New York State is ranked 7th in the United States in health care. #healthcare, https://t.co/e6eXKLWrRJ
— David Markham (@DavidMa03737241) June 21, 2022
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
New York State is ranked seventh in health care in the United States
Monday, June 20, 2022
Moderna CEO received 926 Million dollar golden parachute
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p>$2.5 billion in federal funding went to Moderna. The company’s CEO then received a $926 million golden parachute. Does that make any sense to you? pic.twitter.com/Dp2ALVRNc6
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 19, 2022
Sunday, June 19, 2022
What Can FBI Data Say About Crime in 2021? It’s Too Unreliable to Tell
Nearly 40% of law enforcement agencies around the country did not submit any data in 2021
to a newly revised FBI crime statistics collection program, leaving a massive gap in
information sure to be exploited by politicians in midterm election campaigns already
dominated by public fear over a rise in violent crime.
The gap includes the nation’s two largest cities by population, New York City and Los
Angeles, as well as most agencies in five of the six most populous states: California, New
York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
For more click here.
Abortion and religious belief and actions
There is no one ‘religious view’ on abortion: A scholar of religion, gender and sexuality explains
The Catholic Church’s official line on abortion, and even on any artificial birth control, is well known: Don’t do it.
Surveys of how American Catholics live their lives, though, tell a different story.
The vast majority of Catholic women have used contraceptives, despite the church’s ban. Fifty-six percent of U.S. Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, whether or not they believe they would ever seek one. One in four Americans who have had abortions are Catholic, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for reproductive health.
It’s a clear reminder of the complex relationship between any religious tradition’s teachings and how people actually live out their beliefs. With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that protects abortion rights nationwide, religious attitudes toward a woman’s right to end a pregnancy are in the spotlight. But even within one faith, there is no one religious position toward reproductive rights – let alone among different faiths.
Christianity and conscience
As a scholar of gender and religion, I research how religious traditions shape people’s understandings of contraception and abortion.
When it comes to official stances on abortion, religions’ positions are tied to different approaches to some key theological concepts. For instance, for several religions, a key issue in abortion rights is “ensoulment,” the moment at which the soul is believed to enter the body – that is, when a fetus becomes human.
The catch is that traditions place ensoulment at different moments and give it various degrees of importance. Catholic theologians place ensoulment at the moment of conception, which is why the official position of the Catholic Church is that abortion is never permitted. From the moment the sperm meets the egg, in Catholic theology, a human exists, and you cannot kill a human, regardless of how it came to exist. Nor can you choose between two human lives, which is why the church opposes aborting a fetus to save the life of the pregnant person.
As in any faith, not all Catholics feel compelled to follow the church teachings in all cases. And regardless of whether someone thinks they would ever seek an abortion, they may believe it should be a legal right. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. Catholics say abortion is morally wrong, but 68% still support Roe v. Wade, while only 14% believe that abortion should never be legal.
Some Catholics advocate for abortion access not despite but because of their dedication to Catholic teachings. The organization Catholics for Choice describes its work as rooted in Catholicism’s emphasis on “social justice, human dignity, and the primacy of conscience” – people making their own decisions out of deep moral conviction.
Other Christians also say faith shapes their support for reproductive rights. Protestant clergy, along with their Jewish colleagues, were instrumental in helping women to secure abortions before Roe, through a network called the Clergy Consultation Service. These pro-choice clergy were motivated by a range of concerns, including desperation that they saw among women in their congregations, and theological commitments to social justice. Today, the organization still exists as the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
There are myriad Protestant opinions on abortion. The most conservative equate it with murder, and therefore oppose any exemptions. The most liberal Protestant voices advocate for a broad platform of reproductive justice, calling on believers to “Trust Women.”
Who is a ‘person’?
Muslims scholars and clerics, too, have a range of positions on abortion. Some believe abortion is never permitted, and many allow it until ensoulment, which is often placed at 120 days’ gestation, just shy of 18 weeks. In general, many Muslim leaders permit abortion to save the life of the mother, since classical Islamic law sees legal personhood as beginning at birth – though while many Muslims may seek out their religious leaders for guidance about or assistance with abortion, many do not.
Jewish tradition has a great deal of debate about when ensoulment occurs: Various rabbinic texts place it at or even before conception, and many place it at birth, but ensoulment is not as key as the legal status of the fetus under Jewish law. Generally, it is not considered to be a person. For instance, the Talmud – the main source of Jewish law – refers to the fetus as part of the mother’s body. The biblical Book of Exodus notes that if a pregnant woman is attacked and then miscarries, the attacker owes a fine but is not guilty of murder.
In other words, Jewish law protects a fetus as a “potential person,” but does not view it as holding the same full personhood as its mother. Jewish clergy generally agree that abortion is not only permitted, but mandated, to save the life of the mother, because potential life must be sacrificed to save existing life – even during labor, as long as the head has not emerged from the birth canal.
Where Jewish law on abortion gets complicated is when the mother’s life is not at risk. For example, contemporary Jewish leaders debate whether abortion is permitted if the mother’s mental health will be damaged, if genetic testing shows evidence of a nonfatal disability or if there are other compelling concerns, such as that the family’s resources would be strained too much to care for their existing children.
American Jews have generally supported legal abortion with very few restrictions, seeing it as a religious freedom issue – and a question of life versus potential life. Eighty-three percent support a woman’s right to an abortion, and while many might turn to their clergy for support in seeking an abortion, many would not see a need to.
A different view of life
As much diversity as exists in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, there is likely even more in Hinduism, which has a range of texts, deities and worldviews. Many scholars argue that the fact so many different traditions are all lumped together under the umbrella term “Hindusim” has more to do with British colonialism than anything else.
Most Hindus believe in reincarnation, which means that while one may enter bodies with birth and leave with death, life itself does not, precisely, begin or end. Rather, any given moment in a human body is seen as part of an unending cycle of life – making the question of when life begins quite different than in Abrahamic religions.
Some bioethicists see Hinduism as essentially pro-life, permitting abortion only to save the life of the mother. Looking at what people do, though, rather than what a tradition’s sacred texts say, abortion is common in Hindu-majority India, especially of female fetuses.
In the United States, there are immigrant Hindu communities, Asian American Hindu communities, and people who have converted to Hinduism who bring this diversity to their approaches to abortion. Overall, however 68% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Compassionate choices
Buddhists also have varied views on abortion. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice notes: “Buddhism, like the other religions of the world, faces the fact that abortion may sometimes be the best decision and a truly moral choice. That does not mean there is nothing troubling about abortion, but it means that Buddhists may understand that reproductive decisions are part of the moral complexity of life.”
Japanese Buddhism in particular can be seen as offering a “middle way” between pro-choice and pro-life positions. While many Buddhists see life as beginning at conception, abortion is common and addressed through rituals involving Jizo, one of the enlightened figures Buddhists call bodhisattvas, who is believed to take care of aborted and miscarried fetuses.
In the end, the Buddhist approach to abortion emphasizes that abortion is a complex moral decision that should be made with an eye toward compassion.
We tend to think of the religious response to abortion as one of opposition, but the reality is much more complicated. Formal religious teachings on abortion are complex and divided – and official positions aside, data shows that over and over, the majority of Americans, religious or not, support abortion.
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
Pulse Wasn’t About Me. But Covering It Changed Me
Snip
Before I go further into my own story, we must honor the 49 people who died in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016—the Pulse 49. In this country, where gun violence turns a living, breathing person into a hashtag every day, it’s nonetheless important that we say their names. It matters that most of the people killed that morning were young gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer people of color—most of whom were Latinx, Afro-Latinx, and Black.
Snip
And in that moment, that week, in the Florida sun, it was all too clear that we as LGBTQ people weren’t just fighting to be seen. We were literally fighting for our lives. We still are. This year alone, at least eight Black transgender women have been murdered in the U.S. This only accounts for the names we know; there are certainly more. Each of those women died from gunshot wounds. Meanwhile, Detroit Police just arrested a man they suspect of a gruesome triple homicide of two gay men and a trans woman.
Snip
The massacre at Pulse held the grim distinction of most deadly mass shooting in the U.S. for barely a year. #LasVegasStrong replaced #OrlandoStrong in the trending hashtags by October 2017, as another angry man easily bought too many guns and destroyed too many lives. Last weekend, revelers at Capital Pride in Washington, D.C., were sent into a panic when a man allegedly pulled out a gun and caused a panicked stampede. Police say no shots were fired and the gun was fake, but the trauma was real, as The New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow explained.
As queer people, we’ve always had to fight for our humanity, for our survival. That’s even more true for people of color, trans and nonbinary folks, and those without citizenship privilege. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, we can’t forget that the reason Pride exists—the reason we’re able to go to rainbow-bedazzled parades, to gather in public with the people we love—is because Black and Latina trans women, sex workers, butch lesbians, and effeminate gay men fought back against police brutality. And the fight to have our full humanity recognized—to truly be safe, proud, and free—very much continues.
Snip
It’s been three years since the massacre at Pulse. Since meaningful gun control seems ever further out of reach, the least we can do to honor all the LGBTQ people gunned down since then is refuse to hide. We can own who we are, who we love, and bring our whole selves to our work—when we’re able, when it’s safe, for those of us who have the privilege to do so. And people like me, who have that privilege, that safety and security: We can be even louder, prouder, and fiercer for all the voices silenced by bullets, by hatred, by bigotry, by religion, and by fear. We exist because our ancestors existed. Never forget: Pride was a riot.
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Inspiration in Your Inbox
Saturday, June 11, 2022
No evidence of election fraud according to former U.S. Attorney General, William Barr
"I repeatedly told the President in no uncertain terms that I did not see evidence of fraud, you know, that would have affected the outcome of the election.... a year and a half later, I still haven’t seen anything to change my mind on that." -Trump’s Attorney General Bill Bar pic.twitter.com/7m3kMDluRJ
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) June 11, 2022
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Everyone Loves Secrets, But Today They Are Killing Us by Charles Bouchard
Article notes - Everyone Loves Secrets, But Today They are Killing Us by Charles Bouchard
Everyone likes to be an insider, to get the scoop and to carry a big secret. It is human nature. Sometimes it is just a question of harmless gossip or falling for a marketer's pitch — a vague but intriguing promise of fame or fortune. When many people begin to search for and believe false information, it leads to a conspiracy theory. In a public health crisis, being drawn to that sensational nugget of information can have deadly consequences.
Snip
Lee McIntyre, the author of Post-Truth, says the book's title means that we live in an era where truth is at risk, where we're in danger of losing sight of what truth means. He defines post-truth as the "political subordination of reality" and "a tactic that's used by authoritarians and their wannabes to control the flow of information so that they can then control the populace."
Suspicion of truth has particularly dangerous consequences for science and medicine. The scientific method is our most rigorous tool for establishing truth. Yet many people reject scientific evidence of the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. They believe the virus is an effort by Russia to plant microchips in us, that it is transmitted by 5G cell phone towers or that COVID can be cured by chloroquine or an anti-parasitic drug intended for large animals. Others believe the vaccines were rushed, that they will alter our DNA or even cause autism. Just yesterday I heard one vaccine resister say he did not want to take it because it contained formaldehyde and antifreeze.
Snip
I am happy to say that Catholics are being vaccinated at a rate higher than the national average.2 Given our commitment to the common good and solidarity, that is as it should be. But vaccinations are not enough. We also need to resist the culture of secrecy and the rejection of truth that nourishes skepticism in the first place. This is where the virtue of temperance comes in.
Snip
Uncritical appropriation of conspiracy theories is a vice. The internet has a million hiding places for secret knowledge. It is easy to wander in, find a theory that consoles us with easy answers and to then share it, which can lead others to make bad choices that endanger lives.
Snip
Pope Benedict once said that we "cannot rest content with a superficial and unquestioning exchange of skeptical opinions and experiences of life. All of us are in search of truth, and we share this profound yearning more today than ever."
Snip
Let us be critical thinkers whose goal is truth, even when it is not as interesting or as easy to access as gossip.
For the whole article click here.
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
How corrupt is the U.S. congress?
Rep. @AOC: “It’s just really wild to be a person that works in a corrupt institution, which is what Congress is, and to try and be a normal person surrounded by so much decay and moral emptiness, that frankly transcends party, is very difficult.” pic.twitter.com/X2EVUz5FJX
— The Hill (@thehill) June 3, 2022
Monday, June 6, 2022
Sunday, June 5, 2022
U.S. dysfunctional political campaigns appeal the lowest cognitive level of American voters.
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Excellent work being done in NYS legislature on gun safety measures.
We just passed a 10 bill package taking action on gun violence. Today we are sending a message that this path of gun violence is unacceptable and we need real change.
— Sen. Stewart-Cousins (@AndreaSCousins) June 3, 2022
Watch my full floor remarks here: https://t.co/iRiWbgQYRh
Friday, June 3, 2022
Evidence Based Social Policy - Guns, Living with a gun owner makes you less safe.
Column: Live with a gun owner? Researchers say that makes you less safe https://t.co/7IKmI8QERO #GunSafetyNow
— David Markham (@DavidMa03737241) June 3, 2022
This fact is not widely known and not communicated in the mainstream media. Pass the word so people can know the truth.
Thursday, June 2, 2022
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Evidence based social policy - guns, 100 people in U.S. die every day from guns, over 36,500 per year.
&n
bsp;The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data notes that just over 100 people, on average, are killed by firearms in the U.S. every day. https://t.co/XqLz6wQFq3 pic.twitter.com/kT61CfufEE
— NPR (@NPR) May 27, 2022
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