November 23, 2017

Phil Beaver works to establish opinion when the-objective-truth has not been discovered. He seeks to refine his opinion by listening when people share experiences and observations. The comment box below invites readers to write.

Note 1:  I often dash words in phrases in order to express and preserve an idea. For example, frank-objectivity represents the idea of candidly expressing the-objective-truth despite possible error. In other words, a person expresses his “belief,” knowing he or she could be in error. People may collaboratively approach the-objective-truth.
 Note 2: It is important to note "civic" refers to citizens who collaborate for the people more than for the city.

A personal paraphrase of the preamble by & for Phil Beaver:  We the willing people of nine of the thirteen United States commit to and trust in the purpose and goals stated herein --- integrity, justice, collaboration, defense, prosperity, liberty, and perpetuity --- and to cultivate limited services by the USA, beginning on June 21, 1788.

Composing their own paraphrase, citizens may consider the actual preamble and perceive whether they are willing or dissident toward its agreement.   

Our Views (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_5ffbe81e-ca67-11e7-931c-43e818fe3e62.html)

The 2016 caption was, “In year of loss, Thanksgiving means even more throughout Louisiana.” That seems understandable and commendable, but “Give thanks for our problems”?---not so much.

Rather than The Advocate’s support of bickering, the people need leadership for a better future.

After 229 years under the controversial ratification of the preamble to the constitution for the USA, the collective practice under the civic agreement stated therein has not emerged. “We, the people” maybe, but “We the People of the United States [who adopt the agreement stated herein]”---not at all. Especially, the abuse and neglect of posterity---children, grandchildren, and beyond—is fruitlessly lamented daily.

I hope a civic people collaborate so that next Thanksgiving, The Advocate may write gratitude for civic citizens---those who collaborate so as to approach the totality, “We the People of the United States.” The Advocate may choose to help rather than continue to stonewall these ideas: practicing the preamble, the-objective-truth, civic morality, civic peace, personal liberty with civic morality, iterative collaboration, and Personal Independence Day each June 21 to commemorate the 1788 establishment of the USA.

I disagree with The Advocate’s premises. A better future is available not through unity, together, tolerance and bickering but through integrity to civic morality through widespread fidelity to the-objective-truth.

In 1788, the civic citizens, 2/3 of eligible voters in the nine states, specified a republican form of government and good-will collaboration for the goals stated in the preamble. Dissidents, the 1/3 voting “No” were free to oppose the goals, but not free to bicker for democracy, which was and is known to produce either chaos or tyranny. Democracy as sovereignty to vote, Yes, but democracy to impose on other sovereign citizens, No. And collective democracy is more chaotic than a majority.

The people’s---the nation’s---successes are neither responsible nor liable for obesity and sedentary habits. Single-payer nations are discovering this reality of the human condition.

Health-care, health insurance, and government expand on adult appetites.

Illegal immigration threatens freedom and opportunity for We the People of the United States.

The-objective-truth makes itself known, and refuting discovery begs woe. The people may discern integrity depending upon whether or not persons and institutions are willing to collaborate to discover and make use of the-objective-truth.

A civic people authorize a free press. I challenge The Advocate to a more responsible “Our Views” on November 22, 2018.

Our Views, 11/22 (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_0d765ba2-c958-11e7-9d50-070e715d2371.html)

To JT McQuitty: I appreciate your collaboration, in at least three ways: articulating the arts confusion The Advocate expressed, understanding Einstein (I don’t claim to, only try) and challenging standardized testing.

Your Einstein quote points out the essential value of imagination in Einstein’s work. It worked for both his good and his bad. His best, perhaps the 1915 general theory of relativity gained evidentiary support in 2015 with the detection of gravitational waves, here at LIGO: ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211.

However, when he modelled the universe, his brilliant mathematics informed him that the universe is expanding, rather than static, as he imagined. His hubris respecting assumption in competition with mathematical brilliance influenced him to introduce a fudge factor to force the model into his paradigm: the universe is static. But Edwin Hubble proved that the universe is expanding. The very humble (IMO) Albert Einstein, visited Hubble and thanked him for rescuing Einstein from the blunder.

But more importantly (to my theory) you captured Einstein’s phrase, “absolute knowledge.” Since 2006, I have sought a reliable way to express that the-objective-truth does not yield to human evaluation (that could lead to qualifications like “absolute”). What seems absolute today may be made obsolete by tomorrow’s discovery. Moreover, the-objective-truth does not even respond to opinion; the path of history may be changed by opinion, but the consequence of choice is controlled by the-objective-truth. For example, Bush II erroneously chose to invade Iraq. Again, the CSA erroneously opined that the African slave trade was a defensible institution of God. The phrase I wish to improve, by collaboration with other people, is “the-objective-truth.” The three hyphenated words define the topic: the reality from which everything emerges, including fiction and lies. I do not know the-objective-truth.

A similar statement may be made about knowledge, a human property. Absolute knowledge can apply to any progeny of reality:   discovery, technology, the good, nomenclature, fiction, beliefs, lies, crime, evil, and so on. Thus, we have hygiene knowledge, political knowledge, opinionated knowledge, theological knowledge, global knowledge, universal knowledge, etc. Awareness of everything, untainted by opinion, may be thought of as the-objective-knowledge. The-objective-knowledge is well informed about subjective knowledge. In other words, humankind collaborates to discover the-objective-truth, and awareness of current attainment is the-objective-knowledge.

I do not know the-objective-truth, which can only be discovered. Yet fidelity to the-discovered-objective-truth and the interconnectedness of the discoveries is beneficial for the persons who wish to develop the practice: fidelity. The-objective-knowledge is not so essential, as David Hume (d. 1776) pointed out: for example, it is not necessary to consider Bush II's opinions.

 

The human need to practice fidelity is universal and ought to be the first objective of civic education, where “civic education” refers to adults collaborating with connected children. Development of fine arts is an adult, personal pursuit, but preparing to take charge of basic, personal understanding and intent to live a full life is a coachable civic responsibility to self. Exposure to fine arts (K-12) is complimentary to preparation to take personal charge of the fidelity to the-objective-truth in order to personally satisfy Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Children, with the opportunity to live some 80-90 years, enter the leading edge of 6000 years of humankind’s knowledge. Exponentially increasing discovery will determine their future responsibilities. Today’s teachers and civic justice cannot imagine children’s future (Kahlil Gibran, “On Children”). Therefore, the education system that would serve children transfers the basic knowledge, skills for staying at the edge of the-objective-knowledge, the ability to think, motivation to take charge of the personal opportunity for a full life, and the intent to develop fidelity to the-objective-truth.

Development of fine art is an adult practice that, for success on par with Leonardo da Vinci, requires above average awareness of the-objective-truth. Isaacson’s opinion that “true creativity thrives at the intersection between the technology and the arts” seems debatable. Einstein might have done even more if he had relied on his mathematical genius more than his creative paradigm.

Today’s thought, G.E. Dean (Psalms 23:1-3 CJB)

“Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water;  he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.”

Dean says, “When we have the Lord, we have all that we need.”

    

Both David and Dean negotiate with the Lord. However, Dean takes it a step further, perhaps to assumed possession: “we have.” In humility, a human may wait to be chosen. When I was a boy, as sand lot choices were made, some boys begged to be chosen next. I chose not to plead and often was the only one left, so was not chosen at all. It was OK with me, and I always did my best.

However, my most serious concern is that my wisdom would lead me to choose the Lord while the Lord that otherwise would have chosen me turns to another. I prefer not to risk my wisdom.

Metro Council deadlocked down party lines 

"The five Democrats backed LaMont Cole, while the five Republicans present supported Matt Watson. Cole promised to be 'critical, but fair' of applicants, earning him applause from the Together Baton Rouge crowd."

I wonder how "fair" plays into a procedure under Mayor Broome's guidelines and her platform of church and dialogues on racism.

I'm reminded of John Rawls' vail of ignorance for justice-as-fairness and of 2002 when the YWCA's indoctrinater Maxine Crump tried to impose white privilege and guilt on my psychology. I was the wrong object of subjugation: I saw people as people and still do. I see us divided: a civic people versus dissidents to justice.

Some people are soldiers for Alinsky-Marxist organizations (AMO), such as IAF. See togetherbr.org/about. "Together Baton Rouge is part of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), the nation’s oldest and largest broad-based organizing network." 

To BRFMV: Those are creative thoughts, but juries can be rigged.

Maybe restructure the Metro Council like Congress. Have an upper group and a lower group with longer terms for the upper chamber. Let the meetings be together, with separate votes in each group, and collaboration by the two groups before action may be taken.

  Letters

Medicare Advantage “could” (Karl) (Nov 23)

The problem is that next year, the plan could change.

The insufficiency of compromise (John) (Nov 23)  

The pipeline also protects the craw fishermen from the otherwise needed 18-wheeler traffic.

Historic Tax Credit (Berni and Hecht) (Nov 23)  

The opinion as to what is historic plays into this special interest so heavily that it is a burden to the people. Look at the national cost of Mitch Landrieu’s opinion about historic property. Best to end the tax favoritism.

 

Columns. (The fiction/non-fiction comments gallery for readers)

  

The media polarize the people (Bernard Goldberg) (townhall.com/columnists/bernardgoldberg/2017/11/14/how-cable-news-fuels-polarization-n2408933)

First, note that Goldberg opines that the opinionated Keeyanne Conway's statement about ratings is "an objective truth." Does a double opinion constitute and objective truth? Is there an entity properly regarded as "subjective truth," or is that merely opinion?  Do opinions expressed by writers for the press really matter?

“There is nothing in the U.S. Constitution, of course, protecting the rights of car manufacturers or people who make shoes. But the business of information -- especially political information -- being considerably more important to the wellbeing of the republic, is different than any other business. Or least it's supposed to be.”

There are two wonderful features of this column. First, Goldberg does not use the word “democracy,” and second, he tacitly suggests amendment of the First Amendment so as to require a free and responsible press.

I nominate this column for expressing the most important subtlety in 2017:  The first amendment ought to be revised so as to require a free and responsible press.

  

Cannizzaro’s struggle (James Gill) (Nov. 23)

 The DA seems to jinx himself.

Gill’s words are interesting. Hizzoner is inappropriate for a female mayor. I’m embarrassed to look up cynosure---director or guide. Inured means accustomed to receiving the undesirable. I hope I understand.

  

Against Trump? (Clarence Page) theadvertiser.com/story/opinion/columnists/2017/11/23/if-sen-al-franken-steps-down-he-shouldnt-alone/886192001/

Clinton carried innocence until proven guilty to the absurd, but the press and the Democrats established that some people are so important to some people that morality does not matter. This was so important to me at the time that a former friend gave me the ultimatum that if I could not perceive Clinton’s essential value he did not want to talk to me anymore. I see no reason to oppose a neighbor’s ultimatum.

In Clinton’s case, it seems he asserted that she was having sex with him but he was not having sex with her. Understanding Clinton’s "is" expression, whatever his point may have been, I cannot escape questions like how did Moore women get in situations not to report unwanted intimacy forty years ago?

Even in the court of public opinion, there’s room for doubt. Moore seems sleazy enough to consider “No” vote based on his behavior with the Ten Commandments---clearly not a civic document. However, I’d vote for Moore over David Duke.

 

Leaving California to escape Democrats (Cal Thomas) (http://journalstar.com/opinion/columnists/cal-thomas-high-taxes-breed-moving-experience/article_fe43ea21-f5fa-5945-97ea-2e04fc5158e2.html)

Gasoline at $4/gal. Rated last for business. Earthquakes, floods, forest fires, sanctuary state, social medical coverage, traffic, tech workers bunking up.

The 39.25 million there are moving at a rate of 0.11 million per year or 0.3% per year. Not to worry without term limits.

Other forums

I woke up this morning thinking how strange it is that that this country has evolved from freedom of thought, a personal duty, to freedom of religion an institutional imposition. The fact that a person chooses not to alienate himself or herself from whatever may/not control the unfolding of everything isolates that person from most citizens. Yet, he remains of We the People of the United States, those who trust and commit to the preamble and strive to establish civic peace.

I do not feel alone but cannot speak for other people.

Phil Beaver does not “know” the-indisputable-facts. He trusts and is committed to the-objective-truth of which most is undiscovered and some is understood. He is agent for A Civic People of the United States, a Louisiana, education non-profit corporation. See online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.