Tag Archives: Professor Taboo

Part 2: A New U.S. Constitution

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, guns, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Re-blogs, Social commentary

A couple of weeks ago, I re-blogged the first in a series Professor Taboo is doing about the ways in which we have ‘outgrown’ parts of the U.S. Constitution, written back in 1787. The foundation is still sound, but the framework could use some ‘shoring up’ to bring it into the 21st century! If I make a chore list at the beginning of the week, I will no doubt have to adjust it by mid-week due to oversight or previously unforeseen circumstances, and the same is true of a document drafted 235 years ago! Today, I share with you Part II in the Professor’s project … a thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis that is definitely worth reading! Thank you, Prof!

The Professor's Convatorium

In an 1849 speech to the Massachusetts Bible Society and at that time a twice elected member to Congress’ House of Representatives and later appointed House Speaker, his following words echoed several of the newly formed United States government charters and their Founding Fathers:

“All societies of men must be governed in some way or other. The less they may have of stringent State Government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them…”

robert charles winthrop

We continue now from Part 1, A New U.S. Constitution…

Our 18th Century Constitution Nurtures Political & Economic Inequality Today

Mr. R.C. Winthrop, a respected lawyer and descendant of Governor John Winthrop from…

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A New U.S. Constitution

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Re-blogs, Social commentary

More than a few times in the past decade, I have opined that it may be time to update the U.S. Constitution, to bring it into the 21st century. The framers of the document fully intended it to be a living, breathing document, one that would grow as times changed, but due to a number of factors, it has failed to progress much. Two of my pet peeves are how the 1st and 2nd Amendments have been translated over time. Free speech seems to me to have gotten well out of hand when there is no accompanying responsibility, and the ‘right to bear arms’ has been taken far beyond what the framers could have ever imagined. Professor Taboo has just begun what will be a series of thoughts and suggestions about ways to update the Constitution, to bring it into the current century, make it the living, breathing document the founders imagined. What follows is the first in his series and I think the series will be well worth your time to read and ponder. Thank you, Prof!

The Professor's Convatorium

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—Roy Young – President/CEO, James Madison’s Montpelier

∼ ∼ ∼ § ∼ ∼ ∼

What exactly no longer works in our 18th century Constitution? For many Americans today that would be a shocking, disturbing question. Some would be appalled that it was even suggested. While on the other hand, for many other Americans the question would illicit just the opposite reaction, frustration perhaps, but not shock. Yet, today the chasm of heated emotions within our split and splitting, polarized politics is quite real. It is undeniable by any foreign observer. Like it or not, in today’s U.S. of A., the battle-lines are rapidly drawn and battle-cries shouted “you’re either with us or against us” as President George W. Bush once proclaimed to the world in the wake of 9/11. Only today, that line drawn in the sand describes acutely our current prognosis of U.S…

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Blog Etiquette — A Follow-Up

Posted on by under education, Personal, Political commentary, Social commentary

Earlier today I published a post about free speech and how it is so often being abused by those too rude or ignorant to treat people with a modicum of respect.  In response to my post, I had two rude comments from my old friend Scott (sklawlor), not unexpectedly.  Last week, I asked Scott to please do us both a favour and stop reading my blog.  I warned that if he continued, I would censor or ban his comments.  Well, he continued, and as I mulled over whether to completely ban him or simply send all his future comments to moderation, I noticed a comment from another reader, Professor Taboo, with a link to his post of December 2019 about “appropriate censorship of bigoted non-sensical comments here by indecent comments by indecent, childish Commenters”.  In his post, which I encourage each of you to read, the Prof suggests a list of nine “Rules of Conduct” for bloggers and commenters, and in his comment, he suggests that it would, at this point, be perfectly reasonable for me to censor the commenter who cannot control his rudeness, who cannot seem to speak intelligently and respectfully.

I have picked up a few haters from time to time, one who even threatened to find me and kill me, but never has one been as persistent as Scott.  At this time, I have decided to take Professor Taboo’s sage advice and moderate all comments from the person who has basically violated all nine rules of conduct!  As I am not a government entity, but merely a blogger, I am well within my rights to do so, just as Twitter was within its rights to ban the former guy and others.  If I followed the ‘three strikes’ rule, this person would have been censored long before now.

I will leave Scott’s comments from this morning alone, but future comments will not be welcomed nor published unless or until he learns that all-important word, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”.  Thank you, Professor Taboo, for helping and advising!  And thank you, dear readers, for your patience as I have allowed this to go on for far too long.

Two Worlds

Posted on by under animals, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, History, Racism & Bigotry, Re-blogs, Social commentary

Of late … well, for the past decade or so … I have wondered how the human species could possibly survive to the end of this century, for we are destroying our home, our world, and each other at an alarming rate. Professor Taboo, aka PT, has written a post that I think should be required reading for every human alive … thoughtful and though-provoking. Thank you, Prof, for your words of wisdom and the eye-opening photos.

The Professor's Convatorium

OF WONDER AND SPLENDOR

Just like as in a nest of boxes round,
Degrees of sizes in each box are found:
So, in this world, may many others be
Thinner and less, and less still by degree:
Although they are not subject to our sense,
A world may be no bigger than two-pence.
Nature is curious, and such works may shape,
Which our dull senses easily escape.Margaret CavendishOf Many Worlds in This World

There are a number of Earth’s animals, great and small, that care for each other. They seem to have feelings for the welfare of another. They demonstrate an innate behavior to protect their own as a whole rather than and possibly at the demise of themselves. In human terms this is called compassion, empathy, courage, altruism, love, and other inspiring virtues. In scientific terms it is known as eusociality and forms of superorganism behavior…

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