The Sanders Movement As of 6/2/16


May 31, 2016


News and Views


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cincinnati-zoo-gorilla-killing-evokes-1996-incident-brookfield-zoo/

Gorilla killing evokes 1996 incident that had very different outcome
CBS/AP May 31, 2016, 10:07 AM

Play VIDEO -- Jack Hanna agrees "1000 percent" with zoo's decision to kill gorilla
Play VIDEO -- Controversy rages after the death of a gorilla at Cincinnati zoo
Photograph -- gorillachildap9608170826.jpg, Binti Jua, an 8-year-old female gorilla, carries an injured three-year-old boy to a service gate after the child fell 18 feet to a concrete floor in the primate exhibit at the Brookfield Zoo, Friday, Aug. 16, 1996, in Brookfield, Ill. AP PHOTO/WLS-TV
28 PHOTOS -- Critically endangered species and beloved animals at risk


Controversy continues to swirl after an endangered western lowland gorilla was fatally shot to protect a 4-year-old boy who had entered its exhibit.

The director of the Cincinnati Zoo on Monday defended the decision to kill the popular gorilla to save the boy. However, there has been growing criticism about whether the animal had to die, as well as the zoo's barrier keeping the public out and animals in.

While Saturday's incident ended in tragedy, there was a much different outcome 20 years ago when a 3-year-old boy fell into the gorilla den at Brookfield Zoo near Chicago.

As CBS Chicago reported, it happened on Aug. 16, 1996, in the days before everyone had a cellphone that could capture video. Yet someone did record the moments after the child got away from his mother and fell into the ape pit.

A zoo visitor captured an image of the 3-year-old lying unconscious on the exhibit floor, but it's what happened next that captured hearts.

A female gorilla named Binti Jua, with her own baby on her back, picked up the child and carried him to safety. Workers who were there said it's an image they will never forget.

"She was somewhat protective, too. Part of the video, she takes the child and sort of turns a shoulder to the other gorillas," zoo worker Jay Peterson said.



"She carried him up around this part of the exhibit, through the river, made a right turn ... went over to that log," zoo worker Craig Demitros said. "She was gently kind of rocking the kid in her right arm."

After being rushed to the hospital, the child made a full recovery. The story and images were carried around the world, making Binti Jua an international sensation, and a hometown hero to many.

Zookeepers said Binti Jua was raised by humans, so she was more "people-oriented," and that could have played a role in her gentle handling of the child.

They also said it was fortunate that the child was unconscious because had he been moving or crying he might have been perceived as a threat.

By contrast, the 4-year-old boy who fell into the enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo was alert and moving.

Video taken by zoo visitors showed the gorilla at times appeared to be protective of the boy but also violently dragged him through the shallow moat.

Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard said the decision to kill the gorilla was the right one. He said the gorilla was agitated and disoriented by the commotion during the 10 minutes after the boy fell. He said the gorilla could crush a coconut in one hand and there was no doubt that the boy's life was in danger.

Jack Hanna, host of "Jack Hanna's Into the Wild," said the zoo made the right call by shooting the gorilla. Hanna said he saw video of the gorilla jerking the boy through the water and knew what would happen if the animal wasn't killed.

"I'll bet my life on this, that child would not be here today," Hanna told CBS affiliate WBNS-TV.

In an interview with Boston television station WFXT, conservationist and television host Jeff Corwin suggested that the boy's family should shoulder some of the blame, saying "zoos aren't your baby sitter."

"I don't think this happened in seconds or minutes. I think this took time for this kid, this little boy, to find himself in that situation. Ultimately it's the gorilla that's paid this price," he said.

A Cincinnati police spokesman said no charges against the parents were being considered. A spokeswoman for the family said Monday they had no plans to comment.



I did use this article yesterday but today’s is more inclusive, and a better video is attached. Corwin’s statement about the parental lack of attention here echoes my feeling. Little kids this old are willful, curious, capable, and naïve to all logical danger. Parents, pay attention! “In an interview with Boston television station WFXT, conservationist and television host Jeff Corwin suggested that the boy's family should shoulder some of the blame, saying "zoos aren't your baby sitter." "I don't think this happened in seconds or minutes. I think this took time for this kid, this little boy, to find himself in that situation. Ultimately it's the gorilla that's paid this price," he said. A Cincinnati police spokesman said no charges against the parents were being considered. A spokeswoman for the family said Monday they had no plans to comment."



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/horses-help-veterans-cope-with-ptsd-through-unique-therapy/

Horses help veterans cope with PTSD through unique therapy
CBS NEWS
May 30, 2016, 3:24 PM


Retired Marine Kevin Sakaki did not expect to find peace at a rural farm in Virginia.

Like many men and women who have served in the military, he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but says spending time with former race horse Clayton is helping him cope.

"There is something peaceful about being around the horses," he told CBS News' Weijia Jiang. "It's just really relaxing."

Sakaki was diagnosed with PTSD after serving tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I just had short temper but being a sergeant in the Marine corps, it's kind of that expectation that are you doing your job well when you are kind of on that edge a little bit," he said. "The problem was carrying that home."

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that almost 20 percent of veterans suffer from PTSD. But many patients say it can be difficult to seek help.

That's where people like Suzi Landolphi come in. She leads the equine-assisted therapy program at Boulder Crest Retreat and says veterans can learn to manage stress and begin to feel at peace through walking and grooming the animals.

"When you have gone through traumas you have to put up defenses. So you have to find a way to deal," Landolphi said. "It's not always helpful to yourself. You think it is, but it's not. What the horses offer is an opportunity to let down all your defenses."

But one thing the veterans don't do with the horses is ride them.

"We're about relationship, companionship, partnership and connection," Landolphi said. "Not about control."

When army reservist Mike King returned from Iraq, he suffered from alcohol abuse and anxiety. He says spending time with the horses is calming.

"You guys start to feed off each other and the energy is intertwined and that's when the work starts," he said.

In addition to bonding with the horses, the retreat offers free stress recovery programs for veterans and their families.

After spending about a week at the ranch, many veterans say they feel they are moving in the right direction.



"I just had short temper but being a sergeant in the Marine corps, it's kind of that expectation that are you doing your job well when you are kind of on that edge a little bit," he said. "The problem was carrying that home." The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that almost 20 percent of veterans suffer from PTSD. But many patients say it can be difficult to seek help. …. When you have gone through traumas you have to put up defenses. So you have to find a way to deal," Landolphi said. "It's not always helpful to yourself. You think it is, but it's not. What the horses offer is an opportunity to let down all your defenses." But one thing the veterans don't do with the horses is ride them. "We're about relationship, companionship, partnership and connection," Landolphi said. "Not about control."


The use of animals to help people has appeared in many modern instances, from emotionally or mentally disturbed children, to hospital patients, to “hardened” criminals in prison. All warm-blooded animals, with the exception of wolverines or Tasmanian devils, have an affinity for each other and a need for contact; and anyone who grew up with an animal knows how comforting the touch of their fur is. I’ve met a handful of adults who fear or hate animals, but most at least find them interesting. Horses and humans have been linked up since the Neolithic, as well as dogs and cats. A trainer who prepared a grizzly bear to appear in a number of movies was on a great documentary video, and on both his part and the bear’s, the feeling between them was obviously love. For a good read, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_the_Bear. The trainer/companion and his wife are Doug Seus and Lynne Seus of Utah.[3]

I love and find all animals calming except bats, spiders, scorpions, sharks, leeches, etc., and even they are an important part of life on earth. To those who have fed a horse from their hand or, better still, stroked their silky soft nose, that experience is truly beautiful. Having the horse respond with fondness is thrilling; that such an impressively powerful and elegant animal would choose us as a friend really is healing.

The psychological conditioning and personal battle experiences of soldiers are something that often strip a great deal of compassion, positivity and gentleness from them and induce, understandably, fear and anxiety. That’s a bad combination. Many PTSD patients behave threateningly because they have terrible delusions and visions, and as a result they are frightened.

The physical abuse of family members by people with PTSD is mentioned here, and I’ve read about it before. I tend to blame people pretty harshly when they consciously physically or emotionally abuse anyone, especially if it happens more than once. Once is a loss of control, but twice is a bad habit. In some cases their behavior is because they have endured horrific events like these soldiers, but so often they are the type of personality called a sociopath, who is characterized by narcissism and an extreme lack of feeling for other life forms. They have often been treated cruelly by a parent or other family member themselves, and have been emotionally scarred by it. The sociopathic behavior often starts with torturing or killing animals. So if your kid abuses an animal or a family member, for heaven’s sake, stop him decisively. You don’t want to beat him up, but make it clear that you aren’t going to allow that again!

I personally think that in an all-volunteer army there are a certain percentage, between 10 and 20% or so, of individuals who do specifically want to kill, torture rape, etc. to boost their self-esteem or simply for the fun of seeing the other's pain. The police departments are the same kind of situation in that officers are almost totally without supervision in too many cases. Those individuals need to be carefully selected for such duty to weed out the neurotic, psychotic, racist, uneducated or merely unintelligent, rather than selecting them because they conveniently showed up and are “gung ho.”

In my last job I worked in the office of a security guard firm. A heavyset and overly eager and macho acting man showed up to interview. He was a "wannabe" cop, obviously, and I was literally afraid of him. He was not hired. A lot of the problem with the city police forces is that they haven’t been trained well about getting along with humans or given a thorough battery of psychological tests that do more than merely scratch the surface. Meeting several times with a psychologist should be part of that. I know, it costs money, but maybe paying large financial settlements whenever the city is sued would be expensive, too, and there will be fewer citizens backing down from the system since Ferguson. People used to be afraid, but now they are angry. I also want to see criminal charges brought against the people who abuse their power in those ways. That would go a long way toward stopping the abuse problem.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/physicist-stephen-hawking-baffled-by-donald-trumps-popularity/

Physicist Stephen Hawking baffled by Donald Trump's popularity
CBS/AP May 30, 2016, 11:25 PM

Photograph -- rtx2eqsu.jpg, Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally to highlight POW-MIA issues on Memorial Day weekend in Washington, U.S. May 29, 2016. REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST
Play VIDEO -- Trump speaks at Rolling Thunder biker rally in D.C.


LONDON -- Renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking may have a good grasp of the workings of the universe, but he says he can't understand Donald Trump's popularity.

Hawking tells ITV's "Good Morning Britain" show that he has no explanation for the success of the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee.

In a prerecorded interview set to air Tuesday, Hawking says Trump "is a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator."

Hawking has a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that has gradually paralyzed him since he was first diagnosed at age 21.

Hawking, who speaks through a computer system operated with his cheek, also made a plea for British voters to choose to remain in the European Union in the June 23 referendum. He said it is important not only for economic and security research but also to further scientific research.

Meanwhile, Trump is expected to provide a full accounting of the Trump Foundation's donations to veterans' groups on Tuesday.

He told a Washington rally that an announcement about the donations would be made Tuesday, after telling reporters in North Dakota last week that there would be a news conference Tuesday morning. The presumptive GOP nominee is expected to clear up how much the campaign raised in January at a veterans' fundraiser it organized when he skipped a GOP presidential debate.

After the Washington Post pressed Trump to clarify how much has been given to veterans' groups from that event, the billionaire businessman fulfilled his promise to give $1 million of his own money to a charity for veterans.

Trump could announce gifts Tuesday to up to two dozen charities -- some of them have already received the donations, the report said.

Last week, Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told "CBS This Morning" that Trump will give $5.5 to $6 million to veterans’ groups. At the January fundraiser, Trump claimed that the event had raised $6 million.

"We just cracked $6 million, right? Six million," Trump said at the time.

Lewandowski told CBS News that $4.5 million had already been "attributed" and that the total amount going to veterans' groups will be "somewhere between $5.5 and $6 million total, which would be given to the veterans."

He also said that the remainder would be distributed to groups by Memorial Day.



“Hawking tells ITV's "Good Morning Britain" show that he has no explanation for the success of the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee. In a prerecorded interview set to air Tuesday, Hawking says Trump "is a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator." …. Hawking, who speaks through a computer system operated with his cheek, also made a plea for British voters to choose to remain in the European Union in the June 23 referendum. He said it is important not only for economic and security research but also to further scientific research.”


What Hawking and many of us don’t understand is that an increasing number of our citizens are poorly educated, living on very tight budgets, often jobless, highly involved in cultlike religions that actively stifle the logical thought pattern of their members, and lacking in empathy or emotional connection with people in general. People like that feel they have been cheated in life, especially in the racial/status competitions, and they are both nervous about their future, and very angry. An angry demagogue like Trump seems good to them because he seems to be a LEADER who is “really going somewhere.” Sanders, I will point out, has the same kind of appeal because he’s so spunky and energetic, but he isn’t fascist-leaning and is very positive in personality rather than negative. He has “the common touch,” and is interested in the lives of the 90% of our population. He's one of the good guys!



http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/05/30/panic-hillary-clinton-rush-back-california-week/

Panic: Hillary Clinton to Rush Back to California This Week
by JOEL B. POLLAK
30 May 2016

Photograph -- Clinton with microphone


Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has a canceled campaign event in New Jersey and will be rushing back to California this week to hold off a late surge by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

The Washington Post‘s Abby Phillip reports that Clinton intends to return to the campaign trail in California on Thursday, and to campaign continuously in the state through the primary on Tuesday — though most votes will already have been cast by mail.

Phillip writes:

NEW YORK — Hillary Clinton has upended her campaign schedule, adding more stops in California, in an effort to prevent an embarrassing loss there to Bernie Sanders, her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Clinton originally planned to campaign for two days this week in New Jersey, but at the last minute canceled an event on Thursday and will instead return to California for a five-day swing.

The schedule change comes as Sanders has barnstormed California, not leaving the state in more than a week. Meanwhile, a recent poll found the race closing significantly. Clinton’s lead over Sanders had narrowed to just two points.

Details are scarce, but Clinton now plans to hold events in California from Thursday until the day before the state’s June 7 primary.

Clinton, needing fewer than 100 delegates to reach a majority, is almost certain to clinch the Democratic nomination on June 7, even if she loses California. But the political damage caused by losing California could hurt — or even halt — her campaign.

In the background is the symbolic importance of California for Democrats in the last year when the Golden State played a role in deciding the party’s nomination — namely, 1968, when Robert F. Kennedy crossed the threshold, only to be assassinated mere minutes later by a Palestinian named Sirhan Sirhan.

For Clinton, clinching the nomination by winning California would represent the party coming full circle from its troubled, radical days of the late 1960s.

For Sanders, denying Clinton a victory lap would represent the best chance of re-creating the chaos of the Chicago Democratic National Convention of 1968 on the convention floor in Philadelphia this July — and possibly in the streets outside as well.

Sanders has been campaigning at a grueling pace, drawing large rally crowds from Southern California to the Central Valley to the Bay Area and beyond. He has also taken the time to meet with farm workers, union members, and representatives of the black and Latino communities.

With momentum pointing towards a possible Sanders win — Breitbart News has already predicted he will win more delegates on July 7 — the only question is whether Clinton has more to lose by trying hard and failing, or by staying away and letting Sanders have what she hopes would be a last hurrah.

Photo: File

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. His new e-book, Leadership Secrets of the Kings and Prophets: What the Bible’s Struggles Teach Us About Today, is on sale through Amazon Kindle Direct. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.



Breitbart EXCERPT -- “For Clinton, clinching the nomination by winning California would represent the party coming full circle from its troubled, radical days of the late 1960s. For Sanders, denying Clinton a victory lap would represent the best chance of re-creating the chaos of the Chicago Democratic National Convention of 1968 on the convention floor in Philadelphia this July — and possibly in the streets outside as well. Sanders has been campaigning at a grueling pace, drawing large rally crowds from Southern California to the Central Valley to the Bay Area and beyond. He has also taken the time to meet with farm workers, union members, and representatives of the black and Latino communities. …. Clinton, needing fewer than 100 delegates to reach a majority, is almost certain to clinch the Democratic nomination on June 7, even if she loses California. But the political damage caused by losing California could hurt — or even halt — her campaign.”


Sanders is not merely assertive, clever, quick-thinking and courageous; he is a strategist. He has outflanked Clinton several times now, and has earned the moniker “the Energizer Bernie!” He also, while clearly serious about achieving his philosophical and political goals, is having a great time! He’s always been popular among his home constituency and the progressive Democrats, he was never in the center of the whole world’s attention as he is now. I’m enjoying this race as much as the Gore/Bush fight over Broward County, Florida. When that hit the news, I happened to be watching CNN, as the very appealing Bill Hemmer was doing a live report on the sidewalk.

He apparently got the word through his earpiece that Gore had challenged the election, and that he was to rush to Broward County. He was a young guy at that time and suddenly grinned like a boy, announced what was going on and took off down the street at a rapid clip followed by the camera crew. Within a couple of hours Florida was full of camera trucks and street interviews.

There are few things more exciting than a hard-fought political campaign. I’ve always enjoyed politics, and this year is one of the best. Go, Bernie! You’re doing well, too, Hillary. Read about the unforgettable 2000 election below, and an hour-long documentary is also available on Youtube, “Bush v. Gore: The Endless Election (2015) – YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcz6NSyxrfQ.”



http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-cnn-bush-gore-20151102-story.html

15 years later, CNN's 'Bush vs. Gore' recalls the longest election night ever
By Stephen Battaglio, Contact Reporter
November 2, 2015


Fifteen years ago, America watched the wildest election night in history and the start of a 36-day legal battle for the White House.

TV network news divisions had awarded Florida’s electoral votes to Al Gore, putting the Democratic nominee a path to victory against his Republican opponent George W. Bush. By the end of the night, they reversed the call and gave the state and the election to Bush, only to have it become too close to call when more votes came in. For the next month, recounts, butterfly ballots and hanging chads became the hot topics on network and cable news.

CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger recounts the conflict that gripped the nation’s attention in an hourlong documentary "Bush vs. Gore: The Endless Election" premiering Monday at 6 p.m. PST on CNN. She talks to many of the attorneys and political operatives involved in the conflict that was ultimately decided on Dec. 13 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a ruling by the Florida State Supreme Court that called for a statewide recount.

After sitting down with James Baker, Ben Ginsberg, Karen Hughes and Ted Olsen from the Republican side and Ron Klain, David Boies and Bill Daley who fought for the Democrats, Borger said there was one characteristic they all had in common.

“They all acted like it happened yesterday because it was such an important moment in their lives,” she said. "Nobody has forgotten a minute of it."

Even though Gore vs. Bush was the first presidential election of the 21st century, the media and technology of the time make it play like a period piece.

There was no Twitter, Facebook or social media at the time. The network anchors of the time – Borger talks to three of them, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and CNN’s Bernie Shaw – were considered the final authority on when the race was over. Once the networks erroneously called the election for Bush, it was difficult to reverse course when the Florida vote count showed how close the race was in the state.

“The communication was so different 15 years” ago. she said. “The people in Gore’s boiler room had no idea that Gore had conceded to Bush and was on his way to the War Memorial to give his concession speech. They were all trying to page each other but the Gore people were all so depressed half of them had turned their pagers off. Today there would be no way not to communicate.”

Follow me on Twitter @SteveBattaglio