The Advocate exacerbates civic problems

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 (Oil & gas glut). Of course this is a cyclic problem for the region: boom then bust.

I’m sure alternatives to mining have been pondered by entrepreneurs in the oil patch, but maybe 2017 has a new market that could be served by the existing talents and infrastructure. Maybe a regional think tank would discover that market.

Today’s thought, Hebrews 10:24-25. In Hebrews 10, Paul is explaining that Jesus’ sacrifice replaced conformance to the Torah (law) as the means of providing the soul a good outcome in the afterdeath, that vast time after body, mind and person have stopped functioning.

Continuing from yesterday’s post by Dean, NIV promotes faith while CJB promotes trust.

  

Again, what is the purpose? V39, CJB has, “[W]e . . . keep trusting and thus preserve our lives!” NIV has, “[W]e . . . have faith and are saved.”

So, Paul, Dean vs CJB present differing reasons to assemble: “[be] saved.” vs “preserve our lives.” I see a third option: nourish freedom from afterdeath-concerns or not yet practice the liberty to both appreciate and encourage all civic people. “Civic” refers to citizens of humankind with connections and transactions that effect mutual justice.

This may be accomplished by both those who profess “The Lord will judge his people,” and those who profess “Adonai will judge his people” when both parties behave as civic people.

A simple yet comprehensive civic agreement is stated in the preamble to the constitution for the USA. Among the citizens some are willing and others are dissidents to civic behavior.

Letters

Stelly Plan (Kennedy). If your point is that killing the Stelly plan was unconstitutional, I did not get it.

“[T]he Stelly plan . . . was ratified by a statewide constitutional vote in 2002.” Then, “[T]he Legislature . . . scrapped the Stelly plan.”

How can the legislature scrap a constitutional amendment?

TOPPS helps LSU and other Louisiana higher education businesses.

  

Remove history (Nirenberg). To David Naccari : Nirenberg, first, you contradict yourself.

“Removing monuments constructed long after the Civil War to symbolize the failed glory of the Confederacy won’t lead to some sort of domino effect to remove others. Replace those abominations (and others) with monuments to the poets and writers and musicians — the humanitarians, peace-builders, and visionaries among us who uplift us, who inspire us, who lead us to our better selves.”

Second, I think your bravado is exceeded only by your ignorance of the facts and misplaced values. 

For example, far beyond musically entertaining, Robert E. Lee was a shining example in crisis to choose fidelity to the-objective-truth, self, and immediate family. His state seceded after war against the USA had started. Here’s one account of the story (see my opinion-revision of 8/29/19 below):

“The malaise over slavery followed Lee when he returned to full-time duty in February 1860. As acting head of the Department of Texas he refused to allow that state's secessionists to wrest federal property from him. As the crisis deepened, however, his thinking became increasingly conflicted. Although he did not believe in secession, he also declared that if "the Union can only be maintained by the sword & bayonet … its existence will lose all interest with me." He particularly hoped that Virginia would remain in the Union so that his various loyalties—to country, army, state, and family—could remain intact. Recalled to Washington, he was promoted in March 1861 to full colonel by the new U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, and once again swore an oath of allegiance to the United States. A few weeks later, Lee was forced to confront his ambivalence when Virginia seceded and he was offered command of Union forces recruited to protect Washington, D.C.

Mary Lee later called the moment "the severest struggle" of her husband's life. Faced with a divided family and the collapse of his career, Lee spent two days consulting scripture and quietly considering his future. On April 20, 1861, he resigned from the U.S. Army, telling friends that he could not participate in an invasion of the South. A few days later he accepted command of Virginia's forces.”

encyclopediavirginia.org/Robert_E._Lee#its2  

Correction of my opinion on 8/29/2019 review of this post. Lee was among the most tragic victims of individual religious I know of. A columnist pointed out Lee's hatred for abolitionists in https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Letter_from_Robert_E_Lee_to_Mary_Randolph_Custis_Lee_December_27_1856.
 This information helped me understand the concluding complaint about religious opinion in the South Carolina declaration of secession; https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_scarsec.asp. Five years before the Civil War, Lee could have used his HIPEA to sell everything he owned and move his family to a non-slave state. But he listened to his church ministers.

  

Lanny Keller column, “tougher leadership”. Mr. K, you just don’t get it. When it comes to dialogue on racism and church, they don’t come any tougher than Broome.

What we need from the mayor and other leaders is voluntary public-integrity.

  

And I think it is surreal that you give so much attention to Together Baton Rouge, our hometown AMO, in my opinion.

Where in the city charter or the state constitution or the constitution for the USA does it say that the elected officials and civil service personnel respond to a coalition? The only way that coalition attracts attention is the threat of force according to Saul Alinsky’s methods: persuade recruits to disrupt civic activity that may lead to destruction, violence, and death. The authorities will want to know who to negotiate with to stop the disorder.

In Baton Rouge, I think it’s Together Baton Rouge and their recruits. For example, see industrialareasfoundation.org/topics/louisiana-iaf and facebook.com/alinskynow/photos/pb.437937952933886.-2207520000.1474351965./1178860105508330/?type=3&theater . Try googling "The Advocate"+"Industrial Areas Foundation" .

Your job as civic citizen, IMO, is to research the affiliation of Together Baton Rouge with special-interest groups in this country, perhaps Industrial Areas Foundation, and share that information with subscribers to The Advocate, like me. See for example, capitalcitynews.us/?p=1898 . You will not find me in support of solidarity for anything but voluntary public-integrity, which includes civic-safety-&-security.

I feel that this city is stonewalling reality and The Advocate is part of the problem.

  

Michael Gerson column, “Hate speech”. Gerson, you must know that appreciation is in the mind of the reader, and your column exposes your heart. I hope you will reform.

Second,  I appreciate the reverence to Vaclav Havel’s essay, but regret that it suggests to you that a Czech gives voice to “real Americanism.” I’d like to have a conversation with you about what real Americanism is.

I don’t think Americanism has emerged yet. It will take 2/3 of citizens practicing, publically promoting, and discovering the power of the preamble to the constitution for the USA to create voluntary public-integrity.

 

Stephanie Grace column. Landrieu’s action on the monuments plays poorly in New Orleans, too, as Frank B. Stewart, Jr. expresses and you ignore.

 

Thomas Sowell column. Thank you for taking a break to write for our benefit.

Perhaps President Trump, being a businessman with an expert cabinet, more than career politicians, will show the benefit of higher business activity spurred by lower taxes, like no administration before.

 

COA director (Page 1B). The disgrace to the Metro Council and the Mayor keeps on piling up.

To Samuel Pearce: It will be interesting to see if her mom does recuse herself.

  

Nursing home reform (Page 1A). I hope they get this done this session. Customers also need protection for integrity in home services.

  

Firings (Page 1A). The public statements by lawyers do not establish credibility and seem like a form of AMO pressure--- especially the violent delivery. 

The autopsy report is key to my conspiracy theory: Special-interest parties drugged up their victim in order to take a video and realized unexpected consequences. A second key evidence: Who actually placed the 911 call and why? If my theory is correct, the perpetrators have twelve shootings to their blame. The AMO recruits also bear some blame, IMO.

Rep. Ted James may realize that anger is a form of violence and is no basis for creating confidence in a community’s voluntary public-integrity. The police are trained and authorized to maintain public safety when angry persons misbehave. I think James weakens his credibility. James’ reactionary bills also discredit him. 

People who associate unrelated events like a policeman killing a high school freshman, as Councilwoman Erica Green did, discredit themselves.

Metro Council members LaMont Cole, Tara Wiker, and Buddy Amoroso express common sense in waiting for further investigation and discovery. I hope all three would accept the attorney general’s decision, and therefore leave the people’s first responders futures---futures for Lake and Salamoni---to them and the civil service system starting with BRPD management and perhaps other departments in the city or the state. I say "to them" because they may prefer to change careers.

(I speak from the different experience of acting against local management for the sake of my employer, losing a wonderful local position, but being kept in the company for a complete career. Without debriefing, the company said, “We appreciate your service, and here’s your next assignment.” My career there continued another three wonderful decades.)

Among the comments by experts, I favor Ronal Serpas’ statement, “If you truly want justice and you truly want accountability, you can’t rush investigations.” I add that you can’t force investigators to meet private demands.

TOPS (Page 1A). I wish TOPS would be reformed to higher performance requirements for acceptance and graduation in four years.

I wish the money saved would be used to initiate the child incentives program. See cipbr.blogspot.com/2016/09/child-incentives-brief.html .

Religious politics (Page 2A). I hope Trump will reform in this regard. Religion has no standing in voluntary public-integrity. See Chapter XI Machiavellianism at constitution.org/mac/prince11.htm .

American Health Care Act (Page 1A). The fact that the house took this bold step is encouraging.

If the Senate offers a companion, the Democrats will have the freedom to act for public-integrity rather than party.

The opportunity for a better future has been opened.

  

Palestinian leader (Page 8A). The Arab mind tends to negotiate an agreement then break it.

Perhaps President Trump can bring some alternative deal-breaks to their attention, just as he presents alternate lies for the Associated Press to ponder.

  

Trump and pope to visit (Page 11A). The pope decried the candidate.

  

Perhaps the pope will apologize for the doctrine of discovery for whatever-the-Pope's-God-is and for the Atlantic Slave Trade, both of which affected the USA.

Such apology would be for the pope’s benefit.

We the Civic People of the United States (see the preamble to the constitution for the USA) do not need apology: we are on the march for voluntary public-integrity through our country’s experiences and observations.

No one other than an American can understand a civic people’s march to justice. It's in the memes of the civic people here. [Each citizen may interpret the 52-word U.S. preamble so as to order his or her chance at responsible human liberty according to personal happiness; added 8/29/19.]

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.