April 14, 2017

Phil Beaver works to establish opinion when the-objective-truth has not been discovered. He seeks to refine his opinion by listening to other people’s experiences and observations. The comment box below invites readers to express facts, opinion, or concern, perhaps to share with people who may follow the blog.
Note:  I often connect words in a phrase with dashes in order to represent an idea. For example, frank-objectivity represents the idea of candidly expressing the-objective-truth despite possible error. In other words, the writer expresses his “belief,” knowing he could be in error. People may collaboratively approach the-objective-truth.

The Advocate:  See online at theadvocate.com/baton_rouge

Our Views. “This editorial, with slight modifications, has appeared on previous Good Fridays.”

  

I recall Socrates said something like: the unexamined civic editorial is not worthy of publishing:  “Good Friday is a day to remember the human capacity not only to endure suffering, but to transcend it.” This sentence invokes “grin and bear” tyranny when civic-appreciation is possible. (Herein, "civic" refers to mutual justice in public connections & transactions between strangers.) "Suffering" also invokes victimization theory, which is of great interest to American citizens---victims of slavery and threats of personal slavery that inspired loyal British subjects in 1774 to declare colonies were states then in 1788 ratify nine states as a nation.

  

Is The Advocate aware of liberation philosophy? See Mendieta, Eduardo, "Philosophy of Liberation", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2016/entries/liberation/>. “The debate . . . at Valladolid in 1550 marks the clear emergence of a liberation discourse and consciousness.”

Liberation philosophy indicts the Catholic Church’s doctrine of discovery, which claimed that, first Portugal then Spain, was authorized to “discover” land that was not previously claimed by a Christian and take it for God, enslaving the natives found there (and worse). The Church also authorized importing Africa’s global commodity, African slaves, to assist in the colonization of “discovered” lands. Later, factional Protestant kings competed with the Church and added Jesus as authority for the doctrine of discovery. I have no desire to diminish churches or lessen what they do for peaceful believers.

In our great city, our own Mayor Broome babbles incoherent support for an errant Council on Aging. The Metro Council is dysfunctional over an ongoing audit regarding COA taxation without representation that should never have gone to the polls. At the heart of the psychological disconnect is the struggle over black power and black liberation theology vs statutory law: a silent war. Talk of this psychosocial war is forbidden in this city, except within the church doors and other doors. Broome stonewalls civic-immorality as church and dialogues on racism, but I doubt she admits Israel's collaboration for civic-security.

Some theologians posit that God first operated in Africa, the mother continent; the The Word came from Africa; God is black; his chosen people are black; European countries victimized African-slave-commodities and employed Bible-interpretations to justify atrocities. Thus, white Church is Satan. For what Africa and some European countries did before the USA existed, the USA must pay retribution. African-Americans must cash a check. Black God for believers is no problem for me as long as the believers contribute to civic-security.

These issues, which are happily constrained by both civic justice and statutory law, can be resolved by civic collaboration. Even though theology is at the heart of the inspiration and motivation for change, it cannot dictate the change. For example, the notion that God has skin much less a specific skin-color cannot be the basis for civic law. However, stonewalling a 1700 year-old fallacy and the consequential civic-immorality is dysfunctional.

It’s no burden to me for a person to think God is black as long as the person could care less that I do not and will not speculate about God. However, I deserve public-integrity: both statutory criminal law and statutory civil law based on the-objective-truth rather than dominant-opinion. Amending existing civic injustices will take time, but let’s get started in Baton Rouge. Our lives cannot wait for the state, the nation, or the world to reform. There will always be dissidents to civic-morality.

Readers may say, “But Phil, this is a global issue.”

My response is: Baton Rouge can have public-integrity now, because the proposal exists here. Let’s get started with candid collaboration for civic-morality using the-objective-truth. Let black church, white church, other peaceful assemblies and no church---the people---civically flourish in privacy. Let the people be civic for each other rather than civil for an institution. For example, spouses work for each other's psychological growth and civic-security, and the family is enriched. In technical terms, spouses collaborate for the-objective-truth in inter-personal civic connections & transactions rather than compete for dominant-opinion regarding civil family-leadership.

The Advocate may lead by civic awareness of psychological and physical realities in our great city. Dysfunction at the Metro Council and in the Mayor’s office can be addressed, but not by stonewalling.

Today’s thought, 1 Timothy 4:8. Typically bad advice from Paul as well as Dean.

I spend about 90 minutes each day on bodily exercise, and if I did not, I could barely walk and would resume the perception that I am in the process of dying.

Letters

Medical equipment tax (Salles). “. . . unintentionally removed.”

That’s the first time I’ve seen it expressed that way. Past commenters claimed that’s how Gov. Edwards offset the initial cost of Medicaid expansion.

One of the realities of public-integrity is that a civic people don’t lie to each other. Therefore, liars are easily detected.

 

Fish act (Cresson). I agree that fishing is far more worthy of my worry than legislation to control earth’s atmosphere, but I am not moved to write my congressman.

Drastic insurance (Abadie). The increase certainly gives citizens a personal stake in asking drivers not to text, drink, smoke, and other distractions while driving.3

Stephanie Grace column. The LSU school of Mass Communication brags that public polls determine public policy. However, they are nothing more than political propaganda, designed by subjective questioning with subjective answers and subjective evaluations. It's called "social science," but statistics is a study-tool rather than science, itself a study that often does not represent the-objective-truth.

 
According to polls, Hillary Clinton did not need to campaign for president.

 
Propaganda hurts not only taxpayers but all the people who are adversely affected by the consequence. Let's hope this poll does not hurt the people.

 
I do not agree with Grace's explanation of Edwards' angst. The handwriting is on the wall: the federal government is going to move its expenses onto the states, where they belong---closer to the people. Louisiana needs to prepare, but Edwards has that liberal-democrat nanny-state belief that once he's into momma, momma has to fork over. It does not work that way.

Edwards has hurt flood victims with his attitude toward federal disaster coverage, and the extent of the Edwards-damage is not yet known.

Froma Harrop column. Tesla, with net losses, has market capital based on expectations.

Harrop uses hopes for clean energy to justify the claim that the free-market that will provide for the future should be instead social-engineered. Her liberal-democrat mind assesses President Trump as leading “a vision for a country that wants to lose.”

Liberal democrats think somebody else will pay for what they want and will deliver it now! Life is just one conflicting demand after another.

 

Michael Gerson column. “. . . is . . . using nerve agent against civilians more heinous than killing them with forced starvation or barrel bombs?” It is if you say it is and enforce your claim.

 

“Our current president will find . . .” I guess we can assume hubris has paid Gerson in the past.

Stephanie Grace column. Nungesser has “taken it upon himself to ask President Donald Trump to intercede in Landrieu's attempt to take down Confederate-era monuments on public property in New Orleans.”

 

As the person responsible for state monuments, and with a governor who cares about his political party rather than the people of Louisiana, Nungesser is acting for the civic people of Louisiana.

 

The history of slavery is at least 4000 years old. Slavery was condoned by the Church 1700 years ago. Trade with African enslavers was “authorized” by the Church 562 years ago. The USA was ratified by nine states for operation 229 years ago. Eight of thirteen states had slavery. We are all either victims of the past or persons with the opportunity to establish public-integrity. 

 

Nungesser is courageous to carry the torch for public-integrity regarding the monuments. Every person in the state may benefit from public-integrity.

To Julius Dooley: LSU informed me that public opinion determines public policy. This was during a presentation on computer programming for sociology and political polls.

 
 

Polls are subjectively designed, pose subjective questions, are attractive to opinionated people who are willing to subject their opinions to robo-questions, and respond subjectively. The pollster subjectively comments on the resulting statistics.

 
 

According to polls, Hillary Clinton did not need to campaign for president. Donald Trump won in 84% of US counties.

Broome on CAO (Page 1A). To Gene P. Smith: “In an interview Thursday, [Mayor Broome] said the nonprofit agency does not need more oversight from city-parish government through the cooperative endeavor agreement. Whatever policies we have in place for our partnerships with other people should be the universal standard.”

 

However, “The Council on Aging has a rare level of autonomy from city-parish government, especially for an agency with a dedicated tax. The mayor and Metro Council usually have the ability to appoint board members for agencies in Baton Rouge. For example, the mayor appoints or the Metro Council votes on some if not all board members for agencies such as BREC, the library system, the Capital Area Transit System and the Downtown Development District.”

 

Broome knows “intelligent, insightful people on the board from various walks of life.”

 

Are they some predators focused on “our seniors . . .  gems in our community”?

Broome seems to stonewall the evidence.

 

To Phillip Ehlers: I appreciate your phrase "taxpayers and constituents." AMO disruptions hurt everyone.

 
 

Last week, the Plummer family members complained that they are African-Americans being victimized by African-American public officials (as though white officials are predators). The family expresses tacit indictment of legislative black caucuses.

 

So what does the Metro Council's black caucus and the Mayor do? Ignore/rebuke the African-American victims! Damn the abuses, get on with the graft! It's past time for Americans to recognize that assuming the label "African-American," is voluntary, personal enslavement to someone else's cause, traditional as the cause may seem.

Americans have the freedom to practice the private liberty of pursuing the happiness they perceive rather than the overall good for an institution, perhaps the city or the church. Freedom may be accepted by the person who wants the liberty to pursue private dreams.

To Honor Lincoln: Since the COA promoted the 51% vote in inept pretense as external solicitor, kill the property tax and come back with a vote based on a sales tax.

 

U.S. hits IS (Page 1A). President Trump is working on another couple campaign promises: 1) destroy IS and 2) never reveal US plans.

Nungesser (Page 1A). I voted for Nungesser and want the board to get off his back.

  

IEM contract (Page 4A). I have always been proud of my vote, but John Bel Edwards taught me a lesson during my eighth decade.

Sometimes, not voting is the best option. That way, you are certain to not regret your vote. I understand that the consequence can be worse, but I do not like regretting my vote.

I could not possibly vote for Vitter and would not this very minute.

Monuments (Page 5A). The Civil War was instigated by a handful of people, like John C. Calhoun, and promoted among the people by factional Christian ministers who preached slavery as an institution of the Christian God despite physics of slavery---whips, chains, guns, brutality and rape to slaves with psychological and physical burdens to masters. 

Woe was begged by a few but came to many: perhaps 750,000 American casualties, equivalent to 8 million with today’s population. How much misery and loss has Mitch Landrieu begged? If he should call it off, would he have the courage? Edwards may: Does he have the courage?

 

My concerns about woe may be hyperbole, but woe does not conform to men’s plans. It comes unannounced and with its own fury.

 

I commend Louisiana to stop begging woe.

Can’t trust the Associated Press (Page 13A). Joe Mandak would have us think that coal miners don’t have a better future now that Barack Obama is gone. 

 

Sorry. We just can’t trust the Associate Press. 

Also, we can’t trust many of the officials who worked for Obama and still have jobs. I guess they’ll all have to be fired to get their attention: majority voters in 84% of the nation’s counties prevented Hillary from continuing Obama's ruinations.

Family planning (Page 13A). OK’d excepting abortion for adult satisfactions.

 

Phil Beaver does not “know” the-indisputable-facts. 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.