March 7, 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:

Our Views. Talk about good! Enjoy Lyle Saxon’s Fabulous New Orleans, 1939. (Just to share an experience.)

Today’s thought. Isaiah 6:3. Isaiah ben Amoz, expressed appreciation for what he perceived.

 

Dean interprets ben Amoz’s “the lord of hosts” as “God,” and interjects sin. If the Bible is The Word, humankind waits to learn why it condones slavery.

 

Letters:

 

Obamacare (Prendergast). I also am a cancer survivor. Great as Mom and Dad were, their habits may have contributed to me being a heavy smoker until 1972. That year, I saw on TV US Surgeon General Everett Koop discussing smoking reduction-of-lifespan. My wife and I quit.

When I was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008, the doctors asked, “Did you ever smoke?”

I neither wish to hold other people liable for my habits nor be liable for theirs. I support proposals that require higher contributions to medical payments when the patient’s habits lessen his or her health.

I know responsibility opposes liberal democracy, but liberal democracy goes against obligations, human viability, and civic justice.

  

Respect (Dysart). We each need the civic virtue to negotiate public-integrity. Respect is earned rather than demanded. Think of “political respect” as subjugation to political power: You might be reluctant to submit.

I was incredulous when I heard at a Together Louisiana meeting with Gov. John Bel Edwards that I could present any idea as long as I exercised respect.

I seek to express appreciation for civic-virtue or public-integrity. Otherwise, I offer either reference to the-objective-truth, or candid personal-opinion, or a change of subject---to the weather, LSU sports, or other general interest.

Can you imagine Baton Rouge’s Manners of the Heart respecting appreciation? How about Louisiana Family Forum? From experience, they seek to dominate rather than appreciate. Domination by the-objective-truth is a given, but dominant opinion? No.

You’re in charge of your respect, mine follows appreciation of civic collaboration.

  

School-bus seat-belts (Labara). I agree and will send a message to my representatives.

Clarence Page column. This humorous column serves as notice to me not to cite a fruitless prediction by a loser and then say “I agree.”

George Will column. Ho hum.

Stephane Grace column.  Next time around, Edwards’ opposition will not be Vitter, and voter-hope based on Edwards-claims won’t work.
 
The worst things that have happened so far are the neglect of families hurt by the floods (applying for federal help too slowly, twice), the sales tax increase, law-enforcement fiascos (at least three), and advancing apparent Vatican-Edwards-partnership when flood-funds-applications were not delivered. But most of all, a $30 billion budget proposal when it should be $18 billion.

E. J. Dione column.  I don’t need President Trump to put fear in me.

I’m already afraid in my home town: My mayor preaches church and dialogues on racism. I’m supposed to accept black power and black theology and people who talk “slip it in” and “familiar” and “respect disrespect” as cultural norms. 

 

I want public-integrity and work to establish it.

Judge (Page 1B). May reports involving White ever seem beyond White? Maybe.

 

Strain (Page 2B). Surely the Great State of Louisiana has laws to protect my family from business shipping crawfish to Mexico to be peeled and the meat brought back here to sell. And if we expect Cuba to improve human rights of inhabitants, are we really going to take advantage of those oppressed people? Quite frankly, craw-fish eating is not that important to me. Also, for decades MWW has insisted on Louisiana crawfish.

 

Some Cubans enter the US by traveling to Central America then into Mexico at its south border then to the north border and into the US. See pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/13/cuban-immigration-to-u-s-surges-as-relations-warm/ . In 2016, more non-Mexicans than Mexicans were apprehended at the border: pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/02/what-we-know-about-illegal-immigration-from-mexico/ .

Science standards (Page 1A). “Gene Mills, president of the Louisiana Family Forum, said Monday he has a variety of concerns about the proposed guidelines.” No surprise there.

"I believe there is only one side presented and that is evolution," Edmonston said. A person may say that God created evolution. After that what else did God do? “. . . creationism — the view that life began about 6,000 years ago as described in the Bible's Book of Genesis”?

Some religious people rely on Moses’ imagination (that he heard from God) when the rest of humankind knows Albert Einstein’s discoveries along with the myriad others.

With public-integrity, religious imposition is an adult activity, but the children are encouraged to learn the-objective-truth. Regardless of adult error, the children will learn, and once they do, they may resent or reject the people who misled them.

 
Beyond teaching the-objective-truth, reversing the LSEA is an opportunity for Louisiana to start climbing from its perhaps 1250th ranking respecting in the world.

Monuments (Page 1A). Can be, but we hope they won’t be. 

 

Instead, affix some plaques that attest to the lessons learned. Despite Bible interpretation to the contrary, white church admitted that the physics of slavery---chains, whips, brutality and rape to slaves with both physical and psychological burdens to masters informs that slavery is evil. White soldiers waged civil war with white soldiers to settle an erroneous religious belief. It was an epic triumph against erroneous belief.

 

The lessen has not taken hold in 2017, and the 1950s emergence of liberation theology, applied in 1969 as black power and black theology. Monument-preservation with appropriate plaques could help deliver obfuscated information for the world to behold and prevent erroneous interpretation from repeating.

 

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.