Thoughts For Thursday...

And the weekend is getting closer by the minute...with all that we look forward to.
Seems to be another nice day ahead of us here in the Heartland.
Our Hoosierland weather will see another day with slightly warmer temps reaching to around the 83 degree mark, mostly sunny skies and no precipitation today (looks like tomorrow).
We're due for some rain anyway, just not today.
Now, with that dispensed with, grab your favorite morning beverage and let's take a look at what has been going on...
*** First off of the front page is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Morality is not the doctrine of how we make ourselves happy, but how we make ourselves worthy of happiness."

This is attributed to that bastion of philosophy, Immanuel Kant (22 April 1724 - 12 February 1804) who hailed from Germany and is considered THE central figure of modern philosophy.
And because you didn't ask for it, here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant
Now THIS is one LONG WIKI, and to just hit the "high points" would take the entire post.
And since I can't seem to find a CLIFF'S NOTES edition, I will have to leave the reading of his life and times to you readers.
Let's just say that no other person has had such a profound effect on philosophy since maybe Socrates or Plato, and that's saying something.
I will say that when we refer to Kant's basis for his studies in philosophy, we are talking about his using REASON as the BASIS for MORALITY.
He also said that aesthetics arises from a faculty of disinterested judgment, that space and time are forms of our understanding, and that the world as it is "in-itself" is unknowable.
Kant believed that perpetual peace could be achieved through universal democracy and international cooperation
(try that in TODAY'S WORLD)
His religious leanings are still debated and range from being a radical atheist to one who was an apologist for traditional Christian beliefs. We may never truly know about that.
Still, if you've got a half hour you're not doing anything with, give the WIKI a read. Just take your time, because you might wind up going over certain parts a few times (like I did...and still do). Moving on...
*** Next is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
September 17 -
---Today is NATIONAL APPLE DUMPLING DAY

(not to be confused with the Apple Dumpling Gang)
---It's also NATIONAL MONTE CRISTO DAY

(this has to do with the SANDWICH and not the novel)
---And, it's CONSTITUTION DAY (CITIZENSHIP DAY)

Here's the official website:
http://www.constitutionday.com/
And another site with more information:
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/constitution-citizenship-day
*** Next up, looks like we have homicide number TWENTY.
And here's that story:
http://wane.com/2015/09/16/woman-found-buried-in-home-in-february-idd-arrest-made/

This guy is one SICK-ASS S.O.B. to have a D/B under the basement floor for months.
Kinda reminds me of that story from Philly a few years back...situation was similar...body buried under the basement.
What the hell is UP with such deranged individuals and WHY are they walking OUR streets instead of kissing the walls of a padded cell?
*** And then we have the FWPD searching for a THIRD person in a recent shooting. Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2015/09/16/police-searching-for-third-teen-in-july-fatal-shooting/

Thug-at-large

Imagine that, a 17-year old murderer on the loose on OUR streets...
This was the case where FWPD surrounded a house on Lillie St and after several hours found NO ONE inside.
The other two thugs were arrested last week.
The shooting originally took place back in July (check my archive post of 10 July).
*** Next, an ACSD officer gets the sack over discipline charges.
Here's that story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Officer-gets-fired-over-discipline-8837848
Complaints against (former) Allen County Sheriff's Department officer Jason Giszewski started back in 2001, and deal with some serious anger-management issues.

What I have to applaud the officer for however, is pointing his gun at a neighbor who was playing their music TOO LOUD...
I can SO relate to that.
It's all the other things accumulating over the years that make the case for dismissal, though.
All I can say is that no one ever said that law-enforcement work was without it's own unique set of problems.
*** Next up, remember that Outlaws Biker gang crib that was raided back in 2012 (that I also covered here)? Well, FINALLY, after all this time, the FEDS seized the place. Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Federal-officials-seize-Outlaws-clubhouse-8838016

Naturally, no one was at the house, located on W. Main St. in Fort Wayne, unlike in 2012 when about a dozen members were busted for drugs and racketeering charges.
The owners of the property died several years ago, but no recordings of the deaths were ever recorded in Allen County.
Some neighbors actually said there was not that much of a problem with the bikers.
Well, who WANTS to draw attention to oneself when your trafficking drugs, right? The disposition of the property has not been determined (and that's an older house).
*** Next, FWCS is looking for some renovation funding...
Here's that story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/schools/FWCS-seekingrenovation-aid-8836007

Didn't we just fork over $117 MILLION for fix-ups in the last several years?
And that was a heated referendum.
Now, FWCS wants to stage an "outreach" program to "soften the blow" (Financially) to taxpayers.
OUTREACH - sounds like a Christian missionary venue, doesn't it?
Didn't anyone there FORESEE this kind of thing?
I suppose if they ask nicely and use the word PLEASE, we can empty our pockets AGAIN...right?
*** Last back to the garage...once again, we see more evidence that society's problems are caused by people.

It's NOT a result of their condition, or station in life, or circumstances.
However, there is a basis for society's ills, and that often stems from how people view other people.
It's how we accept or reject others based on a myriad of things, and that list seems to get longer with every generation.
Some things we, as humans cannot help, such a those who exhibit behaviors so far out of the realm of normalcy.
Others are more subtle, and can many times be accepted AS normal, when in reality, they are not...like "recreational" drug use. Guess the next step is recreational homicide?
And maybe that's why WE...those seeking truth in the world, as well as some slice of sanity, want to embrace parts of Kant's philosophy of REASON.
Remember as a child, you were always asking "WHY"? And later on, you heard other small children asking the same question to the point of annoyance?
That would have to be THE one question to ask regarding most anything in life, right? Never ask, you never learn.
We seek a "reason" behind the "why", and don't prefer to settle for anything less.
I think that any level of moral or ethical behavior demands that we ask WHY in order to obtain that REASON.

It's when we stop asking questions such as those, that we lessen ourselves on many planes.
Our task is to work to become better...not worse, hmm?
The Bible teaches that "To everything there is a SEASON"...
Maybe if we just apply a simple modification and make that SEASON a REASON, things would become clearer to us.
We won't know until we try.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.