{"id":11596,"date":"2021-04-28T07:15:16","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T11:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=11596"},"modified":"2021-04-28T07:15:20","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T11:15:20","slug":"detraction-calumny-a-partial-administration-of-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=11596","title":{"rendered":"detraction, calumny & a partial administration of justice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For years the Intramuralist has presented a \u201cState of the Government\u201d post consistent with the timing of the President\u2019s State of the Union (SOTU) address. As Pres. Biden delivers a joint address to Congress this evening and not an SOTU (there is a difference, although typically not in style),<\/em> we continue with our annual assessment. In a very abbreviated nutshell, it typically goes something like this\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The state of the government is too partisan, too influenced by money, too big, too financially imbalanced, and too far removed from the Constitution.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We continue to adhere to each of the above assertions. In fact, we believe this has and continues to be true under the executive and congressional leadership of both<\/em> parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as we continue examining such \u2014 and point noted, from no doubt a limited point of view \u2014 increasingly more I am finding the state of being \u201ctoo partisan\u201d most destructive, even now seemingly accepted, welcomed, and encouraged by many of the intelligent or self-identified moderate left and right. Partisanship is dividing us. And as we become more divided (see Pew Research Center\u2019s most recent polling),<\/em> we fall prey to beliefs and behaviors that fail in otherwise perceived areas of judiciousness\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partisanship is prompting us to ignore other perspective.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partisanship is prompting us to think lesser of others \u2014 especially in regard to how they vote, who and what they support.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partisanship is prompting us to believe dissent should be silenced.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partisanship is prompting us to embrace mandates and dismiss compromise.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partisanship is skewing our vision.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I seek wisdom in an area where it\u2019s not obvious in the nation\u2019s loudest voices, I find myself wrestling with the words of a few who\u2019ve gone before us\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Joseph Addison, the politician and playwright, writing in London\u2019s The Spectator<\/em>\u2026 who in the late 17th\/early 18th century, shared content Pres. George Washington would be noted to embrace. Said Addison in an essay entitled \u201cThe Malice of Parties\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA furious party spirit, when it rages in its full violence, exerts itself in civil war and bloodshed; and when it is under its greatest restraints, naturally breaks out in falsehood, detraction, calumny, and a partial administration of justice. In a word, it fills a nation with spleen and rancor, and extinguishes all the seeds of good nature, compassion, and humanity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I repeat…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A furious party spirit\u2026 exerting itself…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 naturally breaking out in falsehood<\/em>.  (Falsehood is \u201cthe state of being untrue.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 detraction<\/em>. (Detraction is \u201cthe act of denying or taking away (a quality or achievement) so as to make its subject seem less impressive.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 calumny.<\/em> (Calumny is \u201cthe making of false and defamatory statements in order to damage someone’s reputation.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 and a partial administration of justice.<\/em> Think of the many who fight for justice only for some. <\/em>In order to pursue justice, they advocate discrimination against another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 a nation filled with rancor. <\/em>Ah, rancor\u2026 bitterness or resentfulness. We see it so much now. And yet these words were written centuries ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still more are recently implored words \u2014 a few, no less, included in the final SOTU from Pres. Obama. He shared that the state of our union and government is unworkable<\/em> if \u201cwe think the people who disagree with us are all motivated by malice.\u201d<\/em> Continuing with some of his own regret, he also asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow can we make our politics reflect what\u2019s best in us, and not what\u2019s worst?\u201d<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partisanship is prejudice; it’s in the definition \u2014 \u201cprejudice in favor of a particular cause.\u201d Let\u2019s be a wiser, humbler people. Let\u2019s root out all prejudice. Let’s start by individually recognizing the glaring danger of partisanship… and thus pursue a more healthy state of the union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AR
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For years the Intramuralist has presented a \u201cState of the Government\u201d post consistent with the timing of the President\u2019s State of the Union (SOTU) address. As Pres. Biden delivers a joint address to Congress this evening and not an SOTU (there is a difference, although typically not in style), we continue with our annual assessment. … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “detraction, calumny & a partial administration of justice”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-event"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11596"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11602,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11596\/revisions\/11602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}