And those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God, since the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness.
Letter from Alcuin to Charlemagne in 798.
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Vox Populi
"Nec audiendi qui solent dicere, Vox populi, vox Dei, quum tumultuositas vulgi semper insaniae proxima sit."
Monday, June 13, 2022
Stones, Beams, and Righteousness
I've heard the argument from many people many times. It comes in many forms, but it generally resolves into something like this: "Regardless of the consequences, you should be moral in all cases." Of course, it's always in terms of their morals with full benefit of hindsight. It also usually is accompanied by the person doesn't have to make the decision, themselves. It's always easier to make decisions for others.
These are always black-and-white choices for the person making the argument. It's too bad life is full of grey. Often the choices are not between good and bad, but between bad and horrible. Between what one wants and what one needs. Too often it's between two varieties of pain.
Poor people know this struggle too well. When you talk to a low level criminals, usually they do what they know is wrong because they feel like they have few other choices. Do they sell drugs or become homeless? Do they prostitute their bodies or let their children go hungry? Do they rob the corner store or go without medical care?
Sinners:
It's very easy to judge sinners, isn't it? At least, we often think it is. We believe we know someone's heart by looking at their actions. But only God knows their heart, which is why we are admonished to "judge not" in the Book of Matthew (7:1). We are mere humans, full of our own flaws. We are not called, nor qualified, to mete out judgement.
Sinners generally don't even recognize their own sins. In our own minds, we are the heroes of our stories. What we do is right in our own eyes (Proverbs 21:2). But God knows the sins of our heart. Men are not equipped to know these things. We often judge the "mote" while looking around our own "beam" (Matthew 7:3). Our own sinful nature obscures our vision and our ability to judge clearly. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and are not able to cast judgement (John 8:7).
The hearts of men are deceitful because we are fallen and broken. We are only saved by the grace of God. Sure, our actions are reflections of our heart. Sinful hearts beget sinful acts. Likewise pure hearts tend toward pure acts. We are to recognize evil "by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16). But we cannot claim to know their sin, as we cannot see inside one's heart. Only God can truly correlate the "fruits" with the heart (Jeremiah 17:10).
Consequences:
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." We hear that in science. But it's not always true. If it were, there would be no motion. What is more accurate would be to say every action has reactions. Those reactions are not always evident. Dropping a ball should have a predictable result, but we all know the ball never quite bounces exactly the same way twice.
Likewise, every situation in life may seem identical on the surface, but they never are. Today, we may absolutely know what is "right". And tomorrow we may believe something else. Our understanding changes moment to moment. Think of all the things you knew were true just five years ago. How much is still true? You likely have a deeper understanding of things because your experience has changed your perception.
"Imagine what you will know tomorrow." - Agent K, "Men In Black"
We also only know our own experience. We cannot know someone else's experience. Even if we "walk a mile in their shoes", it's still us walking, and now. We can't experience them walking then. So we must be careful not to judge harshly the decisions of others. We are not them. They are not us. And if we were them, we might very well make the same decisions.
Personal:
I won't go into great detail, but I think a personal example would help crystallize things. Very often, after CoVid, I would hear people say things like, "You should refuse the vaccine no matter the consequences." That's great to say. And in many ways I agree. Moreso now (with benefit of hindsight) I think it would be better for most to refuse the CoVid vaccine. But not for all consequences, because the consequences can be literally life or death.
My first grandbaby was born in January of 2019. He celebrated his first birthday just as CoVid took over the world. I was blessed to attend that party. I wasn't able to attend his second in 2021 due to many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons was CoVid.
My father-in-law also went into the hospital in January of 2020 about the time of my grandchild's birthday. By the time he came out of the hospital, and into physical rehab, CoVid had fully encompassed the globe. His family was unable to visit him for three weeks.
When he left rehab, he went into a specialty care facility for further recuperation. We were able to see him, but only through a window. His family had to gather outside, speaking to him by telephone. We passed the phone around one at a time just to see how he was doing. The window was by appointment only, so we couldn't see him whenever we desired. So we only saw him once or twice a week.
The rest of the time, he was in there alone with strangers. Every day was the fear that someone would bring death through the door in a cough. Nursing homes tracked every person who came in contact with their patients, down to delivery drivers. Deliveries were wiped down (for an aerosolized virus), and daily on site testing was mandatory for anyone who was allowed through the doors.
Remember, early in 2020, we had no idea how transmissible CoVid was. Nor how deadly. Was five minutes within six feet of an asymptomatic carrier enough? No one knew. Death was around every corner. And at a nursing home, death swung a wide blade. One infection could mean the death of dozens.
Upon release from the home, my father-in-law required additional care. You see, he couldn't swallow food. He had a tube installed in his stomach through which we poured his medicine, nutrition, and anything else he needed. He could drink small amounts of water, but we dared not try anything else. He might end up back in the hospital, and that's where all the CoVid positive people were. It was a death sentence for an 85 year old.
We hired a nurse to come in once a day, Monday through Friday, to feed him breakfast and administer morning medicine. I would take care of him on evenings and weekends, plus do any shopping he needed. The nurse cost $700 per week. CoVid was predicted to last forever. This was to be the "new normal".
Every day I came to care for my father-in-law, was I bringing CoVid with me? How would I know? Should I test every day? Should I wear a mask? Would I get CoVid at the store, just to bring it to him?
Should I get the vaccine?
"You should refuse the vaccine no matter the consequences." But what if death is a realistic consequence?
Deny Him:
There are those who would say, "Yes. I would risk everything to maintain my morals." They'll quote scripture, saying, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36) They believe God will provide (Philippians 4:19).
But death and disease strike down sinner and saint, alike. The Black Death, a simple bacteria, decimated the Catholic Church because the monks, like a shepherd, were willing to risk death to save their flock. And die they did, and in great numbers.
It's easy, when we aren't faced with death, to say we too would risk certain death for faith. We believe we would act faithfully.
This is vanity and pride.
Even the disciples who walked with Jesus were unable to act faithfully. When the shepherd leaves, the flock stays (Mark 14:27). Even Peter, he whom was the "rock upon which" the church was built (Matthew 16:18) denied knowing Jesus at the end (Luke 22:54-62). When death was certain, even Peter failed the test. And we believe we would do any better than Peter, who literally walked with Jesus?
Summary:
I have already belabored the point, but I feel this needs to be summarized briefly. But what more can really be said? We are called to be like Jesus, for no one comes to God but through him (John 14:6). But we are not him. We are not perfect. We are sinners, and fallen from grace. And we should treat each other with the kindness and consideration which we hope to receive should we find ourselves in that position (Matthew 7:12). We should council and listen, pray for and pray with, but never should we judge. "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:2)
Sunday, May 31, 2020
#specificallyTHIS is Lives Matter
US Population - Demographic makeup (2017 est.):[1]
White - 73.0%
Black - 12.7%
US Police - Demographic makeup (2018):[2]
White - 73.2%
Black - 12.1%
Officers killed:[3]
White officers killed as a percentage of officers killed: 83.3%
Black officers killed as a percentage of officers killed: 14.6%
Offenders who killed officers:[4]
Officers killed by white offenders as a percentage of offenders: 58.3%
Officers killed by black offenders as a percentage of offenders: 30.6%
Arrests by ethnicity:[5]
Arrests for Property Crime by ethnicity:[5]
Property crimes are offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Arrests for Violent Crime by ethnicity:[5]
Violent crimes are offenses of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
Arrests for Murder by ethnicity:[5]
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter.
Police-initiated contacts:[6]
Murder offenders:[7]
Murder victims:[8]
Violent Victimization (percent):[9]
Violent Victimization (rate per 1,000):[9]
Violent Victimization by Strangers:[9]
Violent Victimization by White Offenders / Strangers:[9]
Violent Victimization by Black Offenders / Strangers:[9]
Violent Victimization Involving Weapon (firearm):[9]
People Killed By Officers (includes assumed race):[10] (source 1)
People Killed By Officers (includes assumed race):[11] (source 2)
Crime per year, by city:[12]
(top 6 total violent crime)
Crime per year, Rate per 100,000 persons, by city:[12]
(top 6 total violent crime)
[13]
sources:
White - 73.0%
Black - 12.7%
US Police - Demographic makeup (2018):[2]
White - 73.2%
Black - 12.1%
Officers killed:[3]
| 2010 thru 2019 | 2019 | |
| Total killed | 511 | 48 |
| White officers | 442 | 40 |
| Black officers | 55 | 7 |
White officers killed as a percentage of officers killed: 83.3%
Black officers killed as a percentage of officers killed: 14.6%
Offenders who killed officers:[4]
| 2010 thru 2019 | 2019 | |
| Total offenders | 537 | 49 |
| White offenders | 303 | 28 |
| Black offenders | 199 | 15 |
Officers killed by white offenders as a percentage of offenders: 58.3%
Officers killed by black offenders as a percentage of offenders: 30.6%
Arrests by ethnicity:[5]
| 2018 | ||
| Total arrests | 7,710,900 | 100.0% |
| White arrests | 5,319,654 | 69.0% |
| Black arrests | 2,115,381 | 27.4% |
Arrests for Property Crime by ethnicity:[5]
Property crimes are offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
| 2018 | ||
| Total arrests | 880,473 | 100.0% |
| White arrests | 589,224 | 66.9% |
| Black arrests | 264,748 | 30.1% |
Arrests for Violent Crime by ethnicity:[5]
Violent crimes are offenses of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
| 2018 | ||
| Total arrests | 392,562 | 100.0% |
| White arrests | 230,299 | 58.7% |
| Black arrests | 146,734 | 37.4% |
Arrests for Murder by ethnicity:[5]
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter.
| 2018 | ||
| Total arrests | 8,957 | 100.0% |
| White arrests | 3,953 | 44.1% |
| Black arrests | 4,778 | 53.3% |
Police-initiated contacts:[6]
| 2015 population | Contacts | Number | Percent of demographic population |
253,587,400
| All races | 27,415,900 | 10.8% |
164,813,500
| White contacts | 18,426,800 | 11.2% |
31,056,200
| Black contacts | 3,509,800 | 11.3% |
Murder offenders:[7]
| 2018 | ||
| Total murderers | 16,335 | 100.0% |
| White murderers | 4,884 | 29.9% |
| Black murderers | 6,318 | 38.7% |
Murder victims:[8]
| 2018 | ||
| Total victims | 14,123 | 100.0% |
| White victims | 6,088 | 43.1% |
| Black victims | 7,407 | 52.4% |
Violent Victimization (percent):[9]
| 2012-2015 | White offender | Black offender | ||
| Total victims | 5,833,800 | 100.0% | 43.8% | 22.7% |
| White victims | 3,679,410 | 63.1% | 56.6% | 14.7% |
| Black victims | 850,720 | 14.6% | 10.9% | 63.2% |
Violent Victimization (rate per 1,000):[9]
| 2012-2015 | White offender | Black offender | ||
| Total victims | 5,833,800 | 22.0 | - | - |
| White victims | 3,679,410 | - | 12.0 | 3.1 |
| Black victims | 850,720 | - | 2.8 | 16.5 |
Violent Victimization by Strangers:[9]
| 2012-2015 | White offender | Black offender | ||
| Total (#) | Stranger (%) | Total (#) | Stranger (%) | |
| White victims | 2,081,520 | 27.2% | 540,360 | 64.4% |
| Black victims | 91,470 | 49.9% | 537,470 | 37.6% |
Violent Victimization by White Offenders / Strangers:[9]
| 2012-2015 | White offender | ||||
| Total | Offenders (#) | Stranger (# / %) | Strangers by Percent of Total Victims | ||
| White victims | 3,679,410 | 2,081,520 | 566,173 | 27.2% | 15.4% |
| Black victims | 850,720 | 91,470 | 45,644 | 49.9% | 5.4% |
Violent Victimization by Black Offenders / Strangers:[9]
| 2012-2015 | Black offender | ||||
| Total | Offenders (#) | Stranger (# / %) | Strangers by Percent of Total Victims | ||
| White victims | 3,679,410 | 540,360 | 347,992 | 64.4% | 9.5% |
| Black victims | 850,720 | 537,470 | 202,089 | 37.6% | 23.8% |
Violent Victimization Involving Weapon (firearm):[9]
| White offender | Black offender | |
| White victims | 3.5% | 11.1% |
| Black victims | 10.1% | 13.1% |
People Killed By Officers (includes assumed race):[10] (source 1)
| 2018 | 2019 | |||
| Total killed | 1,851 | 100% | 1,797 | 100% |
| White victims | 884 | 47.8% | 822 | 45.7% |
| Black victims | 443 | 23.9% | 476 | 26.5% |
People Killed By Officers (includes assumed race):[11] (source 2)
| 2018 | 2019 | |||
| Total killed | 1,142 | 100% | 1,098 | 100% |
| White victims | 490 | 42.9% | 406 | 37.0% |
| Black victims | 257 | 22.5% | 259 | 23.6% |
Crime per year, by city:[12]
(top 6 total violent crime)
| 2018 | Total Violent Crime | Murders | Total Property Crime | Burglary |
| #1 - New York City | 46,113 | 295 | 128,051 | 10,837 |
| #2 - Los Angeles | 30,126 | 258 | 101,267 | 15,988 |
| #3 - Chicago | 27,357 | 563 | 86,513 | 11,686 |
| #4 - Houston | 24,062 | 276 | 94,033 | 16,317 |
| #5 - Philadelphia | 14,420 | 351 | 49,145 | 6,497 |
| #6 - Detroit | 13,478 | 261 | 28,897 | 7,440 |
Crime per year, Rate per 100,000 persons, by city:[12]
(top 6 total violent crime)
| 2018 | Total Violent Crime | Murders | Total Property Crime | Burglary |
| #1 - Detroit | 2,008 | 39 | 4,305 | 1,108 |
| #2 - Memphis | 1,943 | 29 | 6,406 | 1,302 |
| #3 - Birmingham | 1,912 | 42 | 6,314 | 1,213 |
| #4 - Baltimore | 1,833 | 51 | 4,495 | 999 |
| #5 - Flint | 1,818 | 33 | 2,701 | 832 |
| #6 - St. Louis | 1,800 | 61 | 5,912 | 971 |
[13]
sources:
[1] Demographics of the United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States
[3] FBI - Uniform Crime Reporting
Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed
Race, Ethnicity, and Sex of Victim Officer, 2010–2019
https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2019/tables/table-15.xls
Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed
Race, Ethnicity, and Sex of Victim Officer, 2010–2019
https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2019/tables/table-15.xls
[4] FBI - Uniform Crime Reporting
Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed
Race, Ethnicity, and Sex of Known Offender, 2010–2019
https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2019/tables/table-42.xls
Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed
Race, Ethnicity, and Sex of Known Offender, 2010–2019
https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2019/tables/table-42.xls
[5] FBI - Uniform Crime Reporting
Arrests by Race and Ethnicity, 2018
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/tables/table-43
Arrests by Race and Ethnicity, 2018
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/tables/table-43
[6] Bureau of Justice Statistics
Contacts Between Police and the Public, 2015
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cpp15.pdf
Contacts Between Police and the Public, 2015
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cpp15.pdf
[7] FBI - Uniform Crime Reporting
Murder Offenders
by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 2018
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-3.xls
Murder Offenders
by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 2018
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-3.xls
[8] FBI - Uniform Crime Reporting
Murder Victims
by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 2018
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-2.xls
Murder Victims
by Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 2018
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/topic-pages/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-2.xls
[9] Bureau of Justice Statistics
Race and Hispanic Origin of Victims and Offenders, 2012-15
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rhovo1215.pdf
Race and Hispanic Origin of Victims and Offenders, 2012-15
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rhovo1215.pdf
[11] Mapping Police Violence
https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/s/MPVDatasetDownload.xlsx
Downloaded 2020-06-17
https://github.com/washingtonpost/data-police-shootings
https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/s/MPVDatasetDownload.xlsx
[12] FBI - Uniform Crime Reporting
Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City, 2010
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10tbl08.xls/view
[13]Washington Post database of fatal shootings by a police officer; 2015-2020Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City, 2010
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10tbl08.xls/view
Downloaded 2020-06-17
https://github.com/washingtonpost/data-police-shootings
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
#specificallyTHIS is Dershowitz on Impeachment
Alan Dershowitz Defense Argument Transcript: Trump Impeachment Trial January 27
Mr. Chief Justice, distinguished members of the Senate, our friends, lawyers, fellow lawyers it’s a great honor for me to stand before you today to present a constitutional argument against the impeachment and removal not only of this president, but of all and any future presidents who may be charged with the unconstitutional grounds of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. I stand before you today as I stood in 1973 and 1974 for the protection of the constitutional and procedural rights of Richard Nixon, who I personally abhorred and whose impeachment I personally favored, and as I stood for the rights of Bill Clinton, who I admired and whose impeachment I strongly opposed.
Mr. Chief Justice, distinguished members of the Senate, our friends, lawyers, fellow lawyers it’s a great honor for me to stand before you today to present a constitutional argument against the impeachment and removal not only of this president, but of all and any future presidents who may be charged with the unconstitutional grounds of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. I stand before you today as I stood in 1973 and 1974 for the protection of the constitutional and procedural rights of Richard Nixon, who I personally abhorred and whose impeachment I personally favored, and as I stood for the rights of Bill Clinton, who I admired and whose impeachment I strongly opposed.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Monday, November 11, 2019
Shakespeare and the Geneva Bible - Re-Blog
Shakespeare and the Geneva Bible
ARTICLE BY LELAND RYKEN JULY 2009
Shakespeare's indebtedness to the Bible is a subject of neglect in mainstream Shakespeare scholarship. This is surprising, inasmuch as the relevant data has been compiled by a coterie of Shakespeare scholars, most notably Naseeb Shaheen in his book Biblical References in Shakespeare's Plays. [1] The story of Shakespeare and the Bible is partly the story of Protestant English Bible translation in the sixteenth century. Shakespeare was the beneficiary of a movement in which English Reformers poured their energies into translating the Bible. In fact, English Bible translation in the sixteenth century galvanized a society in a manner that invites comparison with the building of cathedrals in the Catholic Middle Ages. The Protestant Reformation also created an edifice--an edifice of the Word.
ARTICLE BY LELAND RYKEN JULY 2009
Shakespeare's indebtedness to the Bible is a subject of neglect in mainstream Shakespeare scholarship. This is surprising, inasmuch as the relevant data has been compiled by a coterie of Shakespeare scholars, most notably Naseeb Shaheen in his book Biblical References in Shakespeare's Plays. [1] The story of Shakespeare and the Bible is partly the story of Protestant English Bible translation in the sixteenth century. Shakespeare was the beneficiary of a movement in which English Reformers poured their energies into translating the Bible. In fact, English Bible translation in the sixteenth century galvanized a society in a manner that invites comparison with the building of cathedrals in the Catholic Middle Ages. The Protestant Reformation also created an edifice--an edifice of the Word.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Registration: The Nazi Paradigm - Re-Blog
Registration: The Nazi Paradigm
By Stephen P. Halbrook, Ph.D., J.D.
It would be instructive at this time to recall why the American citizenry and Congress have historically opposed the registration of firearms. The reason is plain. Registration makes it easy for a tyrannical government to confiscate firearms and to make prey of its subjects. Denying this historical fact is no more justified than denying that the Holocaust occurred or that the Nazis murdered millions of unarmed people.
I am writing a book on Nazi policies and practices which sought to repress civilian gun ownership and to eradicate gun owners in Germany and in occupied Europe. The following sampling of my findings should give pause to the suggestion that draconian punishment of citizens for keeping firearms necessarily is a social good.
By Stephen P. Halbrook, Ph.D., J.D.
It would be instructive at this time to recall why the American citizenry and Congress have historically opposed the registration of firearms. The reason is plain. Registration makes it easy for a tyrannical government to confiscate firearms and to make prey of its subjects. Denying this historical fact is no more justified than denying that the Holocaust occurred or that the Nazis murdered millions of unarmed people.
I am writing a book on Nazi policies and practices which sought to repress civilian gun ownership and to eradicate gun owners in Germany and in occupied Europe. The following sampling of my findings should give pause to the suggestion that draconian punishment of citizens for keeping firearms necessarily is a social good.
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