Dr. Ben Carson Says He’s Okay with Killing Children and Civilians

At the last Republican debate of 2015, candidate Rand Paul said to America, regarding statements by Florina and Christie, “I think if you are in favor of World War III, you have your candidate.”

However, every Republican candidate for President, except Ron Paul, seems to yearn to be a wartime president. If America elects a Republican to occupy the oval office and a plurality to Congress, with very little doubt there will be war ad infinitum, perhaps World War III.

The unnecessary death of Mario Woods

In the United States, police officers use lethal force more than in other countries. There’s an epidemic of police killings. In some jurisdictions of the United States shooting to kill is accepted police practice. However, every state fails to comply with international standards for use of lethal force.

There is Nothing That Puts Christ Back in Christmas like a Gun

Many people see nothing wrong with this Christmas card. Some people have sent private messages essentially saying that they don't understand my problem. Why do I have such a problem with what others do.

I don’t have a problem with what other people do until it’s significantly contrary to deeply held beliefs. Assemblywoman Michele Fiore’s Christmas card represents killing — guns were invented for no other purpose than to kill — when Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Promoting peace, love, compassion is what should be promoted, not guns. The intentions are different, but Fiore’s card is no different from a Christmas card picturing ISIS executioners with their long knives held at their side 

Republicans and the Gun Crowd Say We Don’t Have a Problem

Union and Confederate soldiers engaged in combat
during the attack of the Massachusetts 54th Infantry Regiment
on Fort Wagner, South Carolina, July 18, 1863,
by Currier & Ives. (Library of Congress)

“There have been 1,516,863 gun-related deaths since 1968, compared to 1,396,733 cumulative war deaths since the American Revolution. That’s 120,130 more gun deaths than war deaths -- about 9 percent more, or nearly four typical years’ worth of gun deaths. And that’s using the most generous scholarly estimate of Civil War deaths, the biggest component of American war deaths.

Despite Facts, House Republicans Reject Humanitarianism In Favor Of Anti-Refugee Legislation

USAID Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict,
and Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg interacts
 with Syrian refugees at Islahiye Refugee Camp in Turkey

The Paris terrorist attacks prompted House Republicans to pass legislation restricting admission of Iraqi and Syrian refugees to the United States. They are concerned that vetting procedures are not strong enough to prevent ISIS terrorist from infiltrating the United States as Syrian refugees. The legislation requires supplemental certifications and background investigations — in addition to the comprehensive vetting that is currently in place — be completed prior to admission of refugees from the region. In reality, it essentially closes the door on new Iraqi and Syrian refugees.

Maintaining a Healthy and Habitable Planet is a Moral Responsibility

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Jeff Merkley and Sen. Patrick Leahy
introducing legislation to help accelerate the transition
to clean energy by ending all new federal leases for oil,
gas or coal extraction on public lands and waters.

YouTube screenshot

Presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders is the only politician we can depend on to be sincere about the critical issues facing our country. Climate change is only one of these issues, a condition he refers to as a major planetary crisis. Therefore, people should pay attention to what he says. There is no political reasoning behind what he says; he says it because he honestly believes it is a crisis developing that will make earth inhabitable, eventually destroying this place we call home.

Will We Destroy the Place We Call Home?

A scrapyard due to destruction and waste.
 pixabay.com, Copyright: Public Domain

At some point in our future, an uninhabitable earth is not an unreasonable thought. Years of disregard for earth can cause components of the earth system to change. Massive changes in earth's weather patterns and pollutants distributed in the air we breathe will eventually make earth too toxic to sustain life.

Using the Republican Nazi Argument against Gun Control

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
German Jews forcibly pulled out of dug-outs
Photo: Jürgen Stroop Report, May 1943

Pro-gun proponents use Hitler’s disarming of German citizens as an argument against gun control. The latest is presidential candidate Ben Carson’s “I think the likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed.” In other words, the Holocaust would not have happened if German citizens had guns to stand up to Hitler.

United States Police Officers Use Lethal Force More Than Other Countries

Wilmington Delaware Police Officers
 confronting Jeremy McDole.
YouTube Video Screenshot

While sitting in his wheelchair, police killed Jeremy McDole. Wilmington, Delaware police repeatedly told McDole to drop his gun, even though there was no gun visible, but as he slid his hand up his thigh towards his waist, they shot him. McDole is the latest casualty in an epidemic of police killings across the country. It’s a problem, beyond what is apparent, because statistics reveal police officers in the United States kill more in days than other countries do in years.

How the Mental Health System Works, how it doesn’t

Regarding the need for strict federal gun laws, the need for mental health reform is the Republican Party scapegoat. We do need mental health reform but it’s a separate problem, it will not solve America’s gun problem.

Setting aside the comedy, the statistics may or may not be accurate but they are close enough to present the mental health problem we do have, John Oliver’s remarks reflect the truth about mental health.

Here is John Oliver explaining “how our national system of treating mental health works, or more often than not, how it doesn’t.”

Politicizing Oregon’s Mass Murder

“Bill O'Reilly calls out President Obama for politicizing the Oregon campus shooting and using the tragedy to push stricter gun control laws.”

Obama is politicizing? People who believe this should have the smarts to take the time to listen to President Obama on this issue.

               

Pope Francis’ Extraordinary Leadership, a Time of Discernment

President Obama Welcomes Pope Francis  to the White House
Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Perhaps Pope Francis’ leadership will have sufficient impact to motivate others to follow his commitment to building a better world. This week he made a historic visit to the United States, a country that sorely needs to hear and embrace his message (no pope in the history of the church has addressed the U.S. Congress).

Iran Nuclear Deal: Headed For Implementation, Here’s What’s Going On

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif Speaks to the Media
P5+1 Talks With Iran in Geneva, Switzerland.
 November 24, 2013. Wikimedia

President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran will move forward. The deal cleared the Senate. The House of Representatives rejected it, but the bottom line is that the deal will move forward to implementation. All that was required under the Corker-Cardin process of Congressional review is the approval of one house of Congress.

Trust Is Slippery Republican Language to Use in U.S.-Iran Relations

Image credit: Storm is Coming

This graphic clearly reflects why the Iran accord (the Iran Nuclear deal) is better than Republican belligerence. We will never achieve peace through diplomacy if instead we first choose war.

In fact, if anything can persuade Iran to pursue nuclear weapons, it’s the Republican hawk’s lust for war.

America’s Significant Gun Problem, Trump ‘Nailed It’

Kids with Guns, YouTube screenshot

Regarding the Virginia shooter who last week killed two journalists during a live interview, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told CNN that the U.S. has a mental health problem, not a gun problem. A typical response across social media implies that Trump’s conclusion is a new revelation. They say Trump “nailed it.”

California Leads the Way to Banning Grand Juries

Image by Elizabeth Brossa on Flickr

California is the first state to ban grand jury protocol in incidents of police killings. California’s new law, signed by Governor Jerry Brown on August 11, is in response to the distrust people have of the grand jury system, following the deaths of unarmed black men across the country. Even when it’s clear police officers may have committed murder, grand juries fail to indict.

Bernie Sanders, No Other Presidential Candidate, Is the Champion for Everyday Americans

Image from Bernie Sander’s FB page

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders trails Hillary Clinton by a close margin. In the polls, Sanders beats Donald Trump. He attracts huge crowds at each of his rallies. Clinton says, “Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion.” But it’s not Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, or any other candidate who is the champion for everyday Americans, only Bernie Sanders.

It’s a significant accomplishment for a democratic socialist.

Stephen Hawking Et Al Call for an International Ban on Killer Robots

The sentry robot in action in Cheonan,
92 kms south of Seoul. Getty Images 

Along the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea, the South Korean military deployed SGR-A1 Sentry Guard Robots to replace human sentries. The SGR-A1 sentry needs a human operator to fire its weapon. But in time, weaponized autonomous ‘killer robots’ -- self-directed, no human operator -- will replace soldiers along the DMZ as well as soldiers, marines, and sailors in military units worldwide.

How Can Doctors Not Talk About A Major Threat To The Life And Well-Being Of A Child?

“Firearm violence has become a leading cause of death and injury for children and teens. Guns in the home raise special concerns because they significantly raise the risk of homicide, suicide, and unintentional shootings.”

Guns, Guns, Guns, and More Guns as the Result of More Homicide and Crime

Image by Engin Asil

Considering the money made from promoting and increasing gun ownership, whether legal or not, and the windfall profits made from exploiting crimes committed at the hands of someone with a gun, it’s clear why we can’t solve the gun problem.

God and Money

God, the Father watches us all everywhere

Until we develop new ways of thinking about God and money, eliminating our religious and profit problem, poverty, suffering, and inequality will only continue for many people.

SCOTUS Ruling and the Unsuitableness of Religiously Defined Marriage

The assault on same-sex marriage, based on the belief that marriage should be exclusively the union of one man and one woman, and whether its exclusiveness is constitutional, has been debated for decades. The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling making same-sex marriage legal across all 50 states will not change that. The assault and debate will continue. But at the heart of the marriage controversy are antiquated religious beliefs.

Outstanding! Jon Stewart — Thank You for Honestly Telling It the Way It Is

Regarding the killing of nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (Emanuel AME) Church in Charleston, S.C., President Obama, rightfully but guardedly expressed his sadness and anger, condemned racism and addressed the need to do something about the gun problem in our country.

Jon Stewart, however, dropped his usual comedic skit on the Daily Show to express his concerns over the tragedy in Charleston.

Play

Capitalist Are in the Throes of Selling the Hangman’s Rope That Will Eventually Cause Their Demise

By rstrawser, Flickr

Someday society will be free from work and need for money; a world where everyone can follow their passions, where everyone is equal, and, once freed from pursuit of empire, money, and profit, a world at peace.

A Memorial Day Reflection: Ron Kovic’s Memory of War

VietnamWar Memorial, Statues of Vietnam War soldiers
By Angelskiss31,  Flickr 

A majority of young Americans have never served in the Armed Forces. Their understanding of military service and war comes from how the news media reports our wars. Television, movies, and the playing of video war games further distort their view of war. Unlike previous wars, restrictions on publishing certain images of war and inadequate media coverage sanitize war in a way that creates ignorance of the horrors of war, and what face combat veterans when they return home.

The Greatest Casualty of War Is Our future

Memorial Day serves as a reminder that “beneath the beauty of the lilies lies the ugliness of war.” This James Carroll metaphor perfectly captures the most profound meaning of war, and of all the things lost because of it.

June 8th, 2007, was a beautiful sunny Friday morning. Yellow ribbons and the “Red, White, and Blue” adorned buildings, tree trunks, poles, and the hands and clothing of men, women, and children. Families and friends, members of the U.S. Military, the Patriot Guard Riders, and politicians lined the streets for as far as one could see waiting for the hearse carrying Matthew Bean to his final resting place.

A Future without Work and Money

Automated and autonomous systems are becoming more prevalent and capable of doing more things. These systems have and will continue to change the way we produce products, how we provide services, and how they are distributed.

 Automation also has the potential of creating a workless society. In a world of automation, complete with robots with artificial intelligence, no one will have a job to earn the money to pay for products/services, even professional occupations, CEOs, and those who own corporations and small businesses will be out of work. 

This means there’s a need to begin transforming society to be ready to accept a world absent of work, wealth, and other norms that today we associate with life. Transformation unavoidably will lead to a moneyless economy that will solve the problem of unemployment and most, if not all, of our world’s problems.

No one should take the position that it’s not possible. In light of technological advances in automation, it should be evident that eventually automated and autonomous systems one day will force everyone out of work.

An article in TVP magazine (page 66) clearly shows how a workless society can potentially meet its needs for products, services, and all those other things we have been accustom to with money as a means of acquiring them.

Copyright © 2015 Horatio Green

Chicago Got Their Comeuppance — the First Time a U.S. City Found Culpable Of Police Torture

Jonathan Jackson (center left) stands with Atty. G. Flynt Taylor (center right) during a press conference on torture and wrongful convictions outside the Chicago federal courthouse where former Chicago Police Department Lt. Cmdr. Jon Burge was indicted in 2008. Burge was later convicted of torturing suspects in his custody.

Credit: Adrian Burrows

Chicago’s City Council approved “an unprecedented reparations package [last] Wednesday that will pay $5.5 million and provide other benefits to torture victims of notorious former police commander Jon Burge.”

If The System Will Not Change the Rules, We Are Going To Have To Change the System

Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources.With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That's the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Protect Yourself from Tick Bites — Borrelia miyamotoi and Powassan Viruses are New Tick-Borne Threats

Questing female blacklegged tick

Photographed at Watchung Reservation,

Union County, New Jersery

Image by James L. Occi

Heavy snow in the Northeast is of particular concern this year. Its been the snowiest ever for Boston, which received 108.6 inches. Snow insulates, so deep snow cover may have provided protection for blacklegged ticks, the deer ticks that are responsible for Lyme disease infections, from freezing. It may mean a greater number of ticks this May, June, and July.

Senator Elbert Guillory Promotes Republicans as What’s Best for Black People

Graphic originally posted on Republican Thinker, 

and shared by Guilorry on his FB page.

Elbert Guillory is a Louisiana State Senator. He began his political career as a Republican, became a Democrat, and became a Republican again. He received national attention by doing all he can to convince blacks to vote Republican. He claims it’s what’s best for black people.

It’s nonsense, and nothing could be further from the truth.

The Dismal Fact Is the United States Hates Its Poor

Image by Brookings Institution

On February 9, the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings hosted Senator Sanders, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, to discuss his economic policy ideas to spur growth and rebuild America’s middle class. ©Paul Morigi Photography

The Reason Why Republicans Reject Peace and Hope Negotiating with Iran Will Fail

Secretary Kerry Poses With P5+1 Leaders and Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif Following Negotiations About Future of Iran's Nuclear Program

From left, Head of Mission of People's Republic of China to the European Union Hailong Wu, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarifat, an unidentified Russian official, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland on April 2, 2015. 

It’s hard to fathom why anyone of good conscious would find the framework agreement reached between Iran, Russia, China, France, Germany, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, over Iran’s nuclear program and their alleged quest for nuclear weapons, not to be in our best interest and in the best interest of Israel and the Middle East.

Changing Citizen-Police Attitudes in a Police State Requires New Sets of Values and Expectations

The increasing problem with police-citizen interactions is not solved by speaking truth to power but by changing the cultural and social norms that support violence

Boston police facing activists 
during an anti-war demonstration

 at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
by Brian Corr

The Only Truly Compliant, Submissive Citizen in a Police State Is a Dead One, says Rutherford Institute’s John Whitehead. Providing anecdotal evidence of victims of police violence who were compliant and still ended up being injured or killed, Whitehead concludes that being compliant with a police directive doesn’t necessarily mean someone will come out of an interaction with a police officer unscathed.

The solution to the problem, he suggests, is to “adopt a different mindset and follow a different path if we are to alter the outcome of interactions with police.” He says, “... history shows us a different path, one that involves standing up and speaking truth to power.”

Republican Dominated Government: No Gridlock but Hardship for Everyone Except the Wealthy Class

Senator Bernie Sanders

Brookings Institution Image

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) fervently spoke out against the Republican 2016 budget resolutions. His disdain is deep for Republicans who believe the deficit is so bad that it’s necessary to make cuts to Social Security, Medicare, nutrition, education, defund the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. Yet when it comes to war deficits, it doesn’t seem to matter. “How hypocritical can you get?”

Chicago Police Department’s Homan Square Torture Accusations Set a Dangerous Precedent

Homan Square, once a warehouse on Chicago’s west side, is a Chicago Police Special Operations detention and interrogation center. The center is accused of abusing prisoners, holding them for hours without any official record of their detention, and preventing them from their legal right to be represented by an attorney. The center has been likened to a CIA black site, according to The Guardian.

Here We Go Again: LAPD Kill a Homeless Man

Video screen shot of LAPD killing a homeless man

A bystander’s video of Los Angeles police officers killing a homeless man, known as Africa, should make everyone’s blood boil. But I’m sure, unfortunately, it will not. Some will support police no matter what. But I will not. It’s murder no matter what way you slice it.

Here’s the LAPD’s news release

American Values Slump, Even by Engaging in Criminality like NSA’s Theft of Encryption Keys

The Great Sim Heist, an Intercept article by Jeremy Scahill and Josh Begley, reveals the extent to which the National Security Agency (NSA) will go to acquire cell phone records. Secret documents provided to the Intercept by whistleblower Edward Snowden detail how NSA and the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) hacked Gemalto, the largest maker of SIM cards, and stole the encryption keys used to protect the privacy of mobile communications.

It’s just one more example of where the United States has failed to live up to its values.

The Supreme Court, Death Penalty, Botched Executions; Abolishment Is Overdue

Image by Bearman2007 on Flickr

Four inmates on Oklahoma’s death row petitioned the United States Supreme Court to hear their petition for a stay of execution. One week after refusing to halt the execution of one of the men, Charles Warner, the Court agreed to hear the petition on behalf of the other three. Until the Court’s decision is made, the three men have been granted a stay.

The petition asks for a review by the Court of a sedative, midazolam, used in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Ohio, where in some cases inmates have suffered agonizing executions. Its use therefore may violate the U.S. Constitution’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in April and rule on the petition by July.

Keep Your Nose Warm If You Want To Avoid Catching a Cold

Image by Denise Cortez, Flicker.com

I have a brother who swears up and down that if he doesn’t bundle up while inside or when outside of his home he will get a cold. Even when he sleeps, he covers every part of his body with a hat, facemask, three layers of clothing, three layers of stockings, gloves, and covers himself with five or six layers of bed coverings. I have always thought he was eccentric and foolish. Now I have second thoughts.

A Moneyless World: It’s An Idea Worth Spreading

Image by Celestine Chua on Flickr

Copyright: Creative Commons License

Can you imagine an America and world free from the influences of money? Where everyone would have access to education and healthcare without the burden to pay for it. Where everyone would be free to fully pursue his or her passion in a world at peace, free, and where inequality wouldn’t exist. An America and world where there is real technical and social progress without profit limitations placed on innovative research and development.

K-12 Public School Education Should Not Be Marketable

Public Education Is So Important 

That It Should Not Be Left To the Marketplace

Image by Greens MPs on Flickr

Libertarian, former Texas Congressman Ron Paul, like Conservatives and Republicans, believes that if the business world were free to operate without regulation, we would have greater freedom of choice, including education. It’s the solution to our K-12 public school problem.

Paul is not alone. There are many who criticize the public school system, calling for the need to reform public education. They say privatization of public schools will provide parents with more education alternatives.

American Sniper: To Love War, Find Killing Fun, Really Doesn’t Sound Like the Stuff of Heroes to Me

You Tube Video Clip of Clint Eastwood

 and Bradley Cooper on the set of ‘American Sniper’

I have known extraordinary men and women in my life. They have courageously been there for family and strangers alike when they desperately needed help. They sacrificed and unselfishly gave of themselves during difficult times, often under precarious circumstances, because they cared about the wellbeing of people. They did it willingly without compensation or even recognition. They are extraordinary people. If faced with the same circumstances they are the kind of people I would hope to emulate. They are the kind of people I call heroes. They are the kind of people I want my children and grandchildren to regard as heroes.

To All Republicans: Why Not an America That Values All Its People?

CSpan cropped video clip:
Obama’s sly smile after responding
to Republican’s disrespectfully applause

President Obama’s State of the Union Address was exactly the right speech, at the right place, and at the right time.

On the other hand, Speaker of the House John Boehner’s stony demeanor was all telling. His demeanor’s an indication of just what to expect from Congressional Republicans, and a Republican President, if one should be elected in 2016.