Civil Discourse Now

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

October 2022 Blog Posts (21)

This iteration of the Indiana GOP's silly platform.

Rep Ed De Laney, Democratic incumbent in Indiana’s 86th House District. I am the nominee of the GOP. Tomorrow, 10/31, 11:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m, we shall discuss women’s reproductive rights, the environment, guns, marijuana, and school finance & curricula.

IN GOP’s 2022 platform states the GOP “provides women the greatest freedom and framework for prosperity for themselves and our families” (p. 5) but lauds overturning of Roe (p. 4) and says the GOP’s “long history of electing…

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Added by Mark Small on October 30, 2022 at 7:47pm — No Comments

Conversation between opponents for IN House Distr 86 at 11:30 a.m. on 10/31

Tomorrow, Monday October 31 at 11:30 a.m., an event (perhaps unusual in these times) will occur on Civil Discourse Now (on Facebook and YouTube). Opponents for a seat in the Indiana House of Representatives will have a conversation, without a moderator, about issues. 1/4

Rep Ed De Laney is the Democratic Party nominee and the incumbent in Indiana’s 86th House District. From the GOP will be me, Mark Small. I won the primary. We shall discuss women’s reproductive rights, the…

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Added by Mark Small on October 30, 2022 at 10:45am — No Comments

A Conversation Between Opponents, Mon Oct 31 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

On Monday, October 31 at 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. on
Facebook and on YouTube,
Rep Ed De Laney, of the Democratic Party and
the incumbent in Indiana’s 86th House District,
and Mark Small, nominee of the Republican
Party for that seat, will discuss
Women’s reproductive rights, the environment,
guns, school finance & curricula, and
marijuana.

Added by Mark Small on October 27, 2022 at 8:45pm — No Comments

Vermont has a progressive GOP candidate for U.S. House! I'm not alone.

I’m the pro-choice, pro-green, pro-civil rts, pro-sep’n of church & State, anti-gun GOP nominee for IN House Distr 86 & have been blunt. We can’t abandon one the 2 “major” parties to forces of bigotry & ignorance. I’m not alone. Liam Madden is VT nominee for US House. 1/4

He served in the Marines & has worked in renewable energy, as a farm hand & as a waiter. He served as director of Iraq Veterans Against the War. He’s anti-MAGA GOP nominee for VT’s seat in U.S.…

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Added by Mark Small on October 27, 2022 at 8:15pm — No Comments

This iteration of IN GOP isn't accountable to voters

In 1987's “Predator,” Blain played by (later Minn Gov) Jesse Ventura said the predator was “dug in like an Alabama tick” an apt metaphor for how this iteration of the IN GOP in 2005 used our election laws to grab control of the party & never give it up. If these laws aren’t changed? 1/4

Any political party should be accountable to voters, the most basic way being a take-over by the voters. IN’s GOP was set up to protect the control of a few. “State Committee is the supreme party…

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Added by Mark Small on October 24, 2022 at 8:54pm — No Comments

GOP wasn't based on religion, so MAGA cultists should take care whom they call "trash."

The following invocation occurred at a rally attended by trump ppl at Manheim PA last weekend:

“God, open the eyes of Pres Trump’s understanding, that he will know how to implement divine intervention. And you will not surround him with RINO trash, in the name of Jesus.” NO! 1/7

MAGA ppl, ignorant of origins of the GOP & of U.S. history, are Republicans “in name only.” A 1st meeting of the GOP was held 3/1/1854 & issued & stood: “Resolved, that all of the outrages…

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Added by Mark Small on October 24, 2022 at 12:11pm — No Comments

Submit podcasts of your belief or faith to Broad Ripple GOP Club FB page now!

IMPORTANT: As noted last evening, Broad Ripple (“BR”) GOP Club posted on its FB page a podcast, “Faith, Family & Politics.” The 1st Amend: “[N]o law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The BR GOP Club has to allow free 1/5

expression of all beliefs about our place in the universe. “God” isn’t the property of the far right. And the GOP isn’t owned by Jesus. That’s why I encourage people of any and all beliefs to seek to have their…

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Added by Mark Small on October 22, 2022 at 10:34am — No Comments

Adherents to all beliefs about our place in the cosmos should submit podcasts to BR GOP

“God” isn’t the property of the far right. The Framers did not mention a deity in The Constitution & did not open sessions w/prayer. In 1803, James Madison wrote “separation of church & state is to keep forever fr these shores” strife soaked the soil of Europe w/blood for centuries.” 1/5

On Broad Ripple (“BR”) GOP Club’s FB page episode 37 of podcast, “Faith, Family & Politics” is been posted & advances evangelicalism. Christianity is the theme. 1st Amend: “[N]o law…

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Added by Mark Small on October 21, 2022 at 8:16pm — No Comments

Worried about the economy? Why in the hell look to this iteration of the GOP for answers?

Leaders of this iteration of the GOP are smug in their nihilism, the title “party of No” earned as then-Sen Obama was elected Pres. Problem: once obstruction is a strategy, a shift to doing something positive is difficult. That’s why we must recognize the threat this poses. 1/5

GOP policies: tax breaks 4 vulture capitalists that get fat fr destruction of profitable businesses; tax breaks for the already-rich; eliminating regs that protect the environment; overturning Roe v Wade; &…

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Added by Mark Small on October 19, 2022 at 3:09pm — No Comments

Parents should not have input in curricula of public schools

A) Your kid is incredibly sick & the meds that always worked before don’t. Do you want your kid’s M.D. to have been taught from first grade, & maybe through med school, that “evolution” is just a “theory”? (Hint: if meds are over-used, pathogens evolve.) 1/4

B) You & your family board an airliner. Do you want the plane designed by engineers who’ve been taught that only “God” is infinite & therefore repeating numbers (like the value for Pi) can’t exist? What about all…

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Added by Mark Small on October 19, 2022 at 7:06am — 1 Comment

IN budget surplus should go to infrastructure: e.g., healthcare

A 60-ish male is prudent to consult a urologist, especially if residual neuropathy makes a catheter necessary to tap a kidney. Urinary tract infections (UTI)s are not uncommon for ppl who use catheters. Urologist’s office this morning: couldn’t get to it & go see Doc-in-the-Box. 1/4

1) Indiana has a budget surplus in the billions. We need to shore up infrastructure, in healthcare, roads & education. People do not want to work on the front lines in healthcare. Pay sucks, the…

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Added by Mark Small on October 17, 2022 at 6:09pm — No Comments

Gov't overreach: requiring prescription for catheters

I

In 1994 I was mis-diagnosed w/MS. Over 21 years and six neurologists later, the diagnosis was revised: transverse myelitis simultaneously w/a really bad virus, initial treatment for which was the same as MS. Neither waist-down paralysis nor “residual neuropathy” was imaginary. 1/5

This individualized “residual neuropathy” has meant use of a catheter to urinate. Ideally one uses a new catheter each time, to avoid urinary tract infections (UTI). Purchase of catheters (16-18" in…

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Added by Mark Small on October 16, 2022 at 8:55pm — No Comments

Crucial differences between Hitler and tfg

Ppl unfairly compare Hitler to the individual who held the Oval Office 2017-2021 (“tfg”). There are significant differences: 1) Hitler did not dodge the draft, but enlisted, fought in WW I & twice was awarded the Iron Cross (though we don’t know if Hitler had bone spurs; 1/4

2) Hitler actually wrote (Hess typed) the best seller published under his name, but tfg had ghost writers; 3) Hitler was “in the black” financially (mostly from book sales) when he took office, while tfg who…

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Added by Mark Small on October 14, 2022 at 7:07am — No Comments

Congressional leaders on Jan 6 could not get protection

Leaders of both houses of Congress called federal, then State, authorities to protect those leaders & their staffs as The Capitol was stormed on 1/6/21. The leaders of Congress were stonewalled. That refusal to provide assistance was malicious and cannot be forgiven. 1/3

In “The Godfather,” Michael Corleone, at the hospital to visit his father, is shocked: no guards are present. He moves Vito to another room. It’s obvious Vito was to be killed. MAGA: don’t brag on the internet…

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Added by Mark Small on October 13, 2022 at 6:05pm — No Comments

Agree w/me? Pass the word to 3 friends & ask them to do the same

Money drives American politics. Nearly (minus those who have $$$ &/or benefit from it) decries how people simply buy office. Ideas and positions on issues are supposed to be the essence of a political campaign. Early voting has begun. My platform: 1) Fight gun ignorance. 1/4

NRA’s $$$ (Todd Young loves their green) has blocked peer reviewed studies of guns as health threat. We were taught the Fed/State thing allows States to experiment where the Fed won’t or can’t. I propose…

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Added by Mark Small on October 12, 2022 at 9:12pm — No Comments

The First Amendment in action!

We’ve seen this movie: would-be-military groups who “parade to incite terror & claim to be sole voices of a greater power.” Those who fail to study history have to repeat the class & drag the rest of us along. The evils don’t recur all at once & some have an illusion of time-outs. 1/6

For example, public school students were required to salute the flag, by extending the right arm, palm upward, and declare: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…

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Added by Mark Small on October 11, 2022 at 3:07pm — No Comments

Free expression protected by the Constitution does not include insurrection

The 1st Amendment protects free speech: “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom speech...” Indiana’s Const: “No law shall be passed, restraining the free interchange of thought and opinion, or restricting the right to speak ... on any subject whatever...” Art. I, §9 1/4

SCOTUS has long recognized the 1st Amendment’s protection does not end w/the spoken or written word (Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 404 (1989); flags are a primitive but effective way of communicating…

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Added by Mark Small on October 10, 2022 at 5:19pm — No Comments

Columbus was not a hero

This used to be “Columbus Day.” Few have read Columbus’s journal about the people who greeted him & his crew 10/12/1492: “They ... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things... “They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features... 1/3

“They do not bear arms ... I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane... They would make fine servants... With 50 men…

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Added by Mark Small on October 10, 2022 at 8:38am — No Comments

Musk just wants ppl to quit: that's why he's faking ppl out

Elon Musk says he’s going ahead with his takeover of Twitter. As a result people quit Twitter & look for someplace else. What has changed? Mid-term elections have gotten closer, the blowback from overturning Roe v Wade has painted a blue November and - did Musk get more $? 1/2

Pay no attention: he’s not even the man behind the curtain, the deal isn’t final, & he wants us to quit. I’m Mark Small: pro-voting rights, pro-legalization of drugs, pro-choice, pro-civil rts GOP…

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Added by Mark Small on October 8, 2022 at 6:26pm — No Comments

Review: "Rossville" by George Wilson

On Friday, Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m., there will be a launch party at Broad Ripple Tavern, 745 Broad Ripple Avenue. George Wilson’s “Rossville: Collected Short Stories” consists of four short stories and three short paragraphs in a short final section.

Each story seems to appeal to a different group of readers. If you like gratuitous violence and salacious narratives a/k/a low-brow smut, you will be disappointed. The stories share a comedic tone, albeit light. They also have good plots. …

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Added by Mark Small on October 7, 2022 at 11:51am — No Comments

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