May 15, 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 (Edwards flood relief failure). I wonder if the 32% of 112,000 flooded home owners who may receive aid will join the commitment to never vote for John Bel Edwards again.

 

And how dare State Rep. Valarie Hodges propose to take from the 76,000 home-owners left out?

 

What's the negotiated take from the $1.6 billion by the distribution manager?

Our Views (Trump pressure, May 11). To B Faul: I would not want anyone to miss the chance to debate Albert Einstein (a form of reading and thinking about expressions from the past), so let me quote my post:

"However, almost everyone may understand Einstein's one illustration of his 1941 message. He stated that people with integrity do not lie so that they can communicate rather than to follow an arbitrary rule. (See the speech at samharris.org/blog/item/my-friend-einstein .)"

Today’s thought (James 4:6). Verse 4, CJB gives the context of Dean’s reference. V 4: “You unfaithful wives! Don’t you know that loving the world is hating God?” Dean seems to use Bible verses for Dean’s purposes.

But there’s a more important concern here. Before pride comes gullibility, and the shield against both of those deadly errors is humility. I’m reminded of John Newton’s lyric, “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.” Fear what? Death?

In humility, I perceive no reason to fear death. My person was conceived without my input, so I regard my afterdeath, whatever it is, with humility.

Letters

  

Altzheimer’s option (Gill and Auten). I appreciate knowing of this service and its excellence.

  

Traitor (Lindner). Lee faced a dilemma:  defend his family, home, and state or defend the USA. His state, Virginia, seceded after the CSA fired on Fort Sumter.

Is Lindner claiming Lindner would leave his family and home to defend the USA against his family and home? I find that hard to believe and would not trust Lindner with mud. Same with Mitch Landrieu.

    

Kevin McGill column. The slavery debate has been recorded since history was written about.

The Church missed its chance to stand against slavery when it canonized the Bible during 300 AD to 400 AD. The Church “authorized” monopolies on African slave trade by Portugal and Spain in the 15^th century. The papal bulls are evil, but the past is past, so the people may not care for an apology. But the past should not be hidden and thus increase chances for repetition.

  

The founders scheduled ending slave trade in 20 years, provided congressional representation a 0.6 person per slave, and had a godless draft constitution but with an 8 slave-state to 4 non-slave state ratio did not see how to emancipate the slaves. Thank goodness they established the USA anyway.

In 1861, the slave state ratio had reduced from 8:5 to 15:19. Yet, the 7-state CSA attacked the USA with religious zeal and the claim that the North held “more erroneous religious beliefs,” harking back to the canonization failure.

The trivial treatment of south God at war with north God over slavery is being lost by Landrieu’s dismissal of history. The public reminds us constantly of possible repetition: Next time war but not same God against same God.

If you are able, please encourage Landrieu to keep the remaining statues and put appropriate plaques on them.

Byron York column (GOP divisions). “No” by 43% house and 1/3 in the senate may only indicate the diversity of concerns covered by the budget compared to health care alone.

Michael Barone column (Hopefully Clinton power is over). I appreciate the reminder of the sleazy meeting with Loretta Lynch. It was amazing to see Comey sacrifice himself for Obama.

I guess it prompted the Associated Press to publish Eric Tucker’s opinion “Comey has repeatedly shown independence.” An innocent reader just can’t trust the AP.

  

And then there’s Julie Pace and Jonathan Lemire with the opinion “Trump’s frustrations boiling over.” An innocent reader just can’t trust the AP.

Come to think of it, opinion does not belong in the news section of a newspaper. Why does the AP fake news?

But you bring us back to good humor with “Democrats howl against the removal of an official whose removal they demanded” and search for a claim that Russia influenced Phil Beaver or anyone else to vote for Trump. Fat chance. The DNC gave me all I needed when they offered Hillary Clinton.

Eugene Robinson column (ACA praise). After Obama, I did not feel America is a rich nation: $20 trillion debt is astonishing.

But I though Robinson’s “Thanks, GOP” was really really cool.

Uplifting spirit (Page 1B) I expressed my sorrow but carry a pain in the middle of my chest I cannot escape.

Baton Rouge may drop dialogues on racism and church and collaborate for broadly defined civic safety-&-security. Well grounded ideas are here, now, and useful for an achievable, better future..

Other Forums

quora.com/Why-is-USA-so-anti-socialism?__filter__&__nsrc__=2&__snid3__=965737516

Many Americans have in their memes a perception that individual-independence is achievable and worth the civic morality that is required to establish and preserve it. Herein, by “civic” I mean mutual justice between citizens of humanity where they happen to be rather than inhabitants of a city or other municipality. This form of the American dream motivates most persons to work for his or her daily needs as well as for civic justice. The dream has not yet been realized.

The USA is a republic under the rule of statutory law and was designed as a modification of English law but with provisions to avoid the bourgeois morality and plutocracy mentioned in R. B. Galker’s post. So far, the provisions have not worked, I think because of bemusement by religion. Religious morality inspires most people to neglect the power of the civic agreement that is stated in the preamble to the constitution for the USA. Civic morality addresses the pursuit of life rather than hopes for an afterdeath. However, the preamble’s civic power may pass into history untapped.

European colonizers sent people here, many as indentured slaves. From 1607 at Jamestown, VA, English colonists experienced freedom-from oppression their fellow countrymen continued to suffer in England. In 1619, African slaves were shipped to Jamestown, never to experience discovered freedom. As free colonists made their way in the frontier, they adopted the liberty-to pursue personal preferences in life rather than the ideals imposed by English society. From about 1720, their writing reflected awareness of freedom-from, liberty-to, and the need to emancipate the slaves.

Colonists continued common law, the civil order people need to trade skills and propensities, yet turned those civic endeavors to preservation of individual-independence rather than establishing government control. Connections and transactions were conducted for mutual good to both parties rather than for the good of the city. A person’s noble cause was to take care of his or her daily needs as much as possible yet collaborate for civic morality. Civic safety & security became a common cause.

When England began to enslave the colonists through taxation, some colonists asked for autonomy, but the English, never having experienced freedom-from and liberty-to, did not respond. Therefore, some colonists, about 40% patriots among 40% pacifists and 20% loyalist changed their style to statesmen, created a Continental Congress, and began to write state constitutions. England reacted negatively, and the statesman collaboratively declared independence.

When independence was won, many loyalists returned to England or other homeland, but those who stayed benefited, whether they were aware or not. Representatives of 2/3 of free citizens helped establish national government for the people in their states rather than for the confederation of states. The 1/3 dissidents struggled for their preferences.

The combination freedom-from-&-liberty-to that empowers collaborative individual-independence, once experienced, may continually improve republicanism rather than yield to either democracy or socialism.

I think this explains the election of President Donald Trump; we’ll see if he can help make America great by inspiring the people to practice, promote, and celebrate the preamble. It won’t be easy.

Beyond the meme

So many socio-economic systems are millennia old, and peoples in them cannot relate to the USA’s relative youth: The USA has been operating since 1789, only 228 years ago. However, American jurisprudence reveres Magna Carta, which is over 800 years old. Magna Carta established a priest-politician-partnership with power over the people. Yet Chapter XI Machiavellianism (The Prince) is an ironic warning that the partnership picks the people’s pockets. In the USA, the people erroneously allow regimes to struggle to preserve America’s extension of English common law or Blackstone and religion rather than progress to the people’s independence.

  

Brief history

Colonization of America by five European countries began in 1565, by Spain, in St. Augustine, Florida (452 years ago). Beginning in 1620, European countries extended to America the African slave trade that began in 1454, so slave placement began nearly 400 years ago. A probably inaccurate consensus for 1790 has 0.7 million slaves and 3.2 million free inhabitants excluding natives. Thus, the bourgeois vs proletariat division that was customary in European countries had an additional element, African slaves, amounting to nearly 20% of inhabitants.

Beginning in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia, England created thirteen eastern seaboard colonies from north of Florida to Maine. Slaves were taught Christianity, but baptism did not bring freedom. Beginning in 1720, loyal British subjects in the colonies began to perceive that they were being enslaved. The profits of their labor and ingenuity were captured for England’s benefits. Colonists concerns became acute in the 1760s when England began to tax colonial enterprise and otherwise abuse local governance. In 1774, 40% of free inhabitants among 40% pacifists and 20% loyalists changed their style to statesman, met as the Continental Congress, and began to write state constitutions. War had already begun when they declared independence in 1776.

During the war, with the decisive battle at Yorktown, VA in 1781, the people continued political and social operations under both British common law but with American, factional-Protestant-Christianity rather than Anglicanism. Yorktown was also part of the second 100 years’ war between France and England, so treaties were negotiated near Paris. In 1783, the treaty with England recognized and named thirteen independent states.

During the following four years, saddled with war debt and continental problems, the states realized they needed to form a nation. After a couple failed attempts, 12 of 13 states met to strengthen the confederation, but instead wrote a draft constitution for the USA. Negotiations were conducted by delegates from eight slave-states and four non-slave-states, one non-slave state not sending delegates. The draft, dated September 17, 1787, stipulated that ratification by nine states would constitute the establishment of the USA.

The draft created a limited federal government with legislative, judicial, and administrative duties stipulated under a representative-republican form of government and leaving all other powers either to the state or to the people. The preamble claimed a purpose and specific goals of willing people; in other words, someone who had not read the goals or opposed them was a dissident. The draft did not establish religion, scheduled the end of the slave trade, provided Congressional representation for the slaves, and left slave emancipation for a future time. The draft was signed by 2/3 of states delegates. Some dissidents want “states” instead of “people” as subject of the preamble, some want to establish Protestant Christianity, and there were other reasons.

[It is difficult to call keeping the economic system with slave labor an error, because otherwise the USA might not have emerged. However, overcoming the consequences of slavery remains a significant issue, in the USA at least. One other point: in 1790, 99% of citizens were factional-Protestant Christians and 5% could vote. About 18% of inhabitants excluding American Indians were slaves. In 2017, America, with a history of immigration, is diverse and 100% of non-criminal citizens, informed or not, may vote.]

Ratification by the required nine states occurred on June 21, 1788. Ratification required amendment of the draft to include a bill of rights, a carryover from the English bill of rights, 1689. Framers of the draft lost the argument that a bill of rights would conflict with the goals of the preamble. Perhaps they feared that political decisions would not reflect the quality of negotiations in a convention.

When Congress was seated in March, 1789, they soon established legislative prayer, hiring Protestant ministers. They had reinstated the British practice of making political leaders seem divine. The bill of rights was negotiated with provisions to establish theism and other stipulations that proved problematic.

The USA expanded toward the west, and as states were added, slavery was a continual struggle, with ample folly such as the 1857 Dred Scott opinion. By 1861 the slave-states ratio had declined from the original 8:5 to 15:19. When seven states unconstitutionally seceded from the USA, Abraham Lincoln, perhaps unaware of the erroneous religious zeal for Bible interpretation that slavery was an institution of God, seemed almost defiant about the promise of civil war. Another Lincoln imposition was the erroneous idea that the United States Constitution (1787, specifying a nation) fulfills the Declaration of Independence (1776 message to the king of England). At Lincoln’s behest, all state constitutions claim the essence of the declaration. In the Civil War, the South's God attacked the North's God and lost to a common God. Next time, it may be a different God against the 1865 victory God.

In 1865, the slaves were emancipated but were kept subservient by existing social systems. In the South, segregation laws, referred to as “Jim Crow,” a pejorative term meaning “Negro,” were enacted and enforced. Perhaps the worst consequences of social cruelty was vigilante hangings, 4000 during 1877 to 1950. Serving in World War II may have inspired soldiers who were descendants of slaves to demand full citizenship. The civil rights movement, organized in black church, led to non-discrimination and voting legislation in 1964 and 1965.

Since then, many descendants of slaves segregate themselves, led by the Congressional Black Caucus and other influences. Perhaps black-racial segregation will fade into history as demographics continue to change. Pew Research predicts that by 2065 US population will be 46% white, 24% Hispanic, 14% Asian, 13% black, and 3% other.

The American Dream I perceive features voluntary public-integrity that preserves freedom-from, liberty-to, civic-morality, and individual-independence with a safety net for people who cannot achieve personal autonomy. The goal is to use government to protect personal privacy within civic morality.

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 is agent for A Civic People of the United States, a Louisiana, education non-profit corporation. See online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.