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We have always frowned upon aphoristic pseudo-wisdom and encouraged their disregard. Such presumptuous a priori, all-encompassing, and reductionist guides to choices of action, judgment, and positive solutions to the universe of presenting matters are to be scrupulously avoided, Pre-prescibed choice and recommendations are thoughtless and misleading emanations of reductionist pseudo-wisdom, empirically unrelated to the issue at hand or alternate choices of action.

We have presumably, commented on the sophomoric practice of relying on the traditionally classic “chestnuts” of ersatz wisdom and thought it would be us to explore a sample of the dilemmas posed by the sophomoric application of such pre-packaged advice in its more modern iterations.

Plainly stated, our thematic message is the efficacy of reason to problems and issues as they present themselves, as opposed to the curation of an arsenal of priori solutions to be selectively activated when deemed relevantly necessary. Some more modern recommendations bear, at times some meritorious advice, but lead to resultant dilemmas.

(1) Getting a second medical opinion. This is a cogent suggestion, especially when surgery is recommended. A conundrum arises when the second opinion is not confirmatory of the first. The troubled prudent patient then acquires the dilemma of which opinion to beneficially accept.

(2) The encouraging dynamic recommendation: “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” In the event of an unattainable or plainly hazardous goal, the ubiquitous encouragement of unceasing repetition may lack pragmatic wisdom or border on neurotic and hazardous futility

(3) The acclaimed author, Ralph Waldo Emerson, famously stated:” A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.” A pragmatic question arises the nature of “foolishness” is empirically determinable only after many unsuccessful attempts.

(4) “Everyone is entitled to his opinion, is an ignorant, overly generous, and disconcerting franchise For any opinion it to deserve consideration, and value, it must be a relevant statement by a relevantly knowledgeable person. The apparently confident declarations of the most effective speaker are empirically valueless without knowledgeable basics. The constitutional grant of the right to free speech, notably, does not mandate acceptance of unsupported or factually irresponsible statements.

(5) ” It’s all relative.” Many judgmental subjects, opinions, feelings, tastes, evaluations, and responses to presenting stimuli, are empirically nuanced and are, in fact, relative to individual perception or experience; but, not all things such as “love,” (including the familial variety), “patriotism,” “morality,” “truth”, “accuracy,” and “equality” are among the phenomena not intrinsically or subjectively relative.

(6) “Better late than never.” This popular recommendation has a nuanced applicability depending upon circumstances.: Arriving two days late for a birthday party, accepting an option two days after its withdrawal, arriving with the promised casserole or dessert two hours after the dinner guests have eaten and departed, “locking the barn door after the horse has bolted,” applying the fire extinguisher long after the extinguishment of the fire are practical examples.

The wisdom of the contemplative individual instructs him to solve problems and reconcile presenting dilemmas by application of personally experiential wisdom relevant to the extant issue and to eschew a priori “wisdom,” irrespective of its source.

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As contemporaneously understood, the Nation’s constitutional declaration of equality encompasses the universe of American citizens of every race, creed, sex, gender, and social position. Progress toward the universal implementation of that enunciated status has been made, albeit, slowly and yet incompletely, The satisfactory achievement of such a foundational goal would seem to require the moral progress and cultural enlightenment of those of our citizens who seem to persistently adhere to the ignorant and atavistic ideation that diversity of color or creed is aberrant and perverse.

American citizens of goodwill, have responsibly and pragmatically construed written standards and devised programs purposed for the amelioration and hopeful elimination of America’s historically atavistic blemish of bigotry. Yet, propagandic, distorted interpretations have been tactically assigned to such beneficially construed standards by citizens who irrationally cling to their pernicious “pecking order” of acceptability. Such adamant bigots have chosen to tactically propagandize their opposition to the realization of the Nation’s constitutional promise by false, and misleading distortion of the context and intent of such beneficial standards, to eternally perpetuate bigotry. It is such depravity that provided the impetus for this writing,

It is the intention of this writing to identify and ” launder” such tactically sullied words, perversely transmogrified by the promoters of bigotry as responsively reactive falsified “buzz-words,” Three examples of such distortions seem to predominate, viz., Woke,” DEI,” and “Affirmative Action.” We intend to employ, the effective cleansing detergents of humanism and common sense, as detergent.

“WOKE:”

This Black-American folkloric term, used by the folksinger, “Ledbelly”) to mean “awakened” is perniciously and tactically used as an epithet or derogatory reference to the paranoid ideation that the purported “White Christian America “is under attack by subversive programs of black citizens with the assistance of the “elite class of liberals” to dictate the Nation’s course of history, As an illustrative example, the repulsive Governor of the State of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has appeared on popular television, proudly boasting assurance to a large audience: “Florida is the place where “woke goes to die.” The cultural style word for achieved cognition has been perniciously distorted for the consumption of ignorant citizenry to distortedly threaten the existence of an alleged movement by America’s black population with the aid of “the liberal elites” to undermine American superiority and its traditional way of life.

Nothing could be remotely further from the truth. “Woke,” is, in truth is a black folkloric word for “awake” or “awakened,” reportedly used by the folk singer, “Ledbelly, to mean “awakened” Its accurate context amounts to the recognition of society’s unequal level of difficulty between the racial groups in attaining personal realization.

“DEI:”

“The letters DEI, has been distorted, analogous to the perversion of “woke.” Contrary to its propagandistic-like perversion and use as a persuasive epithet, simply and inoffensively stands for the objective principles, stated, viz.,”Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” notably the equivalent of the Nation’s mantra, “E Pluribus Unum.” The word “Diversity” is empirical and self-explanatory, The words “Equity” (equality) and “Inclusion” (equal opportunity) cannot be objectively seen as inconsistent with traditionally accepted American ideals. Should it anecdotally appear that any feature of such well-intentioned standards of DEI, in their implementation requires adjustment, they can empirically be corrected far easier than the discriminatory programs they are intended to ameliorate. The equitable concept is fully consistent with the American mantra of equal citizenship and societal morality; used as rationally intended, the programmatic effort should need no sanitary explanation.

“AFFIRMATIVE ACTION:”

The somewhat nonspecific, but, nevertheless, ubiquitously understood phrase, “Affirmative Action,” refers to a beneficial program purposed to eliminate unfair advantage as between applicants for employment or higher education. It merely permits the additional consideration of relevant racial identity or economic hardship as one factor. The beneficial purpose is to give a “hand up” to those for whom it is creditably warranted and is not intended to be exclusionary, Few Americans set out in life on socially or economically equitable circumstances, a temporal observation empirically unrelated to innate talent or capability. The concept is intended to assist capable individuals whose potentiated advancement has been road-blocked by racial prejudice, or economic poverty. Its avowed purposes are inclusive and not exclusionary; as some of its critics would prefer to contend.

In a Nation, universally occupying the seat of the avatar of justice and equality, but evincing a sad history of the enslavement of black people and a contemporary empathy for the economic vicissitudes of its population of poverty-stricken, citizens, governmental programs that consider the elements of hardship, among the multitude of criteria for acceptance, would, inarguably, appear to be humanisticly appropriate.

It should require no forensic argument to support the proposition that those fortunate enough to reside in the American, “Land of Opportunity” implies the equitable existence of opportunity for all.

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It is past time that the unjust, and anachronistically Monarcial privilege of the American Presidential privilege to arbitrarily pardon legal wrongdoers was relegated to the dustbin, specifically allocated to empirically deplorable history,

Fundamentally, it has been the consistent experience that too much power in the hands of one individual leads to anarchical injustice. In such context, our Founders, wisely and presciently, divided their newly created polity into three separate branches with “Checks and Balances” to prevent either branch’s excessive use of power or inappropriate function. The Presidential power of pardon, (Constitution Art.2, Sec.2), once denominated, “Alexander’s Hamilton’s Benign Prerogative,” is, in essence, inconsistent with the Founders’ principled goal to eschew “privilege,” (royal and birthright) and create a new Nation, one, governed under democratic principles including the contextual “equal protection of the law.” The many centuries of unjust history in Europe, that manifested royal and privileged birth (as well as an Established Church) were to be abrogated.

However, their provision of the Presidential pardon is notably dissonant with such declared principles. Its use has resulted in the perpetuation of retributive crime against American society, arbitrarily and officially thwarted and condoned at the whim of the society leader. An illustrative sample of the controversial right of pardon is, Ford’s pardon of the felonious acts of Nixon for his inarguably unAmerican crimes, known as “Watergate,” Clinton’s pardon of his brother, Roger Clinton, George Bush Sr.’s pardons in the Iran-Contra travesty, and Donald Trump’s cynical pardon of his son-in-law’s Father, Charles Kushner.

The unacceptability and inappropriate nature of the Presidential Pardon are convincingly and egregiously broadcasted by Donald Trump’s repeated intention to pardon the large horde of White Christian Nationalists and other enemies of democracy, charged and/or convicted for participation in the attempted coup d’etat by violent insurrection against. Washington’s Capitol Building, November 6, 2023, following Donald Trump’s defeat in the prior Presidential election.

The unprecedented, violent, and bloody, insurrection, legally and justly warranted the arrest, trial, and imprisonment of members of the angry mob who participated in the violent and bloody insurrection. The public declaration of President-Elect, Donald Trump that, following his inauguration (as the Nation’s 47th President), he will grant full pardons to the mobsters who participated in the November 6th, violent Capitol Building insurrection, is the zenith of cynicism and political toxicity in the recorded history of this unjust, vestigial organ of tyrannical Monarchy.

It has been factually proven that Donald J. Trump himself, was the (criminally indicted) sponsor and essential choreographer of the subject insurrection, Not uncommonly, we find ourselves presented, with a bizarre legal and moral “Mad Hatter” dilemma common to Trump matters. What would be the rational and societal message of the grant by Trump’ of his promised legal pardons to such compliant wrongdoers, for crimes in which he was a participant and, in fact, the chief sponsor?

The rational solution to such a calamitous dilemma may be as legally and morally obscure as the very existence and singular endurance of this inappropriate and archaic royal privilege.

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It would not be pragmatically possible to recount the countless rewards derived from decades of personal commitment to acquiring humanistic understanding and its beneficial result, mature perception. The latter quality provides the contemplative individual with the tools to relevantly and appropriately respond to life’s nuanced stimuli and to adjust personal expectations to be in sync with the changing periods of his life. Such an attainment delivers the ultimate reward of a meaningful and fulfilling life.

The acquisition of a formal education itself is certainly significant; however, when supplemented by one’s elective pursuit of enriching activities notably, reading good literature or participation in the “arts,” one travels on the reliable route to the destination of personal wisdom and self-fulfillment.

We have always found ourselves motivated by the beneficial goal of enlightenment, viz., the understanding of ourselves and others in the context of the changing nature of events and human existence. Our reading of ancient literature reveals Man’s existential need to appease the forces of nature by the faithful submission to atavistic belief in supernatural or Deistic causation and ultimate judgment. “Victorian literature” was instructive in articulating the effects, good and evil, of the era of industrial development and newly mechanized travel. In the “Modern School of Literature,” we are inclined to observe the harsh and determinative results of irresponsible moral choices. Significantly revealing was the metaphysical observation that many classic issues of mankind are historically repetitive, irrespective of the passage of time and contextual setting. In sum, the ardent and inquisitive pursuit of reading good literature was our open window to an insightful and contemplative understanding of ourselves and the ever-changing environment.

Recently, we read disturbing authoritative essays attesting to a contemporary decline in the willingness and capability of college students to read books or, no less, lengthy essays. Such a regrettably regressive trend is not, in our view, (as ventured in some of the authoritatively written observations) simply and reductively,, caused by the failures of Secondary School education. We are of the view, rather, that the fundamental problem, concerningly is more fundamental, as being ubiquitously one of contemporaneous society.

The distressing transmogrification of a once empirically- oriented, advancing society to one that now exalts convenience and reductionist solutions over the significance of the inquiry into, and understanding of, Mankind’s universal problems and its classic problems as the underlying root of such disappointing societal regression.

Too many of today’s students thoughtlessly and in short-sighted fashion, attend university, less for the classically relevant purpose of attaining enlightenment and personal growth, but rather, for the mundane purpose of preparing for a desired career. Such foolhardy and reductive dedication wastes and repudiates evolution’s generous gift of intelligence to humankind. Akin to playing computerized games (instead of gainfully reading), this is an inexcusable waste of precious life, shamefully consistent with the apparent crass and ungrateful enthrallment with ephemeral and mindless entertainment, worshiping (overpaid) sports heroes instead of brilliant philosophers, medically successful scientists, recognized fine artists and those of exceptional literary accomplishment. The obscene competition for the personal perception of celebrity status or the publically acknowledged possession of expensive toys, is fundamentally primitive and empirically revelatory of a chronic insecurity that is the cause of the avoidance of the many gifts to Mankind to be derived from the wise conduct of contemplative life.

The beneficial receipt of the many internal rewards to the contemplative citizen predictably leads to the personal franchise of his understanding of the self and other contemporary tenants of the globe, to good character as well contentment with life, and the golden rule, humanistic inclination for empathy; contrasted with the extant, detestable ignorance which, regrettably, has led to an expression of populist grievance, manifested by the victory of the current, undeniably, unsuitable victor of the 2024 American Presidential election.

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To appropriately attribute the classification of “sui generis (“one of a kind,” or, “in a class by itself”) to an identifiable member of the species, Homo Sapiens (as compared with a chemical substance, not listed in the comprehensive “Periodic Table of Elements”), in consideration of the existing wide variety of the human persona, would, empirically constitute a truly singular designation. Nevertheless, our comprehension of the contextual erm enables us to confidently classify that rare attribution to the bizarre persona and one-of-a-kind dynamics of Donald J, Trump.

The reader is presumably informed of Trump’s overabundant inventory of acts of misbehavior and likewise can comprehend his nuanced selections for Cabinet. Reportedly, at least four of such nominees are publically known to be sexual predators, and none have a scintilla o requisite capability for their proposed roles, These MAGA anchorites are, notably, similarly guilty of illegal acts, ranging from immoral misogyny to felonious crimes, including treason.

Trump, residing in his empirically impenetrable and neurotic bubble of pathological self-love and his insular lack of moral compass is popularly known for his multitudinous offenses against the Rule of Law and basic societal impropriety. This paragon of depravity, seemingly insulated and protected from retribution by some unstudied orange Teflon protective coating, has, bizarrely, been elected by the American voting public (the same public that only recently, had elected the astute and morally admirable, Barack Obama) for a second time. The empirical conundrum is ironic and puzzling.

Recently, such apparently the Orange-Teflon-protected, President-Elect, submitted to the Senate, as required by the Constitution, (Article 2, Section 2), a characterologically predictable, full,cuckoo-nest asylum of personally selected MAGA choices of Cabinet Secretaries and Official Advisors, As empirically predictable,, such selections, in addition to their mandated fidelity to the Orange Hazmat, evince in persona, a notable reflection and, in many cases, duplications, of the President-Elect’s pernicious traits and aberrant behavior.

As some illustrative examples,, he proposed Attorney General of the United States, is a known sexual predator and misogynist, under formal charges for felonious sex crimes including underage sex trafficking as well as drug offenses,. The choice of Secretary of Health and Human Resources is a seriously deluded conspiracy advocate and an anti-vaccine missionary, boasting a worm residing in his brain, and who reportedly has conducted himself in a highly exotic manner, inclusive of the act of nighttime deposit of a dead bear in New York’s Central Park,.The Trump-proposed internationally sensitive role of head of National Intelligence, in a MAGA sycophant who publically repeats and admires Putin’s propaganda, and shares a close friendship with Syria’s, murderous tyrant, Assad. The irresponsibly selected Secretary of Defense is a known misogynist, rapist, and dedicated alcoholic with no relevant experience in Military matters. A more complete list of Trump’s unseemly, ill-advised, Barnum and Bailey roster of selections to fill the Nation’s vitally important posts would reveal the similar inexperience, incapacity, fealty to Trump, and analogous societal immorality.

Such features are so egregious that several Senators, despite their unexplainable, cult-like religious thrall to Donald Trump (conceivably, in response to their citizen supporters,) have expressed and in some cases, already acted on their morally principled and pragmatic objections to many of the Trump-selected candidates. We would expect that many others, driven by unavoidable instinctive rectitude (or their voters) will\ betray their Diest-like piety to Trump and reject many of the other Trump- selected nominees.

Our disturbing conundrum is our agonizing inability to comprehend such a consistent and appropriate response to Trump; himself, characterized by analogous reasons, who seems to be protected by some orange Teflon and is accepted as sui generis.

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The fortuitous development of a warm-blooded mammal gifted with the capability of reason constituted the zenith of evolution’s dynamic process. Over the uncountable eons of humankind’s existence, notably, in his ever-increasing acquisition of empirical experience, such remarkable, franchise developed by degrees, ultimately attaining the level of its extant capability. Man usefully learned to live in society and benefit from its cornucopia of facilities, notably, the existentially important franchise to mutually communicate and learn from each other by the relation and exchange of empirical experience./

The ultimate realization of utilitarian cognition beneficially resulted in the development of successful production and agricultural techniques, architecture, and disease prevention. as well as sophisticated levels of social advancement, art and architecture, and self-awareness. Mankind’s advancing potential, gifted from such dynamics of progressive natural evolution. resulted in the development of mechanical and agricultural skills, the discovery of methods of disease prevention, and unfettered mobility. Humankind reveled in its perception of unlimited developmental capability, exponentially ratified by his many positive accomplishments astonishingly, extending to travel to outer space. Mankind, flushed with success, at some determinative point, saw the development and exponential utilization of computer prowess to render services in a facile and accurate manner.

Analogous to the disastrous events, unwittingly confronted by the fictional Apprentice in Goethe’s (and Disney’s) tale, a tsunami of non-fictional disaster resulted from the thoughtless substitution of digital computer facilities for human interaction. An already worrisomely divisive Nation was rendered more disparate by the consequent lack of authentic and socially fulfilling personal interaction. The word “friend” was no longer significant of an intimate relation, emotional expression was curtailed, and as a result, unhealthy feelings of division, loneliness, and isolation were exacerbated. The prophylactic mandate of physical separation and “masking” during the covid pandemic, added to the impersonality of human interaction to the material detriment of societal and personal identification.

Our regular followers know that it has eternally been our view that the all-important guide to personal behavior and reaction to sundry stimuli, is motivated by our developed and maintained “self-image; and that our perception of self-identity is, in large part, an interpretive empirical result of the perceived reaction of other members of society with whom we interact. With delimited or no personal interaction, our self-knowledge and understanding of others, in the lexicon of the naturalist, becomes a “threatened or extinct species.” Reports of anxiety, depression, and even suicide, especially among the young (notably, girls) reportedly have been the tragic result of this convenient, but ultimately, dehumanizing facility.

The “smartphone” has become the mandated encyclopedic repository of ubiquitous human consciousness, personalized experiences, and traditional knowledge, replacing healthy and self-affirming, social activities; such as library research, reading books and magazines, the joint study of maps, taking displayable and durable photographs, mutually sharing the enjoyment of music, writing personal letters, telling time, and the receipt and transmission of notifications and reminders, indeed, constituting a virtual a universe of private and essentially disconnected life experience, most notably, and impactfully. the socially existential franchise of human interaction. The misplacement, or [Horrors!] loss, of this facile and quickly utilized, referable “ersatz persona” is akin to being alone, shipwrecked on a distant and unchartered Pacific island.

Tragically, our figurative, inept, and greatly terrified societal apprentice, haplessly responsible for this analogous deluge of societal tragedy, lacks the benefit of a saving intervention by a sorcerer, capable of halting the deluge and metastasis of this toxic and existential social pandemic. We with great reluctance, confess that we fear for the state of health of an already septic society.

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• Title on generous loan from the Johann Goethe

The present writing,/is contextually related to the theme of Blogpost # 171 “THE WEAPONIZATION OF LIBERTY.” In the latter writing, we frustratingly observed the cynical and tactically successful use of the Nation’s established constitutional rights, in aid of the perverse support of the extant attack upon that constitution and its subject Republican Democracy.

It is our observation that in the existential conflict between freedom and democracy and their enemy, authoritarianism, the opponents of Republican Democracy employ unprincipled guerilla tactics that appear to be inadequately opposed by the ethical rules of engagement, We do not critique the propriety or moral response to actions and policies devised to undermine our constitution, or the societally beneficial rule of law, but do observe their empirical and disappointing effectiveness. In sum, we affirmatively note the unbalanced effectiveness between brute force and unprincipled tactics and those, in response, which signify recognized propriety and ethical rules of engagement, To be clear, we do not encourage a sea-change by the responsive party to such contrasting phenomena; however, we do need policies in recognition of such impactful contrast.

The temporal motivation for this writing is President Joseph Biden’s publically broadcasted heroic statements that he will not grant a Presidential pardon to his son despite the long and copious history of past, arbitrary Presidential pardons to proven anti-societal and empirically undeserving criminals, This naive and morally principled declaration by Biden is, in fact, personally distressing as well a deemed morally unnecessary, especially in light of the political nature of the prosecution of the crimes, evidently based upon the familial relationship of the accused to the sitting President, If President Biden is motivated dedicatedly and unselfishly, in his public and painfully impartial resolution, inarguably based upon traditional principles of justice and equity, they empirically fall on deaf ears. This ubiquitous demonstration of self-destructive morality on the part of actors, supportive of democratic justice is beneficially appreciated by its effective beneficiaries, viz., the unprincipled, and autocratic enemies of the Democratic Republic. To essay a relevant, analogous reference, the Marquis of Queensbury Rules are fundamentally irrelevant and inappropriate in response to the style and practice of undisciplined street fighting.

It is precisely this Jejune dedication to the demonstrative ratification of legal and morally impeccable constitutional rectitude that provided the ammunition for Donald J. T rump’s “get out of jail” monopoly card for thirty-four adjudicated guilty felonies, ninety-one felony indictments, judicial adjudications of rape and misogynic abuse, his treasonous relations with Russia’s tyrant, Putin, his criminal withholding of secret governmental documents, acts of voter interference, sponsorship of insurrection, his egregious tax deceit, enunciated bigotry, profuse violation of the “Emolument Clause” of the constitution, his autocratic influence on SCOTUS and, as a disastrous result, his fateful reelection to the existentially significant role of President of the United States..

We do not, to any degree, support a protective or any other limitation of the Nation’s singular inventory of citizen rights or the adroit tailoring of the contextual garment of constitutionally protective assurances; nevertheless, we do ardently recommend their wiser strategic application in the morally existential interest of preservation and continuation of equal justice.

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It often appears that when one is peacefully and mindlessly engaged in an intimately private activity, such as enjoying a simple breakfast of buttered toast and hot coffee, the ultimate, metaphysical questions seem to launch their surprise, guerilla-style, appearance, and attack. This morning, it was the conundrum regarding the nature and etiology of bigotry practiced against others who merely differ in skin color, credo, or sexual persuasion. The suddenly presented issue represents the unfortunate subject of a totally irrational but, nevertheless, all-pervasive, historical blemish on the physiognomy of humankind.

Any rational or objective homo sapiens would, empirically and objectively, be able to comprehend the metaphysical reality that Man, universally, is born into family groups of nuanced cultural beliefs and inherited skin color. The nature and variation of the latter, as is tautologically accurate, are subject to the biological vagaries attendant on the determinative features of the parents of the born child. Is it rationally or empirically necessary to observe that empirical nature, not the choices of the newly arrived individual, that is decisional regarding his nuanced, biologically appropriate features and later ethnically acquired cultural ethnos.

Yet, regrettably, Man’s history reveals a shameful and consistent saga of war, suffering, and tragic injustice, founded on the eternally pernicious and entirely irrational determination that variation from the personal or ethnic traits of the temporal societally dominant group, as stated, the irrefutably biological result of inherited physical traits and, later societally appropriate spiritual traits are an intolerable abomination. What, in fact, the egregious abomination is the existence and practice of such pathological mindset, viz,,” bigotry,”

As we finished spooning a generous portion of apricot preserves on the buttered toast and venturing an enjoyable bite, we mused, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful, if…”

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The ethnic American rite of assembling with family and close friends for the annual “Thanksgiving” dinner is unquestionably salubrious, irrespective of its false sand pollyannaish, Hallmark Card Company portrayal of early American history; the proverbial First Americans having, in truth, been forcibly (and shamefully) dispossessed from their traditional homelands. Despite such sophomoric litany, the event remains, empirically and ubiquitously, an undeniably happy, social event

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On the morning following this year’s traditional event, certain cogent thoughts arose which we deem worthy of observation. We do maintain an empirically based doubt that the express holiday theme was “top of mind” of the celebrants; who appeared to be rather more interested in subjects akin to sports team standings, travel to the venue of the holiday dinner, and sundry notable family events..

Nevertheless, we would note certain unspoken, subjects for which participants in the ritualized event, should be implicitly and expressly thankful. Metaphysically basic is one’s physical presence at the holiday meal, attesting to the fortunate continuance of his life. Being alive constitutes the singular and paramount cause of celebration; however, the vital subject is thoughtlessly and, presumptuously ignored, unless the danger of mortality is temporally relevant.

Lost in the morass of mundane social interaction, such as the standing of sports teams, the cost of gasoline and air travel, the expense of household repairs, romantic engagements, movie and entertainment preferences, cooking and baking techniques, weather and global warming, (never politics), vacations, even cats and dogs, is the appropriate consideration of existentially vital matters; such as health, aging, personal dedication, morality, peace and war, global warming and the living environment, as well as societal issues such as race relations, criminal justice, charitable assistance to the needy, educational standards, authoritarian censorship, public health, international affairs, great literature and one’s stimulating participation in the arts, beneficial charitable enterprise, issues of infrastructural need, the military, and immigration. Our uniquely good fortune regarding these existentially important matters is fortuitously dependent upon our American citizenship, for which we should appropriately give thanks.

It may be observed that the implicit and appropriate expressions of gratitude, although usually not included in the mundane discussion at the Thanksgiving table, are matters deserving of eternal recognition and not inadequately confined to a designated day in November.

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The First Ten Amendments of the Nation’s Constitution are notable admonitions against governmental interference with the enumerated rights of citizens and embody the foundational principles of our Republican Democracy. In our view, the protection of “Free Speech ” constitutes the most emblematic and signature expression of citizen liberty. This revered and definitional right, like all of the enunciated rights has its ultimate, and societally necessary limitations. One cannot, irresponsibly and falsely “cry fire in a crowded theater.” The limit on the Constitution’s broad grant of liberty, legally and empirically likewise ceases when one’s fist reaches the tip of the other’s nose.

One can confidently observe that the gravamen of most cases involving constitutional issues directly or indirectly concerns the application or the limitation of the relevant application of citizen rights. While judicial history may demonstrate temporal differences in temp[oral rulings, it is safe to say that the protection of the citizen’s right to free speech occupies an existentially significant place in the definitional and dynamic existence of democracy.

Any cursory examination of recent history would predictably and disturbingly, evidence the cynical and tactical misuse of constitutionally democratic rights in sundry attempts to destroy democracy and tactically institute an autocratic regime. The empirical vulnerability of democratic humanism is eternally challenged by the enemies of liberty, who exhibit, in their aspirational goals, draconian limitations on freedom of expression.

In our view, one of the most disturbing examples of the jejune and hapless vulnerability of our Nation to tactically pernicious efforts to destroy its humanistic democracy is evidenced by the nazi -inspired, violent Charlestonville demonstration, publically advertised, “Unite the Right.” The event was a violent, pro-nazi demonstration by self-identified acolytes of Adolph Hitler, carrying swastika-bearing flags, shouting anti-Semitic, tropes like “blood and soil,” and “we will not be replaced.” Ku Klux Klan vigilantes, and other sundry scoundrels, emitting prejudicial and atavistic slogans.

Another outstanding example of the Jejune and idealistic application of democratic permissiveness was seen in a similarly hateful demonstration of nazi-style hatred that occurred in Skokie Illinois, in 1977. The psychopathically hateful Nazi demonstration was tactically located in that specific venue, the residential venue of a large population of Holocaust survivors. It is thematically notable that the group’s March application was appropriately denied by the local authorities, but re-instated due to the naively ingenuous legal efforts of the local ACLU on the( thematic) grounds of freedom of speech. The principled but naive intention to extend basic American rights to the arch-enemies of democracy has proven naive and empirically destructive to those very principles.

The legal and moral unacceptability of the Trump Presidency, despite his relentless program of immoral, undemocratic, and authoritarian inclinations was empirically made possible, by the MAGA tactical and thematically inappropriate exploitation of the societal standards of constitutional permissiveness. in perverse support of the exercise of autocratic ambitions.

To be clear, we are dedicated and ardent supporters of free speech and the host of other democratically recognized rights and grants of human franchises. As observed above, however, the inalienable grants of citizen rights do have appropriate, and rational limitations..This is the foundational doctrine. similar to proscribing falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater..

We, affirmatively, oppose any limitations on the right of free speech; what we do recommend, is the proscription of hateful, anti-democratic, and discriminatory speech and activities (like “crying fire in a crowded theater”) in the pragmatic interest of protecting that right, and the other rights appropriate to a democracy. In its implementation, a wisely pragmatic standard of proof would be democratically salutary.

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