[Vision2020] Compassion for All Life

[david sarff]

Could the middle ground sit at concentration on the context of respect for 
all levels human life? As a major step? The other life entities should be 
able to dovetail in, if we can get beyond singling out specific points in 
the contiguous human life chain. Certainly the comprehensive view includes 
all life, plants included. That’s is a higher end. Clean out of the mud, 
lotus flowering. We have to emerge through the muddy pond, its part of the 
act.

Some might consider the old bible map story of Noah. Seemingly accurate in 
its day, and somewhat today. Can we add to the precision of its measure and 
be more comprehensive about reality these days? The story is relative to 
honoring all life. One might reflect upon what life he saved and what life 
he didn’t. For those who believe his action ( and in what influenced him) 
actually happened. Why ignore/destroy his ( conceptual their) good work?

With regard to human fetus death emphasis . Some persons allow their 
identity death issues to interfere and apply narcissistic rage to regularly 
get in the way of reasonability. This is a waste of energy.
A possible new word comes to mind, describing a certain human propensity.
Dislogisticator…. ( I humbly include myself as an occasional perpetrator)
Dave


>>
>Greetings:
>
>If "significant cognitive functioning" (beautiful description of the 
>traditional view!) is not the way we sort out persons from non-persons, 
>then please join with me in extending unconditional compassion to all the 
>animals that are killed every day to feed the several billion carnivorous 
>maws all over the world.
>
>This is an unnecessary slaughter because we can grow complete vegetable 
>protein at a much lower cost and with much less damage to the environment.  
>Just as the earth and its atmosphere cannot bear developing countries 
>owning as many cars as we do, neither can the earth bear the increased meat 
>consumption that these countries are experiencing.
>
>Both addictions, one to oil and the other to animal flesh, will be the end 
>of us.  Millions of acres of the Amazonian rain forest are cut ever year to 
>make way for raising beef cattle, pouring tons of CO2 and CH4 (from bovine 
>stomachs) into the air.
>
>If the tradition distinction between persons and non-persons is ignored, 
>then the only moral option is to recognize that all life has a serious 
>moral right to live.
>
>Veggie Burgers Forever!
>
>Nick Gier
>>Oh professor, how you cling to a specious distinction.  You may view 
>>"significant cognitive functioning" as helpful in defining personhood so 
>>as to rationalize killing, but it is still the taking of a human life.  
>>For humans who were allowed to grow to adulthood unmolested to decide to 
>>kill those who have yet to develope fully is the very height of 
>>callousness and insensetivity.  You can blame tradition all you like but 
>>as I pointed out, tradition is frequently wrong and in this case you are 
>>tragically wrong along with it.
>>
>>What kind of an ethical vacuum do you live in which regards the murder of 
>>the innocent as a "good tradition?"  If you truly believe this, you are 
>>not being intellectually honest, but rather morally bankrupt.
>>
>>Now go grow some compassion.  -T
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: <mailto:ngier at uidaho.edu>Nick Gier
>>To: <mailto:vision2020 at moscow.com>vision2020 at moscow.com
>>Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 8:59 AM
>>Subject: [Vision2020] African Americans and Fetuses
>>
>>Greetings:
>>
>>The traditional view of moral and legal persons, coming from our combined 
>>religious, moral, and legal histories, eventually won out with regard to 
>>recognizing African Americans as full moral and legal persons.  In my 
>>article on abortion I've applied the same definition to the early fetus 
>>and the logic of the definition does not fit.  To force fit a definition 
>>is simple intellectual dishonesty.
>>
>>Therefore, there is no moral equivalence between recognizing people of 
>>color as persons and fetuses before 25 weeks.
>>
>>Just being a good conservative by preserving good traditions,
>>
>>Nick Gier
>>
>>At 07:25 AM 1/25/2007, you wrote:
>>>Yes Nick, and under our laws in 1850, black folks could be held as 
>>>slaves.  The point is professor, that it is high time the rights the rest 
>>>of us enjoy are extended to today's disenfranchised: the unborn.  How 
>>>disappointing to see you on the wrong side of history this time.  Would 
>>>you have rationalized the Dred Scott decision in its day?
>>>
>>>Tragic.
>>>
>>>-T
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: <mailto:ngier at uidaho.edu>Nick Gier
>>>To: <mailto:tonytime at clearwire.net>Tony
>>>Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 9:31 AM
>>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] One More "Killer" Released Because of DNA
>>>Greetings:
>>>Under our laws the crime of murder can happen only against moral and 
>>>legal persons.  Our religious, moral, and legal tradition does not 
>>>recognize first and second trimester fetuses as persons.  Once again I 
>>>provide the link for my essay on abortion: 
>>>www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/abortion.htm.
>>>Fetuses are of course biological human beings from conception on, but so 
>>>are thousands of other animal species.  As a vegetarian I'm quite willing 
>>>to shift to a consistent pro-life position, but I believe that most 
>>>people are not willing to do this.  The moral ball is in their court, and 
>>>it's their serve.
>>>Veggie Burgers Forever!
>>>Nick Gier
>>>At 09:22 AM 1/24/2007, you wrote:
>>>>Nick, I was heartened to see you change your mind with regard to 
>>>>abortion. You are absolutely correct that the state should not be in the 
>>>>business of premeditated murder, especially in the case of those who are 
>>>>innocent in EVERY case. It is such a joy to see reason and compassion 
>>>>prevail. Best,   -T ----- Original Message ----- From: 
>>>><nickgier at adelphia.net> To: <vision2020 at moscow.com> Sent: Wednesday, 
>>>>January 24, 2007 8:57 AM Subject: [Vision2020] One More "Killer" 
>>>>Released Because of DNA > Greetings: > > Fortunately, most DNA 
>>>>exonerations are happening with prisoners who are > still alive.  The 
>>>>real injustice, however, is those, now over 100, who > were executed 
>>>>before the tests could be done. > > The state should not be in the 
>>>>business of premeditated murder, especially > if it cannot be sure of 
>>>>that its victims are guilty. > > Nick Gier > > January 24, 2007, NY 
>>>>Times > With DNA From Exhumed Body, Man Finally Wins Freedom > By 
>>>>FERNANDA SANTOS > > AUBURN, N.Y., Jan. 23 — Roy Brown, who spent 15 
>>>>yeears in prison on a > murder conviction and uncovered evidence while 
>>>>there that linked another > man to the crime, was released from prison 
>>>>on Tuesday after DNA tests on > the other man’s exhumed body matched 
>>>>saliva on a nightshirt at the crime > scene. > > After 15 years behind 
>>>>bars, Mr. Brown stepped out of court into a light > snowfall and gently 
>>>>pushed his way through a cluster of relatives who vied > for his 
>>>>attention. The reception was fine, he said, but he is too sick > with 
>>>>liver disease to stand on his feet for long. > > “Changes have got to 
>>>>be made, man,” Mr. Brown said later at a lawyer’s > office across 
>>>>the street, answering questions in a monotone as he rested > awkwardly 
>>>>in a black swivel chair. “They say the wheels of justice move > 
>>>>slowly, but you know what? The wheels of justice are flat.” > > Mr. 
>>>>Brown, 46, is the eighth person in New York State exonerated through > 
>>>>DNA evidence in the past 13 months, more than in any other state during 
>>>> > the same period. > > The DNA tests that freed him confirmed the 
>>>>results of his own jailhouse > investigation, in which he discovered 
>>>>documents that incriminated Barry > Bench, a volunteer firefighter, in 
>>>>the murder of Sabina Kulakowski, 49, a > social worker who had lived 
>>>>with Mr. Bench’s brother until months before > her death. Earlier DNA 
>>>>tests conducted by Mr. Brown’s lawyers linked Mr. > Bench’s 
>>>>daughter, Katherine Eckstadt, to the genetic code lifted from the > 
>>>>saliva on Ms. Kulakowski’s nightshirt. > > 
>>>>=======================================================  > List services 
>>>>made available by First Step Internet, > serving the communities of the 
>>>>Palouse since 1994. >               http://www.fsr.net >      
>>>>mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com > 
>>>>=======================================================  > > 
>>>>======================================================= List services 
>>>>made available by First Step Internet, serving the communities of the 
>>>>Palouse since 1994.                  http://www.fsr.net                  
>>>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com 
>>>>=======================================================
>>>"Truth is the summit of being; justice is the application of it to human 
>>>affairs."
>>>--Ralph Waldo Emerson
>>>"Abstract truth has no value unless it incarnates in human beings who 
>>>represent it, by proving their readiness to die for it."
>>>  --Mohandas Gandhi
>>>"Modern physics has taught us that the nature of any system cannot be 
>>>discovered by dividing it into its component parts and studying each part 
>>>by itself. . . .We must keep our attention fixed on the whole and on the 
>>>interconnection between the parts. The same is true of our intellectual 
>>>life. It is impossible to make a clear cut between science, religion, and 
>>>art. The whole is never equal simply to the sum of its various parts." 
>>>--Max Planck
>>>
>>>Nicholas F. Gier
>>>Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, University of Idaho
>>>1037 Colt Rd., Moscow, ID 83843
>>>http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/home.htm
>>>208-882-9212/FAX 885-8950
>>>President, Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
>>>http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/ift.htm
>>
>>"Truth is the summit of being; justice is the application of it to human 
>>affairs."
>>--Ralph Waldo Emerson
>>
>>"Abstract truth has no value unless it incarnates in human beings who 
>>represent it, by proving their readiness to die for it."
>>  --Mohandas Gandhi
>>
>>"Modern physics has taught us that the nature of any system cannot be 
>>discovered by dividing it into its component parts and studying each part 
>>by itself. . . .We must keep our attention fixed on the whole and on the 
>>interconnection between the parts. The same is true of our intellectual 
>>life. It is impossible to make a clear cut between science, religion, and 
>>art. The whole is never equal simply to the sum of its various parts." 
>>--Max Planck
>>
>>Nicholas F. Gier
>>Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, University of Idaho
>>1037 Colt Rd., Moscow, ID 83843
>>http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/home.htm
>>208-882-9212/FAX 885-8950
>>President, Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
>>http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/ift.htm
>>
>>
>>----------
>>=======================================================
>>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>                http://www.fsr.net
>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>=======================================================
>
>"Truth is the summit of being; justice is the application of it to human 
>affairs."
>--Ralph Waldo Emerson
>
>"Abstract truth has no value unless it incarnates in human beings who 
>represent it, by proving their readiness to die for it."
>  --Mohandas Gandhi
>
>"Modern physics has taught us that the nature of any system cannot be 
>discovered by dividing it into its component parts and studying each part 
>by itself. . . .We must keep our attention fixed on the whole and on the 
>interconnection between the parts. The same is true of our intellectual 
>life. It is impossible to make a clear cut between science, religion, and 
>art. The whole is never equal simply to the sum of its various parts." 
>--Max Planck
>
>Nicholas F. Gier
>Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, University of Idaho
>1037 Colt Rd., Moscow, ID 83843
>http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/home.htm
>208-882-9212/FAX 885-8950
>President, Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
>http://users.adelphia.net/~nickgier/ift.htm
>


>=======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>=======================================================

_________________________________________________________________
Check out all that glitters with the MSN Entertainment Guide to the Academy 
Awards®   http://movies.msn.com/movies/oscars2007/?icid=ncoscartagline2