February 9, 2016


News Clips For The Day


https://www.yahoo.com/politics/bernie-sanders-campaign-responds-to-unfortunate-224607380.html

Bernie Sanders’ campaign responds to ‘unfortunate’ attack from Bill Clinton
February 8, 2016

Image -- Bill Clinton campaigns for his wife during a campaign event at Milford Junior High School in Milford, N.H., on Feb. 7, 2016. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Photograph -- Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign stop at the Palace Theatre, in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 8, 2016. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)
Slideshow: The battle for New Hampshire


BOW, N.H. — Two top staffers on the campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders fired back on Monday after former Pres. Bill Clinton attacked the Democratic presidential contender.

At an event in Manchester, N.H., Sanders’ senior adviser, Tad Devine, told Yahoo News that President Clinton’s comments were motivated by the fact Sanders is “doing well” in the Granite State. Polls currently show Sanders leading Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, where primaries will be held on Tuesday.

“It’s unfortunate that, you know, President Clinton has decided to launch a series of attacks against Sen. Sanders in the final days of the New Hampshire campaign. I think we know why those attacks are occurring. Things are very close here in New Hampshire. Bernie’s doing well, not only here but elsewhere,” Devine said. “We hope we can get back to a campaign that talks about issues that people care about, the issues that Bernie’s talking about right now when he speaks to voters here in New Hampshire.”

President Clinton launched his offensive in a speech on Sunday in which he criticized Sanders’ policy proposals, including universal healthcare and free public colleges, as unrealistic. The former president alluded to the so-called “Bernie Bros,” Sanders supporters who have been accused of engaging in sexist attacks against Clinton backers online.

“People who have gone online to defend Hillary and explain — just explain — why they supported her have been subject to vicious trolling and attacks that are literally too profane — not to mention sexist — to repeat,” President Clinton said.

Sanders’ communications director Michael Briggs said he was disappointed by President Clinton’s remarks.

“We’re doing our best to stay focused on the issues that have attracted grassroots support all over this country, talking about wealth and income inequality, talking about taking on the rigged economy and the corrupt campaign system that props it up,” Briggs said.

Devine also addressed Clinton’s comments about the “Bernie Bros.” He noted Sanders discussed the issue on Sunday and denounced anyone who would do “sexist things” while supporting his campaign. Devine suggested Clinton was trying to “distract voters” by focusing on the alleged online attacks.

“Again, I think, you know, the tactics of trying to, you know, distract voters form [sic] the real issues in this country, you know, the economy’s rigged, it’s sending too much wealth to the top, it’s held in place by a corrupt system of campaign finance, that’s the message that we want to talk about,” Devine said. “We’ve said that, if people are out there doing things on the Internet that are inappropriate, you know we want that to be no part of our campaign. We don’t condone it in any way. Sen. Sanders has said he denounces it. So, you know, we encourage people to follow his lead and talk about the issues, talk about the positive side.”

Devine concluded by saying the Democratic candidates should refrain from taking shots at each other.

"We don’t need to attack each other within a Democratic primary process,” Devine said. “We’ve avoided doing that and we hope they will.”



“President Clinton launched his offensive in a speech on Sunday in which he criticized Sanders’ policy proposals, including universal healthcare and free public colleges, as unrealistic. The former president alluded to the so-called “Bernie Bros,” Sanders supporters who have been accused of engaging in sexist attacks against Clinton backers online. …. “We’re doing our best to stay focused on the issues that have attracted grassroots support all over this country, talking about wealth and income inequality, talking about taking on the rigged economy and the corrupt campaign system that props it up,” Briggs said. Devine also addressed Clinton’s comments about the “Bernie Bros.” He noted Sanders discussed the issue on Sunday and denounced anyone who would do “sexist things” while supporting his campaign. “Again, I think, you know, the tactics of trying to, you know, distract voters form [sic] the real issues in this country, you know, the economy’s rigged, it’s sending too much wealth to the top, it’s held in place by a corrupt system of campaign finance, that’s the message that we want to talk about,” Devine said.”


If Sanders in any way was involved in antifeminist and vulgar attacks on Hillary I will be the first to stand against him, but it is not in my view within his character or personality to do that. It is not beyond the possible behavior of overly zealous Sanders followers to do it on their own, unfortunately. However, the people who have been so vociferously against Hillary since she and Bill moved into the white House have been “conservative” white men.

If Hillary was attacked in a crude manner online, I think it would be by “the vast rightwing conspiracy” instead. When I first heard her say that phrase I laughed. That was before I knew that David Koch was behind the Tea Party; an organization called ALEC is trying to draft laws causing women to be jailed for a totally natural and unavoidable abortion and a whole slew of other terrible things; the Religious Right was trying to take over political offices in all states to remake our Constitution by stripping out the Civil Rights legislation, and perhaps even to change our government into a Theocracy. Having seen those things, I agree that it is a genuine conspiracy. If Sanders is not nominated as the 2016 Democratic candidate, I will gladly vote for Hillary. I have nothing against her.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/concussions-may-increase-suicide-risk-study-finds-204558968.html
Concussions May Increase Suicide Risk, Study Finds
DR. AARON HAWKINS, ABC News
February 8, 2016

Related: NFL Concussion Data Spotlights Increase in Injuries
NFL Critic Crashes News Conference About Concussions


The risks of suffering a concussion have been under the spotlight in recent years, especially as the degenerative neurological illness known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been found in multiple football players after their deaths. The degenerative disease is believed to be linked to brain trauma, including concussions.

Now, a new study has found that concussions may also be associated with an increase in the long-term risk of suicide. Experts have long known that a severe, traumatic brain injury raises the risk of suicide, but this study sheds more light on how concussions, a common mild head injury, may impact overall suicide risk.

The study, published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, looked at the long-term risk of someone committing suicide if they have ever suffered a concussion.

The suicide rate in Ontario, Canada, where the study was conducted, is approximately nine per 100,000 people, according to the study. In the U.S. as a whole, it's about 12 per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study conducted in Ontario gathered information on 235,110 individuals who had a history of concussion over a 20-year period, from 1992 to 2012. In the group there were 667 subsequent suicides -- equivalent to 31 deaths per 100,000 people, or three times the suicide rate in the population as a whole, researchers found.

Those who had a concussion on a weekend had a higher risk of suicide, the study also found. Their rate of suicide was 39 per 100,000 people, or nearly four times the rate of the general population. The study's authors said that while their findings support past research on how concussions can have lasting effects on physiology, mood and behavior, they cautioned that further research is needed.

Concussions are usually caused by a bump or blow to the head, briefly disrupting brain function. Concussions do not always cause a loss of consciousness. Concussions are considered to be a mild form of brain injury and are the most common type of mild brain injury occurring in young adults.

The study also finds that each additional concussion is associated with a further increase in suicide risk.

Dr. Donald Redelmeier, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a lead researcher in the study, said the findings emphasize that it's important for medical providers to be aware of a patient's concussion history.

"Mild concussions, although invisible at the time of the incident, could be dangerous later on," Redelmeier told ABC News. "It is important that even years after a concussion, not to forget about it and to inform your doctor of your history."

Dr. Allen Sills, a professor of neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University, said suicide has become a major concern for medical providers.

"It is important that we screen for depressive symptoms in all patients and not just patients with a concussion history," Sills, who was not involved in the Ontario study, told ABC News.

Redelmeier said he is hopeful that the research will encourage doctors to take a second look at patients who had a concussion, even if the concussion occurred years ago.

"I compare it to penicillin. If you have had an allergic reaction to penicillin in the past, you would let your doctor know about this medication allergy so that you do not have a harmful event in the future," Redelmeier said. "We should think of a concussion history in the same way."

Dr. Aaron Hawkins is a psychiatry resident from the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. He is currently a resident at the ABC News Medical Unit.



“The degenerative disease is believed to be linked to brain trauma, including concussions. Now, a new study has found that concussions may also be associated with an increase in the long-term risk of suicide. Experts have long known that a severe, traumatic brain injury raises the risk of suicide, but this study sheds more light on how concussions, a common mild head injury, may impact overall suicide risk. …. The study's authors said that while their findings support past research on how concussions can have lasting effects on physiology, mood and behavior, they cautioned that further research is needed. …. The study also finds that each additional concussion is associated with a further increase in suicide risk. Dr. Donald Redelmeier, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a lead researcher in the study, said the findings emphasize that it's important for medical providers to be aware of a patient's concussion history. "Mild concussions, although invisible at the time of the incident, could be dangerous later on," Redelmeier told ABC News. …. Dr. Aaron Hawkins is a psychiatry resident from the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. He is currently a resident at the ABC News Medical Unit.”


I’m not a scholar on statistics at all, but 9 or 12 or even 39 out of 100,000 doesn’t sound like a high percentage to me. Still the article says that it is three times the rate among people who have never had a concussion. If a concussion does influence mood, especially on a long term basis, I can see an operating mechanism, whatever percentage it represents. This is another reason to eliminate football, hockey, etc. from the high school student’s activities. As I’ve said repeatedly, I’d much rather see them study those books, make the best grades they are able to achieve, and be a professional of some kind – a lawyer, doctor, professor, scientist, or last but not least a great high school teacher.



SHIPSHAPE?


http://capitalsoup.com/2016/02/08/sen-nelson-calls-on-feds-to-investigate-cruise-ship-sailing-into-hurricane-force-storm/

Sen. Nelson calls on feds to investigate cruise ship sailing into hurricane-force storm
FEB 8, 2016
Ryan Brown
Communications Director
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL)


Sen. Bill Nelson today called on the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the circumstances surrounding a Royal Caribbean cruise ship’s decision to sail right into the heart of a hurricane-force storm this weekend. Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the NTSB, made the call in a speech on the Senate floor this afternoon.

“Why in the world is a ship going anywhere close to where the hurricane could be?” Nelson said. “I want the National Transportation Safety Board to come up with a quick report.”

Nelson went on to cite the similarities between this latest incident and an incident last year involving the cargo ship El Faro which sank after it sailed into the path of a hurricane while traveling from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico. Nelson wants the NTSB to investigate this new incident as part of their ongoing investigation into the sinking of the El Faro.

“I want the National [Transportation] Safety Board to come up with answers very quickly and make an admonition to mariners: when the storm is brewing, you don’t go out of port,” Nelson said.

Below is a rush transcript of Nelson’s full remarks, followed by a background article on the incident.

And here’s a link to watch video of Nelson’s speech.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
Remarks on the Senate floor
February 8, 2016

Sen. Nelson: Madam President, hurricanes are deadly things. We are accustomed to them in Florida. They are part of our lifestyles. But we know enough about hurricanes and the ferociousness and strength of Mother Nature that when hurricanes start bearing down, you better be prepared.

Madam President, that is especially so with regard to being in a boat, because hurricanes are going to cause giant sized waves along with the wind that is going to make it impossible to navigate. So boats ought to get out of the way.

Sadly, last year the El Faro, a cargo vessel that sales [sic] from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico and back, along with its sister ship, the El Faro sailed right into a hurricane off of the Bahamas. As a result, the last call to shore, although the captain’s voice was calm, was that they had lost power and, therefore, that they were listing, which meant that something had been breached where water was coming in, and that was the last that we heard.

And we now know that that ship is five miles below the surface of the Atlantic on the eastern side of the Bahama Islands.

33 people lost their lives, including most of them being from the Jacksonville, Florida, area. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, and the question is whether they’re going to put down another U.S. Navy submersible to see if they can try to find again that recorder that would give us the complete data from the bridge of the ship.

Madam President, I’m bringing this up again because the very same thing almost was beginning to happen yesterday only this time, a 4,000-passenger cruise ship sailing from the New York area to Port Canaveral, Florida, and then on to other destinations in the Caribbean, it sailed right into a hurricane that had winds topping a hundred miles an hour.

I wish I had a blowup of this to show the Senate, but here’s yesterday’s storm right off the coast of North and South Carolina, a very similar storm was Hurricane Isabelle. They look menacingly similar.

The thing about this storm was that it was forecast for days. So why in the world would a cruise ship with thousands of passengers go sailing right into it?

Madam President, some of the passengers have made comments, including the executive editor of the “Detroit Free Press,” who was on a cruise, and his words are the “Detroit Free Press,” Robert Hutchka — “I’m not going to lie,” he said. “It was truly terrifying.”

Passengers talk about how water was coming into the upper decks. The pictures speak for themselves that passengers took about some of the damage of the ship. I’m sure there was a courageous crew onboard, but the question is, why?

Like the El Faro last year, when we asked the same questions, why did it sail into the storm or even if it was surprised by the change of the direction of the storm, as that hurricane did last year, why in the world is a ship going anywhere close to where the hurricane could be, particularly as a storm is starting to cross the warm waters of the gulf stream and, therefore, gets all the more fuel for the counterclockwise rotation of the winds from the warm water?

And, therefore, the National Transportation Safety Board, of which we have some jurisdictional effort in the Senate Commerce Committee, of which I have the privilege of being the ranking member, I want the national transportation safety board to come up with a quick report.

Now, those passengers, thank goodness, reports are only four are injured. No one was killed. That ship is now returning to port back in the New York area. Thank goodness there was not much damage and that it is seaworthy.

But the question is, when there’s a storm brewing, why are mistakes made, just like El Faro before it left the port of Jacksonville, they knew that a hurricane was coming. What is happening in this case as well? So that we can prevent these kind of accidents that could be so tragic in the future.

Madam President, in our oversight responsibility of the U.S. Senate in the Commerce Committee, I want the national — I want the national safety board to come up with answers very quickly and make an admonition to mariners, when the storm is brewing, you don’t go out of port.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Washington Post

4,000-passenger cruise ship inexplicably sails into Atlantic mega-storm
By Angela Fritz
Published: February 8, 2016

A massive storm exploded in intensity just off the Southeast coast on Sunday afternoon, driving hurricane force winds and whipping waves into a frenzy. And in the middle of this monster storm was a comparatively tiny cruise ship on its way to Florida — rocking, roiling and taking a major beating from the most powerful storm we’ve seen in the western Atlantic so far this winter.

A large trough in the jet stream had been pushing toward the East Coast late last week. Then the storm deepened rapidly when it hit the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and blew up on satellite imagery. Meteorologists didn’t know what to follow on Sunday night, the Super Bowl or the strengthening storm.

Some compared it to Hurricane Isabel, which was fitting because on Sunday afternoon it was boasting 100 mph winds — the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane.

Others were in pure awe of the storm, which was going through a process that we call bombogenesis, when mid-latitude cyclones undergo a drop in surface barometric pressure at a rate of 24 millibars in 24 hours.

Unbelievably, there was a poor cruise ship that steered its way into the storm: Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas, a giant vessel that holds over 4,000 passengers. The ship was on its way from the New York City area to Port Canaveral, Fl., when it not only encountered the storm, but really sailed right into the heart of it.

What makes this story so inexplicable is that this storm has been in the forecast for days. Weather can be an uncertain science, but this was the one thing we knew was going to happen early this week.

One passenger posted an account of his harrowing journey to cruisecritic.com. “Captain tried to turn ship but waited too long,” the passenger wrote. “Captain said they are in communication with the coast guard, struggling to point ship into wind but can’t move forward. All passengers told to stay in cabins; water entered ship on upper decks, large white structure broke off top of ship, landed in pool.”

The passenger said that at the height of the storm, waves were breaking over the tops of the life boats and the whole ship was listing to almost 45 degrees. The passenger said the wind and sea spray made it look like a total white out.

“Some passengers sitting in muster stations,” the passenger added, though they were likely doing so out of fear and not by order. Muster stations are where passengers assemble on a ship in the event of an emergency, usually in preparation for evacuation.

Robert Huschka, executive editor of the Detroit Free Press, was on the cruise and told USA Today that passengers were told to remain in their cabins at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Huschka told USA Today that the captain said “the strength of the storm had surprised everyone and that the ship would hold position and try to turn into it. The captain then was unavailable for announcements as the storm raged into the evening.”

“I’m not going to lie. It was truly terrifying,” said Huschka.

On Monday, Royal Caribbean said the Anthem of the Seas will turn around and sail back to Cape Liberty, New Jersey. “This decision was made due to weather forecasted for the next few days that is likely to impact the ship’s original itinerary,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement emailed to the Washington Post. “We are also sensitive to the fact that our guests have already been through an uncomfortable ride. Returning to Cape Liberty minimizes the risks of further bad weather affecting our guests’ voyage; we are optimistic that they will have a smooth sail home.”

Four injuries were reported, though none of them were severe, and the ship sustained damage but the ship remains seaworthy. Royal Caribbean said that guests will receive a full refund for their cruise, and a 50 percent-off certificate for a future cruise.



“Sen. Nelson: Madam President, hurricanes are deadly things. We are accustomed to them in Florida. They are part of our lifestyles. But we know enough about hurricanes and the ferociousness and strength of Mother Nature that when hurricanes start bearing down, you better be prepared. …. ‘Madam President, in our oversight responsibility of the U.S. Senate in the Commerce Committee, I want the national — I want the national safety board to come up with answers very quickly and make an admonition to mariners, when the storm is brewing, you don’t go out of port.’”


“I wish I had a blowup of this to show the Senate, but here’s yesterday’s storm right off the coast of North and South Carolina, a very similar storm was Hurricane Isabelle. They look menacingly similar.” This reminds me of the romantic but accurate name for the Outer Banks of North Carolina, “the Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The remains of old shipwrecks are sometimes found to this day emerging from the sand like a huge black skeleton. I saw one like that with my own eyes when I was in my twenties. A recent storm will scrape and blow away a covering of sand many years old, disclosing these historical relics to the casual beachcomber. It’s absolutely thrilling to be taken immediately back in time in that way. When we went to the beach we always went to Nags Head where the crass overgrowth of touristy shops hadn’t come in at that time, as it had at Myrtle Beach, SC to the south. Nags Head was known to nature lovers and fishermen as a favorite vacation spot.

Ocean storms being the truly dangerous things that they are, the idea that a shipping company, most recently in the case of the El Faro, and now a cruise ship, would head out into the area where a storm is predicted to be by the nowadays accurate forecasting professionals. Do we need federal criminal laws to stop the often greedy capitalists who run these companies from endangering human lives just to make more money? Probably so.

The captain of El Faro questioned the scheduling of that cargo ship, but the company that owned it overrode his cautions. He had been threatened that he would lose his job next time he questioned orders, so he went along with it. Why is it that those in power in such companies have no common sense, or perhaps it’s conscience, that they won’t follow the advice of seasoned professional who knew the seas? I do hope Nelson can get some stronger restrictions put in place to guarantee human life.

I really like Senator Nelson. He has, down through the years, dug deeply into serious issues rather than sweeping them under the rug, like the most Republicans and too many Democrats do as well. Big money’s grip on the legislative process is the problem here. Good laws don’t get passed because they undercut the flow of ever greater wealth into the big business interests. That’s one of the reasons why I’m for Sanders, who has not taken money from Super Pacs, and yet is putting up a formidable fight. That’s because he believes in the right things, and has the courage to say what he believes. That’s what I call leadership. As a result he has a genuine grassroots following of members of the 90% who care what happens to our country.

There’s an interesting article from yesterday at this website: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/02/08/jeb-bush-wants-overturn-citizens-united/80022436/#, “Jeb Bush wants to overturn Citizens United,” by Fredreka Schouten, USA TODAY 8:31 p.m. EST February 8, 2016. Bush and several other Republicans are mentioned in this article speaking out against massive amount of money being allowed to political candidates. Even Republicans are crying foul.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tennessee-parents-franklin-county-high-school-gay-straight-alliance/

Tenn. parents fight Gay-Straight Alliance in high school
CBS/AP
February 9, 2016, 7:32 AM

Photograph -- Robert Widelick, in grey shirt, walks away from the microphone after speaking out against the Gay-Straight Alliance at Franklin County High School in Winchester, Tenn., on Feb. 8, 2016. WTVF-TV


WINCHESTER, Tenn. - A group of students at Franklin County High School in Tennessee wanted a safe environment to talk about issues affecting the gay community, especially bullying, so they started a club that invited people of all sexual orientations to do so.

The Gay-Straight Alliance they formed can be found in several variations in high schools across America, but to many parents in the Franklin County Schools, they're no better than terrorists, according to CBS affiliate WTVF in Nashville.

At a school board meeting Monday night, resident Robert Widelick took to the microphone and said he doubted the groups agenda that he claims they're trying to impose on people who attend their meetings.

"There's really no place for discussion of sexual orientation in a public high school," Widelick said.

Dozens of supporters stood up, cheered and waved towels and signs after Widelick shared his opinion at the meeting.

A social media page created last month called for school board members to move the club off campus. WTVF reports one parent on Facebook compared the Gay-Straight Alliance to ISIS.

"We have a complicated county, and we have lots of differing points of view," said Jennie Turrell, the faculty adviser for the organization, "and valid views and powerful views on both sides of this conversation."

Franklin County Schools Director Amie Lonas said the organization, which was created to promote tolerance and acceptance, followed the proper procedure to establish the club. Students say it was really largely done in response to bullying. The group was granted approval to form by school officials in December.

"It's a safe environment for students to get together and just talk," Lonas said.

While the Gay-Straight Alliance was allowed to form, some critics said that no organized meetings were held before members of the community began to question its motives and intent.

The school did not make a decision about whether to keep allowing the club on Monday evening, so it will continue to meet normally. Meanwhile, officials are looking through the policies for creating clubs on schools.

District officials said because of federal funding, they cannot decide to ban the Gay Straight Alliance. The only option would be to ban all schools.



"We have a complicated county, and we have lots of differing points of view," said Jennie Turrell, the faculty adviser for the organization, "and valid views and powerful views on both sides of this conversation." Franklin County Schools Director Amie Lonas said the organization, which was created to promote tolerance and acceptance, followed the proper procedure to establish the club. Students say it was really largely done in response to bullying. The group was granted approval to form by school officials in December. …. A group of students at Franklin County High School in Tennessee wanted a safe environment to talk about issues affecting the gay community, especially bullying, so they started a club that invited people of all sexual orientations to do so. The Gay-Straight Alliance they formed can be found in several variations in high schools across America, but to many parents in the Franklin County Schools, they're no better than terrorists, according to CBS affiliate WTVF in Nashville. …. "There's really no place for discussion of sexual orientation in a public high school," Widelick said. Dozens of supporters stood up, cheered and waved towels [Eh, what??] and signs after Widelick shared his opinion at the meeting. …. The school did not make a decision about whether to keep allowing the club on Monday evening, so it will continue to meet normally. Meanwhile, officials are looking through the policies for creating clubs on schools. District officials said because of federal funding, they cannot decide to ban the Gay Straight Alliance. The only option would be to ban all schools.”


The writer of this article can’t possibly mean “ban all schools,” can he/she? There is another weird thing in the writing, namely the waving of “towels” and signs by people in the crowd. Really? About the main issue here, though, the Victorian argument that there is no place for the discussion of sexual orientation in a public school is not that surprising, since when I was of puberty age there were people in the community who were talking against all sexual information in the schools. Too many parents in the 1950s still chose not to inform their daughters about that scary flow of blood and stomach pain. Their view against telling a young woman about how coitus is actually performed before they were married, was formed from the belief that if they knew about it they would go right out and do it! The truth is, if they DON’T know about it, that’s what they are likely to do. The word NO needs to be taught to both boys and girls at puberty.

In Thomasville, it wasn’t rural, but a small city with factories and Middle Class people who were pretty hip, thank goodness. Our Phys Ed teacher gave us a very frank discussion of sexual matters. Being a young woman she knew we all knew about the birds and the bees in general, but needed to know exactly what activity will result in pregnancy and how to use a condom, and of course of the danger of “heavy petting.” That was important advice, because a truly uninitiated young person very likely doesn’t understand what that activity will lead to, and after all it does “feel good.” We had at least two pregnant girls in our class, and they weren’t poor or ignorant, either. They were Middle Class and made good grades. The problem with the teen years is that our hormones lead us to one path, which in less Western and wealthy places makes sense if you don’t value education for a girl. Girls are still married young in parts of India, Africa, the Middle East, etc. as early as ten years old. Their main usefulness to society is procreation and to do the cooking and cleaning, so why not.

The following statement is downright scary to me: “… to many parents in the Franklin County Schools, they're no better than terrorists”! Wow! Those Tea Partiers in Tennessee will undoubtedly argue that Militias, NeoNazis, etc. are NOT terrorists, but “patriots!” There is truly a huge (“yuge”) intellectual and philosophical divide in the country today. Every time somebody does something really creative and virtuous, like forming the Gay Straight Alliance to peacefully discuss gender issues in an enlightened manner, the Rightists step up to oppose it. It’s almost like they read a totally different Gospel than I did when I considered myself to be a Christian. That was before I was told by a group of Fundamentalist Christians called Youth For Christ that if I didn’t accept every word of the King James version of the Bible in an absolutely literal way, and accept every aspect of their dogma on totally blind faith. Needless to say, I just can’t do that, so I didn’t go to church after I left the family home for some 40 years. More importantly, I strongly believe I shouldn’t use that “blind faith” way of thinking, in that it represents the death of rationality and freedom of thought, not to mention societal progress. I prize those three things highly. What I take from the Bible is the gospel of Love. Unfortunately, that is what the Fundamentalists have discarded.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/charles-sebesta-ex-texas-da-loses-appeal-disbarment-false-conviction/

Ex-Texas DA loses appeal on disbarment over false conviction
CBS/AP
February 9, 2016, 9:01 AM

Photograph -- Charles Sebesta CBS NEWS
WATCH: "48 Hours" Grave Injustice


AUSTIN, Texas - A former prosecutor who used false testimony and withheld evidence to send a now-exonerated man to Texas' death row has lost an appeal to overturn his disbarment.

The Dallas Morning News reports that the Board of Disciplinary Appeals on Monday upheld the decision of the State Bar of Texas to disbar Charles Sebesta. The board's decision is final.

The bar revoked the Burleson County district attorney's law license in June, finding he had engaged in prosecutorial misconduct in the case of Anthony Graves.

Graves was convicted and sent to Texas death row for the 1992 slayings of six people. A federal appeals court reversed his conviction in 2006. He was released from prison four years later, after serving a dozen years on death row, when a special prosecutor determined he should be freed and declared innocent.

"It takes great courage to say a prosecutor was so clearly acting against the rules of fair play that he should be stripped of his law license," Graves said at the time of Sebesta's initial disbarment. "But the panel did just that, and I appreciate it.

"I have waited 20-plus years for complete justice and freedom. ... No one who makes it a goal to send a man to death row without evidence - and worse, while hiding evidence of my innocence - deserves to be a lawyer in Texas."

"48 Hours" investigated the Graves case in its Emmy-winning broadcast, "Grave Injustice. "Graves has credited the broadcast with getting the state of Texas to pay $1.4 million in compensation.

Sebesta left office in 2000 after 25 years as prosecutor in the two counties about 100 miles northwest of Houston.



“A former prosecutor who used false testimony and withheld evidence to send a now-exonerated man to Texas' death row has lost an appeal to overturn his disbarment. The Dallas Morning News reports that the Board of Disciplinary Appeals on Monday upheld the decision of the State Bar of Texas to disbar Charles Sebesta. The board's decision is final. …. Graves was convicted and sent to Texas death row for the 1992 slayings of six people. A federal appeals court reversed his conviction in 2006. He was released from prison four years later, after serving a dozen years on death row, when a special prosecutor determined he should be freed and declared innocent. …. "48 Hours" investigated the Graves case in its Emmy-winning broadcast, "Grave Injustice. "Graves has credited the broadcast with getting the state of Texas to pay $1.4 million in compensation.’


This is my idea of justice except for one thing. It is apparently not specifically a CRIME for an officer of the court of any kind to purposely cause a miscarriage of justice as severe as this one. It is equivalent to highway robbery in the degree of its’ dishonesty. Not surprisingly the DA is white and poor victim of the injustice here is black. And what a benign and intelligent looking black man he is, too. He looks as though he has forgiven the courts about the matter. See also the following article on Graves' life and accomplishments since his being pardoned.



http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-anthony-graves-went-death-row-overseeing-his-local-crime-n381891

How Anthony Graves Went from Death Row to Overseeing the Houston Crime Lab
by JON SCHUPPE
NEWS JUN 27 2015, 4:02 PM ET

Video -- Wrongly Convicted Now Freed Helps Oversee Houston Crime Lab 2:25


A few weeks ago, Anthony Graves began hearing rumors that he was under consideration for a spot on the Houston Forensic Science Center's board of directors — a post that would put him in a position to help the city prevent wrongful convictions.

Wrongful convictions like the one that put him on death row.

The simple fact that he was being considered for the job was another form of vindication for Graves, who was exonerated in the murders of six people and released from a Texas prison five years ago.

Since then, Graves has been traveling the country telling his story, urging people to press for reforms to the criminal justice system — including the death penalty.

"I was excited about the opportunity because it lines up with the work I already do," Graves, 49, told NBC News.

That appointment, submitted by Houston Mayor Anise Parker, became official on Wednesday, when the Houston City Council voted to put him on the nine-member board, which has replaced the scandal-plagued Houston Crime Lab.

"Because I was wrongfully convicted, and I know how the system failed, this appointment allows me to bring a fresh perspective to the board, because I can tell you about the pitfalls," Graves said.

Graves spent 18 years in prison and was twice given an execution date. The state wanted to retry him, but the case fell apart, and in 2010 Graves was released — a free man at long last.

At the same time, the Houston Crime lab was reeling from revelations of systemic malfeasance. In 2013, Parker and the city council created the Houston Forensic Science Center, overseen by an independent board of directors, to take over the $24 million-a-year lab's operations.

Image: Houston Forensic Science Center
Forensic analyst Karen Gincoo checks a tray of evidence vials from rape kits in the biology lab at the Houston Forensic Science Center in Houston on Thursday, April 2, 2015. Pat Sullivan / AP
The Houston Forensic Science Center, a government non-profit, is unusual in its makeup. It is insulated from the police department and City Hall, and its board includes Texas who have been cleared of violent crimes.

Graves will replace Anthony Robinson, who was pardoned in 2000 by then-Gov. George W. Bush after Robinson spent a decade behind bars for a rape he didn't commit.

Robinson went on to earn a law degree and became an entrepreneur. At his first board meeting in early 2014, he told his story, so that the other members would know what it's like to be wrongly convicted of a crime.

Graves was 26 when he was arrested for the 1992 murder in Somerville, Texas of 45-year-old Bobbie Davis, her adult daughter, and her four grandchildren. His co-defendant, Robert Earl Carter, was executed in 2000, and on the eve of his death, he submitted a sworn statement saying he had lied when he said Graves had helped him kill the family.

Graves' appointment came days after the man who put him in prison, Burleson County District Attorney Charles Sebesta, was disbarred for prosecutorial misconduct.

Graves said he now looked forward to being reunited with the board's newly appointed chairman, Nicole Casarez. a lawyer and journalism professor who worked eight years to free him.

"I'm more excited about the fact the the chairman is the lady who saved my life," Graves said.

Once again, he said, he would let Casarez "guide me."

Casarez told NBC News she was thrilled with Graves' appointment. Since his exoneration, Graves has become a national voice on criminal justice reform, a voice that now will be heard on the board.

"I wasn't surprised at all," Casarez said. "I was hoping it would happen. I didn't nominate him, but I was glad someone did."