Civil Discourse Now

Where the far left and far right overlap for fun and enlightenment

All Blog Posts (1,721)

Learning to walk again after a diagnosis then different neurologists

I wouldn’t let MS “beat” me. I was pro-active: walks got longer, fr half-an-hour each morning to well over an hour. Dr. Guru seemed mildly amused by my efforts at exercise. But during one of my appointments, he said a study by French researchers indicated exercise helps to fight MS. 1/8

Over several years I went from walking about half-an-hour each morning to over an hour. The Indianapolis 500 Festival has a half-marathon called The Mini Marathon, at the beginning of each May. A lot…

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Added by Mark Small on April 7, 2023 at 12:51pm — No Comments

And now a short break to consider misdiagnoses of life-altering conditions

June, 2015, on the morning of my birthday, I had an apptmt w/a neurologist at IU North. A too-long drive was one of several reasons I decided to switch neurologists. My reality has been shaped, significantly, since January, 1994, when I was diagnosed w/multiple sclerosis. 1/8

1994: By 2nd of what became 9 days in the hospital, I was paralyzed waist down. Neurologist who diagnosed had: (1) results of 4 MRIs & an LP (lumbar puncture or spinal tap); (2) labs fr numerous vials of…

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Added by Mark Small on April 6, 2023 at 5:17pm — No Comments

Fraud in 2016 election delivered a far-right SCOTUS we can't afford

A far right-wing minority in the USA should not be allowed to keep the benefits from trump’s fraudulent grab of the Oval Office in 2016. A few investors in Carlo Ponzi’s scheme in the early 1920s learned that even those acting in good faith don’t get to keep such profits. In 1976, 1/6

a U.S. District Court held ordering a new Pres election is not beyond equity jurisdiction of the federal courts. Protecting the integrity of elections, esp Presidential contests, is essential to a free…

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Added by Mark Small on April 5, 2023 at 10:31am — 1 Comment

Fraud renders the 2016 POTUS election, and all that flowed from it, VOID.

On 9/23/17, in this blog, I described cases in which I represented people who sought to have the 2016 Presidential election declared void. A U.S. District Court held that action it is within the equitable jurisdiction of the court. Donohue v Bd of Electors, 435 F.Supp 957 (E.D. 1976).

Ordering a new Pres election is not beyond equity jurisdiction of the federal courts. “Protecting the integrity of elections - particularly Presidential contests - is essential to a free and democratic…

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Added by Mark Small on April 4, 2023 at 5:44pm — No Comments

Construing The Constitution is not easy (even a simpleton like Micah Beckwith)

"God" is absent from The Constitution produced by the Convention and signed on 9/17/1787. Indiana preacher Micah Beckwith says understanding The Constitution is "easy" but reads his deity into it. My friend Paul Ogden, on thr other hand, says limits on religion are there, but

limits "had to do with establishing a national religion." "Originalism" is the belief that how we interpret The Constitution is controlled by the intent of the Framers, the 55 delegates at the 1787 Convention.…

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Added by Mark Small on March 13, 2023 at 8:41pm — No Comments

Does Sen Mike Braun have a "tell": smirks when he makes a racist comment?:

In a 3/9/23 email, Sen Mike Braun (R-IN) tries to tee off on President Biden for being “the very reason we have these disastrous deficits to begin with” & has no plan “to get America back on track.” No: trump’s tax cuts for the rich + increased defense spending = > $1 trillion deficit. 1/5

Trend: GOP Pres runs up deficit (Reagan/Bush I). Dem Pres tries to cut deficit (Clinton). GOP takes Oval Office & runs up deficit again (Bush II). Pres Obama got double whammy of deficit…

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Added by Mark Small on March 9, 2023 at 10:06pm — No Comments

Sen Mike Braun turns a blind eye to real crime to advocate violence!

In 3/7/23 email, Sen Mike Braun (R-IN) says: “There’s a war on cops” & “soft-on-crime policies are at the root..” Last year Braun courageously tried to walk back approval of criminal penalties for mixed-race marriages. To blame “soft-on-crime policies” displays similar ignorance. 1/7



As the Brennan Center (9/27/21) notes, “‘brute force’ responses” to violent crime fail for three reasons. (1) There’s no evidence draconian sentences reduce crime; (2) Calling a crime “violent” is…

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Added by Mark Small on March 8, 2023 at 5:21pm — No Comments

Originalism is at odds with disregard of slavery

There is significant overlap of people who say: (1) We need to get past slavery as part of our history; and (2) We have to apply The Constitution as the men who wrote it meant (also called “original intent”). Slavery formally ended in 1865. The Constitution was signed in 1787. 1/7

Slaves learned few skills; often, by law, could not be taught reading/writing/simple math. Only 4 years of warfare & more American lives lost than any war in our history ended slavery. In 1865 Southern…

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Added by Mark Small on March 7, 2023 at 9:40pm — No Comments

Far right candidates (esp my opponent) should declare themselves

Steve Bannon, a few years ago & between bouts of enhancing gin blossoms on his nose, said ppl on the far right need to run for offices at every level. As part of this effort, some on the far right try to fly under the radar of voters. Some issues would seem unrelated to some local offices. For example... 1/5 

City-County Council in Indianapolis/Marion County discusses local development and taxes. Yet women’s reproductive rights, institutional…

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Added by Mark Small on March 5, 2023 at 9:33pm — No Comments

Indy GOP plays favorites in lead-up to May primary

Control of Indiana’s GOP by a few at the top chugs along as it has since 2005 when James Bopp, Jr. filed the Articles of Incorporation for the Indiana Republican State Committee, of which the Indiana Republican Party is a d/b/a. Worse: the party plays favorites. Example: Saturday, 1/5

March 4, Marion County’s GOP invited candidates in the 2023 municipal elections to a training session. I’m an anti-TIF, anti-corporate welfare, anti-gun GOP candidate in District 2. I wasn’t invited,…

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Added by Mark Small on March 5, 2023 at 3:15pm — No Comments

Our Constitution: Its Origins & What Followed

God might appear in INCD5 since Rep Spartz (R), after 2 terms, has called it quits. She beat 13 others (12 tried to out-right wing each other) in the 2020 primary. Micah Beckwith, one of those 12, will begin a series of talks about The Constitution. Beckwith tells ppl to “stay away 1/8



from higher education and [its] secular progressive bias” & claims training/ed’n on constitutional law from “Hillsdale College as well as a plethora of private studies and research.” God, per… Continue

Added by Mark Small on February 19, 2023 at 10:58am — 1 Comment

Sen Mike Braun (R-IN) has incited CRT & should keep his mouth shut about Lincoln

Today’s email from Sen Mike Braun (R-IN) is puke-worthy. After all, last year Braun smirked in an interview & sd States should be allowed to ban interracial marriage. In Loving v Virginia, 388 U.S. 1, SCOTUS held such statutes unconstitutional. Today Braun reflected on: 1/6



“Abraham Lincoln’s birthday” & “what leadership means to me.” He notes Lincoln “spent most of his boyhood in Indiana” & trailblazed a “path to promise for ... every boy and girl who dreams of something… Continue

Added by Mark Small on February 12, 2023 at 5:15pm — No Comments

Paul Ogden should be careful about where he leaves his flip phone

My good friend Paul Ogden left his flip phone out & used it to post a reply, under Paul’s name, to my blog about “RINOs.” I’ll address the 6 sentences the miscreant wrote. First: gun free zones won’t work because criminals won’t leave their guns “at home.” “Home” is the problem. 1/5

Since mid-1990s, NRA $$$ & members of Congress have blocked CDC sponsorship of peer reviewed studies of guns as a health risk & whether guns work in preventing crime. Gun free zones worked in…

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Added by Mark Small on February 6, 2023 at 7:57pm — 1 Comment

The real "RINOs" are those on the far right who have hijacked the formerly progressive GOP

Each “RINO” (“Republican in Name Only”) should be ashamed. From its 1854 founding as the party opposed to slavery, through legislative enactments for an income tax “proportionate to ( ) ability to pay,” Rep Morrill (R-VT), to fighting for clean air & water (1890s to 1970s)... 1/6



through protecting a woman’s right to choose, the GOP was not “a” but the progressive party. In 1964, cynics covetous of power realized the GOP could poach Electors’ votes from Dems’ “Solid South” by an… Continue

Added by Mark Small on February 5, 2023 at 8:11am — 1 Comment

If we want to reduce violent crime, we have to reduce numbers of guns.

Friends say: avoid “national” issues as I run for City-County Council in the May primary. Their concerns are legit. I’m conversant on fiscal issues, such as TIFS (I’m against them) and money to pro sports (love sports, but hate subsidies to billionaires). I can’t avoid some issues. 1/5

Want to reduce deaths from guns? Reduce the guns in our city. Lauren Boebert, idiot member of Congress (R-Col) sd we have 4% of the World’s population &“only” 46% of the World’s guns. If we bury the…

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Added by Mark Small on February 4, 2023 at 9:03pm — No Comments

I'm running for City-County Council to fight bigotry & ignorance

UniGov joined the government of Indianapolis w/the governments of most of the rest of Marion County in 1970. The idea was to coherently plan development, foster systems of transportation & services that best meet people’s needs, all in a peaceful environment. We’ve come up short. 1/6



This iteration of the GOP has trained its base to salivate & growl “Socialism!” selectively. Party donors make merry w/TIF funds. Bus lines are placed to serve developers’ needs. Crime rates rise… Continue

Added by Mark Small on February 4, 2023 at 3:25pm — No Comments

Florida's racist governor doesn't know much about history

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis: delusional, stupid or a liar. He has said that the American revolution caused ppl for the first time “to question slavery” & as a result this country gave all ppl equal rights. DeSantis is doing his best to court white supremacists as he eyes the Oval Office. 13

1) Slavery was allowed in all 13 colonies. (Marq Law Sch faculty blog, 12/20/12). 2) The 1787 Constitution was no more advance: "...the right of property in a slave is distinctly and expressly…

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Added by Mark Small on January 31, 2023 at 10:06pm — No Comments

8 p.m. tonight Jan 22: guests will describe what happened Thursday

At 8 pm this 22nd day of January, I shall interview two women who were at the Indiana Supreme Court this past Thursday for oral argument in Med Lic Bd v Planned Parenthood, 22S-PL-338, in which the constitutionality of IN’s “near-total” abortion ban was argued. 1/3

Monique Rust is an artist and long-time activist in Indianapolis. Kim Saylor also has long been active for peoples’ rights in Indy. They will describe how ppl who wanted to watch who wore green to support women’s rights…

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Added by Mark Small on January 22, 2023 at 8:26pm — No Comments

Discrimination at Indiana Supreme Court & no coverage by local media: Prof Sheila Kennedy is right

Prof Sheila Kennedy regularly blogs, in dismay, about the decline of local journalism & its impact on our lives. This week’s debacle at the Indiana Supreme Court is an example. Oral argument was held Thurs, 01/19 in Mem Med Lic Bd., et al v Pl Parenthood, 22S-PL-338. 1/5



Two Indiana trial court judges had held IN’s “near-total ban” of abortions is unconstitutional. Of many ppl who wanted to watch were those who support women’s rights & wear green to show that support. But… Continue

Added by Mark Small on January 22, 2023 at 2:03pm — No Comments

People wearing green were denied entry to IN's Supreme Court to show the Court isn't biased (as opponents wearing blue walked right in)...

A jacket w/”F*** the Draft” printed on it is protected speech in a courtroom. Cohen v California, 403 U.S. 15, 19 (1971). 1st Amendment: “Congress shall make no law () abridging () freedom of speech” Art. I sec 9 of Indiana’s Const’n also protects free speech. Oral argument was held 1/4



at the Indiana Supreme Court Thursday in Members of Med Lic Bd., et al v Planned Parenthood, et al, 22S-PL-338. The issue: whether IN’s “near-total ban” of abortions is constitutional. Those who… Continue

Added by Mark Small on January 21, 2023 at 10:11am — No Comments

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