Looking at Potential? in Book Five: Working Through the Maze 2018

So Simple Mind released a statement that makes me think this site may still have a chance. Not that I’m holding my breath. But I think for now I may just “double post”.

SO… here is my “Intro/Test Page” from Digital Expression:

We shall consider this a 4th attempt.  I am a refugee from Open Diary that clung to a life raft that landed on the shores of Prosebox.  After acclimatizing, building a hut and making friends... it would appear that Prosebox Island was volcanic and that looming mountain has begun to spew ash into the sky.  Time once again to climb into the life raft and set sail for safer shores.  I have placed a buoy on LiveJournal and on Goodnight Journal.  I attempted to do so on My-Diary and they have proven quite inhospitable.  When I questioned the leader as to why other sites were accessible, even with required e-mail verification, while his was not... I was instructed that it was a problem with my e-mail server.  Be that as it may, if I cannot gain access, I cannot test.  If I cannot test, I cannot declare safe harbor.  So I have moved on.  To here.  This is my test page for Digital Expression.  Thus far, I rather like it.  It does not have my favorite aspect of Prosebox, but then nothing has.  This does have a FAR better interface for text changes, media sharing, and even graphing/tabling.  I couldn't do that before.

As this site has, thus far, proven to be the best of my testing... I shall attempt to do a more prolonged introduction. I shan't spill my guts into the ether just yet, though.  The "here's why I'm here" entry will come after a suitable home has officially been chosen. Instead, I shall leave a summary of my character and an example of the Political/Intellectual Debates that go on in my head.

Brief Summary of my Character:

I have been described as Part Klingon Part Ferengi.  In RPGs, I almost always prefer to be an elf or half-elf and my preferred weapon is the bow and arrow.  I am 50% Norwegian, 25% German, and the remainder is British Assorted (primarily Wales).  My mother's grandparents' grandparents came over from Norway.  My father's family?  We have detailed, extensive records including long tomes of family histories.  Most recently?  My father's father's parents were citizens of Bermuda before deciding to come to Iowa to become U.S. citizens.  Why someone would move from a beautiful island nation to a landlocked farming state is beyond me.  But that is why, typically, I do still have a place of compassion for the children of immigrant families.  It isn't as direct as say Mei Li being the first one in her family born out of China... but I am still, arguably, third Generation American and can appreciate what that means.

As I stated in my profile description, I have many interests.  I love to read and write and that brought me to a career in the law.  I love comic books and can discuss Marvel, DC, Vertigo, Dark Horse, Image, etc.  I love movies and television **provided it isn't reality TV**.  Bloody well *hate* reality TV as I see the further celebritization of wealth and increased reward for simply having money to be disgusting.  Instead of celebrating the rich and vapid; let us turn our attention to the hard working and substantial!  I also enjoy video games.  I am presently in possession of a Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Playstation 2, X Box 360, Playstation 4, and Nintendo DS as well as an assortment of pre-2005 PC Games.  Lately, I've been rather avoiding Multiplayer Games as I have much to do still in Skyrim and Persona 5.  However, I do periodically play Injustice, Mortal Kombat, or Overwatch with colleagues on-line via PS4.  I also mentioned I have been getting back into Anime.  There is a long and detailed story behind my history with Anime that stretches all the way back to 1989!  But until I tell that story, take my word for it that I am enjoying my return to anime.

And despite what some of my friends may believe, I don't just mean Yay hentai, ecchi, harem, and fan service!  **However**, I do also mean that. Because screw you for judging me if I like High School DxD or Rosario+Vampire or Monster Musume or High School of the Dead or Sekirei or Master of Martial Hearts.  Frankly, by saying "Ugh. Boobs and panties and porn" to those anime titles, you miss out on interesting characters and stories.  Hell, I thought Martial Hearts was pretty lame until the last two episodes blew the whole thing open!  But as I said... I'm not just into those.  My favorite anime series?  Stein;s Gate.  And Black Lagoon.  And Full Metal Alchemist:Brotherhood.  And Hellsing Ultimate.  So... yeah.  I'm re-entering anime and opening myself to the experience of a variety of different types.

Now I’d like to show you a glimpse of my mind and the kinds of debates I have with myself. Often, I encourage feedback from readers to get their perspectives and insights into what I am contemplating. WITH THAT BEING SAID: A CAUTION… life is full of different perspectives and people. The exercise of thinking about something in a different way should be encouraged. However, if your feedback veers to the Troll-Kind and less to the Civil-Debate kind… actions will be taken.

Controversial Contemporary Example: Gun Debate

My wealthy aunt is a native of Ferguson, Missouri. After the shooting, she did some great work for peaceful protest and organization. She continues along that same vein today. This past weekend, she did much the same for the March for Our Lives marches in and around St. Louis. As part of her organizing duties, she also took several hundred photographs and posted them to all of her social media accounts. There is one picture in particular, though, that caught my eye because I enjoy the debate principles.

Argument:

A woman of color holding up a sign declaring that the Constitution should be read from the perspective of what the Founding Father’s intended when they wrote it is laughably, pitiably ignorant. You are discussing the Founding Fathers who owned people of color. You are discussing the Founding Fathers who created the Constitution to only protect white land-owning males. A Female POC arguing for “original intention interpretation” hurts my heart and makes me question our education system.

Counter-Argument

The Constitution now does cover Women and people of Color and such coverage was added as part of laws written and added to the Constitution such as the 13th, 14th, and 19th Amendment. Therefore, the Constitution must be taken to communicate the Founding Fathers’ original intent unless otherwise countermanded by further amendments. In other words, the Founding Fathers’ original intent must be given weight until such time as laws further define or alter the original legislative item.

Counter-Counter Argument

Such an argument and interpretation ignores and oversimplifies the role of courts in how laws grow and are enforced. The 19th Amendment merely gives women the right to vote. It does not, nor did it ever, make an argument that women should receive “equal treatment under the law”. The argument for “equal treatment” for women comes from the 14th Amendment which did not expressly give this right to women or any exclusive or expressed individual group. At the time of its formulation, it was “understood” to cover “the negro class, new in gaining rights.” But, as history shows us, this “equality” guaranteed by the 14th Amendment did not extend to Women originally and did not give African Americans the practical equality that it was supposed to. Thus via court interpretation (in things like Brown v. Board of Education, Loving v. Virginia, Romer v. Evans, and Lawrence v. Texas) was the “original intention” refined or entirely obliterated to make sure that the law as written acted in a practical manner as it related to the current case. In other words, while a constitutional amendment may have been passed to “undo” the Founding Father’s intention… how an amendment is actively interpreted, enforced, and upheld is a matter of constant change owing to the nature of the Supreme Court. Or put more simply… to “undo” the Founding Fathers’ intention doesn’t require a Constitutional Amendment or an Act of Congress if a Supreme Court ruling already speaks to the specific issue. In the case brought up by the above photo; the Supreme Court has heard a number of cases relating to the questions brought up by such a statement. And they are not so simple as “Are semi-Automatic weapons covered?” First, the amendment itself must be interpreted. What rights does the 2nd amendment give to the common citizen? IF it gives gun ownership rights to the common citizen, what regulation may properly be placed on that right? Of the regulations, if any, is it constitutional to separate guns into various different categories? If it does not violate the Constitution to separate guns into different categories, can we enact specific regulations based on the categories we have given? If we can enact specific regulations based on gun category, which regulations would be permissible and which would be impermissible by our interpretation of the Constitution? By such questions, we gain law. When the “assault weapons ban” bill was passed under Clinton… the Supreme Court had to define what an “assault weapon” actually was. During the current law that is still IN PLACE… the Supreme Court has said that ownership of a fully automatic weapon, or a firearm that is capable of firing multiple bullets without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger, is against the law. So… gun law in place. No Automatic Weapons in the hands of civilians. “SEMI” automatic weapon? That is merely a firearm that is capable of firing multiple bullets without manual reloading by multiple functions of the trigger. In other words… there are semi-automatic shotguns used in skeet and trap shooting. The gun is loaded with multiple shells, the clay pigeons are called for, the shooter fires the shotgun by pulling the trigger, the gun fires, the shooter pulls the trigger again, the gun fires. Now, personally, my family doesn’t allow that on a competitive range. We go with the pump-action shotguns because there is more skill required. BUT EVEN THOSE WEAPONS can be loaded with multiple shells and fired “fairly rapidly.” Fire, pump, fire, pump. And yes, people have (mistakenly) called these weapons Semi-Automatic and Automatic before.

Last updated March 28, 2018