Civil Discourse Now

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

Mark Small's Blog (1,678)

Our rights are protected: everyone should read

In posts these past several days, I have relied upon “primary sources” [FN1] to show this country was founded as neither theocracy [FN2] nor Christian. That several States record dates as “in the year of our Lord” [FN3] does not dispel the point, as primary sources illustrate. 1/12

States also noted dates as “A.D.,” [FN4] or “Latin ‘in the year of the Lord’[] Since the supposed year in which Jesus Christ was born; of the current era.” [FN5] Other States used no such tags. [FN6] No…

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Added by Mark Small on January 10, 2024 at 9:38am — No Comments

"God" was not invited to the party

Each State was required to a hold convention to vote whether to ratify The Constitution. [FN1]. Few delegates to Philadelphia also served in their States’ conventions. [FN2]. Records of the state conventions do not support a claim that the USA either is a theocracy or Christian. 1/12

Delaware was the first State to ratify, on 12/7/87. Its report lists the names of the delegates, who voted 30-0 to ratify, two of whom had been delegates in Philadelphia. [FN3] The report refers to the…

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Added by Mark Small on January 9, 2024 at 3:16pm — No Comments

Beckwith ditches MAGA belief for the word of "The Lord"

There was insurrection on 1/6/21. You need not take my word for it. “THE LORD” told Micah Beckwith, [FN1] who then related it in a selfie video posted to Facebook that the “Lord” said: “Micah, I sent those riots to Washington. What you saw yesterday was my hand at work.” 1/5

A “riot” is: “An assemblage of three or more persons in a public place taking concerted action in a turbulent and disorderly manner for a common purpose (regardless of the lawfulness of that purpose).” [FN2].”The…

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Added by Mark Small on January 7, 2024 at 12:25pm — No Comments

Beckwith needs to shout: Jan 6 was not a "false flag"

On 1/07/2021, Micah Beckwith [FN1] posted a selfie video to Facebook and said that the “Lord” said to him: “Micah, I sent those riots to Washington. What you saw yesterday was my hand at work.” Yesterday a lot of people on TV/social media, etc, called Jan 6 a false flag. 1/7

What are the possibilities?

1) Beckwith believes (as in really believes) the “Lord” spoke to him, he should be out there yelling the fact. There’s no “secret.” Beckwith posted it on Facebook. 2/7

2)…

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Added by Mark Small on January 7, 2024 at 7:51am — No Comments

State conventions provide some insight of "intent"

“Conventions of nine States” [FN1] had to ratify the Constitution. Congress, in its record of the receipt of the draft constitution, recommended ratification procedure and transmittal letter [FN2] makes no mention of “God” or “Jesus Christ.” [FN3] Some chant “original intent,” i.e., 1/6

we must construe The Constitution based on the “subjective intention of the drafters or ratifiers of an authoritative text.” [FN4] The “drafters” were the 55 delegates to the Convention. [FN5] The…

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Added by Mark Small on January 6, 2024 at 9:17pm — No Comments

trump can be excluded from the ballot

Advocates of “original intent” for interpretation of The Constitution usually omit amendment. [FN1] At this writing, Colorado’s Supreme Court and Maine’s Secretary of State have cited Amend XIV, Sec 3 (“Sec 3") to bar trump from those States’ ballots in 2024. 1/7

1) Context. “[A]fter the rebellion had been defeated, Southern States had audaciously sent to Congress [] men who had notoriously violated previously sworn oaths to support the U.S. Constitution.’” [FN2] The Confederates…

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Added by Mark Small on January 3, 2024 at 9:32pm — No Comments

How to look for "God" or "Jesus" in the debates 9/17/1787 to 3/4/1789

On 9/17/1787, The Constitution was signed. [FN1] Ratification by “Conventions of nine States” was required. [FN2]. Neither “God” nor “Jesus Christ” appears in the Constitution or other founding documents, yet some insist our government was meant to be “Christian.” 1/10

For what The Constitution means, we look at the plain meaning of the text, broader legal context, applicable canons, and the legislative history. [FN3] I try to cite “primary sources,” or the “original records created…

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Added by Mark Small on January 1, 2024 at 2:37pm — No Comments

Constitution invoked "Almighty God"

Around 1980 some on the far right saw how useful religion can be to those who seek power. In 2024 they will continue to push for the USA to be ruled by their rigid form of Christianity. They lie about: (1) this nation’s history and (2) their claim to speak for all Christians. 1/9

A theocracy is “Government of a state by those who are believed to be or represent that they are acting under the immediate direction of God or some other divinity.” [FN1] The USA never has been a theocracy.…

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Added by Mark Small on December 31, 2023 at 7:19am — No Comments

John Cleese need not apologize, though he missed a point

Since I began to blog, in 2011, I have noted several times [FN1], differences between trump and the Austrian former corporal who, for 12 years and three months, ruled a “thousand-year Reich.”

Hitler wrote a best seller, was financially solvent, won office, and did not dodge the draft. 1/5

Today, John Cleese apologized for stating five ways “Hitler was preferable to [t]rump”: fought for his country, never used a teleprompter, was nice to dogs, wrote his own books, never played…

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Added by Mark Small on December 28, 2023 at 1:06pm — No Comments

Argue? Groovy, but cite the sources for "facts." .

Rules in debate [FN1] vary [FN2], but the “basics” are consistent & essential.

1 Each debater [FN3] speaks w/o interruption. Violation can mean disqualification. In basketball [FN4], when a team scores, its opponent gets to (try to) in-bound. 1/8



2 There are specific time limits. Everyone has the same amount of time available. [FN5]

3 Arguments are supported by evidence. We had 4" x 6" index cards for quotes, stats, definitions or whatever was relevant for a topic.…

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Added by Mark Small on December 23, 2023 at 10:08am — No Comments

There's nothing "artificial" about AI

Neanderthals met Homo Sapiens. [FN1] Dr Who met daleks. [FN2] Dave met HAL [FN3] An AI drone has not refused orders from a human. [FN4] Moore’s law [FN5] has given way, it seems at light-speed, to other “laws” that describe how rapidly machine memory & speed develop. 1/6

Marshall McLuhan described how the ways people relay information have evolved. [FN6] In the past 200 years we went from travel only by foot, horseback or sail. We are able to travel to the Moon. And now we hear of…

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Added by Mark Small on December 17, 2023 at 7:54pm — No Comments

Illinois restrictions on guns: a bit of good news

On 12/14/23 SCOTUS issued an order at the end of a week heavy w/SCOTUS news. After a July 4, 2022, mass shooting in Highland Park, the State of Illinois and the City of Naperville enacted placed restrictions on assault weapons [FN1] & large capacity magazines. 1/7

In Bevis [FN2], a lobbying group & a gun store owner filed a lawsuit and argued the restrictions violate the 2nd Amendment. They sought to stop the laws’ enforcement pending outcome of their lawsuit. The U.S. Court…

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Added by Mark Small on December 16, 2023 at 6:05pm — No Comments

Putin knows what's in the binder, but its value is evidentiary

“Mat’l from a binder w/highly classified info” of investigation of “Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 election disappeared” in trump’s final days in office. [FN1] Copies of The Constitution provide sufficient toilet paper at Mar-a-Lago. The material still might be relevant. 1/7

A January, 2017, report, adopted in findings in a federal statute. Putin “ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at” the U.S. Pres election. [FN2] American voters favored one candidate [FN3], but Putin…

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Added by Mark Small on December 15, 2023 at 10:20pm — No Comments

I'm putting myself in line for a job, damn it!

WARNING: If you lack a sense of humor, please read no further.

West Fort Worth Management, formerly called Pale Horse Strategies, is in need of hiring a copywriter. The company changed its name recently after its leader met with white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Below is the text of the letter I sent: 

 

West Fort Worth Management

c/o RedBalloon

Re: Job opening for copywriter

In research for my blog (civildiscoursenow.com) I saw that you seek a…

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Added by Mark Small on December 13, 2023 at 5:01pm — No Comments

Women have rights? Texas, no. Indiana...

The Roberts Court, in 2022, took away women’s right to make health care decisions. [FN1] The Texas GOP jumped to ban abortions except when “the pregnant female” has “life threatening physical condition” or is at risk of death or impairment a major bodily function. [FN2] 1/8

Kate Cox, carrying a fetus w/a condition nearly always fatal, sought & got an order from a Texas court so she could have an abortion. [FN3] She would have had to undergo a 3rd c-section & “jeopardize her…

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Added by Mark Small on December 12, 2023 at 12:19pm — No Comments

Braun doesn't understand IN Gov's job

Sen Mike Braun (R-IN), after one term as a Senator, is running for Governor. In a 12/9/23 email, he says he would: 1) “DEPORT criminal illegals,” 2) “HOLD China accountable for killing our people,” & 3) “DESTROY the drug cartels.” [FN1] These are not State issues. 1/8

1) The Constitution invalidates state laws that conflict/contrary to federal law. [FN2] Regulation of immigration and of aliens non-citizens is intimately a responsibility of the feds. [FN3] States’ permissible…

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Added by Mark Small on December 10, 2023 at 11:30am — No Comments

Ramaswamy says Jan 6 was "an inside job"

Should we have expected moral outrage from Micah Beckwith [FN1] after last night’s GOP “debate” [FN2] & Vivek Ramaswamy’s claim that January 6 “was an inside job”? Not a peep from Beckwith? BUT: Beckwith, in a 1/07/21 selfie video shot in his car, revealed ”The Lord” said: 1/6

“Micah, I sent those riots to Washington. What you saw yesterday was my hand at work” These are words of “The Lord,” according to Beckwith. Well nuts. A quick search on the internet does not show Beckwith…

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Added by Mark Small on December 7, 2023 at 4:48pm — No Comments

Gutless bastards, ungrateful corpses & 2A.

After yesterday’s mass shooting [FN1] I posted on FB: “Another mass shooting. C’mon gun guy! Brag about how much liberty was saved!” Every few months radio ads for Indy gun shows yuck it up [FN2], so bad taste already is part of the 2A experience. Here are a few points. 1/6

A person asked: “Was it a gun free zone?” Excellent point! ... er, not really. One source notes: “Researcher John Lott is one of the originators of the claim that ‘gun-free zones are a magnet for deadly attacks.’”…

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Added by Mark Small on December 7, 2023 at 9:18am — No Comments

Mike Braun, America First & its history

Today’s email from Indiana’s Senator Mike Braun [FN1] advises “Indiana’s brightest days are ahead,” as he seeks to “make Indiana a beacon of freedom and opportunity.” He invites YOU [FN2] “to represent our America First agenda” at the 2024 Indiana GOP Convention. 1/7

“America First” was used by a pro-slavery party before the Civil War. [FN3] The KKK used it in the 1920s. [FN4] Braun extols “securing our border, supporting our law enforcement, defending our constitution, and keeping…

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Added by Mark Small on December 6, 2023 at 5:15pm — No Comments

The Roberts Court: sluts have fun, whores get paid.

Amateurs play for free. Professionals get paid. Courts decide cases on their merits and treat all parties equally. Roberts, C.J., says his job “is to call balls and strikes,” but baseball is not an apt metaphor, especially after Citizens United. [FN1] SCOTUS allows donors of political cash 1/8

to be cloaked in anonymity. The Brennan Center has reported on the tons of cash that case has allowed. Say “baseball” and “corruption” and a baseball fan might reply “Blacksox.” People tried to…

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Added by Mark Small on December 4, 2023 at 2:52pm — No Comments

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