Thursday, May 28, 2015


News Clips For The Day


PROGRESSIVE IDEAS FOR 2016

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-enough-is-enough/

Bernie Sanders: "Enough is enough"
By STEPHANIE CONDON CBS NEWS
May 26, 2015

Photograph -- Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) waves to supporters before he speaks during the kick off of his presidential campaign on May 26, 2015 in Burlington, Vermont. WIN MCNAMEE, GETTY IMAGES

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont running for the Democratic presidential nomination, officially launched his campaign on Tuesday with a populist message for the "billionaire class."

"Enough is enough," the self-identified socialist said to his supporters gathered on the shore of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont. "This great nation and its government belong to all of the people and not to a handful of billionaires."

Promising to "build a movement," the 73-year-old warned the crowd that "now is not the time for thinking small."

Sanders has recruited some high-profile figures to join his "movement," including environmental activist Bill McKibben, as well as Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the co-founders of the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's ice cream. All three spoke ahead of Sanders at Tuesday's rally, while the crowd enjoyed free Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

The senator laid out his liberal agenda, including ideas like raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, implementing a Medicare-for-all health care system, investing $1 trillion in infrastructure, make tuition in public universities free, combating climate change, and rolling back the impact of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

While he enters the race for the Democratic nomination far behind former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sanders insisted, "This campaign is not about Bernie Sanders. It is not about Hillary Clinton. It is not about Jeb Bush or anyone else. This campaign is about the needs of the American people."

While he promised to promote ideas that would meet those needs, he also said, "This campaign is going to send a message to the billionaire class."

"And that is: you can't have it all," Sanders continued. "You can't get huge tax breaks while children in this country go hungry. You can't continue sending our jobs to China while millions are looking for work. You can't hide your profits in the Cayman Islands and other tax havens, while there are massive unmet needs on every corner of this nation. To the billionaire case, I say your greed has got to end. You cannot take advantage of all the benefits of America, if you refuse to accept your responsibilities."



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-democratic-voters-angry-enough-to-support-bernie-sanders-for-president/

Are Democratic voters angry enough to support Bernie Sanders for president?
By STEPHANIE CONDON CBS NEWS
February 10, 2015

Play VIDEO
Who is presidential candidate Bernie Sanders?

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the self-identified socialist from Vermont, has met plenty of angry people in recent years.

"Some of them are in the Occupy Wall Street movement and consider themselves progressives," Sanders said Monday at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank. "Some are in the Tea Party movement and consider themselves conservatives."

Whatever their political bent, he said, "They have every right in the world to be angry."

"They're seeing an explosion of technology. They're watching TV and seeing all the great benefits, supposedly, of the global economy," the senator said. "And they're working longer hours for lower wages. And they're scared to death as to what is going to happen to their kids, what kind of jobs are their kids going to have."

Who would Americans like to see on the campaign trail in 2016?
Should the 73-year-old senator decide to run for president in 2016, this will be the crux of his pitch to the American people -- that it's time for a grassroots-driven movement to significantly shift the nation's economic priorities.

The question is whether voters -- particularly Democratic primary voters -- are angry enough over the uneven distribution of wealth to support Sanders' campaign.

Most recent polls would suggest they're not. Democratic voters are largely supporting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's potential 2016 nomination, indicating that they're satisfied with the economic trajectory set by the Obama administration.

"If Sanders was going to be serious about the nomination, there's got to be widespread discontent with Clinton, and I think, with Obama as well," Dante Scala, associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire, told CBS News.

Still, if there was ever a moment for the nation to embrace a left-wing populist like Sanders, it's now.

"The issue of income inequality... has finally bubbled to the top of the agenda," said Garrison Nelson, a political science professor at the University of Vermont who's known Sanders for nearly 40 years.

Sanders' "number one issue is now an issue that Mitt Romney is talking about," Nelson said. That's when "you know it's an issue that concerns a rather wide span of Americans. In some ways, the agenda has caught up with Bernie rather than the other way around."

Sanders the Socialist

Sanders has been talking about income inequality for decades. His political views were shaped as a college student in the early 1960's, though Nelson clarified, "He's not a cultural radical of the 1960's variety." Instead, the senator is more of a "1930's radical" and a "labor union lefty."

"As far as lefties go," Nelson added, Sanders is "pretty vanilla."

He first ran for mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 1981, winning by 10 votes. He served four terms, and in 1991 joined the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Independent elected to the House in 40 years. The Boston Globe wrote at the time, "Big business and its practitioners are just as antithetical to the good of the poor and working masses as they ever were, in Sanders' view."

In his first year in the House, Sanders and four other congressmen established the Congressional Progressive Caucus, now one of the largest caucuses in the congressional chamber. One of his first votes was against the first Gulf War, and he became known in the House for his confrontations with then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

"I will never forget having Alan Greenspan up there visiting the committee, telling us how great deregulation was. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now," Sanders said Monday.

Sanders was elected -- again as an Independent, with the support of Democrats -- to the Senate in 2006. As chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Sanders last year helped shepherd through Congress a bipartisan bill to reform the embattled VA health care system.

Nelson said Sanders' success in Congress has been impressive, given that he's not known for being the most personable lawmaker.

"I never thought Bernie would be a good team player, but he proved me wrong," he said. "He has shown an ability to cobble together coalitions that one would never believe possible, given his ideological stance."

Where he stands on the issues

Sanders would need to be an effective leader to implement his ambitious, left-leaning agenda. For instance, President Obama hasn't been able to enact comprehensive tax reforms, but Sanders says it's necessary to help pay for infrastructure.

"We are losing about $100 billion every single year because corporations and wealthy people are stashing their money in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere," he said Monday. "Real tax reform can generate a significant sum of money which should be used for infrastructure and education."

Jobs and the economy

To address the issue that Americans are most concerned with -- jobs and the economy -- Sanders recently introduced a bill, along with Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland, to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure.

"We need a major federal jobs program to put millions of Americans back to work," Sanders said at Brookings. "The fastest way to do that is to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, our roads, bridges, water systems, wastewater plants, airports, railroads and schools... A $1 trillion investment in infrastructure could support 13 million decent-paying jobs and make our country more efficient, productive and safer."

The senator has also said the minimum wage should be raised over a period of years to at least $15 an hour, and he has called for federal legislation to ensure overtime pay and equal pay for men and women.

Education

While President Obama has proposed making two years of community college free, Sanders said Monday, "We have got to go further."

"What we have got to learn is that in countries like Germany, Scandinavia, many parts of the world, people who are competing against us, they are smart enough to understand that the future of their countries depends on the education their young people get," he said. We have got to learn that lesson. Free public education does not have to end at high school."

Health care

Sanders has commended the "modest success" of the Affordable Care Act, but he is an strident supporter of single-payer health care systems, or what's known in the U.S. as "Medicare for all."

"We have got to grapple," he said, "with the fact that we remain the only country, major country, without a national health care program."

Social Security

While lawmakers often talk about ways to curtail spending on this large government program, Sanders wants to expand Social Security benefits.

"In my view, at a time when senior poverty is increasing, when we have millions of seniors -- and I meet them in Vermont all the time -- people are trying to get by on $12,000, $14,000 a year," he said. "We should not be about cutting Social Security benefits, we should be about expanding those benefits."

To pay for that expansion, he proposes lifting the income cap on Social Security taxes.

Foreign policy

With respect to defeating ISIS, Sanders said Monday that he doesn't want to see "endless war" in the Middle East. "And, having said that, you know, I don't have any magical solution, but I think at the heart of it has got to be regional activity on the countries who are most impacted by ISIS," he said, referencing Saudi Arabia's large defense budget.

"But, you know, I think it's fair to say I do not disagree with the air attacks that the United States is coordinating," he said. "What I just don't want to see is a ground presence and never ending war."

More than just a spoiler?
Should he decide to run for president, Sanders says he'll be in it to win.

The "decision that I'm going to have to reach is whether there is that willingness to stand up and fight back," he said. "And if there's not, I don't want to run a futile campaign. If I run, I want to run to win."

One thing he will not do, Sanders said, is serve as a spoiler in the general election as an independent candidate.

"I will not, I will not be a spoiler," he stressed. "There are ways to do this, but let me make it very clear. I will not be a spoiler and elect some Republican."

Sanders also promised he wouldn't run any negative campaign ads against Hillary Clinton. "It is not my style to trash people," he said. "It is not my style to run ugly, negative ads. Never have; never will."

The senator would, however, hope to have "a real serious debate" with Clinton -- "a very intelligent person who I think is interested in issues, by the way," he said.

"I think we would have a debate about how you rebuild the crumbling middle class," Sanders continued. "A debate about how you reverse climate change. A debate about the foreign policy and the wisdom of the war in Iraq, and how we deal with what we deal with. A debate about trade policy. A debate about Wall Street. And that would be I think good for the American people, to be honest with you."



Condon article, dated May 26, 2015 -- "Enough is enough," the self-identified socialist said to his supporters gathered on the shore of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont. "This great nation and its government belong to all of the people and not to a handful of billionaires." Promising to "build a movement," the 73-year-old warned the crowd that "now is not the time for thinking small." …. Sanders has recruited some high-profile figures to join his "movement," including environmental activist Bill McKibben, as well as Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the co-founders of the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's ice cream. All three spoke ahead of Sanders at Tuesday's rally, while the crowd enjoyed free Ben & Jerry's ice cream. The senator laid out his liberal agenda, including ideas like raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, implementing a Medicare-for-all health care system, investing $1 trillion in infrastructure, make tuition in public universities free, combating climate change, and rolling back the impact of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. …. While he promised to promote ideas that would meet those needs, he also said, "This campaign is going to send a message to the billionaire class. And that is: you can't have it all," Sanders continued.”

From the Condon article dated February 10, 2015 -- “Whatever their political bent, he said, "They have every right in the world to be angry. They're seeing an explosion of technology. They're watching TV and seeing all the great benefits, supposedly, of the global economy," the senator said. "And they're working longer hours for lower wages. And they're scared to death as to what is going to happen to their kids, what kind of jobs are their kids going to have." …. The question is whether voters -- par-ticularly Democratic primary voters -- are angry enough over the uneven distribution of wealth to support Sanders' campaign. Most recent polls would suggest they're not. Democratic voters are largely supporting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's potential 2016 nomination, indicating that they're satisfied with the economic trajec-tory set by the Obama administration. "If Sanders was going to be serious about the nomination, there's got to be widespread discontent with Clinton, and I think, with Obama as well," Dante Scala, associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire, told CBS News. …. "The issue of income inequality... has finally bubbled to the top of the agenda," said Garrison Nelson, a political science professor at the University of Vermont who's known Sanders for nearly 40 years. Sanders' "number one issue is now an issue that Mitt Romney is talking about," Nelson said. That's when "you know it's an issue that concerns a rather wide span of Americans. In some ways, the agenda has caught up with Bernie rather than the other way around." …. In his first year in the House, Sanders and four other congressmen es-tablished the Congressional Progressive Caucus, now one of the largest caucuses in the congressional chamber. One of his first votes was against the first Gulf War, and he became known in the House for his confrontations with then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. "I will never forget having Alan Greenspan up there visiting the committee, telling us how great deregulation was. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now," Sanders said Monday. …. Sanders was elected -- again as an In-dependent, with the support of Democrats -- to the Senate in 2006. As chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Sanders last year helped shepherd through Con-gress a bipartisan bill to reform the embattled VA health care system. …. Sanders has been talking about income inequality for decades. His political views were shaped as a college student in the early 1960's, though Nelson clarified, "He's not a cultural radical of the 1960's variety." Instead, the senator is more of a "1930's radical" and a "labor union lefty." …. In his first year in the House, Sanders and four other con-gressmen established the Congressional Progressive Caucus, now one of the largest caucuses in the congressional chamber. One of his first votes was against the first Gulf War, and he became known in the House for his confrontations with then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. "I will never forget having Alan Greenspan up there visiting the committee, telling us how great deregulation was. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now," Sanders said Monday. …. Sanders was elected -- again as an Independent, with the support of Democrats -- to the Senate in 2006. As chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Sanders last year helped shepherd through Congress a bipartisan bill to reform the embattled VA health care system. Nelson said Sanders' success in Congress has been impressive, given that he's not known for being the most personable lawmaker. "I never thought Bernie would be a good team player, but he proved me wrong," he said. "He has shown an ability to cobble together coalitions that one would never believe possible, given his ideologi-cal stance." …. For instance, President Obama hasn't been able to enact comprehen-sive tax reforms, but Sanders says it's necessary to help pay for infrastructure. "We are losing about $100 billion every single year because corporations and wealthy people are stashing their money in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere," he said …. Sanders recently introduced a bill, along with Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland, to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure. "We need a major federal jobs program to put millions of Americans back to work," Sanders said at Brookings. "The fastest way to do that is to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, … The senator has also said the minimum wage should be raised over a period of years to at least $15 an hour, and he has called for federal legislation to ensure overtime pay and equal pay for men and women. …. While President Obama has proposed making two years of commu-nity college free, Sanders said Monday, "We have got to go further." "What we have got to learn is that in countries like Germany, Scandinavia, many parts of the world, people who are competing against us, they are smart enough to understand that the future of their countries depends on the education their young people get," he said. We have got to learn that lesson. Free public education does not have to end at high school." …. "We have got to grapple," he said, "with the fact that we remain the on-ly country, major country, without a national health care program." …. . "We should not be about cutting Social Security benefits, we should be about expanding those benefits." To pay for that expansion, he proposes lifting the income cap on So-cial Security taxes. …. "But, you know, I think it's fair to say I do not disagree with the air attacks that the United States is coordinating," he said. "What I just don't want to see is a ground presence and never ending war." …. "I will not, I will not be a spoiler," he stressed. "There are ways to do this, but let me make it very clear. I will not be a spoiler and elect some Republican." Sanders also promised he wouldn't run any negative campaign ads against Hillary Clinton. "It is not my style to trash people," he said. "It is not my style to run ugly, negative ads. Never have; never will."

These two articles about Sanders and his views, thoughts and suggestions, show him to be the exact kind of Democratic presidential candidate I would like to see, keen-eyed, courageous and a sharp shooter but fair, and I am planning at this point to vote for him. He also strikes me as being the “squeaky clean” candidate that we need. He also swears he won’t become a spoiler “and elect a Republican. I hope he will willing switch his loyal voters to the next Democrat if his poll ratings turn out to be too hopeless. Hillary Clinton, unfortunately, is not as honest in my opinion, and probably not as progressive either. I have not forgotten that she gave in to political pressure and voted for the US to invade Iraq when that country had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 and didn’t have WMD. Sanders is progressive, aware of environmental problems, intelligent, well educated, honest, ethical, and from what I can tell, a leader. He, unfortunately, hasn’t had the press coverage that I would like and therefore is less well-known of Hillary or Biden, and worse, he proudly bears the moniker “Socialist.” I say worse, because Americans have been fed a hardline fear and hatred of “pinkoes” of all stripes, so that could work agfainst him as much as Hillary’s refusal to bake cookies, and for the same idiotic reasons.

Even so, it is time the Democratic Party defined themselves as “progressive” because their stances today are too often safe rather than relevant to the problems we face as a society. I say “themselves,” because I am definitely drifting toward a Socialist position myself, though not Marxist. . That makes him the kind of Democratic Party leader and candidate that we need -- strong on unions, education, fair and well-paid jobs, equal pay for women, full free education at state universities and full medical coverage for all citizens, and even increased social security benefits paid for by raising the ridiculous ceiling on SS taxes, which at present, according to Google, is at $118,500.

After that point the income recipients no longer have to pay any social security taxes. A good Forbes article on that stated that employee benefits are up 1.7%, while the Tax cap is only up 1.3%. The article states that the maximum SS tax rate is “linked to a different measure”. I would like to see what that measure is, since it’s clear that only the wealthy profit from it. Just how many people make the $118,500 cutoff point? See 2013 income figures for US households at the following article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States. It states, “The median household income in the United States was $51,939 as of 2013.[21] The median income divides households in the US evenly in the middle with half of all household earning more than the median income and half of all households earning less than the median household income. According to the US Census Bureau, the median is "considerably lower than the average, and provides a more accurate representation."[41] Those people can clearly afford more houses, cars, college degrees, diamonds, furs, country club memberships and of course more clearly legitimate household expenses such as food, clothing and medicine.

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/policybriefs/pb2011-02.html, a government article, gives info on the Cap, which is very technical. Of course, the cost of living measure is also technical. Some rightists have suggested another formula should be used, which would reduce SS benefits. Natch! For an all round good article on SS, see Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnovack/2014/10/22/social-security-benefits-rising-1-7-for-2015-top-tax-up-just-1-3/.





http://www.npr.org/2015/05/24/409286733/in-new-england-recognizing-a-little-known-history-of-slavery

In New England, Recognizing A Little-Known History Of Slavery
EMILY CORWIN
MAY 24, 2015

Photograph -- U.S.
Black Burial Site Paved Over in Portsmouth, N.H.

Two men are sliding nine pine coffins into a vault in the ground on Chestnut Street in downtown Portsmouth, N.H. The remains were disinterred in 2003, part of a long-forgotten burial ground for African slaves discovered during routine road work. Now, they are being reburied among 200 other long forgotten men and women as part of Portsmouth's new African Burying Ground Memorial Park.

One coffin contains the remains of a woman who would have been free in West Africa at the turn of the 18th century. But when she stepped off the boat into what is now Prescott Park in Portsmouth, she was likely sold to a white New Hampshire family.

At least, that's the best guess of principal archaeologist Kathleen Wheeler.

"There's one individual who had only her lower jaw, and she had the incisors removed from the lower jaw, probably as a teenager, and this is a rite they do commonly in West Africa," Wheeler says.

The others may have been free or enslaved people. What Wheeler can see from the remains is that they all had African origins, their bodies were worn from toil — and few survived past their twenties.

But slavery in New Hampshire? Onlookers like Jack Panopoulos are surprised. "Generally, you tend to think — or I did — that it was more of a Southern problem," he says.

That's a misconception that Georgia-based artist and sculptor Jerome Meadows, who designed the memorial, says he hopes his work will recast. "The setting creates a context in which to reimagine or shift your focus from the misrepresentation into the reality of what actually is here," he says.

The $1.5 million memorial park was built with support from federal grants and community donations. Many are proud of the effort. But some, like lifelong resident Dan Mayo, wonder why a relatively prosperous city like Portsmouth didn't fund the memorial with property tax revenue.

"They built over all these graves and profited for hundreds of years," he says. "They collected taxes on all these properties that line these streets. And at the very least, they could have footed the bill to pay for this park."

Kelvin Edwards is the president of the local African American Cultural Center, which makes him a prominent member of a very small community: Fewer than 2 percent of Portsmouth's 20,000 residents are black. "It hasn't been exactly easy living here as an African-American in such a non-minority community," he says.

He says he is proud of the memorial for acknowledging and recognizing the contributions of those buried there: "I think it helps to validate me as an individual, to relate to these souls that have long gone, and that have done so much — and not to be recognized [until now]."

Building a memorial on a long-forgotten burial ground won't fix today's social struggles. But it can, Edwards says, help us recognize that we share the past.




NPR article -- “Two men are sliding nine pine coffins into a vault in the ground on Chestnut Street in downtown Portsmouth, N.H. The remains were disinterred in 2003, part of a long-forgotten burial ground for African slaves discovered during routine road work. Now, they are being reburied among 200 other long forgotten men and women as part of Portsmouth's new African Burying Ground Memorial Park. …. "There's one individual who had only her lower jaw, and she had the incisors removed from the lower jaw, probably as a teenager, and this is a rite they do commonly in West Africa," Wheeler says. The others may have been free or enslaved people. What Wheeler can see from the remains is that they all had African origins, their bodies were worn from toil — and few survived past their twenties. …. That's a misconception that Georgia-based artist and sculptor Jerome Meadows, who designed the memorial, says he hopes his work will recast. "The setting creates a context in which to reimagine or shift your focus from the misrepresentation into the reality of what actually is here," he says. The $1.5 million memorial park was built with support from federal grants and community donations. Many are proud of the effort. But some, like lifelong resident Dan Mayo, wonder why a relatively prosperous city like Portsmouth didn't fund the memorial with property tax revenue. …. That's a misconception that Georgia-based artist and sculptor Jerome Meadows, who designed the memorial, says he hopes his work will recast. "The setting creates a context in which to reimagine or shift your focus from the misrepresentation into the reality of what actually is here," he says. The $1.5 million memorial park was built with support from federal grants and community donations. Many are proud of the effort. But some, like lifelong resident Dan Mayo, wonder why a relatively prosperous city like Portsmouth didn't fund the memorial with property tax revenue. …. He says he is proud of the memorial for acknowledging and recognizing the contributions of those buried there: "I think it helps to validate me as an individual, to relate to these souls that have long gone, and that have done so much — and not to be recognized [until now]." Building a memorial on a long-forgotten burial ground won't fix today's social struggles. But it can, Edwards says, help us recognize that we share the past.”

See also the Net article below from “www.blackpast” on slave graveyards Mark Auslander as it adds a great deal of information on the subject, and also Wikipedia’s several articles on the history of the Methodist Church in the US. According to that article, the Northern Methodist Church was strongly abolitionist while a segregationist group in the South during the 1840s began to call itself “Methodist Episcopal Church South.” In 1939 this church joined the Methodist Church, but in 1940 reemerged as the Southern Methodist Church. The Southern Methodist Church based in South Carolina remains a separate entity and bears the Segregationist doctrine.

The Methodist Church, which was not segregationist, was the denomination which was my first church home. A related black denomination is called the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The United Methodist denomination was founded in a merger in 1968 with the Methodist Church and the EUB or Evangelical United Brethren. I can bear witness that our church of the 1950s was not exclusively fundamentalist in its orientation, and never spoke against black people or the evils of the doctrine of Evolution. I was one of several liberal Christian thinkers. By the time of my graduation from high school, I drifted away from the church, mainly because I was not a literal believer in most of the core Christian views. I do, however, to this day believe that Jesus himself was more than likely a real preacher in Roman days, which some liberal thinkers deny. In my opinion there are a very great many sayings of his for him to be completely a mythological figure.

www.blackpast.org -- “Among other things, I worked extensively on the sacred symbolism of trees and burial grounds. Years later, teaching in rural Georgia, I found myself increasingly drawn to local African American cemeteries, which reminded me, often in ways I could not quite articulate, of comparable locales in central and southern Africa. …. Since 1965, the town’s white-dominated city council had channeled fees paid by bereaved African American families to an all-white foundation, which exclusively maintained the white half of cemetery. In the spring of 2000, my students and I at Emory University’s Oxford College partnered with local African American congregations to restore the historic African American cemetery, document previously unmarked graves, and campaign for the cemetery’s desegregation. By 2001, the city and the cemetery foundation agreed to provide perpetual care for all burial plots in the entire cemetery, irrespective of race. …. In 1844, Bishop Andrew’s ownership of Kitty and other enslaved persons became a matter of national controversy, as antislavery northern Methodists protested that a Bishop could not legitimately own slaves; in the resulting tumult, white southern Methodists seceded from the national church to found the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which remained separate from the northern church for nine decades. For many whites in Oxford, Georgia, the story of Kitty, as a “loyal slave” still evokes the grace and “mutual understanding” between the races that, to their minds, exemplified the Old South. White residents renamed the slave quarters in which Kitty had resided, “Kitty’s Cottage,” and lovingly restored it as a heritage site without consulting their African American neighbors. They assert that the Bishop had been morally blameless and was simply an “accidental slaveowner.”



http://www.blackpast.org/perspectives/remembrance-cemetery-search-accidental-slaveowner

Remembrance in the Cemetery: In Search of “The Accidental Slaveowner” - See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/perspectives/remembrance-cemetery-search-accidental-slaveowner#sthash.oTyQUMGU.dpuf

Mark Auslander

In the account below Central Washington University anthropologist Mark Auslander describes why he wrote The Accidental Slaveholder, which describes the curious ways in which the legacy of slavery extend into the contemporary era.

I grew up in Washington D.C. in a secular Jewish family in a predominantly white neighborhood, with only a limited sense of the richness and complexity of African American D.C. It took me a long time to find my way back, as it were, to my hometown.

In graduate school at the University of Chicago, I was trained as an Africanist anthropologist, and spent over two years doing ethnographic fieldwork in a village of the Ngoni people of eastern Zambia. My studies concentrated on ritual performance and changing popular perceptions of landscape amidst neoliberal economic conditions. Among other things, I worked extensively on the sacred symbolism of trees and burial grounds. Years later, teaching in rural Georgia, I found myself increasingly drawn to local African American cemeteries, which reminded me, often in ways I could not quite articulate, of comparable locales in central and southern Africa.

One burial ground in particular fascinated me. The segregated cemetery of Oxford, Georgia-- the birthplace of Emory University--had long been a political flashpoint. Since 1965, the town’s white-dominated city council had channeled fees paid by bereaved African American families to an all-white foundation, which exclusively maintained the white half of cemetery. Gradually, the African American ceremony became overgrown and its graves, many dating back to the time of slavery, became inaccessible to black families.

In the spring of 2000, my students and I at Emory University’s Oxford College partnered with local African American congregations to restore the historic African American cemetery, document previously unmarked graves, and campaign for the cemetery’s desegregation. By 2001, the city and the cemetery foundation agreed to provide perpetual care for all burial plots in the entire cemetery, irrespective of race.

In the course of this project, I became fascinated by a monument in the heart of the historically “white’ cemetery; a large stone tablet, erected by white segregationists in the late 1930s, celebrated the story of the enslaved woman known as “Kitty,” owned by Methodist Bishop James Osgood Andrew, first president of the Emory College board. The tablet declared that Bishop Andrew had tried to free Kitty when she turned nineteen in 1841, but that she had willingly remained in slavery; to reward her for her loyalty the Bishop built her a small house behind his own and allowed her to live in virtual freedom for the rest of her life. In 1844, Bishop Andrew’s ownership of Kitty and other enslaved persons became a matter of national controversy, as antislavery northern Methodists protested that a Bishop could not legitimately own slaves; in the resulting tumult, white southern Methodists seceded from the national church to found the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which remained separate from the northern church for nine decades. For many whites in Oxford, Georgia, the story of Kitty, as a “loyal slave” still evokes the grace and “mutual understanding” between the races that, to their minds, exemplified the Old South. White residents renamed the slave quarters in which Kitty had resided, “Kitty’s Cottage,” and lovingly restored it as a heritage site without consulting their African American neighbors. They assert that the Bishop had been morally blameless and was simply an “accidental slaveowner.”

For generations African American families in Oxford and Covington have quietly told a very different story of “Miss Kitty” (unlike their white neighbors, they insist on referring to her with a courtesy title). They insist Miss Kitty was the coerced mistress of Bishop Andrew, that he most likely fathered at least one of her three children, and that no white man ever could have been an “accidental” slaveowner. The large stone tablet is seen as an outrageous instance of white supremacist myth-making, fraudulently representing slavery as benevolent. Kitty’s Cottage, regarded nostalgically by most whites, is regarded by African Americans as a site of painful violation, to be avoided at all costs.

I began to write about how these competing narratives had been told and retold in white and African American families across 160 years. It struck me that these acts of story-telling represented what anthropologists call the “mythic imagination,” the endlessly inventive ways in which human beings poetically dramatize and meditate upon the central mysteries of existence. In telling these intertwined stories about Miss Kitty and Bishop Andrew, African American and white families came to reflect, at times indirectly, upon the core enigmas of American history and culture--race and difference, bondage and liberation, love and kinship, fidelity and betrayal.

At first I planned only write to about these competing mythologies of race, to excavate the divergent shadow memories of slavery that still haunt Americans of all backgrounds. Yet, when I gave an initial presentation on my work to the community, my African American friends were troubled. Norah Simonson, a member of the Mother Board at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, said, “we are not just ‘myths.’ We are real families..families who were torn apart, but who endured.” She and others insisted that it was insufficient for me just to trace the “myths’: I needed, as well, to trace the long-lost descendants of Miss Kitty, to find out what had become of her three children, who had been taken as slaves away from Georgia by Bishop Andrew after their mother’s death in 1851. “We have been praying on those children all these years,” the African American community historian Emogene Williams told me. “Did they come to a safe harbor? Find those descendants, and bring them back to us.”

After several years of archival research, I succeeded in tracing Miss Kitty’s children. Her daughter Emma settled in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where her son became a prominent dentist. Her second son, Russell Nathan Boyd, became a librarian in the US Department of State in Washington D.C., where he served as senior trustee in Rev. Francis Grimke’s 15th Street Presbyterian Church. In tracing the remarkable story of Russell Nathan and his family, I found myself re-discovering African American Washington D.C. a city I had both known and not known.

Emma and Russell Nathan left no living descendants. I despaired of ever fulfilling the community’s request to ‘bring the children home.” Luckily, two years ago, Freedmen Bank records led me to Miss Kitty’s eldest son, Alford Boyd, who escaped from slavery in Alabama, made his way to Iowa, and become an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. My wife Ellen and I travelled through the Midwest, locating the congregations he had pastored, and were finally led to Allen Chapel AME in Rockford, IL, where Rev. Boyd’s 84 year old great-grandson, Lee Caldwell, was senior trustee. Meeting Mr. Caldwell was one of the great thrills of my life, soon equaled by meeting his adult daughters, Darcel and Cynthia Caldwell in Philadelphia. Together, we traced the Boyd line from the 1790s to the present and determined that Miss Kitty had most likely referred to herself as “Catherine Boyd”

Following their father’s death in November 2010, the Caldwell sisters traveled to Georgia in February 2011 to attend a conference at Emory on slavery and universities. Their visit was eased by the Emory Board of Trustees’ statement of regret for the university’s historical entwinement with slavery. Cynthia and Darcel were warmly greeted by the Emory and Newton County communities. The congregation of Grace United Methodist Church, where many descendants of the early enslaved families of Emory still worship, partnered with artist Lynn Marshall Linnemeier to create a beautiful large memory quilt to “welcome home” the long lost descendants. Into this Yoruba-inspired work they sewed family photographs, reuniting through art families long torn asunder through slavery and Jim Crow.

In December 2011, Emory University officially celebrated its 175th anniversary by naming its 175 leading “history makers.” One of the 175, we were thrilled to learn, was Miss Kitty/Catherine Boyd herself. The Caldwell sisters were brought down to Emory and Darcel was given a university medal in remembrance of her ancestral mother. At the award luncheon, a white great grandson of Bishop Andrew warmly greeted Darcel. He explained he’d been reading my book. “You know,” he said with a smile, “We might be cousins!”

Earlier that Fall, on Sunday, October 23, the Oxford City Council moved to honor the family as well, commissioning a headstone that used the full appellation of Catherine “Miss Kitty” Andrew Boyd, and performing a beautiful multiracial dedication ceremony in the heart of the long-contested cemetery. Darcel and Cynthia were joined by Emory and Oxford city officials and by many other local whites and African Americans in a joyous celebration of reflection and reconciliation. One week after the dedication of the MLK memorial in Washington D.C., this grassroots dedication, in a small town Georgia cemetery signaled in a quiet way that for all the great work that remains to be done, our nation is taking significant steps towards healing the vast wounds of slavery and its legacies.


Sources:
The above material is adopted from Mark Auslander’s new book, The Accidental Slaveowner: Revisiting a Myth of Race and Finding and American Family (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2011). Those interested in political struggles over historical African American cemeteries may also want to read China Galland’s Love Cemetery: Unburying the Secret History of Slaves (New York: HarperOne 2008)

Contributor(s):

Auslander, Mark
Central Washington University, Ellensburg

- See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/perspectives/remembrance-cemetery-search-accidental-slaveowner#sthash.oTyQUMGU.dpuf





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/martin-luther-king-jr-s-bible-and-nobel-peace-prize-legal-battle-headed-for-mediation/

Judge takes action in dispute over MLK Bible, Nobel Peace Prize
CBS/AP
May 27, 2015

Photograph -- Bernice King (L) and Martin Luther King III speak at the Michael Jackson public memorial service held at Staples Center on July 7, 2009, in Los Angeles, California. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES

ATLANTA -- A legal battle over the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s traveling Bible and 1964 Nobel Peace Prize is headed for court-ordered mediation.

King's estate, which is controlled by his sons, last year asked a judge to order their sister to surrender the items. In a board of directors meeting last year, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King voted 2-1 against Bernice King to sell the two artifacts to a private buyer.

The two sides on Wednesday told Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney they are close to an agreement but not quite there.

A lawyer for Bernice King asked the judge to order mediation, and the estate's lawyer did not oppose that.

McBurney said he would issue an order outlining the terms for mediation early next week. He wants the parties to agree on a mediator or to submit names from which he can choose by June 30 and for mediation to be complete by Sept. 30, he said.

Both items had long been in Bernice's possession, and lawyers for the estate filed a lawsuit just over a week later asking a judge to order Bernice to surrender both items.

Speaking from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where her father and grandfather preached, Bernice in February 2014 denounced her brother's intentions, saying the Bible and peace prize medal were among their father's most cherished possessions and shouldn't be sold.

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. His widow, Coretta Scott King, died in 2006. Yolanda King, the Kings' eldest child, died in 2007.

A letter written by President Lyndon Johnson to Coretta Scott King the day after the civil rights leader was assassinated hit the auction block in March after a long legal battle. It sold for $60,000, according to Reuters.

The case was set to go to trial in February, but Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney in late January temporarily halted all action at the parties' request to allow them time to settle. The judge ordered the parties to appear before him in late March if they hadn't reached an agreement by then. He later extended that deadline to Wednesday.




“McBurney said he would issue an order outlining the terms for mediation early next week. He wants the parties to agree on a mediator or to submit names from which he can choose by June 30 and for mediation to be complete by Sept. 30, he said. Both items had long been in Bernice's possession, and lawyers for the estate filed a lawsuit just over a week later asking a judge to order Bernice to surrender both items. Speaking from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where her father and grandfather preached, Bernice in February 2014 denounced her brother's intentions, saying the Bible and peace prize medal were among their father's most cherished possessions and shouldn't be sold.”

“Money, money, money! Money, Money!” I only hope the mediator can bring the parties to agree not to sell King’s Bible and Peace Prize. Those things should go into a museum rather than being sold to a private buyer. The family already sold a letter to Dr. King from Pres. Johnson and it brought $60,000. If the family is in need of money, I can see the temptation, but it really does make the brothers look mercenary, which King himself certainly wasn’t. I would like to know who the buyer is, what his monetary offer was and what he or she wants with them. I’ve heard the term “national treasure,” and I think these two things should qualify for that status. Maybe the government would even agree to pay for them a reasonable amount. Background on the King brothers is found below. The likelihood that the brothers may be in need of money can be seen in in the biographies of both. I would like to know whom Coretta Scott King supported most, her daughter or the two sons, and whether she would have supported this sale.



Martin Luther King III
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Martin Luther King III, or MLK3 (born October 23, 1957) is an American human rights advocate and community activist. He is the eldest son and oldest living child of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King.

After he attended The Galloway School, he attended Morehouse College, the same school his father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather attended. Martin Luther King III is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, as was his father. He received his B.A. degree in political science from Morehouse in 1979.[6] King lived with his mother in his childhood home until his adulthood.

Adult life and career

King has been described as a shy man who rarely socialized, and friends have claimed he tends to overwork, in part due to the pressure to live up to his father's name. One friend, Rev. E. Randel T. Osburn, said of King, "Watching him is like watching somebody trying to outrun themselves. It’s like there’s a ghost in front of him and he’s always trying to catch it."[1]

On June 26, 1985 Martin Luther King III was arrested, along with his mother and his sister Bernice, while taking part in an anti-apartheid protest at the Embassy of South Africa in Washington, D.C.[7] On January 7, 1986 Martin Luther King III and his sisters were arrested for "disorderly conduct" by officers deployed to a Winn Dixie supermarket, which had been the subject of some protesting since September of the previous year.[8] On June 9, 1986 He announced his candidacy for the Fulton County Commission, becoming the first of his father's immediate family to become involved in politics.[9] Alongside Kerry Kennedy, King opposed the death penalty in 1989, stating "If we believed in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, most of us would be without eyes and without teeth."[10] In 1990, He apologized to all homosexuals for mentioning that "something may be wrong" with them during a meeting with some middle school students, both meeting with some gay-rights leaders to hear their concerns and referring to his remarks as "uninformed and insensitive".[11]

King served as an elected county commission member in Fulton County, Georgia, the county encompassing most of Atlanta, from 1987 to 1993. He was defeated for reelection after revealing that he owed the federal government more than $200,000 in back taxes and fines.[12] Also in 1993, King helped found the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. Inc., the company that manages the license of Martin Luther King Jr.'s image and intellectual property. King remains a commissioner in the company as of 2008.[13] During his service as a commissioner in Fulton County, King expressed appreciation to an officer who potentially saved his mother from harm from a crazed man.[14] In February 2009, King and his wife traveled to India, fifty years after his father and mother made the trip. During his stay in India, King led a delegation, which included John Lewis and Andrew Young. In New Delhi, King visited museums on Mahatma Gandhi's life and answered questions from students. King denounced the war in Iraq and the Mumbai attacks during a lecture at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.[15]

Southern Christian Leadership Conference[edit]
In 1997, King was unanimously elected to head the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a civil rights organization his father founded. King was the fourth president of the group, which sought to fight police brutality and start new local chapters during the first years of his tenure.[12] Under King's leadership, the SCLC held hearings on police brutality, organized a rally for the 37th anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech and launched a successful campaign to change the Georgia state flag, which previously featured a large Confederate cross.[1]

Within only a few months of taking the position, however, King was criticized by the SCLC board for failing to answer their correspondence or to take up issues important to the organization. The board also felt he failed to demonstrate against national issues the SCLC would previously have protested, including the disenfranchisement of black voters in the Florida election recount and time limits on welfare recipients implemented by then-President Bill Clinton.[12] King was further criticized for failing to join the battle against AIDS, allegedly because he feels uncomfortable talking about condoms.[1]

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference suspended King from the presidency in June 2001, concerned that he was letting the organization drift into inaction. The group's national chairman at the time, Claud Young, sent a June 25 letter to King that read, "You have consistently been insubordinate and displayed inappropriate, obstinate behavior in the (negligent) carrying out of your duties as president of SCLC."[12] King was reinstated only one week later after promising to take a more active role. Young said of the suspension, "I felt we had to use a two-by-four to get his attention. Well, it got his attention all right."[12] After he was reinstated, King prepared a four-year plan outlining a stronger direction for the organization, agreeing to dismiss McMorris and announcing plans to present a strong challenge to the Bush administration in an August convention in Montgomery, Alabama.[12] In a rally on August 5, 2001, in Montgomery, SCLC leaders, including Rev. Joseph Lowery, former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young and Rev. Jesse Jackson all pledged their support for King. "I sit beside my successor, to assure him of my love and support," said Rev. Lowery.[18] King said he also planned to concentrate on racial profiling, prisoners' rights and closing the digital divide between whites and blacks.[1] However, King also suggested the group needed a new approach, stating, "We must not allow our lust for 'temporal gratification' to blind us from making difficult decisions to effect future generations."[12]

Lawsuits involving Dexter King[edit]
In July 2008, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King filed a lawsuit against his brother Dexter King, accusing him of improperly taking money from the estate of their late mother and transferring it to the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. Inc., where Dexter King serves as president. According to the suit, Dexter failed to keep Martin and Bernice informed about the company's financial affairs. It alleged the company's assets were being "misapplied or wasted,"[13] and demanded that Dexter produce documents pertaining to the 2006 sale of some of Martin Luther King Jr.'s documents.[13] In response, Dexter King accused his siblings of continuously using their parents' legacy for their own benefit and "to further their own personal and religious agendas."[19] Although critics said the lawsuit was at odds with their father's message and legacy, King III maintained it was in keeping with his history of negotiation and nonviolent direct action, claiming, "My father also used the court system."[24]

Dexter filed a similar countersuit against Martin and Bernice on August 18, 2008, claiming they breached their duties to the King Center and their father's estate, misused assets belonging to the center and kept money that should have gone back to the center and estate. Among the claims in the suit were that Martin improperly kept a $55,000 Lincoln Navigator SUV donated to the King Center for his own personal use, and that he "commandeered a reception"[19] being held at the King Center and "turned it into his own wedding reception."[19] Dexter claimed he made numerous attempts to get his siblings to stop such misuses of power but was unsuccessful. King III's lawyer, Jock Smith, denied the allegations as petty and misguided, and said the suit demonstrates Dexter King's misuse of power and his history of making poor decisions involving the Center without seeking proper input from his siblings.[19]

Ferguson, Missouri[edit]

In August 2014, King addressed the shooting of Michael Brown and reported that he would come to Ferguson, Missouri.[37] King was present at a rally with Michael Brown's parents on August 17.[38] On an interview with Fox News, King said his father would be "greatly disappointed" with the violence that occurred in Ferguson after the grand jury verdict.[39] King attended Brown's funeral on August 25.[40]



Dexter Scott King
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Early life[edit]

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father was pastor before moving to the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. His eldest sister Yolanda watched after him.[2] He was seven years old when his father was assassinated. King and his siblings were assured an education thanks to the help of Harry Belafonte, who set up a trust fund for them years prior to their father's death.[3] King attended the Democratic National Convention in 1972, which led him to gain an interest in politics.[4]

Schooling[edit]

King went to Douglass High School, where he played the trumpet.[5]

King attended Morehouse College, his late father's alma mater. He studied business administration, but did not graduate. He later became an actor and documentary filmmaker.

Activities[edit]
King splits his time between Atlanta, Georgia, where he serves as chairman of the King Center, and Malibu, California.[6]

In May 1989, King's mother named the twenty-eight-year-old as her successor as president of the King Center. Before his mother's choice, King openly expressed interest in changing the King Center into "a West Point of nonviolent training."[7][8] Dexter Scott King served as president of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, but resigned only four months after taking the office after a dispute with her. He resumed the position in 1994, but the King Center's influence was sharply reduced by then.[6] As President, he cut the number of staff from 70 to 14 and shut down a child care center among a shift from conventional activities to prioritizing preserving his father's legacy. Reflecting, King admitted that the time was not right since he was "probably moving faster than the board was ready to."[9]

Support of conspiracy theory[edit]

Main article: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. § Conspiracy theories
Twenty-nine years after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death, Dexter met with James Earl Ray, the man imprisoned for his father's 1968 murder. When confronting him, King asked Ray, "I just want to ask you, for the record, um, did you kill my father?" Ray replied, "No-no I didn't." King then told Ray that he along with the rest of the King family believed him.[11][12][13] King and Ray had then discussed the latter's health and the actions of J. Edgar Hoover.[14] King also told him that his family believed in his testament of innocence and were seeking to help him. The two spoke privately after 25 minutes with reporters, and King asserted to reporters that he did not know and it was the cause of their request for a new trial.[15] As he asserted that he did not believe Ray had any role in his father's death, he brought up evidence taken from the scene such as the murder weapon and concluded that Ray would not have disposed of it near the scene of the crime, calling his belief as having been in his "gut."[16]

At a 1999 press conference, Dexter was subsequently asked by a reporter, "there are many people out there who feel that as long as these conspirators remain nameless and faceless there is no true closure, and no justice." He replied:

"No, he [Mr. Lloyd Jowers] named the shooter. The shooter was the Memphis Police Department Officer, Lt. Earl Clark who he named as the killer. Once again, beyond that you had credible witnesses that named members of a Special Forces team who didn't have to act because the contract killer succeeded, with plausible denial, a Mafia contracted killer".[17]

His belief towards a conspiracy extended to President Lyndon B. Johnson.[18] He believed that with the evidence he was shown, there would be difficulty "for something of that magnitude to occur on his watch and he not be privy to it."[19] King pursued Andrew Young to get him involved, and Young changed his position on the assassination of his father after being visited by Dexter in the spring of 1997. His position had always been "that it didn't matter who killed Dr. King but what killed him."[20]

Lawsuits[edit]
On July 11, 2008, 'Dexter King was sued by his sister Bernice Albertine King and brother Martin Luther King III; in addition, he was sued by Bernice King on behalf of the estate of Coretta King. The lawsuit alleged that Dexter King improperly took funds from the estate of Coretta King and his father Martin Luther King, Jr.. On August 18, 2008, Dexter King filed a countersuit stating his siblings had "breached their fiduciary and personal duties to the King Center in Atlanta and their father’s estate, misused assets belonging to the center, and kept money that should have been channeled back into the center and the estate."[25]






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nato-and-russia-watch-one-another-closely-in-eastern-europe/

NATO and Russia watch one another closely in Eastern Europe

By HOLLY WILLIAMS CBS NEWS
May 21, 2015

Video -- Play VIDEO -- Russian hackers exploit software flaw to spy on Ukraine, NATO
Play VIDEO
Russia flexes military muscle off U.K. shores
Video -- Sweden scrambled fighter jets to intercept two Russian military planes that flew too close to Swedish airspace.

With Russia flexing its muscles, three of its Baltic neighbors -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have asked NATO to permanently deploy ground troops as a deterrent.
On Europe's Eastern frontier, NATO F-16s and Eurofighters drill for something they're doing more and more, intercepting Russian military aircraft flying too close for comfort to European airspace.

A cockpit video shows NATO jets shadowing Russian planes, which often try to stay invisible by turning off their transponders.


We watched the NATO pilots practice from a military transport plane. But last years in the Baltic states, they did this for real more than 150 times, a nearly four-fold increase on 2013.

If the NATO fighter jets don't intercept and identify the Russian military aircraft, the fear is they could cause a crash with a commercial airliner.

With its dangerous tactics, Russia seems to be probing NATO's air defenses, and testing how the West will react.

"Let's put it this way," said General Philip Breedlove, the Supreme Commander of NATO in Europe. "It's certainly not the kind of behavior you would see between two partners."


And nor is this. In Ukraine last year, Russia seized Crimea and gave its military backing to armed rebels in the east of the country.

The U.S. accuses them of shooting down a Malaysian airliner in July.

Lithuanian Captain Ieva Gulbiniene told us many here fear their former Soviet overlords.

"Occupation - this is what they are afraid of," she said. "Nobody wants to go back to the ages what was 25 years ago."

If Russia did what it's done in Ukraine to a NATO ally in Eastern Europe, how would NATO respond?

"NATO is committed to defending its allies," said Breedlove. "We will defend any NATO nation that's attacked by any nation."




“A cockpit video shows NATO jets shadowing Russian planes, which often try to stay invisible by turning off their transponders. …. With Russia flexing its muscles, three of its Baltic neighbors -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have asked NATO to permanently deploy ground troops as a deterrent. …. We watched the NATO pilots practice from a military transport plane. But last years in the Baltic states, they did this for real more than 150 times, a nearly four-fold increase on 2013. If the NATO fighter jets don't intercept and identify the Russian military aircraft, the fear is they could cause a crash with a commercial airliner. With its dangerous tactics, Russia seems to be probing NATO's air defenses, and testing how the West will react. …. "NATO is committed to defending its allies," said Breedlove. "We will defend any NATO nation that's attacked by any nation."

“…-- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have asked NATO to permanently deploy ground troops as a deterrent.” To me, it is essential that we shore up the Western European boundaries against Russia, which persistently tries to influence or over-whelm it’s old Cold War territories. They are also trying to demoralize free nations with these spy and harassment incursions in Europe, and Russian planes and/or submarines have been exploring the US borders as well within the last couple of years. I still don’t think they plan to attack anyone except Ukraine in the near future, but when these three nations ask for help I think NATO should supply it. Putin in my opinion wants to “push the envelope” but doesn’t want to get involved in a World War III. If they could insert ground forces into such countries as they did in Ukraine with the intention of destabilizing their internal politics, it seems to me to be exactly their pattern. They want the cake, but they don’t want to bake it.





http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/27/410024375/nebraska-governors-veto-of-death-penalty-repeal-sets-up-override-vote

Nebraska Governor's Veto Of Death Penalty Repeal Sets Up Override Vote
Krishnadev Calamur
MAY 27, 2015

Lawmakers in Nebraska will try today to override Gov. Pete Ricketts' veto of their vote to repeal the death penalty in the state.

As we reported Tuesday, Ricketts, a Republican, vetoed the legislation flanked by law enforcement personnel, murder victims' family members and state lawmakers who support capital punishment. Opposition to the death penalty in the conservative state comes from Republicans who are against it for religious or fiscal reasons, as well as from Democrats and independents. Those who oppose capital punishment in Nebraska point out that the state hasn't executed a prisoner since 1997.

But writing today in the Omaha World-Herald, Ricketts said:

"Even without executions in recent years, the death penalty in Nebraska has continued to play an important role in prosecuting criminals, protecting our families and ensuring that criminals remain locked behind bars. The death penalty allows prosecutors to get stronger sentences which keep dangerous criminals off our streets.
"In Nebraska, there are only 10 inmates on death row. Unlike California or Texas, which have hundreds on death row, we use the death penalty judiciously and prudently.
"Retaining the death penalty is not only important to the integrity of criminal prosecutions but also vitally important to good prison management and protecting our prison officers."
Lawmakers in Nebraska's unicameral Legislature need 30 votes to override Ricketts' veto. Under state law, all bills go through three votes. The vote last week was 32-15. In the previous rounds, it was 30-16 and 30-13.

But as Fred Knapp of member station NET reports, at least one senator says he will now vote with the governor. He cited Ricketts' announcement earlier this month that new lethal injections had been bought to resume capital punishment. The vote is expected to be close.

If lawmakers succeed in overriding the veto, Nebraska will become the first Republican-controlled state in the U.S. to repeal the death penalty since North Dakota in 1973. The previous attempt in 1979 to repeal capital punishment failed when the measure was vetoed by then-Gov. Charles Thone.

The death penalty is legal in 32 states; the 18 states that have banned recently it include Maryland (2013), Connecticut (2012), Illinois (2011) and New Mexico (2009).

We will update this post after lawmakers vote.




If all citizens sentence to death row were there legitimately, I would have less concern about the death penalty. There are criminals who are so dangerous to society or whose crimes are so egregious that I do see the use of a death penalty. The failure of one after another of chemical concoctions to deliver a speedy and painless death also bothers me a great deal. Some states, in frustration, have been looking into going back to the electric chair, and worse, hanging and firing squads, and that is simply barbaric. Primarily because so many people are convicted by faulty evidence or very poor legal representation, and because there does seem to be a larger number of poor people or members of dark-skinned ethnic groups who end up being sentenced at the maximum sentencing range, and I feel sure there is bias there. The so-called ‘three strikes” rule is also not good, because giving the death penalty should not be done on a legal technicality.

It seems to me that there are more legal protections for suspects during trials than there are with the sentencing phase. Some judges have long been known as “hanging judges,” which should be a characteristic that would open them to loss of their position in the courts. Some of them are locally elected and can be voted out at the next election, but the public doesn’t usually know that much about their conviction and sentencing patterns, and if they are appointed they can only be impeached for cause. I wonder if they can be sued for damages over harsh, unfair or simply silly sentencing. There have been a number of weird, bizarre sentences in the news, usually described as being “creative.” There is no room for that kind of creativity in the justice system, in my opinion.

All in all, I would like to see the death penalty eliminated nationwide and the prisoners who are taking up cell space for committing minor crimes turned loose and never jailed for more than a few months. Drug users should be forced by courts more often into treatment programs, and drug pushers, muggers, sexual abusers, wife beaters, rapists and other violent types should be sentenced to the real hard time, as they rarely can be fully rehabilitated. They are among the dangerous and egregious cases. They can be helped in very long-term group therapy and psychiatric talk therapy, but most of them aren’t willing to work on making internal personality changes. They have had a lifetime of gaining status through violence and doing it any other way doesn’t feel “masculine” enough to them. Worse still, it would involve not getting everything they want. If that type of treatment were more often administered in prison with intensive psychotherapy that would be another thing, but political conservatives don’t want to pay for that kind of prison program in too many cases.

About drug/alcohol abuse related crimes, jail is not effective at all, and good old-fashioned AA and NA are free of charge, after all, and are more effective over the long term than quick fix drug solutions or spending time in some of the spa-like treatment centers which are preferred by the wealthy. Three months in any treatment center is not going to wipe the desire for a drug of choice out of a user’s mind, and drug treatments tend to be discontinued as soon as the abuser leave his “spa.” Actually changing the psychology of anyone, especially someone who has an addition is simply not possible over a thirty day of period.





http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/27/409999722/federal-appeals-court-blocks-arkansas-ban-on-abortion-at-12-weeks

Federal Appeals Court Blocks Arkansas Ban On Abortion After 12 Weeks
Bill Chappell
May 27, 2015

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has blocked an Arkansas law that bans abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The case was filed by two doctors on their own and their patients' behalf.

The court's ruling notes:

"By banning abortions after 12 weeks' gestation, the Act prohibits women from making the ultimate decision to terminate a pregnancy at a point before viability. Because the State made no attempt to refute the plaintiffs' assertions of fact, the district court's summary judgment order must be affirmed."

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that:

"Arkansas' law required doctors to test for a fetal heartbeat, then banned abortion after 12 weeks if a heartbeat was present. But the law's opponents noted that all fetuses at that stage have a heartbeat, yet none is considered viable outside the womb.

"The Eighth Circuit ruling notes that the Supreme Court gives women the right to an abortion up to the point of viability, generally considered to be around 24 weeks. The ruling goes on at length about how technology is pushing the point of viability earlier and earlier. But it says the state of Arkansas presented no evidence that a 12-week-old fetus is ever viable."

NPR's Nina Totenberg notes that "a three-judge panel of judges all appointed by President George W. Bush permanently barred the ban on abortions after 12 weeks from going into effect." she adds:

"Arkansas' law is the second-most restrictive in the country. North Dakota has the most restrictive law, banning abortions after six weeks gestation, but that law too has been blocked by the courts. And both states have backup laws banning abortions after 20 weeks and making them more difficult to obtain. In all, 10 states now have laws banning abortions after 20 weeks."

The Arkansas legislature approved the strict law in 2013 — and then voted to override a veto by then-Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat. The state's governor is now Asa Hutchinson.

As we reported in 2013:

"The bill, whose main sponsor is Sen. Jason Rapert, would require anyone who provides abortions in Arkansas to "perform an abdominal ultrasound test necessary to detect a heartbeat of an unborn human individual according to standard medical practice."

"If a heartbeat is detected and the pregnancy is at 12 weeks or greater, an abortion would be forbidden. Exceptions are provided for cases of medical emergency, rape, and other situations."

In recent weeks, Arkansas lawmakers have approved a bill banning most abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy as well as a bill that doubles the period a woman must wait before undergoing an abortion, to two days.




"By banning abortions after 12 weeks' gestation, the Act prohibits women from making the ultimate decision to terminate a pregnancy at a point before viability. Be-cause the State made no attempt to refute the plaintiffs' assertions of fact, the district court's summary judgment order must be affirmed." …. "Arkansas' law required doctors to test for a fetal heartbeat, then banned abortion after 12 weeks if a heart-beat was present. But the law's opponents noted that all fetuses at that stage have a heartbeat, yet none is considered viable outside the womb. …. . The ruling goes on at length about how technology is pushing the point of viability earlier and earlier. But it says the state of Arkansas presented no evidence that a 12-week-old fetus is ever viable." …. "Arkansas' law is the second-most restrictive in the country. North Da-kota has the most restrictive law, banning abortions after six weeks gestation, but that law too has been blocked by the courts. And both states have backup laws ban-ning abortions after 20 weeks and making them more difficult to obtain. In all, 10 states now have laws banning abortions after 20 weeks." …. . Exceptions are provid-ed for cases of medical emergency, rape, and other situations." In recent weeks, Ar-kansas lawmakers have approved a bill banning most abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy as well as a bill that doubles the period a woman must wait before un-dergoing an abortion, to two days.”

This is encouraging, but of course the article says that Arkansas has a “backup law” set at 20 weeks, and that a number of other states already have 20 week legislation. I suppose lawsuits have to be filed at that limit, too. As for those requirements for a two day waiting period, that strikes me as nothing more than personal harassment to the women involved. Viewing women as second class citizens and even hated rivals to many men is behind these laws, though that is a part of their religious views based on the Bible. We should remember that Jesus stopped a crowd from killing a woman by stoning because she had been caught in adultery. He simply said to them, “Let he who is without sin throw the first stone,” and the crowd melted away. He was liberal, but the Jewish society of that time period was no more liberal than radical Muslims are today. There are therefore things found in the Bible which are inapplicable to a modern egalitarian and civilized society.






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dog-who-lost-both-eyes-gets-help-from-seeing-eye-dogs/

Dog without eyes gets help from "seeing-eye dogs"
By JENNIFER EARL CBS NEWS
May 22, 2015

Photograph -- Keller (right), Kiaya (center) and Cass (left) nap in the living room after a long day. COURTESY JESSICA VANHUSEN

On a rough day, Kiaya collapsed on the cold living room floor, unable to make it to her queen-sized dog bed.

Within minutes, her two "brothers" snuggled up on each side of her.

The sight brought tears to pet owner Jessica VanHusen's eyes. That's because life hasn't been easy for the 10-year-old Akita, who lost both of her eyes to glaucoma over the course of 15 months.

Not only can the 100-pound dog not see, she also has a hard time walking -- that is, without help from her "seeing eye dogs."

The special needs dog didn't have too much trouble adjusting to her new normal with 8-year-old Cass and 2-year-old Keller by her side. Without any commands, the dogs decided on their own to be her guides.

"The boys both respect her fully," VanHusen told CBS News. "[They] allow her to eat first, they lean her up against the side of the car when we are traveling to stabilize her."

Wherever Kiaya is, "middle-child" Cass is not far behind.

The dog has been by Kiaya's side ever since her first eye was removed in July 2013. He would constantly follow her around in their backyard, standing next to her "blind side."

"He became more attentive to her needs, leaning on her and cuddling," VanHusen explained. "He even cleans her ears and face, where her eyes used to be."

It took Keller a little longer. At less than 2 years old, the dog wasn't fully attentive at first, VanHusen said, but he's getting there.

"It's amazing to watch," Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners Ophthalmologist Dr. Gwen Sila, who performed Kiaya's surgeries, said in a news release. "It's clear the other dogs are trying to protect her. Their sense of loyalty is really remarkable."

VanHusen said she has never considered training the pair to be service dogs. For now, they'll just continue to take care of their sister, Kiaya, who turns 11 next month.

"She may be a special needs dog, but to us she's just special," VanHusen said. "When we ask her where her eyeballs went, she replies: 'They're in the garbage, I didn't need them anymore.'"

With her brothers stepping in to assist her, that statement couldn't be more true.




“On a rough day, Kiaya collapsed on the cold living room floor, unable to make it to her queen-sized dog bed. Within minutes, her two "brothers" snuggled up on each side of her. …. . Without any commands, the dogs decided on their own to be her guides. "The boys both respect her fully," VanHusen told CBS News. "[They] allow her to eat first, they lean her up against the side of the car when we are traveling to stabilize her." …. The dog has been by Kiaya's side ever since her first eye was removed in July 2013. He would constantly follow her around in their backyard, standing next to her "blind side." "He became more attentive to her needs, leaning on her and cuddling," VanHusen explained. "He even cleans her ears and face, where her eyes used to be." …. . "It's clear the other dogs are trying to protect her. Their sense of loyalty is really remarkable."

The similarity of dogs and humans in our social relationships has been noted in one book I read about the development from wolf to dog, which was both psychological and biological. We are natural companions, more so than cats and humans. I personally like the undemanding quiet companionship of a cat sitting on the bed with me. They like me, but they don’t need me. Dogs are fully and sometimes annoyingly companionable, licking my hands or face – often very wetly -- when I would rather be left alone. Dog lovers usually like them best for that very reason, and call cats “cold.”

There is no question in my mind that dogs are at least to some degree more intelligent that most cats, but I have had a number of very smart cats. Some people who are very patient like to spend lots of time teaching them tricks, but I have always mainly wanted to see their exquisite beauty, touch their silky fur and play games with them. My ex-husband had a cat trained to run up in great excitement when he crushed his empty cigarette pack. The cat knew that sound meant that he was going to throw it, and the animal would tear off in great excitement after the pack, then bring it back to be thrown again. If a cat chooses to lie in my lap that’s good, too. You have to understand a cat. When your feline brings you a dead bird or mouse she is helping you by bringing you some food. She’s saying you’re her human. She loves you. When my cats have brought me these things I have always thrown them immediately in the trash can, but I pet her to show I understand and love her, too. I have never tried to stop a cat from hunting, because that is a necessary part of their survival kit of instincts. A lost cat needs to kill birds for food.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boy-5-mauled-to-death-by-dog-in-chicago/

Boy, 5, mauled to death by dog in Chicago
CBS NEWS
May 26, 2015

Photograph -- The scene of a dog attack in Chicago on May 25, 2015. CBS CHICAGO

CHICAGO -- A 5-year-old boy was mauled to death by a dog Monday night in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Chicago.

The boy was attacked around 9:30 p.m, reports CBS Chicago. Neighbors called 911 after hearing his mother screaming for help.

"I heard the lady come out the house ... and the dog had her son's neck in his mouth, and she said, 'Oh, my God, can someone please help me?'" neighbor Bianca White said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office identified the boy as James Nevils III.

Witnesses said the attack started inside a home, and the boy's mother was able to drag the dog and her son outside, and began asking neighbors to help her get the dog off her son.

"I saw that it was a dog had mauled a baby at the neck, and like by his shoulder, and was just attacking him, and the mom was trying to get the dog off the baby, and I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, please, somebody help,'" White said.

Neighbors used sticks and rocks to try to beat away the dog, and tried to free the boy from its jaws, but the boy was lifeless when the dog finally let him go.

"We started hitting the dog with a brick. My brother got the pole, started hitting the dog with the pole," neighbor Marquies Lewis said. "I wasn't really thinking about nothing, but getting the dog off the baby."

Witnesses described the dog as a pit bull, and said they were able to kill it at the scene. Police said the dog was found dead at the scene when officers arrived. Police have not confirmed the dog's breed.

The boy was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.

Police were conducting a death investigation, but no charges had been filed as of Tuesday morning.




“Neighbors used sticks and rocks to try to beat away the dog, and tried to free the boy from its jaws, but the boy was lifeless when the dog finally let him go. "We started hitting the dog with a brick. My brother got the pole, started hitting the dog with the pole," neighbor Marquies Lewis said. "I wasn't really thinking about nothing, but getting the dog off the baby." …. Witnesses described the dog as a pit bull, and said they were able to kill it at the scene. Police said the dog was found dead at the scene when officers arrived. Police have not confirmed the dog's breed. Neighbors used sticks and rocks to try to beat away the dog, and tried to free the boy from its jaws, but the boy was lifeless when the dog finally let him go. "We started hitting the dog with a brick. My brother got the pole, started hitting the dog with the pole," neighbor Marquies Lewis said. "I wasn't really thinking about nothing, but getting the dog off the baby. "Witnesses described the dog as a pit bull, and said they were able to kill it at the scene. Police said the dog was found dead at the scene when officers arrived. Police have not confirmed the dog's breed.”

Brown University Warrior Gene -- “Several studies have found a correlation be-tween the low-activity form of MAOA and aggression in observational and survey-based studies. Only about a third of people in Western populations have the low-activity form of MAOA. By comparison, low-activity MAOA has been reported to be much more frequent (approaching two-thirds of people) in some populations that had a history of warfare. This led to a controversy over MAOA being dubbed the ‘warrior gene.’ …. Monoamine oxidase A is an enzyme that breaks down important neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The enzyme is regulated by monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA). Humans have var-ious forms of the gene, resulting in different levels of enzymatic activity. People with the low-activity form (MAOA-L) produce less of the enzyme, while the high-activity form (MAOA-H) produces more of the enzyme. Several studies have found a corre-lation between the low-activity form of MAOA and aggression in observational and survey-based studies. Only about a third of people in Western populations have the low-activity form of MAOA. By comparison, low-activity MAOA has been reported to be much more frequent (approaching two-thirds of people) in some populations that had a history of warfare. This led to a controversy over MAOA being dubbed the “warrior gene.” …. The results support previous research suggesting that MAOA influences aggressive behavior, with potentially important implications for interpersonal aggression, violence, political decision-making, and crime. The finding of genetic influences on aggression and punishment behavior also questions the re-cently proposed idea that humans are “altruistic” punishers, who willingly punish free-riders for the good of the group. These results support theories of cooperation that propose there are mixed strategies in the population. Some people may punish more than others, and there may be an underlying evolutionary logic for doing so.”

A fascinating article is found at http://www.livescience.com/22240-aggressive-dog-owners-hostility.html, which states that those humans who harbor aggressive dogs also tend to be more hostile themselves. The same can probably be said for gun worshippers. But back to dogs -- everybody knows that pit bulls, German Shepherds, Dobermans, Akitas, chows, and several other breeds have a higher incidence of aggressive attacks and killings of both people -- especially children -- and animals. Pit bulls are bred for fighting. Let’s face it. Pit bulls as a group can’t be fully trusted. In my opinion, the breed should be eradicated. A ban may not get rid of them, however. See the following article from the website www.itv.com/news on the UK which has instituted a ban on pit bulls, the one entitled “Genetics_of_Aggression” from Wikipedia, and ScienceDaily on modern updates on the theory of genetically based aggression. That is a recent scientific study on aggression in lab animals and humans. The aggression seems to result from a combination of genetic factors and brain chemicals rather than just one gene.

See also the Wikipedia website “Ancient dog breeds”. That article states “Fourteen ancient breeds of dog have been identified through advances in DNA analysis.[1] These breeds of domesticated dog show the fewest genetic differences from wolves….. Also, five pairs of breeds are closely related: 1)Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky, 2) Collie and Shetland Sheepdog, 3)Greyhound and Whippet, 4) Bernese Mountain Dog and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, and finally the 5) Bull Mastiff and English Mastiff.[1]” Interestingly collies are in this group and they are generally considered to be gentle, but when I watched border collies convincing sheep to turn around and move in the opposite direction I was impressed by the crouching stance, the lowered head and the intense, bold eye contact that the collies use. The sheep are instantly intimidated and move toward the pen as the owner wants. A very recreational thing to watch is the traditional Scottish Games which are given around the world. Collie trials are always included. If I were going to buy a dog for a watchdog I would choose a male border collie and not get him neutered, causing his tendency to attack to be increased. One of the things people can do to decrease aggressiveness in a dog is to have him neutered before he is fully mature. It doesn’t hurt him at all, but it makes him more tractable.



http://www.itv.com/news/central/2015-05-25/over-160-banned-pit-bull-type-dogs-in-the-west-midlands/

Over 160 banned pit bull type dogs in the West Midlands
ITV Report
25 May 2015


Photographs -- Pit Bull Credit: BPM Media

Photograph -- Labour MP Khalid Mahmood Credit: Labour Party/The Labour Party/Press Association Images

Despite being banned following fatal attacks on children a quarter of a century ago, it was found that there were more than 160 pit bull type dogs in the West Midlands in March.

Latest figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that these banned dogs were among around 3,000 of the breed present Britain.

Police marksmen shot dead a vicious pit bull on the loose in Richmond Road in Bearwood following fears for public safety in January, while another was contained in a garden and then taken to a specialist dog unit.

RSPCA officers previously revealed how Birmingham gangsters were training killer pit bull terriers to use as weapons, in place of knives and guns in 2007. The gang members saw the dogs as status symbols after they were glorified by rap stars using them in music videos at the time.

Labour MP Khalid Mahmood, who represents Perry Barr, called on police and the RSPCA to do more to take dangerous dogs out of households across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.

These figures are very shocking. These animals were banned almost a quarter of a century ago yet there are still thousands recorded across the UK and 161 in the West Midlands. There has been some very high profile attacks on children and these dogs should not be kept as pets. They are simply not suitable and this is why they were banned all those years ago. The police and RSPCA need to do more to take these animals off the streets and safeguard the safety of people who live in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.”

But an RSPCA spokesman said that clamping down on particular breeds was “unjustifiable and ineffective” blaming poor owners for problem dogs.

“We want Governments to adopt a legislative approach that recognises that any individual dog, irrespective of breed or type, can display aggression towards people, and that responsibility for this lies with the owners. Aggression as a behaviour it is [sic] very complex, whether or not a dog uses aggression is influenced by a range of factors including how they are bred, reared and experiences throughout their lifetime.”

– RSPCA spokesman

Last updated Mon 25 May 2015


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics_of_aggression
Genetics of aggression

The field of psychology has been greatly influenced by the study of genetics. Decades of research has demonstrated that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in a variety of behaviors in humans and animals (e.g. Grigorenko & Sternberg, 2003). The genetic basis of aggression, however, remains poorly understood. Aggression is a multi-dimensional concept, but it can be generally defined as behavior that inflicts pain or harm on another.

Genetic-developmental theory states that individual differences in a continuous phenotype result from the action of a large number of genes, each exerting an effect that works with environmental factors to produce the trait.[1] This type of trait is influenced by multiple factors making it more complex and difficult to study than a simple Mendelian trait (one gene for one phenotype).

History[edit]

Past thought on genetic factors influencing aggression tended to seek answers from chromosomal abnormalities.[citation needed] Specifically, four decades ago, the XYY genotype was (erroneously) believed by many to be correlated with aggression. In 1965 and 1966, researchers at the MRC Clinical & Population Cytogenetics Research Unit led by Dr. Court Brown at Western General Hospital in Edinburgh reported finding a much higher than expected nine XYY men (2.9%) averaging almost 6 ft. tall in a survey of 314 patients at the State Hospital for Scotland; seven of the nine XYY patients were mentally retarded.[2] In their initial reports published before examining the XYY patients, the researchers suggested they might have been hospitalized because of aggressive behavior. When the XYY patients were examined, the researchers found their assumptions of aggressive behavior were incorrect. Unfortunately, many science and medicine textbooks quickly and uncritically incorporated the initial, incorrect assumptions about XYY and aggression—including psychology textbooks on aggression.[3]
The XYY genotype first gained wide notoriety in 1968 when it was raised as a part of a defense in two murder trials in Australia and France. In the United States, five attempts to use the XYY genotype as a defense were unsuccessful—in only one case in 1969 was it allowed to go to a jury—which rejected it.[4]

Results from several decades of long-term follow-up of scores of unselected XYY males identified in eight international newborn chromosome screening studies in the 1960s and 1970s have replaced pioneering but biased studies from the 1960s (that used only institutionalized XYY men), as the basis for current understanding of the XYY genotype and established that XYY males are characterized by increased height but are not characterized by aggressive behavior.[5][6] Though the link currently between genetics and aggression has turned to an aspect of genetics different from chromosomal abnormalities, it is important to understand where the research started and the direction it is moving towards today.

Selective breeding[edit]

The heritability of aggression has been observed in many animal strains after noting that some strains of birds, dogs, fish, and mice seem to be more aggressive than other strains. Selective breeding has demonstrated that it is possible to select for genes that lead to more aggressive behavior in animals.[7] Selective breeding examples also allow researchers to understand the importance of developmental timing for genetic influences on aggressive behavior. A study done in 1983 (Cairns) produced both highly aggressive male and female strains of mice dependent on certain developmental periods to have this more aggressive behavior expressed. These mice were not observed to be more aggressive during the early and later stages of their lives, but during certain periods of time (in their middle-age period) were more violent and aggressive in their attacks on other mice.[8] Selective breeding is a quick way to select for specific traits and see those selected traits within a few generations of breeding. These characteristics make selective breeding an important tool in the study of genetics and aggressive behavior.

Molecular genetics[edit]

A number of molecular genetics studies have focused on manipulating candidate aggression genes in mice and other animals to induce effects that can be possibly applied to humans. Most studies have focused on polymorphisms of serotonin receptors, dopamine receptors, and neurotransmitter metabolizing enzymes.[1] Results of these studies have led to linkage analysis to map the serotonin-related genes and impulsive aggression. In particular, the serotonin 5-HT seems to be an influence in inter-male aggression either directly or through other molecules that use the 5-HT pathway. 5-HT normally dampens aggression in animals and humans. Mice missing specific genes for 5-HT were observed to be more aggressive than normal mice and were more rapid and violent in their attacks.[11] Other studies have been focused on neurotransmitters. Studies of a mutation in the neurotransmitter metabolizing enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) have been shown to cause a syndrome that includes violence and impulsivity in humans.[1] Studies of the molecular genetics pathways are leading to the production of pharmaceuticals to fix the pathway problems and hopefully show an observed change in aggressive behavior.[11]

A rare genetic variant causing Monoamine oxidase A deficiency has been associated with violent behavior in males.[12] In 2002 a study published by researchers at King's College London found a link between a genetic variant causing low levels of MAO-A and increased levels of antisocial behavior in people who were mistreated as children.[13] An American group studying monkeys called MAO-A a "warrior gene" in 2004.[14] A 2008 study found a similar result involving the rare 2-repeat variant of the MAO-A gene, as well as the genes DAT1 and DRD2. In all three cases, the variants of these genes were associated with an elevated risk of violent and delinquent behavior only in people who experienced certain stresses during childhood.[15]

Twin studies[edit]

Twin studies manipulate the environmental factors of behavior by examining if identical twins raised apart are different from twins raised together. Before the advancement of molecular genetics, twin studies were almost the only mode of investigation of genetic influences on personality. Heritability was estimated as twice the difference between the correlation for identical, or monozygotic, twins and that for fraternal, or dizygotic, twins. Early studies indicated that personality was fifty percent genetic. Current thinking holds that each individual picks and chooses from a range of stimuli and events largely on the basis of his genotype creating a unique set of experiences; basically meaning that people create their own environments.[10]



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121093343.htm

ScienceDaily
'Warrior Gene' Predicts Aggressive Behavior After Provocation
Date:January 23, 2009 Source:Brown University

Summary:People with the so-called "warrior gene" exhibit higher levels of behavioral aggression in response to provocation, according to new research. In the experiment, subjects penalized opponents by administering varying amounts of hot sauce. Share:

Individuals with the so-called "warrior gene" display higher levels of aggression in response to provocation.

Photograph -- Credit: iStockphoto/Viorika Prikhodko

Individuals with the so-called “warrior gene” display higher levels of aggression in response to provocation, according to new research co-authored by Rose McDermott, professor of political science at Brown University. In the experiment, which is the first to examine a behavioral measure of aggression in response to provocation, subjects were asked to cause physical pain to an opponent they believed had taken money from them by administering varying amounts of hot sauce.


The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In addition to McDermott, the research team included Dustin Tingley of Princeton University, Jonathan Cowden of the University of California–Santa Barbara, Giovanni Frazetto from the London School of Economics, and Dominic Johnson from the University of Edinburgh. Their experiment synthesized work in psychology and behavioral economics.

Monoamine oxidase A is an enzyme that breaks down important neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The enzyme is regulated by monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA). Humans have various forms of the gene, resulting in different levels of enzymatic activity. People with the low-activity form (MAOA-L) produce less of the enzyme, while the high-activity form (MAOA-H) produces more of the enzyme.

Several studies have found a correlation between the low-activity form of MAOA and aggression in observational and survey-based studies. Only about a third of people in Western populations have the low-activity form of MAOA. By comparison, low-activity MAOA has been reported to be much more frequent (approaching two-thirds of people) in some populations that had a history of warfare. This led to a controversy over MAOA being dubbed the “warrior gene.”

The PNAS paper is the first experimental test of whether MAOA-L individuals display higher levels of actual behavioral aggression in response to provocation. A total of 78 subjects took part in the experiment over networked computers (all were male students from the University of California–Santa Barbara). Each subject (A) first performed a vocabulary task in which they earned money. Then they were told that an anonymous partner (B), linked over the network, could choose to take some of their earnings away from them. The original subject (A) could then choose to punish the taker (B) by forcing them to eat unpleasantly hot (spicy) sauce — but they had to pay to do so, so administering punishment was costly. In reality, the “partner” who took money away was a computer, which allowed the researchers to control responses. No one actually ingested hot sauce.

Their results demonstrate that
•Low-activity MAOA subjects displayed slightly higher levels of aggression overall than high-activity MAOA subjects.
•There was strong evidence for a gene-by-environment interaction, such that MAOA is less associated with the occurrence of aggression in the low-provocation condition (when the amount of money taken was low), but significantly predicted aggression in a high-provocation situation (when the amount of money taken was high).

The results support previous research suggesting that MAOA influences aggressive behavior, with potentially important implications for interpersonal aggression, violence, political decision-making, and crime. The finding of genetic influences on aggression and punishment behavior also questions the recently proposed idea that humans are “altruistic” punishers, who willingly punish free-riders for the good of the group. These results support theories of cooperation that propose there are mixed strategies in the population. Some people may punish more than others, and there may be an underlying evolutionary logic for doing so.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Brown University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.





http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/05/25/408914842/trying-to-organize-a-marathon-an-arab-israeli-woman-runs-into-opposition

Trying To Organize A Marathon, An Arab-Israeli Woman Runs Into Opposition
Emily Harris
May 25, 2015

Photograph -- Haneen Radi, an Arab Israeli, wants to organize a marathon for her town of Tira, but was told the run couldn't include women. When she insisted, she received threats, and the back window of her car was shot out.
Emily Harris/NPR

Haneen Radi learned to run by walking.

"I used to walk," says the 36-year-old mother of four. "I saw people running and said, I'll try that."

Radi took off. In the decade since then she's finished eight marathons, and she now coaches a girls' running club with 80 members.

"I'm another person when running," Radi says. "I'm happy, I'm smiling."

A few months ago, Radi decided to organize a marathon in Tira, her hometown in northern Israel.

"I thought, I'm bringing something very nice to my society," Radi said, surrounded by supporters at a recent rally on Tira's main street. "To bring health, to bring something really good to my own people — sport."

In Tira, an Arab-Israeli town of about 25,000 people, most people are Muslim. The minarets of half a dozen mosques rise among low concrete buildings that sprawl off the main street, a two-lane road that cuts between a major highway and other small towns. The town center is a traffic circle, with city hall on one side and a hummus shop on the other.

This is where some hundred people rallied two weeks ago to support Radi and her plans for a public race. Because not everyone in town liked the idea.

"Certain people came to the municipality over here and said, 'You can do a race — but just for males, not females,' " said Radi, who refuses to name names. " 'No,' I said. 'No — you cannot put women aside.' "

Runners are not a common sight in Tira; Radi, in fact, often leaves town and drives to nearby Jewish towns to do her workouts. She says that women being seen running in snug or short sports clothes is not acceptable in Tira, whereas it's fine in neighboring Jewish areas.

Members of a Saudi women's soccer team, Rana Al Khateeb (left) and captain Rawh Abdullah, practice at a secret location in the capital Riyadh in 2012. Saudi women have had only rare opportunities to play sports. The country sent women to the Olympics for the first time in 2012 and now girls will be allowed to take physical education classes at public schools.

Saudi Girls Can Now Take Gym Class, But Not Everyone Is Happy

The women of the Afghan National Cycling Federation team train outside Kabul, the capital. They face poor road conditions, terrible traffic, lots of gawking and even threats of violence in pursuit of their sport.

Women at the rally said that's not the only way Tira's social restrictions affect them. "You wake up and think, is this OK to wear or not?" says Yoaad Shbita-Daoud, a 29-year-old patent examiner who grew up in Tira. "When I'm abroad I don't think about this. It's a closed community, and how to dress is one of the points." Shaping female behavior starts "from a young age," says Atheer Ismail, who graduated from high school in Tira. She describes her home growing up as "not religious" but still observing "societal rules."

"For example, if I want to hang out with my friends and come back late at night, my mom would say, 'Ah, but don't come too late, because what will people say?' " Ismail said. "The basic point is, someone should take care of you — a man, your brother could, your father."

The main opponents to the proposed race in Tira said they were taking care of women by pressuring the city to not let them run.

"Our religion tells us to take care of our girls' honor, so we won't let them go out and let boys look at them," said Rashad Fthelly, a member the Islamic Movement political group.

Islamic Movement leaders distributed notices against the race and asked the city council to stop it. Unknown people threatened to disrupt the race. Then, late one night, someone shot the back window of Radi's car while it was parked outside her home.

The threats of disruption didn't scare her, Radi said, "but when they shot my car I felt really afraid." Police have questioned one suspect in the shooting and let him go.

The shooting riled the town, and opinion about the marathon remained deeply divided even several weeks later. Eighty-year-old Samiyah Matar, who runs a dress shop, said it would be OK, as long as women runners wore long pants and long sleeves.

"Shorts and no sleeves is not acceptable in our religious or societal values," she said.

"When we go to Tel Aviv, or to the beach, we see people in different clothing, and nothing happens," says Rashid Mansur, who recites the call to prayer five times a day at a Tira mosque.

A middle-aged fruit vendor who wouldn't give his name blamed "bearded men" — Muslim religious leaders — whom he described as "crazy" for opposing the marathon. But devout Muslims in the town were also divided. Rashid Mansur, who calls others to pray five times a day at one of the mosques, said he had no problem with women running in public, even in sport clothes.

"When we go to Tel Aviv, or to the beach, we see people in different clothing, and nothing happens," he said.

Some opponents suggested holding essentially two races at the same time — women would run in the municipal stadium while men ran in the streets — but that would have been "meaningless," said Sameh Iraqi, deputy head of the Tira town council.

Iraqi, a Tira native, says he senses a growing interest in culture, art and sport in the community. He called the conflict over the marathon part of shifting from a town to a city.

"We view our society as going through a developmental stage," he said. "We hope light can overcome darkness."

There is no scheduled date now for the Tira marathon. Radi says she wants to keep promoting running, but because of the threats she no longer wants to take the lead in organizing the race.

Haneen Radi finishes a 14 kilometer race in the Israeli beach town of Netanya. Because of the reaction of conservative Muslims to her running clothes, she usually runs in Jewish areas.

She is still coaching the girls' running club, though, and took more than a dozen members to the Israeli beach town of Netanya recently to try their hand at racing.

Shams Pichra, 11, signed up for the 5 kilometer run in Netanya. Running is her hobby, she says, making her feel "good" and "excited."

But how did the canceling of the Tira marathon make her feel?

"It's a mistake," she says. "A marathon is not something we have to be ashamed of."




“This is where some hundred people rallied two weeks ago to support Radi and her plans for a public race. Because not everyone in town liked the idea. "Certain people came to the municipality over here and said, 'You can do a race — but just for males, not females,' " said Radi, who refuses to name names. " 'No,' I said. 'No — you can-not put women aside.' " …. Members of a Saudi women's soccer team, Rana Al Khateeb (left) and captain Rawh Abdullah, practice at a secret location in the capital Riyadh in 2012. Saudi women have had only rare opportunities to play sports. The country sent women to the Olympics for the first time in 2012 and now girls will be allowed to take physical education classes at public schools. …. Women at the rally said that's not the only way Tira's social restrictions affect them. "You wake up and think, is this OK to wear or not?" says Yoaad Shbita-Daoud, a 29-year-old patent examiner who grew up in Tira. …. "Our religion tells us to take care of our girls' honor, so we won't let them go out and let boys look at them," said Rashad Fthelly, a member the Islamic Movement political group. Islamic Movement leaders distributed notices against the race and asked the city council to stop it. Unknown people threat-ened to disrupt the race. Then, late one night, someone shot the back window of Radi's car while it was parked outside her home. The threats of disruption didn't scare her, Radi said, "but when they shot my car I felt really afraid." Police have questioned one suspect in the shooting and let him go. The shooting riled the town, and opinion about the marathon remained deeply divided even several weeks later. Eighty-year-old Samiyah Matar, who runs a dress shop, said it would be OK, as long as women runners wore long pants and long sleeves. .... He called the conflict over the marathon part of shifting from a town to a city. "We view our society as going through a developmental stage," he said. "We hope light can overcome darkness." …. Haneen Radi finishes a 14 kilometer race in the Israeli beach town of Netanya. Because of the reaction of conservative Muslims to her running clothes, she usually runs in Jewish areas.”

“A middle-aged fruit vendor who wouldn't give his name blamed "bearded men" — Muslim religious leaders — whom he described as "crazy" for opposing the marathon.” The division within the town shows that times are changing. Fundamentalists don’t have the only say in the matter in this town, at least. It is also interesting that within the Jewish areas Haneen Radi is not afraid to run in her athletic clothing. These restrictions on female behavior and dress remind me of my young years in the 1950s in a small Southern town. The lady who ran our neighborhood store told me I should go home and take off my shorts. She was in the minority in that opinion and I had not been brought up to be that conservative. Rudely, I told her to mind her own business. In one of these Arab towns a young girl would probably be afraid to be that brash, but this article shows that they are getting more freedom nowadays. The way they treat their women is the thing I dislike most about fundamentalist Islamists, but second to that is their tendency to maintain a constant state of war against their neighbors, based on religious differences which seem very minor to me. Not only do I lack respect for that kind of thing, I fear it. The Middle East and Africa are “powder kegs” in the matter of world peace and an ever present danger. I don’t want Islamic believers who come to the US to live to be mistreated for their religion, but it does have a more logical basis in my mind than the hatred of Jews who do who do nothing to others, at least in the US and Europe. Of course, the Nazis in WWII accused them of "eating babies."





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stranded-california-couple-ate-oranges-drank-rain-water/

Stranded California couple ate oranges, drank rain water
CBS/AP
May 26, 2015

WARNER SPRINGS, Calif. - An elderly husband and wife stranded for two weeks in Southern California's high desert ate oranges and a pie and drank rain water that they collected in cups, but the 79-year-old husband died at some point before the couple's rescue, authorities said Monday.

Off-roaders found Cecil Knutson and his wife, Dianna Bedwell, 68, Sunday afternoon near a Boy Scouts camp on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation about 65 miles northeast of San Diego, sheriff's Lt. Ken Nelson said. Bedwell wasn't able to tell authorities when her husband had died, but an autopsy to be conducted by Tuesday could help answer that question, he said.

Bedwell told authorities the couple was trying to take a shortcut and got lost in the rugged area, where their 2014 white Hyundai Sonata was obscured by trees and surrounded by brush, making it invisible to helicopters that were conducting aerial searches, Nelson said.

Knutson's body was near the car and Bedwell was inside the vehicle, he said.

"They were really off the beaten path. We were really surprised that the vehicle they were driving, a sedan, was even able to get out there," he said Monday. "It was so rural that it took two weeks for even off-roaders to find them."

The family asked for privacy in a statement posted on a Facebook page established to help with the search.

"Please continue to keep the family in your prayers," it read.

But Bedwell's son spoke briefly to the Orange County Register.

"I'm just so concerned with my mom right now," Robert Acosta told the newspaper. "To be in the middle of nowhere for two weeks is a lot given her age."

Bedwell remained hospitalized and hadn't spoken with authorities beyond an initial 10-minute interview.

CBS Los Angeles reports Bedwell was talking but confused when she was rescued. She asked the ATV riders to check on her husband, apparently unsure whether he was alive.

The husband and wife, who were diabetic, were last seen on surveillance footage leaving the Valley View Casino in Valley Center, about 25 miles west of the wilderness camp, on May 10. Authorities said the two were planning on going to their son's home in the Palm Springs area for a Mother's Day dinner but they didn't show up there or return to their Orange County home in Fullerton.

Knutson and Bedwell were both retired school bus drivers and were married for more than 25 years, the Register reported.




“Off-roaders found Cecil Knutson and his wife, Dianna Bedwell, 68, Sunday afternoon near a Boy Scouts camp on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation about 65 miles northeast of San Diego, sheriff's Lt. Ken Nelson said. Bedwell wasn't able to tell authorities when her husband had died, but an autopsy to be conducted by Tuesday could help answer that question, he said. Bedwell told authorities the couple was trying to take a shortcut and got lost in the rugged area, where their 2014 white Hyundai Sonata was obscured by trees and surrounded by brush, making it invisible to helicopters that were conducting aerial searches, Nelson said. Knutson's body was near the car and Bedwell was inside the vehicle, he said. …. "Please continue to keep the family in your prayers," it read. But Bedwell's son spoke briefly to the Orange County Register. "I'm just so concerned with my mom right now," Robert Acosta told the newspaper. "To be in the middle of nowhere for two weeks is a lot given her age." Bedwell remained hospitalized and hadn't spoken with authorities beyond an initial 10-minute interview. CBS Los Angeles reports Bedwell was talking but confused when she was rescued. She asked the ATV riders to check on her husband, apparently unsure whether he was alive.”

This is very sad, especially for elderly people to face such harrowing conditions, and the woman who is a survivor is not in a very good physical condition according to this article. It’s good they had oranges, which have a good deal of moisture in them, but it hardly seems to me that there would be enough rain water to help them very much. I always carry a map in my car, and I very rarely “take a short cut.” I prefer to go on the route I know best, even if I’m in a hurry. My sister always carries bottled water in her car. I should probably do that, too, if I ever take another long road trip.





SCARY VIRUS -- TWO ARTICLES


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-rabies-strain-discovered-in-new-mexico/

New rabies strain discovered in New Mexico
AP May 19, 2015

Play video -- California Girl survives rabies without treatment

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A new strain of rabies has been discovered in southern New Mexico, federal and state health officials confirmed Tuesday.

While it doesn't present any more of a public health threat than the known strains of the potentially fatal disease, the discovery is generating curiosity in scientific circles because it's the first new strain to be found in the United States in several years.

"It's exciting. It's related to another bat strain. It's similar but unique, so the question is what's the reservoir for this strain," state public health veterinarian Paul Ettestad said.

When scientists talk about the reservoir, they are referring to animals known to host the virus. In many cases, that can be bats, skunks or raccoons. Those animals usually aren't tested because it's assumed they have regular strains of rabies.

Tests are done when it shows up in other animals, including dogs, cats, horses and foxes, Ettestad said.

That was the case when a 78-year-old Lincoln County woman was bitten by a rabid fox in April. Genetic testing at a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab in Atlanta confirmed the strain was one that never before had been identified.

State officials suspect the rabid fox came in contact with an infected bat that was carrying the strain. "It has probably been out there for some time. We just haven't looked that hard for it and by chance we found it," Ettestad said of the new strain.

New Mexico health and wildlife officials have been tracking rabies in the fox population since 2007, when a separate strain found in Arizona gray foxes crossed into New Mexico.

The Health Department will continue working with state wildlife officers to collect foxes that are found dead along roadways in Lincoln County as well as freshly dead bats in hopes of determining where the newly identified strain is coming from, Ettestad said.

About 100,000 animals are tested for rabies each year in the U.S. Of the roughly 6,000 that are positive, only a fraction are tested to determine the type of strain.

So far this year, New Mexico has had only two confirmed rabies cases - a bat from Dona Ana County and the fox from Lincoln County. The state isn't considered a hot zone for rabies and in fact ranks near the bottom when it comes to the number of cases reported each year.

The virus infects the central nervous system. Early symptoms in people can include fever, headache and general weakness or discomfort.

State health officials warned people to stay away from wild or unfamiliar animals and advised parents to teach their children to never touch a bat or other wild animal.





"While it doesn't present any more of a public health threat than the known strains of the potentially fatal disease, the discovery is generating curiosity in scientific circles because it's the first new strain to be found in the United States in several years. "It's exciting. It's related to another bat strain. It's similar but unique, so the question is what's the reservoir for this strain," state public health veterinarian Paul Ettestad said. …. Tests are done when it shows up in other animals, including dogs, cats, hors-es and foxes, Ettestad said. That was the case when a 78-year-old Lincoln County woman was bitten by a rabid fox in April. Genetic testing at a U.S. Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention lab in Atlanta confirmed the strain was one that never before had been identified. State officials suspect the rabid fox came in contact with an infected bat that was carrying the strain. "It has probably been out there for some time. We just haven't looked that hard for it and by chance we found it," Et-testad said of the new strain. …. State health officials warned people to stay away from wild or unfamiliar animals and advised parents to teach their children to never touch a bat or other wild animal. …. About 100,000 animals are tested for rabies each year in the U.S. Of the roughly 6,000 that are positive, only a fraction are tested to determine the type of strain.”

The good news in this article is that only some 6,000 out of 100,000 animals tested annually are found to be rabid. Even so, I was always conscious of the problem, and never was one to touch wild animals. I read a very good and informational book on rabies called “Mad Dog.” Rather than being intentionally dramatic it was a wildlife study, scientific and including much detail. Unfortunately I can’t find it on Google today, and it really was years ago, so maybe it’s out of print. I did find one that would be as interesting or more so, however, by Bill Wasick and Monica Murphy called “Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus,” published in 2012 by Penguin. Google describes it in this way -- “Charts the history, science and cultural mythology of rabies, documenting how before its vaccine the disease caused fatal brain infections and sparked the creations of famous monsters including werewolves, vampires and zombies.” In case you have the courage for such a book, it can be found on Amazon for $8.94 in hardback. I love exciting things, so I just or-dered this and another called “The Voice Of The Dodo.”





http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/state-and-regional/rabies-survivor-has-second-brush-with-disease/article_a5d27138-fb8a-11e2-a5fd-0019bb2963f4.html

Rabies survivor has second brush with disease
The Associated Press
August 02, 2013

FOND DU LAC, Wis. — A Wisconsin woman who was the first person known to survive rabies without a vaccine had a second brush with the disease this week when her dogs chewed on an infected bat.

Jeanna Giese was bitten by a rabid bat in 2004 at a Fond du Lac church. She survived after a doctor at Children’s Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin used an experimental mixture of drugs and a medically induced coma to treat the disease.

Giese told The Reporter Media she spotted a bat Tuesday morning when she went to the enclosure that holds two of her three Siberian huskies. The bat’s body was covered with bite marks from the dogs.

Giese sent the bat to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, which confirmed the animal was infected. She also took her dogs, who had already been vaccinated, to a veterinarian for rabies booster shots. The dogs will be quarantined for 60 days at her home as required by state law.

“How many people in the entire world can honestly say that a rabid bat has affected their lives twice in nine years?” Giese asked.

Giese, who became interested in sled dog racing after seeing a demonstration in eighth grade, said the quarantine will put a dent in her training schedule. She had hoped to take the dogs on trails at a mushing center near Malone in a few weeks.

While only two of Giese’s three dogs were in the pen with the bat, she took no chances and had all of them treated.

“I’m just glad that they didn’t eat the bat, otherwise I might not have known that they had been exposed,” Giese said.

She often speaks to school children about rabies and emphasizes the need for even vaccinating indoor pets.

“People don’t realize that small animals like bats, chipmunks or squirrels can get into your house and that your cat can escape outside and you have no idea where it’s been,” she said. “And if your animals are outside, you need to supervise them.”




Rabies is about 98% fatal once symptoms develop, but some people do survive. “Jeanna Giese was bitten by a rabid bat in 2004 at a Fond du Lac church. She survived after a doctor at Children’s Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin used an experimental mixture of drugs and a medically induced coma to treat the disease.” Ms. Giese then recently found yet another rabid bat on her property and sent it off to be tested. Her three dogs, which were exposed, have had booster shots for rabies and are under a 60 day quarantine. I read in the book “Mad Dog” that the bite from a wild animal may be able to overcome the immunity given by the shots. That may be due to variations from one virus to another which develops naturally by the process of mutation. The same thing occurs in many bacteria cultures when too many antibiotics are used in our society and the new strains have achieved a tolerance to most of the available drugs. One very interesting article on TV was called “The Rise Of The Superbugs.” This occurs especially in hospital environments. Too many people go into a hospital because they have a broken leg and end up dying from some bizarre disease. They try, I’m sure, to keep the hospitals totally clean, but it is after all a concentration of serious illness of many kinds.

The news stories this last year about Ebola pointed up a few cases of survival with some simple traditional fever treatments such as having the patient drink gallons of a mixture of sugar and water to keep the patient hydrated, so the human body can then defeat some terrible diseases thanks to our wonderful immunity system. Many times Ebola deaths occur due to dehydration induced by all the vomiting, but if that can be prevented the patient’s “white corpuscles,” as they used to be called, can win their war against the viruses or bacteria. In the above case her doctor used “experimental” drug combinations and put the lady into a coma, and her body defeated what is probably the worst virus on earth. Thank God for good, intelligent healthcare providers, from shamans to nurses to highly professionalized physicians. I don’t want to be a doctor, but it would be very interesting work.





http://www.npr.org/2015/05/24/409286734/its-for-you-to-know-that-you-forgive-says-holocaust-survivor

'It's For You To Know That You Forgive,' Says Holocaust Survivor
NPR STAFF
MAY 24, 2015

Photograph -- Holocaust survivor Eva Kor meets former Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening, whom she says she forgives for his crimes.

Around this time 70 years ago, following the liberation of Nazi concentration camps in Europe, the world was coming to grips with the scale of the holocaust, and how to deal with crimes so horrendous, they're almost incomprehensible.

That process is still ongoing.

Right now in Germany, a 93-year-old former Nazi who served at Auschwitz is on trial. Holocaust survivor Eva Kor flew to Germany to testify about her experience in the camp.

"If there would be hell on Earth, Auschwitz looked to me like that and in some way it was," Kor says. "Within 30 minutes, my whole family was gone. ... I was left orphaned not knowing really what will become of us."

Kor says she was "between life and death" and used in brutal medical experiments. She and her sister Miriam were among the thousands of twins subjected to horrendous experiments by the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele.

Eva became gravely sick, and says Mengele examined her and declared that had only two weeks to live.

"I knew he was right, but I refused to die," she says. In 1985, she found out that had she died, Mengele would have killed Miriam with an injection to the heart in order to do comparative autopsies.

"My diseased organs and Miriam was the control. I spoiled the experiment," she says.

Seventy years after all of this, she was approached to testify in the trial against former Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening. At first, she wasn't sure she wanted to, but an attorney convinced her. But she says she thought it would be a "unique experience" to face one of the guards from Auschwitz.

"[To] tell him what I think and also hear what he has to say in a German court," she says.

Kor says the experience for her, a survivor of Auschwitz who used to be called a "dirty Jew," to sit in a German court and be treated with respect by German judges and attorneys and the German court system was a little bit surreal.

"I could at times pinch myself."

Oskar Groening has been called "The Accountant of Auschwitz." He managed the money and valuables stolen from the concentration camp victims. Now 93 years old, he is charged with 300,000 counts of accessory to murder, but once said that he was "just a small cog in the killing machine ... not a perpetrator."

Kor talked with Groening after her testimony, wanting to thank him for acknowledging his crimes. She decided she wanted a picture with him, and as she proceeded to talk with Groening, he grabbed her and pulled her in for a hug and a kiss.

"[It] surprised me, but I recovered from it," she says.

Holocaust survivor Eva Kor meets former Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening, whom she says she forgives for his crimes.
Courtesy of CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center
The photo of Kor seeming to embrace the former Nazi shocked a lot of people.
And some — including some fellow survivors — were upset by an interview on German TV in which Eva spoke of forgiveness. She says her comments were translated incorrectly.

"There have been rumors that I have asked to stop prosecution of all Nazis and that is 100 percent incorrect," she says. "On the contrary, I want all Nazis to come forward and be prosecuted and stand trial and bear witness to help us, the survivors, and the world with the truth."

But if she were the judge, she wouldn't throw Groening in a prison cell.
She'd make him travel the country to talk to young neo-Nazis, and tell them what he saw and that the Nazi regime should never come back.

For Kor, forgiveness does not mean that the perpetrators are absolved of their crimes. She is the founder of the CANDLES (Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors) Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, Ind., and she speaks across the country about her experience and the power of forgiveness.

"My forgiveness ... has nothing to do with the perpetrator, has nothing to do with any religion, it is my act of self-healing, self-liberation and self-empowerment," she says. "I had no power over my life up to the time that I discovered that I could forgive, and I still do not understand why people think it's wrong."

Kor says that when a victim chooses to forgive, they take the power back from their tormentors. But that it is their choice to make.

"They can take a piece of paper and a pen and write a letter to someone who hurt them," she says. "Please do not mail it to that person. It's for you to know that you forgive, and you can go on with your life without the burden and pain that the Nazis or anybody else ever imposed on you."




“But if she were the judge, she wouldn't throw Groening in a prison cell. She'd make him travel the country to talk to young neo-Nazis, and tell them what he saw and that the Nazi regime should never come back. For Kor, forgiveness does not mean that the perpetrators are absolved of their crimes. She is the founder of the CANDLES (Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors) Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, Ind., and she speaks across the country about her experience and the power of forgiveness. …. Seventy years after all of this, she was approached to testify in the trial against former Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening. At first, she wasn't sure she wanted to, but an attorney convinced her. But she says she thought it would be a "unique experience" to face one of the guards from Auschwitz. "[To] tell him what I think and also hear what he has to say in a German court," she says. Kor says the experience for her, a survivor of Auschwitz who used to be called a "dirty Jew," to sit in a German court and be treated with respect by German judges and attorneys and the German court system was a little bit surreal. "I could at times pinch myself."

Unfortunately people can do evil things without evil intent. Some of these people who truly “believe” that blind loyalty and compliance with authority is a good trait, or at least a forgivable one, have no desire to do wrong, but just a warped idea of what is right. That kind of thing is the main reason for my view that being a strong, logical and independent thinker is a greater virtue to me than following traditions or abiding slavishly by “the group ethos.” I don’t want to be “a patriot” as they so often abuse or kill others for this very reason. I want to stand up as an individual against blind and unintelligent mob action. That takes courage, as mobs can be very dangerous to anyone who interferes with their behavior. What I do believe in is a just and well-written set of laws that bring such “patriots” to justice when they commit crimes against humanity, as the Nazis did in 1939, and as private individuals in the US, Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere do to this day, and without feeling any guilt at all. Antisemitism and other Xenophobic feelings are on the rise now, as the “conservative” viewpoint comes again to power in many parts of the Western world. I don’t consider that to be truly “conservative” at all, but rather the views of a radical right group of fanatics. Some do openly call themselves neo-Nazis, while some merely think they are following a religious faith to its greatest logical extent. Hitler was no “conservative,” and neither are some of our modern day Tea Partiers. It’s an ongoing war, instead, that we progressives have yet to win. That's why I think my voice, to the degree that it is heard, is sometimes helpful in pointing out the fair and just route for Americans to follow. At least, I hope so.