, I want to see more responsibility from elected officials. Do not present me a tax proposal I will vote against.

 

In this case, here are a couple ideas. Propose a rearrangement of taxation:

1. Put CATS expenses on the state gas tax, move to the Department of Transportation, or to the EBRP general fund.

2. Move the Council on Ageing expense to the EBRP general fund.

3. Fund the mental health facility from the EBRP general fund.

 

See brgov.com/DEPT/FINANCE/pdf/07%20Budget%20Final/PAMPH_07.pdf to understand my concern: Responsible government with taxation of those who are served.

 

GOP grandstanders (Page 4A). Call me a dreamer. 

 

Nothing would please me more than to see the democrats propose repeal and replace Obamacare and team up with President Trump to achieve it with a majority GOP Congress. I suppose the failing of my dream is the assumption that the democrats understand their ACA.

Russia probe (Page 4A). In the interest of the people, the probe I’d like to see is the determination of how and who in the media are responsible for the Russia story. 

 

Other than the DNC not being reasonable in protecting their inside information, I see nothing to the story.

 

With my political smarts, I think President Trump should drop out of a silly debate. But then, if Donald Trump had been constrained to my opinion, he would not be President of the United States. For example, I was aghast when he told Hillary she did not have the stamina to be president. Little did I know how qualified he is to be that challenging.

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.