who is the modern gadfly?

Who fills the void left by Socrates? Who asks the hard questions that seek to uncover the truth? Who points out the phonies?
Some would say that filmmakers like Michael Moore do this. The people that go into the situations that Moore goes into and ask the questions that Moore does, must have their work taken with a grain of salt. The bias of these filmmakers and writers in this vein all approach their subjects with a bias that can't be ignored, and really shouldn't because they came at the piece trying to convince people of a problem and how that problem can be solved. Socrates was biased, as all people are, but his method of questioning is imitated with the best work of Michael Moore. In "Bowling for Columbine" he goes after gun-toting America by just asking questions to these people about why they have guns and why they feel they should/deserve/need to have them. Sure there are loaded questions and leading questions that the person answering gets wise to but the person is made more foolish by saying "how dare you ask me that!" in answer to a question that simply shows this person with full mental faculties at his disposal why he is logically wrong. In the best and most calm and collected form, Michael Moore is the modern gadfly.

The Unexamined "Life"

That which is not understood can not be perceived as reality. Our reason is the only tool that separates the realm of reality from the illusory realm of the senses. Our ideas are what make our lives worth living and examination of thought is the only way to develop such ideas. Life can very well be worth living in the material sense of life. If you are in a good situation and have enough resources to sustain you and your family in healthy and pleasurable life, then this life is worthwhile within itself. But if the liver of this life of comfort and security does not understand why his or her life is meaningful to himself or herself then this person is living an illusion they can not see through. They are both the magician and the rabbit being pulled out of the magician's hat, but see only the point of view of the confounded audience. They create the illusion, become immersed in it like the rabbit is integral to the magician's trick, and somehow fail to see the true explanation of the "magic." Because the purpose of a magic show is to keep the audience guessing and for the audience to want to guess and try their best to understand. The search for understanding and truth is the examination of life itself and only if you ask questions of the universe and the magician who orchestrates this trick will worth be found in the living of life.

Eulogy

Sadly we are gathered on this web page to remember Peter Casey. His death was unexpected and unfortunate. He was a teenager on his way to becoming a man and with many prospects for life after high school. He was a football player who would have played in college had he been around for those years of his life.
His early years were spent enamored with comic books, Batman, and the like. Superheroes were his favorite characters. He drew comic books and until around the age of 8 this was his calling. He would be an artist! But sadly his creativity and artistic talent stagnated after this period.
A new activity took over Peter's life and this was the game of football. He started playing flag football and eventually played tackle and was always the biggest player on the field. His father being six feet and seven inches tall Peter was always going to be tall. His love for the game was apparent immediately and his passion kept him moving up the levels of competition and succeeding at every level into high school.
In high school Peter remained close to his grade school friends who, for the most part, went to Northside for high school. Friendship and staying close to those that knew him best was always very important to Peter. Life got harder in high school with more responsibilities, but being a good friend and staying close to his best friends was always a constant in his life.
In high school Peter decided that while football, and basketball as well, were great and would hopefully continue into college, they were not viable career options. Uncertainty became a new source of confusion and anxiety for Peter. Freshman year, as we are told we need to start thinking about college, Peter was unclear on his future. More and more through the year he enjoyed writing and his American Lit. class. The writing journal in that was the tool that helped Peter discover what he thought he might possibly be good at one day and that was writing.
Who knows what he would've become? He might've formed into what he was meant to be by the time of his passing. But the people he knew and the people that knew him, know that he was a good guy who was committed to being a friend and a rock for those people. Consistency and reliability to others were the principles of Peter's personality. He will be missed.

Peter Casey