What is African-American Christianity?

Phil Beaver seeks to collaborate on the-objective-truth, which can only be discovered. The comment box below invites readers to write.

"Civic" refers to citizens who collaborate for responsible freedom more than for the city, state, nation, or other institution.

A personal paraphrase of the June 21, 1788 preamble, the 1787 Constitution’s most neglected statutory law:  We the civic citizens 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 to us and our states by the USA. I want to collaborate with other citizens on this paraphrase, yet would always preserve the original, 1787, text, unless amended by the people.   

Our Views

Political hyperbole (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_b02a3468-4275-11e8-ad02-a39967fdac05.html)

At least The Advocate, Edwards and Dardenne haven’t revived Edwards’ first year threat: no more LSU football; theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_947d20bc-324c-5d7b-abe7-0317a1f440b3.html.

It’s kinda funny to label Dardenne “Republican” when the party rejected him for Vitter and Angelle, respectively.

I apologize for all the phone calls I made saying Dardenne is a statesman who knows how to manage the budget for the people rather than government and that he would get the job done. Some people, like Elaine O, tried to caution me, but I was stubborn. I’m sorry now (with the melody). Dardenne knows how to tolerate if not promote waste and largesse.

I hope legislators decline another special session---just don’t show up. After all, legislators are also citizens with the right to express themselves. We’ve already lost millions in legislative expense and billions in Medicaid obligations over Gov. John Bel Edwards’ arrogance.

Another issue that sorely haunts me: We does Louisiana stand on the distribution of federal funds to 2016 flood victims? How much to them? How much to the fund manager? How much still available. Edwards is a disastrous interference in help for the people!

A responsible The Advocate? Not so much hope there.

April 17 (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_29d0f726-4176-11e8-8cb4-37031c9068e0.html)

To Bernard Gillette: The only voice I have is my vote. For five decades I voted to tax my family. Meanwhile, I have strengthened self-protection and personal civic morality.

I think the Baton Rouge Mayor’s platform of church, dialogues on racism, and support for vigilantism demands a no vote. I say, cut back on African-American-Christian vigilantism (AMO) so as to pay for statutory justice: collaborate on the-objective-truth with conforming law enforcement. See wsj.com/articles/dr-kings-radical-biblical-vision-1522970778. (But AMO’s not MLK, Jr’s fault---more a Saul Alinsky, James H. Cone, black power and Congressional Black Caucus cause. The major victim of AMO is poor black Americans, and I oppose AMO.)

 
Until CAO reform, housing authority reform, CATS reform: no more taxes. Until more citizens in elected offices demonstrate that they long-since accepted their human authority to collaborate for civic justice, my vote is: No more taxes.

 
In deciding how to spend the city budget, the administration may be guided by the maxim: in every thought, word, and act, neither initiate nor tolerate harm (Agathon parahrased).

Voting for more tax would be an erroneous vote for AMO. Vote "No."

   

April 17 (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/article_02926078-419e-11e8-8720-a78095da4a5a.html)

“At The Advocate's request. . .”

The Advocate personnel’s hubris runs so wild they personally beg chaos and ruin: Adults abusing children begs woe.

On June 8, 1783, General George Washington spoke to fellow citizens about what is needed for political survival, and the first two of four points were: “An indissoluble Union . . . under one . . . Head. 2dly. A Sacred regard to Public Justice.”

These two principles apply to every institution that makes up the USA. In a state legislative committee, civic citizens either yield to the chair or express opposition to civic order. When there is actual injustice from the chair, civic citizens take the discussion to the legislative rules authorities.

A mom tried to publically usurp the authority of the chair of a legislative committee. The chair patiently heard her pleas yet exercised civic justice. The state’s governor saw an opportunity to attract attention using a photo with the mom’s child. My opinion is that both the mom and the governor abused the child.

It is not unexpected, yet disappointing that The Advocate personnel leap: “Us too! We want notoriety at this boy’s expense.”

A child is a person. Abusing a person, whether physically or psychologically, begs woe, and woe has a way of appearing with unfavorable timing and severity. Consider the "more erroneous religious opinion" that gave the CSA the hubris to fire on the USA!

The Advocate personnel’s refusal to collaborate for civic morality begs chaos. The only way to prevent begged ruin is to reform.

I commend the governor to apologize to Rep. Sherman Q. Mack, R-Albany as an act toward establishing appreciation for the governor’s ability to admit the governor was wrong. The people of a state may appreciate, perhaps to then respect or “love” their governor.

I have no hope for The Advocate ---they have their business plan and can stick to it. On the other hand, the personnel could take note that every human being has the authority and the power to behave in collaboration with civic morality, or, as Washington said, “Public Justice.”

April 16 (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_cea00aec-3cff-11e8-8a2e-af16baede628.html)

 
Think increasing White's quarter-million dollar salary another 60% above the national average would move Louisiana from 1200th in the world to something higher---maybe 625^th?

businessreport.com/business/john-white-no-3-among-nations-highest-paid-state-education-superintendents

 
April 15 (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_3728c74c-3de2-11e8-882a-a7868c9122ed.html)

  

The Advocate personnel shamelessly write as though there is no knowledge that refutes their personal wishes and imaginings. There are better ways: Personal care is four times more effective than medical care, taking a SNAP lead from Moby!

 
In the late 1960s the folk songs like “Blowin in the Wind,” “The Times They are Changin,” and “There But for Fortune,” (youtube.com/watch?v=6lFPIIdud9o) stirred our imaginations for an achievable better future. At last, the conventions that black people’s lot was naturally less would be reformed by the USA, with our individual collaborations. Meanwhile, our first concern was to improve our achievable future by learning the profession we had chosen and taking the responsibility to ethically perform. Thanks to mom and dad and me, I was the first to obtain a college degree.

Little did the 1960s know that well-meaning yet personal-wealth-building politicians would dedicate the nation’s welfare fortune to chaos. We may gain a glimpse by reading and listening to reports by people who would collaborate to restore justice rather than exacerbate the chaos. The Advocate personnel could reform by listening and reading about chaos created by favor toward special-interest groups rather than collaboration for civic morality.

Often, musicians write about problems without offering viable solutions. Moby (youtube.com/watch?v=81wBu2RzVsI) shares his gratitude for 1970s food stamps for his single-parent-mother-family, but decries the harm of the $70 billion/yr SNAP program that emerged. See Moby’s op-ed “Food Stamps Shouldn’t Pay for Junk,” WSJ, April 10, 2018, page A13; wsj.com/articles/food-stamps-shouldnt-pay-for-junk-1523315448. Moby points out that the health costs created by SNAP junk food far outweighs the $70 billion SNAP expense. Moby concludes, “The U.S. can have healthier people . . .” and the rest is not as important, yet is critical to reduce the chaos.

SNAP is in congressional review, and the grocery lobby is fighting against civic justice for grocery profits. A similar lobby exists for the medical industry’s profiting from welfare's harm to the people's well-being.

The people suffer bad policy. The harm done to the American family since the Great Society was created is a constant refrain in 2018 literature. The Advocate personnel could inform themselves about the emotion-based surveys LSU conducts in order to support policy for gain. Is it honest opinion or quid-pro-quo for Gov. Edwards’ support to LSU? Do the Advocate personnel fit in those palm greasings? Readers may want to read Oren Cass’s article, “Policy-Based Evidence Making,” nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/policy-based-evidence-making.

Last, but not least, President Trump has begun to pressure Congress to push responsibility for programs like SNAP and Medicaid onto the states.

Readers, beware of The Advocate personnel’s arrogance in the bold claim, “Many legislators supported [spending constraint]. They were wrong.”

 
Louisiana desperately needs spending constraint, especially when the spending harms people. Personal care is four times more effective than medical care.

To JT McQuitty I think The Advocate personnel may develop a little self-respect, read other reports, imagine that we read them, and exercise civic responsibility.

It seems like The Advocate is not aware that the days of an arrogant press (rather than a responsible and free servant of the people) are over.

A civic people have embarked on the age of integrity (that's wholeness and understanding rather than coerced, emotional unity). Only the caboose is in view for social democrats to grab and hang on, because restoration of the 1788 American republicanism---the discovery of statutory justice---is happening. This is a great time.

It is sad that personnel of Baton Rouge's hometown newspaper are so cloistered against current events, but they might wake up. Gov. Edwards? Not so much hope.

To JT McQuitty again: I think you directed "An excessive diligence in ignorance, is evidence of knowledge" - unremembered attribution” to the obsession over health care rather than personal care, which I attribute to the medical lobby including the AMA. The AMA attitude may be, given that people do not take care of themselves, our noble work is to take care of them more than let’s make our industry as large as we can.

However, I, perhaps erroneously, applied my view of the quote to me. That is, I am unbalanced in promoting the preamble and the-objective-truth as tools for an achievable, better USA.

I have the notion that the preamble realistically divides citizens into a civic faction and a faction that opposes the agreement. Some people have justifiable complaints. For example, it seems healthy to admit to division of citizens for the foreseeable future rather than to hope for a utopia. Therefore, I would amend 1787’s “a more perfect Union” to “establish integrity,” meaning both wholeness and understanding. I do not expect other citizens to adopt my amendment on my word, but would like to collaborate and accept the consequences. However, some people honestly oppose the preamble for unjust reasons; for example, some people think crime pays.

Some friends from the past instructed me, for example, “One more word about the preamble and we’re no longer friends.” I accept their ultimatums, knowing I have friends in other dialogues. I accept ultimatums from some quarters thinking I have a good idea but don’t know how to express it to all persons. I continually restate it with new words (never cut and paste), hoping for enlightenment that would create new friendships and restore old ones. In fact, I think I am working with my “excessive diligence in ignorance,” but am onto ideas for an achievable, better future.

The quote you shared provided motivation, right or wrong, that substantially frees me to take a new direction. My comments in The Advocate’s forum will change not in kind but lessen more. Thank you very much, JTM.

April 12 (eadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_8d55d120-3ea3-11e8-a6c3-37d0eab4188c.html)

 

To Stephen Richard: The human body has not completed building the wisdom parts of the brain until age 25 (males) or 23 (females).

I'd like to increase voting qualifications from age 18 and non-felon to: age thirty and non-felon, income tax payments during last three years, and a paraphrase of the civic agreement that is stated in the preamble to the constitution for the USA with either a statement of agreement or a proposal for improvement the voter is working to establish for consideration.

   

Today’s thought, G.E. Dean

April 17 (Luke 6:31 CJB), The Advocate, April 17, 2018, 5B.

“Treat other people as you would like them to treat you.”

Dean says, “This is the Golden Rule. Jesus gave it to us.”

Dean lied. “The Golden Rule” dates from 1604; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule#Etymology, and the maxim of reciprocity must have come before the code, dated from 2040 B.C. ; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule#Ancient_Egypt.

Nevertheless, the rule is egocentric. The doer cares not how the receiver perceives the action. For example, to approach someone with the question, “Is Jesus your savior?” seems the worst psychological violence I have encountered.

A guide for living I prefer is this: in every thought, word, and act, neither initiate nor tolerate harm. It is a paraphrase of a sentence from Agathon’s speech, in Plato’s “Symposium,” 385 B.C. BTW, Agathon’s speech seems to describe Jesus’s better character, and thus may speak to Jesus’ claim, “Before Abraham I am,” but I doubt it.

Letters

Vigilantism (Womack) (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/letters/article_1a5759b8-4273-11e8-9886-bf54de12d430.html)

The preamble to the constitution for the USA offers citizens a civic agreement. Some citizens are dissident to the agreement and neither cooperate with justice nor collaborate to discover injustice and correct it. Justice demands responsibility and some citizens don’t tolerate discipline.

Louisiana education ranks about 50^th in a field of 50 in a country that ranks about 25^th. Thus, Louisiana education ranks about 1250^th in the world. (Somebody correct my statistics if needed.)

The purpose for disciplining the dissident student is to allow the rest of the class to acquire the information they need to develop understanding and intent to live a full human life. The lives of class members are at stake, and the class cannot afford to coddle the dissident. Louisiana’s future is at stake.

Adult humans may develop authority and wisdom to collaborate for civic morality, but dissidents must be constrained in their demands for special consideration to accommodate their dissidence. Dissidents prefer vigilantism rather than civic order.

After five decades of association, it is time for the Congressional Black Caucus and its affiliates to consider this:  Every human being has the individual authority and power to discover and vote for civic justice rather than for an institutional agenda.

I urge the legislature to reject SB 465.

BTW: The earlier comments---Doug, JTM, Elaine, Chanda, and more---motivated the thought: provide a play room with computer, TV, and games, and move the dissident child there with explanation. I'm reminded by the career of Dona Bean (d, 2017), the discipline person in her school. She told children their life was in their hands. The entire community, Karns, TN, appreciated her courageous work.

Give the child the chance to consider today’s isolation from the class and make their own decision to take charge of their chance at human living. When that light comes on, coach and encourage them to take charge of their opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding for life.

Arrogance (Harvey) (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/letters/article_d2fffefe-4271-11e8-aac4-3b2c10b8f4a4.html)

After 1700 years of Christianity’s abject failure to collaborate for human justice, a Christian coalition’s claim that statutory law enforcement ought to conform to religious opinion is embarrassing.

Christianity can’t get its priests and ministers to accept civic morality, even regarding children and sex. On April 11, the pope admitted gross mistakes in sex-abuse cases (note the plurality); nytimes.com/2018/04/11/world/americas/pope-francis-sex-abuse-apology.html. On March 15, “The Church of England was “naive and uncritical” when it came to abuses of power by clergy, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams told the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse.” thetablet.co.uk/news/8732/rowan-williams-admits-failings-over-c-of-e-child-abuse

The Church has one job: persuade believers to fear unfavorable afterdeath and motivate contributions to ministerial wealth so the believer perceives comfort and hope against the fear. The clergy knows nothing, but dissuades believers from developing the-objective-truth. Developing personal fidelity to the-objective-truth is a better option for each individual, including the clergy.

Each individual has the responsibility for justice from his or her life. That is, every human being may, from infancy, discover and develop a path toward comprehensive fidelity to the-objective-truth. The individual has both the authority and the power to choose fidelity. Comprehensive fidelity extends to self and to other people and beyond. Comprehensive fidelity is the basis of civic morality.

However, some people choose infidelity, for reasons perhaps understood: psychological impairment, ignorance, arrogance, perception that they can gain advantage because most people practice civic morality. The clergy perceive advantage because most people are erroneously too busy living to collaborate for civic morality. (Some people are too busy consuming to earn their living.)

The signers of the 1787 Constitution for the USA understood and wrote religion out of the constitution, the first time such justice had been expressed in this country. Theretofore, the English Magna Carta held sway over Machiavelli’s warning in The Prince, Chapter XI, against the tyranny of the church-state-partnership. Only a civic people can prevent oppression by constructed gods conflicting for dominance as God.  

However, relief from Chapter XI Machiavellianism in the USA lasted only eleven months. On June 21, 1788, the people’s ratification conventions in nine states established the USA. But ratification was tainted with a provision, led primarily by one state, to add a 1689-English-like bill of rights. This was the Christian intrusion that empowered the first Congress, by May, 1789, to establish their legislative divinity in factional American Protestantism to compete with Parliament’s divinity constructed from partnership with the Church of England. Some people who collaborated with this unfortunate imposition, for example James Madison, were convinced that most Americans would emerge Unitarians, as though that would provide relief from “freedom of religion,” the bemusement that enslaves US citizens.

It’s no surprise that Greece v Galloway (2014) erroneously asserts that the sovereign citizen who complains about legislative prayer is niggling. The American god seems Judeo-Christianity of a certain kind, neither Protestant nor Unitarian: The present Supreme Court is split: 6 Catholics and 3 Jews.

Supreme Court justices are first human individuals and each has the authority and power to reject hate no matter who suggests it. Yet John 15:18 bemuses some justices during their personal development; weeklystandard.com/terry-eastland/christians-as-pilgrims-and-other-lessons-from-antonin-scalia. I think Justice Scalia finally attributed justice to extant humankind and the hereafter to personal belief.

So far, most Americans have ignored fellow-citizen and General George Washington’s four pillars for political survival, of which the fourth is: “The prevalence of that pacific and friendly Disposition, among the People of the United States, which will induce them to forget their local prejudices and policies, to make those mutual concessions which are requisite to the general prosperity, and in some instances, to sacrifice their individual advantages to the interest of the Community.” See loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/amrev/peace/circular.html.

It is not a large task for Christians to consider that their grace may not be unlike my humility: everlasting life is for the Christian’s favored afterdeath while human justice is for mutual living. If there is any concern that accepting the human authority and power to behave with fidelity is humility, a little practice will eliminate all doubt.

The clergy are also human beings: therefore, each clergyman has the human authority and power to behave according to the-objective-truth. There is no excuse for presenting humanly constructed religious beliefs as more than spiritual comforts and hopes, not to interfere with human justice. The clergy may think twice before trying to impose spiritual fear on civic individuals.

I commend U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and Attorney General Jeff Landry to respond in writing to Ms. Harvey. However, I encourage both the clergy and believers to consider each: General Washington’s fourth pillar, the civic agreement that is offered in the preamble to the constitution for the USA, and the-objective-truth, which prevails in life.
 
Some citizens dismiss my posts with the thought: “I don’t understand and don’t have time.” The human authority each person has can be used to establish freedom-from oppression with the liberty-to responsibly pursue the happiness the individual perceives rather than the dictates of someone else---a person or an institution.
 
Understanding individual human authority, power, and possible fidelity is not easy but is more than worthy of the work required.

Columns

Nanny-state grandstanding (Stephanie Grace) theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/stephanie_grace/article_2dfdc6d4-43f7-11e8-adc7-93bd2300e000.html

Kill HB 365.

Senator Claitor’s honest hubris in grandstanding his 32-years passed infidelity to the people’s pursuit of just law is not especially surprising after James Comey’s sensationally adolescent June 8, 2017 senate testimony: nytimes.com/2017/06/08/us/politics/senate-hearing-transcript.html.

Then, I remarked to MWW that we were viewing the performance by a nanny-state, adolescent-adult who honestly has never encountered personal integrity. Throughout the testimony, he witnessed to his dependency on a higher authority for Comey integrity. Every adult individual has had the opportunity to develop integrity, but many have not accepted their human authority to exercise their personal power. They flap like a fish on the sidewalk looking for a reliable higher power but find none.

I think the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (of ChE) does a better job than the American Bar Association in apprising young adults of their individual authority, power, and obligation to act on integrity in order to protect the people (and other stakeholders).

Given the chance, let me brag about 1973 integrity that motivated civic fidelity (protection of the people) at an overseas chemical plant. My responsibly as ChE Supervisor included technical fidelity for the plant. We had discovered that our plant effluent was poisoning shell fishes and were near starting a remediation project. Suddenly, effluent standards were promulgated, and the local management bid to lie to the government. I said that rather than lie we would report our project, its cost, start-up date, and expected consequences. In response, they reassigned the local engineer who was gathering the data to the operations superintendent, and he no longer discussed the matter with me. Six weeks later, with all the officials there to sign the document, including the lie, the local ChE excused himself and came to me. Two ChE’s collaborated to maintain the technical fidelity for the plant and for my employer. In my sixth year, the local management terminated my assignment, but my company kept me involved in their integrity for a 35-year career.

When I moved to Louisiana in 1967, I soon learned that Louisiana law reflects Napoleonic law. I know nothing of that history but am aware of French concern that a jury of inhabitants cannot be trusted to understand the law. French influence was present when Louisiana decided its jury rules.

I do not plan to be the object of a jury trial. However, if I were, I would reject the present system, asserting that many citizens are not my peers. My peers would come from citizens who understand, trust-in, and commit-to the preamble to the constitution for the USA. Other citizens are dissident to the civic agreement that is offered in the preamble and are thus dissidents to the laws We the People of the United States develop and maintain. I think my case would make its way to the US Supreme Court, and I would win.

I mean Dan Claitor no harm but am looking for a new state senator in my district. I consider him nanny-state adolescent on par with James Comey and others.

I encourage Louisiana representatives to kill HB 365.

Vitter de-nominates herself (Stephanie Grace) theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/stephanie_grace/article_7066cd08-4196-11e8-b9cf-cfd543ff211a.html

Perhaps you will be surprised by rejection of the Vitter nomination.

Every citizen has both the authority and the power to behave with civic morality, and congressmen are citizens.

  

News

It’s time to unburden civic morality from Christian impositions (Bryn Stole) theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_ad7a3a48-442c-11e8-b59c-77f6d9c9b3df.html

Both Duncan and Vitter are conflicted by religious morality and social morality when what the people ineluctably advance is civic morality.

 
Stole spends most of the ink making the case against Vitter.

 
Duncan argued for Louisiana’s defense of marriage act, based on tradition. He was under severe disadvantage, because Congress, in 1996 based DOMA on Judeo-Christian tradition, which a K-12 civic student might deem unconstitutional.

 
However, I wrote and delivered to the AG offices for transfer to Duncan, in Washington DC, several pages of argument based on physics’ progeny: biology and psychology. The-objective-truth applies, but Christian dogma has no standing in discovering civic morality. Christian intellectual constructs reluctantly adjust to discovery, and fortunately, the Holy Bible’s errors are plain to the world (perhaps deemed haters; see below). Duncan never responded.

 
Until this week, I felt one of the strongest arguments against Christianity beyond the privacy of believers (hearts, closets, homes, and assemblies) is the word “hate” in requirements for discipleship. My opinion is there is no excuse for Luke using the word “hate” in advice about family members and self.

 
Google is not too generous regarding other usage of “hate,” so I do not feel particularly stupid to say that only yesterday I discovered, searching Justice Scalia statements, the four “hates” usages in John 15:18-23. When I was a Christian, I guess I tentatively accepted the indoctrination: Non-Christians hate each me, Jesus, and God. It’s amazing how discovery of “hate” and “hates” with a human individual’s viewpoint can clarify why many Christian acquaintances, neighbors, and former friends neither understand my reform nor care to collaborate for civic morality.

What they are missing is that I neither object to their religion for them, provided they cooperate with civic morality, nor tolerate it for me: I appreciate other people who practice civic morality no matter why but do not tolerate the idea that I hate a person, or Jesus, or God. I do not hate Luke or John, but they misrepresented both Jesus and God. The Holy Bible cannot be un-canonized, but its bad advice can be rejected.

Those who may be interested in understanding my viewpoint may consider African-American Christianity as pity for the white Christian. This pity may be viewed from John 15:18-23 wherein “the world” means white Christianity. At first blush, it seems African-American Christianity implies skin-color: Jesus is brown and God is black. However, the pity comes when white Christians reject black Christians. Viewed this way, I perceive I relate to perceived pity.

However, what I object to is the imposition of both white Christianity and African-American Christianity so as to ruin the opportunity for civic morality. In my eighth decade, there is no place for hate or hates; there’s only appreciation of people. I celebrate civic people and would like to influence dissidents to join the collaboration for an achievable, better future. It requires separation of social morality from civic morality; church from state; collaboration from conflict for dominant opinion.

 
Government’s monopoly on force must develop statutory justice based on the-objective-truth. Neither Duncan nor Vitter seem likely to collaborate to discover the-objective-truth.

  

Void left by past neglect (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_9373aba2-434b-11e8-bdb2-5f72b8743358.html)

The study should include an assessment of priorities in the city budget.

The numbers in this article are disturbing, and they reflect mismanagement by the city of Baton Rouge.

My guess is that the missing pay for Baton Rouge police is about half the taxation for the Council on Aging.

Adult citizens have the individual authority and power to collaborate for civic justice, and neither the mayor nor the Metro-Council members are exempt. Citizens need to see some actions to re-assess priorities for EBR parish.

Walter Williams’ column today does not praise mayors with the platform church and dialogues on racism. Williams’ concerns are also disturbing; annistonstar.com/the_st_clair_times/walter-williams-a-mayor-s-most-important-job-opinion/article_e480bfd2-41af-11e8-9d11-6fad41618fa2.html .

Conflict of interest (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_e93d2ae4-4356-11e8-8f96-1731eb1aa35f.html)

The Cajun Navy motivates civic morality.

I agree with Rep. Terry Landry; Legislation will unintentionally ruin it. I hope senators do not refer HB 388 on April 23 or whenever.

In general, preserve freedom-from legislative oppression so that citizens have the liberty-to help each other, as usual.

  

Conflict of interest (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/article_4b168f0e-42a7-11e8-9c6c-07b8b9d08f3f.html)

From the photo caption, “Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker leads a recruitment meeting in September at the Delmont Gardens branch library for the community police ambassador program.” I think that is a conflict of interest. Not only does Wicker serve two roles, she seems to express vigilantism rather than the statutory law enforcement.

Based on past actions, I opine that Wicker acts for African-American Christianity (often black-power liberation-theology, per James H. Cone), dialogues on racism, and AMO such as Saul Alinsky founded IAF of Chicago’s local affiliate Together Baton Rouge; togetherbr.org/about. Recall the Chapter XI Machiavellian prayer meeting at city hall; theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_dc8da820-9715-11e7-94ea-9fa7019900d2.html? Thus, she has public roles that are in conflict with duties to both her district and EBR parish as a Metro-Council member. Every council member is first a citizen and a human being and therefore has the individual authority and power to exercise civic morality and collaborate for justice rather than conflict for dominant opinion.

Meanwhile, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul shows signs of canny civic morality that is typical of most black citizens in Baton Rouge. Perhaps Paul countered Wiker’s claims in saying, "You're ambassadors for the community and police, right — for both. Don't lose focus on what you guys came to do. I never looked at (this group), from my position, as a police reform platform. But a lot of the stuff you're talking about, that's really what it is." Well said, Chief Paul! You have my support (but not my vote to tax me again until the city reforms).

I also thought Paul was forthright in his claim that he would not be firing Blane Salamoni if the person Salamoni had shot was white. I does not get more forthright than that.

It seems Broome made another error (1- week Admin. Assist.) in her administrative management: Instead of choosing a subservient cop, she erroneously appointed a man of integrity. The civil service board will defend integrity, so ideas of firing Chief Paul might cost Broome many nights lost sleep.

I may be wrong in all but my opposition to each vigilantism and Chapter XI Machiavellianism. I commend the Metro Council to consider Mrs. Wiker’s other public roles.

As for Broome, she will continue to stonewall an achievable better future. It seems consideration of the civic agreement that is offered in the preamble to the constitution for the USA with collaboration to discover, understand, and benefit from the-objective-truth is not possible for Broome. She’d rather spend $300,000 to build evidence (not data) for a policy she wants to push, while I’d rather see that and other money, like CAO funding, and this ambassador program spent on BRPD and reform for children headed for crime.

Sermons on church, dialogues on racism, and policy constructed "evidence," will not help children, as the recent five decades under AMO have shown.

 

Cheap legislative grandstanding (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_01c8949e-4290-11e8-beae-0fdae324d523.html)

Claitor said. “I apologize for being dumb enough to think that what the governor’s office said was true.” (I am tired of Claitor’s civic adolescence and am shopping for a new senator.)

Nevertheless, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPSC) is in such a shambles the head ought to resign: that is the governor.

Louisiana’s administrative-legislative “camaraderie” on the people’s income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes is perhaps responsible for the loss to the state of Kentucky of philanthropic funding for ex-prisoner reform. See theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/article_a22bc1fc-3d10-11e8-bcd3-c3e6adf74665.html.
 
No thanks to Gov. John Bel Edwards for neglecting the people of Louisiana, most of all the criminals we’d all like to help reform. Every human being may develop the will to behave for personal good, even if he or she started on a self-lessening path. I doubt Edwards had that attitude when he visited the White House to tout his DPSC cost-reduction plans without funding ex-prisoner care; theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_a5db862c-d495-11e7-bddf-53ec6074f9cf.html.

A Koch representative said, “We’re still very much interested in Louisiana, but the process is taking much longer than we thought.”

Mr. Edwards, please face it: Louisiana would be better off if you resigned.

(BTW) The Advocate personnel flubbed “prisoner re-entry” to “prison re-entry.” It’s just embarrassing all round.

Civil-marriage age (Mark Ballard) (theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_acb05f50-4032-11e8-8602-fffbeef969c2.html)

   

I like the earlier discussion and will comment on some posts. I hope legislators collaborate with Senator Peterson to get the unnecessary LGBT issue out of SB 463, then pass it for at age 18 or higher, perhaps with two years added for males.

It takes seven more years to age 25 before the human body has completed construction of the wisdom parts of the brain. See mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/02/18/at-what-age-is-the-brain-fully-developed/. “The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains.  Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain.  All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain.”

Depending on how discussions go, even consider making it age 19 or 20. Here’s why: Every influence to delay forming families helps move parenting into the 30’s, when the complete brain plus experiences and observations begin to build wisdom. That helps children, humankind’s most abused yet greatest asset.

Additionally even though it is a hot topic, the license could add two years for the case of male marriage partners. That’s because the female body typically completes the brain two years faster than the male body. This point is made by auto insurances data, which has no political policy bias (is data rather than political-policy-constructed “evidence”).

Of course, a chemical engineer ought not try to witness at the capitol to these ideas, but there are plenty of experts at Tulane and elsewhere who could.
 
Louisiana can be exemplary in collaborating for statutory justice (laws and enforcement) grounded in the-objective-truth rather than emotionalism or dogma. We already have a better constitutional provision regarding freedom of expression: the proponent may be held responsible for consequences from the expression.

I hope Senator Peterson constructs a bill that reflects the-objective-truth and that fellow legislators collaborate for the people of Louisiana. I think marriage at age 23 if female and 25 if male would be a factual leap and 20 and 22 may be politically viable.

To Daniel Miller: We did blood tests in 1969, took make certain our blood types were compatible for low-risk procreation. However, I don't think blood test is required for civil marriage license; see usmarriagelaws.com/marriage-license/louisiana/clerk-of-court/parish-requirements.shtml.

To Julius Dooley: You raise some good points yet overlook my view: Often, licensing derives from the people (the nation) intending to codify the discovery of civic morality more than creating laws by which to coerce or force people. The license incorporates civil commitments or incentives, but does not prevent people from behaving without the license. Sometimes, oversights create injustice.

Incorporated into marriage licensing is the recordation of responsibility for progeny. Government cannot feasibly take responsibility for encouraging and coaching a child from feral infancy to young adult who is both prepared and intent to live a full, humane life.

Therefore, tax rules favor married couples in order to support child rearing. However, some couples do not intend to create families, the tax code should be revised so as to protect the intentions for children. In other words, the tax code should undo the marriage advantage for childless couples yet include parenting by adoption.

 
I agree with your point that when injustice is discovered, laws should be amended so as to establish statutory justice. In the case of marriage, outcomes for children is a prime consideration.

 

Discipline (John Rosemond) (winonadailynews.com/lifestyles/relationships-and-special-occasions/john-rosemond-no-guns-are-not-the-problem/article_6c80d87f-24d5-55d3-bb5b-0922fd30655b.html)

   

“. . . the

  

Other forums

quora.com/What-is-black-power#, my question, then my response to Pouvwa Nwa’s answer on 10/3/17.

I was reviewing my account. I’ve only asked two questions and somehow missed notice of your response. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
I do not tolerate Christianity’s divisive claims against non-Christians, expressed in John 15:18-23, inclusive. I appreciate civic morality in each: the Christian individual, Jesus, and each Christian god. These entities have the authority and power to develop or possess personal integrity.
In the last couple weeks, I have perceived a new perspective from three observations. First, I noticed in the Cornel West and Robert P. George opinion, “Dr. King’s Radical Biblical Vision,” WSJ, April 5, 2018, Dr. King’s Radical Biblical Vision, the phrase “African-American Christianity,” which came into usage after Dr. King was assassinated. I related that phrase not to King but to James H. Cone’s “black power and black liberation theology,” which some people take to mean the only way a white Christian can save his or her soul is to help make black Americans reign supreme.
Second, James Baldwin spoke and wrote of pity for the white human who cannot perceive the black human’s viewpoint.
Third, deceased US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia often quoted from John 15:18–23, inclusive; John 15 - CJB Bible - Bible Study Tools. The writer used “hates” four times to describe the relationship between believers and non-believers. I have long since decried Luke 14:26 as Luke’s misrepresentation of Jesus, the man, and only nearing age 75 realized how John’s possible misrepresentation alienates Christians from non-Christians in a secretive way. That is, non-Christians are neither aware of nor tolerant of John’s claim that non-Christians hate Christians, Jesus, and God. To put this another way, Christians are woefully un-civic to so convict non-Christians. Similarly, one Christian sect is woefully un-civic to convict another Christian sect without plain talk.
I have long been mad as hell that a Baptist coach told my son that his soul was doomed to help because my son was Catholic. Now, my emotions have been changed to clear, determined opposition to divisive, Christian beliefs, especially coming from Americans in high office, who have had every opportunity to accept individual authority for civic morality and have no excuse for abdicating to some obviously harmful institution such as Christianity.
It is OK for Christianity to spend an eternity correcting its dogma. However, each believer has the human authority and power to develop personal integrity. The Holy Bible’s errors are well known, the errors could have been excluded by the Church when it canonized the Holy Bible, and a civic people will not tolerate dissidents to civic morality, such as a pope who will not convict and punish priests who practice sexual abuses. Likewise, black leaders may encourage civic morality rather than division based on Bible interpretation.
I would appreciate comments on the matter-of-fact-reasonableness of my self-discovery. (I don’t claim to know the-objective-truth.)

quora.com/What-is-the-purpose-of-living-I-dont-know-what-to-do-with-my-life-anymore

 

Contrary to the inculcation of most of the world’s cultures, the human being is the most powerful living species.

Cultures teach that the individual has both good and bad impulses, and to favor the good, he or she must have a higher power. All the higher powers, whether a god or a government or a partnership of the two (Chapter XI Machiavellianism) fails the individual living person. (I do not know about the afterdeath.)

However, every individual has the authority and the power to develop his or her preferences. He or she may develop either fidelity or infidelity. Thereby he or she manages the competing powers: coercion and force or god and government. However, infidelity may invite constraints.

It takes about three decades for an individual to develop his or her person from feral infant to young adult who is informed and intent to live a full human life—-perhaps 85 years of self-development. Between age 30 and perhaps age 85, each individual may discover his or her person.

I think the happiest path is the one filled with choices usually made for fidelity. It’s a comprehensive fidelity: to the-objective-truth, to self, to loved ones, to all people, to every living being, and to the universe, both respectively and collectively.

In fidelity, the human being, in every thought, word, and act neither initiates nor tolerates harm. Embarking on such an appreciating life is so fascinating and joyful one could hope to live forever. Perhaps perfect fidelity brings death.

I hope this helps and would appreciate feedback.

quora.com/If-you-had-to-choose-between-fighting-for-gender-equality-or-fighting-for-racial-equality-which-would-it-be-and-why?

The question: If you had to choose between fighting for gender equality, or fighting for racial equality, which would it be, and why?

My answer: I do not yield to social morality and would not respond to the demand.

I read and write to promote civic morality, in other words, fidelity to the-objective-truth, which can only be discovered rather than perceived or constructed. It is a comprehensive fidelity that extends to both self and other humans, whether directly or indirectly. For example, a civic person does not lie so that he or she may communicate.

I write to invite people to collaborate for ova equality. Ova equality begins with females aware-of and developing their opportunity to both physically and psychologically collaborate with their viable ova as the ova develop. The female seeks to mate with a reliable male.

Ova equality continues with males developing their opportunity to both physically and psychologically collaborate for life with that woman with whom he shares, in progression, mutual attraction, mutual consideration, psychological bonding, intimacy for life, and commitment to develop the bond during the life of a family.

Heterosexual monogamy for life cannot be accomplished without discipline that is motivated by the intent for fidelity. Sometimes professional coaching can help, but often mutual fidelity suffices. (With the weak cultures humankind has developed, monogamy for life happens in perhaps 13% of heterosexual marriages. A civic culture might have better success.)

Family involves the spouses, children, grandchildren, and beyond. Not every person can accept the challenges of monogamy for life. The adult who has no intentions to develop comprehensive fidelity may choose the single life or a child-free bond.

However, fidelity to children cannot be ignored, except by civic infidelity; in other words, civic immorality. Infidelity is everywhere, and it always begs woe. When woe comes, it is unexpectedly brutal. For example, a child in a family with a same-sex partnership false in love with one of the partners and they demand divorce. Perhaps the three negotiate a creative infidelity.

Individuals need not entertain possible woe from infidelity. Every human has the authority to develop fidelity. There is no higher power hanging over the individual’s choices, other than the-objective-truth.

In 1787, when 2/3 of delegates to the constitutional convention in Philadelphia made the leap from governance by a king and Parliament to governance by free and independent states to the claims in the preamble to the 1787 Constitution, citizens had not the benefits of 231 years of psychological and physical discovery. The USA has nourished and exponentially increased the physical discoveries. However, psychological discoveries, such as lying prevents the liar from collaborating for civic morality, have been repressed. The people’s future will be improved by development of the-objective-truth rather than dominant opinion as the basis for discovering statutory justice.

I live, read, and converse to learn, so I would appreciate readers’ collaboration about my response to the question.

quora.com/Why-does-it-seem-like-honor-integrity-and-altruism-are-concepts-that-modern-society-seems-to-have-lost-And-why-is-it-so-prevalent-not-to-hold-a-moral-code?

 

The question: Why does it seem like honor, integrity and altruism are concepts that modern society seems to have lost? And why is it so prevalent not to hold a moral code?

 

I think the competitive Abrahamic religions have dominated the world, bemusing people with expectations of higher power. I also think that era may have reached a nadir and a better future is possible.

Ineluctably, every human individual has the authority to develop fidelity to the-objective-truth, which can only be discovered. Humankind pursues understanding and the means to benefit from the-objective-truth. Conflict for dominant opinion is ruinous to human progress. People who never accept personal authority live and die, never achieving individual possibility, and the collective consequence is human misery and loss: failure.

Humankind’s dominant cultures inculcate the belief that the human individual is torn between good and bad, and that without a higher power, his or her bad will prevail. Coercion comes from institutions based on a god or a government, usually the partnership of the two. However, both the god and the government are weak and their partnership is collective ruin. As soon as the individual realizes his or her god or government is weak, he or she seeks another. Thereby, many people live and die never accepting their personal authority to develop fidelity to civic morality; in other words, human justice.

Returning to two of your issues---honor and altruism---I don’t think they necessarily represent fidelity. Fidelity is comprehensive, beginning with the-objective-truth then extending to self then to other people in expanding connections, both direct and indirect: immediate family, extended family and friends, the people (nation), humankind, and the universe, both respectively and collectively.

By all means, individuals encounter civilization (coercion), government (force), and motivation and inspiration (perhaps the bemusement of religion). However, the individual who accepts personal, human authority, makes that his or her highest power and manages the other powers.

People may collaborate to improve these ideas, and an achievable, better future may develop. I am interested in such collaboration.

 Phil Beaver does not “know” the actual-reality. He trusts and is committed to the-objective-truth which can only be discovered. He is agent for A Civic People of the United States, a Louisiana, education non-profit corporation. See online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.