Dereliction of duty. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE STEVE SEVIGNY, MD.

Dear David,

We learned yesterday that the office of  Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture didn't bother to do background checks on concealed carry permit requests for a year. A staffer couldn't log in to the system, so they just didn't bother.

 

This is not the way government should work. Please join me in demanding that Adam Putnam resign immediately.

 

This failure has endangered the lives of residents and visitors of Florida. We also know that Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam failed to ensure the duties and responsibilities of his office were properly executed.

 

Commissioner Putnam has bragged about being, “A proud NRA sellout.” During his tenure Florida has experienced two of the most terrible mass killings in recent memory at Pulse and Parkland. He remains proud of his commitment to the NRA, and he has honored that commitment to make it easier for the gun manufacturers to drive profits up while our loved ones are terrorized and killed in our communities.

 

Join me in calling on Adam Putnam to resign immediately.

 

We must also have a thorough investigation of this situation, auditing the permits that were issued and also who knew what, when they knew it, and what did they do about it. At what point did Governor Rick Scott become aware? Attorney General Pam Bondi? Did either of them take serious action to rectify the situation or did they assist Commissioner Putnam in his efforts to obfuscate and protect his electoral viability for his campaign for Governor?

 

Whether we are speaking of US Congress, state Constitutional offices, or municipal elected officials, we should be holding people in these positions and seeking them to a higher standard. We should demand accountability and transparency, and we certainly shouldn't offer promotions to those that have demonstrably failed to perform the duties of their office.

 

I urge Commissioner Putnam to do the right thing and resign immediately.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Steve

Learning from history. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE KEN HARBAUGH.

David,

This morning the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ohio’s practice of purging registered voters from our voter rolls.

We should be learning from history, not repeating it.

As a nation, we are stronger when MORE of us participate in our democracy. That starts at the ballot box. We should be making it easier -- not harder -- for folks to vote.

Instead, Ohio is silencing the voices our government should want to hear. In her dissent, Justice Sotomayor wrote that these voter purges “disproportionately affected minority, low-income, disabled, and veteran voters."

Under our current law, veterans can be eliminated from the voting rolls after as few as two missed elections. Our military men and women put their lives on the line to defend our freedom. They deploy to the four corners of the earth. They miss birthdays and holidays and, yes, even Election Days. And this is how we repay them?

Now, more than ever, 2018 is a year to fight back. No matter how the other side might try to silence us, we have to show up. We have to vote. We have to bring our friends and neighbors to vote.

We have to make our voices heard.

In service,

Ken

I AGREE. WE SHOULD ALSO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ELECTION OFFICIALS SHOW UP AND DO THEIR JOBS. OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT IS THE RESULT OF A BOGUS AND FRAUDULENT 2016 ELECTION. VOTES DON'T MEAN MUCH IF SOMEONE IS RIGGING THE RESULT. - DAVID.

LOGIC. WHAT ARE DEDUCTIVE AND INDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS? PART 1.

You Have Probably Heard These Terms Used Many Times.

Perhaps it was the Classroom, Job Site, or even Television/Movies.

However, were they used Correctly?  

To Introduce this Section, Let's Start with a Couple of Examples.

In a Valid Deductive Argument, if the Premises are True,

THE CONCLUSION MUST BE TRUE.

Here is an Example of a Valid Deductive Argument;

All Politicians are Deceitful People.

All Deceitful People can't be Trusted.

Therefore, All Politicians can't Be Trusted.

Now a Valid Inductive Argument;

Most Politicians Never Tell the Truth.

Our Congressman Promises to Not Raise Taxes.

Therefore, Our Congressman will Probably Raise Taxes.

An Inductive Argument Points to the Probability of the 

Conclusion Being True, but it is not a Certainty.

IN THE NEXT POST ON THIS TOPIC, WE'LL EXAMINE SUCH

TERMS AS VALID/INVALID, WHICH INDICATE IF THE ARGUMENT 

IS LAID OUT, OR CONSTRUCTED CORRECTLY.  THAT, AND WHY 

EXAMINING THE TRUTH OF THE PREMISES IS THE KEY TO 

EVALUATING THE STRENGTH OR WEAKNESS OF EACH ARGUMENT.

LOGIC. HOW CAN YOU SPOT A WELL REASONED ARGUMENT, OR AN IRRATIONAL ONE? PT 1.

It may be a Local Politician, Co-Worker, Friend, or even a Family Member. Yet, it is Inevitable that occasionally someone you know will Voice an Opinion about an Issue that will be in Direct Conflict with your own.  What should you do? What is at Stake if you Decide to Open up and be Honest?  Before you Decide, try to go through the Following Process, and see what Answer it leads you to. 

1.  Is the Subject Matter of Such Importance that it must be Addressed Immediately?-  What is Important to You, Friends and Family, may not really matter to others.  Pick your Battles.  If You have an Opinion on a Subject, but it lies in conflict with Others, is the Disagreement so Vast that you are willing to make a Stand Then and There?  Can it wait for a Different Time and Place?  What Do You Gain, or Lose, by Postponing such a Discussion?

2.  Many Times it is Better to say NOTHING AT ALL, LET THE SPEAKER MAKE THE CASE FOR YOUR SIDE OF AN ISSUE.-  Are you Familiar with the Saying:   

                 "BETTER TO BE THOUGHT A FOOL, THAN TO OPEN YOUR 

                  MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT."   

How Many Times have you been present at a Gathering or Event, where Someone Attending is making a Fool of Themselves, Blurting out Meaningless Drivel that has everyone Rolling Their Eyes and Walking Away.  If it is within a group of Fairly Well- Informed People, They will see the Individual for what He Is;  Ill-Informed, Ignorant, and Lacking the Basic Skills for Intellectual Discourse.  No Opinion They Offer will be Taken Seriously, and Hopefully, it is on the Opposite Side of an Issue that you land on.

3.  The Most Important Disagreements to Confront Immediately are Deliberate Falsehoods and Bad Information-  Before you can point out an IRRATIONAL AND INVALID ARGUMENT, MAKE SURE THE SPEAKER CAN BACK UP ANY FACTS AND FIGURES THEY ARE STATING AS FACT.  Don't point out the Flaws in the REASONING AND STRUCTURE OF THEIR ARGUMENT, AND IGNORE ANY MISINFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE PREMISES.  THEY CAN JUST REFORMULATE THE ARGUMENT TO MAKE IT VALID, BUT IT MAY STILL CONTAIN THE SAME FACTUAL FLAWS.

HERE IS A BASIC EXAMPLE;

ALL ROTTWEILERS ARE VICIOUS DOGS.

SPOT IS A  VICIOUS DOG.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

THEREFORE, SPOT IS A ROTTWEILER.

This is an INVALID ARGUMENT.  SPOT MAY 

BE A VICIOUS DOG, BUT ANY BREED OF DOG 

CAN BECOME VICIOUS, IT IS NOT A BEHAVIOR 

EXCLUSIVE TO THE ROTTWEILER.

TO MAKE IT A VALID ARGUMENT, IT IS CHANGED

TO THIS;

ALL ROTTWEILERS ARE VICIOUS DOGS.

SPOT IS A ROTTWEILER.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

THEREFORE, SPOT IS A VICIOUS DOG.

NOW THE ARGUMENT IS LOGICALLY VALID.

HOWEVER, THE BASIS OF TRUTH FOR THE CONCLUSION

THAT SPOT IS VICIOUS, LIES IN THE PREMISE THAT 

ALL ROTTWEILERS ARE VICIOUS. THAT IS A FACTUAL

CLAIM THAT MUST BE BACKED UP WITH PROPER

DATA.