A Time to Mourn


A smile can mask a broken heart.  As a registered nurse with a high E.Q.  I am fairly adept at recognizing the mask of a broken heart.  But my skill is not equal to the task of stripping off the smiling mask which exposes a monster.  When Charlie Kirk was brutally assassinated, this particular mask slipped off the face with a callous disregard for life.

American paganism.  

The cyber ghetto "X" exploded with agitated rejoicing.  Meta - a demographic of small-thought plantations responded with glee.  Elizabeth Beck let her mask slip.  Now her constituents know exactly who they elected to represent their best interests.

https://www.chron.com/politics/article/charlie-kirk-gun-deaths-shot-21041747.php

"Unfortunate" is when you stub your toe.  "Unfortunate" is a flat tire in the hot Texas sun. Charlie Kirk was not accosted by bad luck.  The actions of an assassin involved deliberate surveillance, mapping a plan, securing a weapon, proficiency training, stealth, situational awareness, and an escape hatch to avoid detection after the commission of a crime.  Charlie Kirk was targeted. 

What does freedom of expression really mean?  And is it healthy? To further this discussion and to make it clear I do not support censorship, it is necessary to share a journalism story.  

Many years ago I populated Blogspot with a team of three equally dedicated partners.  I wrote a post about Paul Magby, a prolific producer of necro-porn.  This involved viewing his hideous volume of work, and the Congressional testimony given by one of the members of our team.  

After the commentary posted, I received a demand letter from Mr. Magby's attorney.  He then entered my e mail with personal threats against myself and my sons.   One threat involved my strangulation by a man who was incarcerated for the strangulation death of a female real estate agent. "I hope you find yourself in a cell next to him."  (A forensic search of the man's computer showed prior viewing of Mr. Magby's videos.)

The team discussed it.  A decision was made.  The post would not be removed.  Principles count.

Freedom of expression.  It is the foundation of human liberty.  Yet I believe we need a new suite of laws.  This is not about censorship.  But it is about personal accountability and ownership of our words. 

Let everything platform used to cross-pollinate our thoughts enter a  "resting state" for eight hours after anything which we post. Let there be a locking mechanism which does not allow us to delete our thoughts.   This allows us eight hours to consider our words.  Others can also examine the weight of it.  What do we really have to offer the world?  Do we offer a honeycomb of thought or are we the next Marcus Aurelius?   In a natural and non-threatening manner the "resting state"  guides us toward repentance and remorse for that which should have never found voice. Reflection is within the paradigm for psychological well-being.  Eight hours of reflection is not punitive.

This suite of laws should not trample on press corps traditions of offering corrections to emerging news stories or benign actions involving misinformation.  These statutes should be mirrors of the soul and not purposeful dark hand of the state.  Freedom of expression is healthy!  It allows other Americans a means to judge our character - or the lack thereof.  

The mask slipped when a Fort Worth city council member rejoiced over the death of an innocent man. Keeping the mask off for eight hours, allowing Ms. Beck to enter a resting state, is a healthy thing.

Let's return to societal homeostasis. Begin your own quest to recognize American paganism when it makes an appearance.  This stops.  This stops now.


swoffordwrites@gmail.com



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