A whole bunch of people, as you can see by this live video from the Climate March to DC. People in this video are expressing their concern. You may be interested in some of what they have to say. I, sincerely hope our lawmakers are listening.
https://www.facebook.com/democracynow/videos/10155238590233279/
Note: If the live video isn’t working, go to http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/watch-live-peoples-climate-march-in-washington-dc/article/2621653.
A new office is being created to help crime victims–but only the victims of immigrants. It’s called Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement, or Voice. This is a smart move on the Administration’s part because it’s far less costly than helping all victims of crime. In fact, it will help the smallest group of victims. That’s because, according to the CATO Institute, citing many studies, “With few exceptions, immigrants are less crime prone than natives or have no effect on crime rates.”
I’m not sure how this office will work. I assume it would provide extra law enforcement to go after the immigrant perpetrators, then deport them. I guess this will give victims some sort of “closure.” Although it does help ICE, the agency it’s housed at–it should lead to discovery of more “Illegals” and their families so they can be deported. Their hotline might be helpful to victims, although it doesn’t seem to me any different from calling the police. It will provide jobs for 48 people (21 community-relations officers and 27 victim-assistance specialists).
They haven’t figured out a budget for it yet, but I’m confident that it will be cheap enough for all the good it will do.
Today’s Thursday Thought dates back to the 1700s but is still relevant today.
Denim Day?! How stupid is that! Not at all when we look at how it started and what wearing denim today means.
18 years ago the Italian Supreme Court reversed a rapist’s conviction because his victim was wearing tight denim pants. Therefore, (they guessed) she must have helped him remove them. Therefore, ruled the court, because she had given implied consent, the sex was consensual. The women in Parliament wore denim the next day in support of the victim and protest at the decision. Thus, Denim Day was born.
What does it mean? Standing up for rape victims. Saying that what a woman wears does NOT mean she’s asking to be raped. That there needs to be changes in attitudes toward sexual assault. As the Denim Day Campaign says, “There is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.”
Old-school advice to new moms was not to hold the baby too much because you’ll spoil them, or they should just cry themselves to sleep, or they’ll become too dependent on us. A new study, which is a follow-up of one done 20 years ago, was published in Pediatrics. It says, well, HOGWASH! (A rough translation.)
It was found that cuddling babies, especially that skin-to-skin contact–helps them thrive both physically and intellectually as they grow. Yes, intellectually. The study saw higher IQs in kids who had been cuddled as infants. Also, those cuddled kids were calmer and less aggressive and had fewer school absences. As adults, they even earned higher wages.
Caveat: The study was done only on premature babies. I don’t care, though. I think the warmth of a human touch, with children or adults, is medicine for a less-than-warm world.
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(Thanks to Tina Silva Blease for providing this chart.)
Honor Earth Day, Give Trees for Wildlife
Earth Day is almost here. Get hands-on to help wildlife—while showing politicians you care about addressing climate change—by giving to plant a native tree.
Or better yet, five trees. Or ten!
One of the most direct ways to improve our environment and help struggling species is to plant native trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide—one of the key contributors to climate change—and other pollutant particulates, then store the carbon and release pure oxygen into the atmosphere. And they do this for decades, long after we’re gone.
Trees also lower air temperatures, help conserve energy, and provide wildlife with needed cover, nesting, and food.
Your donation today does even more than put native trees into the ground. Part of your gift will help us fight back against attempts to rollback climate and environmental programs that protect wildlife—and people—from pollution and severe weather events like drought and damaging storms from rising temperatures.
Give $10 to plant a tree, help the climate, and leave a conservation legacy for wildlife.
Our goal this year is to plant 50,000 trees while sending a strong message to the President and Congress that Americans do care about the environment—and that together, we will do our part to improve our communities and wildlife habitats.
Here’s a safety tip for those of you who haven’t heard it yet. It has to do with your GPS device that you keep in your car or is built into your car. Many of us put “Home” in so we can find it quickly. Don’t do it. If you’re parked in a mall, for example, someone can break into your car, punch “home” into your GPS, and know where you live and that it’s a good time to burglarize your house because you’re away shopping.
I have my dog’s name programmed into my GPS.
Be safe.
Why the &%#*@#!!! do I have to pay Uncle Sam so much in taxes?! This is a common outcry today, the deadline for filing for 2016. I got to thinking, if I paid less–or nothing–what would I be willing to give up? What would not make an important impact on me, my family, and the people of my community? Food for thought for you, too. Take a look at the breakdown for federal spending in 2015 and decide for yourself.
I’m often surprised by young kids who have littler life experience outside of their own small “me” world. I don’t expect them to come up with ideas that have the potential of changing the world. But some do. Such as this young man.