Hello Matt and Charli,
Among the many essays here I'd like to read and ponder, I recently read yours. In a sense, many of us here seem to be heading towards a similar outlook in the unification of classical, quantum and relativistic physics with a special focus on wave mechanics, absorbing media and measurement issues. Your essay expressed that in a unique and fresh way.
When you say
"Each 'sampling' by a particle in the 'new' dielectric medium, whatever it's state of motion with respect to the old or 'incident' medium, results in a new emission (or 'reemission') at c with respect to the kinetic state of that particle. This simple logical mechanism producing the Doppler shift effect is something of an 'elephant in the room' of current physics, so far invisible to present theory. It hides itself across the surface of the lens of our eyes and instruments, changing wavelength subject to relative detector motion, and disguises itself by being so obvious that it could not possibly have been 'missed'."
You might consider how the results of my essay Is Kinematics Compatible With Field Symmetries? and further discussion in the forum fit in. The physics of energy dispersion may be the 'elephant in the room' that is so elusive and yet is responsible for the effects of Diffraction, Refraction, Scintillation, Aberration, Shapiro delays, Lensing, Faraday rotation and the space time of relativity which you speak of.
Another essay which touches on some of the things in relativity you mention is Renate Quehenberger's essay which I find compelling for certain reasons and unique.
It will take a little more convincing to agree that the essay rigorously demonstrates the claim made in the title of the paper, but the essay does point out a different way to look at the issue. I would have a lot more to say on the theory of Louis de Broglie as it applies here and in going forward, but maybe it would be getting into unnecessary details at the moment.
With best wishes,
Steve Sycamore