Initial commit

docs/10_Principle_Closed_Records.md

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# Principle — Closed Records
+
+## Definition
+
+A **closed record** is the complete and final body of evidence left by a deceased individual.
+No new actions, clarifications, or defenses will ever be added.
+For the Civic Analyst, this immutability creates both an opportunity and an ethical obligation.
+
+---
+
+## Why Closed Records Matter
+
+1. **Immutability of Evidence**
+
+   * Contributions are finite and cannot evolve further.
+   * Every statement, action, and institution built remains as the permanent civic record.
+
+2. **Framing Integrity**
+
+   * Because the subject cannot defend themselves, analysts must present evidence transparently.
+   * Selective framing can distort legacy — for good or ill — without possibility of correction.
+
+3. **Resistance to Exploitation**
+
+   * Once an individual is deceased, narratives may be weaponized.
+   * Media, adversaries, or allies may attempt to rewrite history for their own ends.
+   * The Civic Analyst’s duty is to resist distortion by preserving and presenting the record faithfully.
+
+---
+
+## Case Example: Charlie Kirk
+
+Charlie Kirk is no longer alive. His civic record is closed.
+
+* The BBC profile (*“How a teenage activist became such a close Trump ally”*) illustrates how framing continues after death:
+
+  * Highlighting credentialism (“college dropout”).
+  * Labeling political identity (“hard-right Trump loyalist”).
+  * Casting critique of Islam as bigotry.
+* These framings shape legacy without the subject’s ability to respond.
+* The Civic Analyst must therefore separate evidence from narrative, measuring only the civic consequences of Kirk’s actions and institutions.
+
+*Source:*
+Bernd Debusmann Jr. & Mike Wendling. *“How a teenage activist became such a close Trump ally.”*
+**BBC News**, 13 September 2025.
+[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33r4kjez6no](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33r4kjez6no)
+(Local copy preserved in this repo as `Charlie Kirk_ How a teenage activist became such a close Trump ally.pdf`).
+*Accessed 13 September 2025, 6:53 AM (UTC-5).*
+
+---
+
+## Analyst’s Responsibility
+
+* Treat closed records as **fixed evidence sets**.
+* Make reasoning transparent: explain why certain evidence is emphasized.
+* Ensure fidelity to the record, even when critical.
+* Recognize that once published, the analysis itself becomes part of the closed civic archive.
+
+---
+
+## Closing Declaration
+
+This principle establishes how Civic Analysts treat the records of deceased figures:
+as immutable evidence requiring transparency, fairness, and resistance to exploitation.
+
+It will not be revised. Any future improvement must come from new analyses published by other Civic Analysts.
+
+---