Civil Discourse Now

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

Mark Small's Blog – March 2023 Archive (6)

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

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