American Women - Going Backward

In October 2011 on the View I heard that Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown (posed nude for Cosmo to help pay for college) took heat for comments about rival Elizabeth Warren. She was asked how she put herself through college and said I kept my clothes on. On a radio show after her comment Brown was asked what he thought of it and he said ‘Thank God’. On October 10, 2011 Anita Hill (as an Oklahoma law professor 20 years ago had to testify against George Bush’s narrowly confirmed Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas), author of Reimagining Equality said that the Senate just didn’t seem ready to accept the reality of women’s experiences in the work place. She believes today is better but it’s not perfect. When Robin Roberts asked if she felt things would’ve been different in today’s social media age – she said there were 3 other women ready to testify but they weren’t called back in 1991. Robin said that last year Virginia Thomas, Clarence’s wife, left a voice mail on Hill’s phone asking her to apologize; Anita thought it was a prank. Hill has been approached by many saying that her testimony at the hearing allowed them to find a voice of their own and that is the greatest legacy she could ever hope for. At the 2011 Google Science Fair, 3 American girls won out of 7,000 entries from 91 countries. On October 7-3 women won the Nobel Peace Prize and today 12% of engineers are female. On January 12, 2012 we heard about a 17 year old girl that’s a finalist in the Intel National Science competition; her parents (a nurse and taxi driver) and 2 siblings are living in a homeless shelter; she’s 4^th in her class with almost a 4.0 grade point average. On February 8 it was reported that 300,000 women had served in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Pentagon is opening up 14,000 jobs including intelligence, logistics and communications to women and they’ll be assigned to forward deployed units. Yet women continue to be treated as second class citizens; on November 16 it was reported that a survey found that 1 in 4 American women are harassed at work.

The Supreme Court’s 2011 opinion – The women failed to show that WalMart has a policy of discrimination that worked to harm all female employees. To sue about literally millions of employment decisions at once (Plaintiffs need) some glue holding the alleged reasons for those decisions together. Women make up 70% of WalMart’s workforce and only 33% are Managers. I understand why this was not good enough for the Supreme Court but because of this decision people have to fight corporations one on one and we all know that the corporations have the resources to crush the individual. I agree with Judge Ginsberg that “discrimination is more subtle. Managers, like all humankind may be prey to biases that they are unaware.” Nancy Pelosi said “The ruling of the Supreme Court sets back the cause of equality for women.” I agreed with others that WalMart was trying to appease women when it announced in September 2011 that it would buy more products from women owned businesses. Shortly after the Supreme Court decision ABC News reported that dozens of women at the Bloomberg Media Company said they were punished and passed over for promotions after having a family. Judge Loretta Preska said there was no companywide discrimination and the law doesn’t mandate work life balance. Ruling: In a company that explicitly makes all out dedication its expectation, making a decision that preferences family over work comes with consequences. Apparently the judge gave voice to managers and workers who said working mothers shouldn’t get special treatment. ABC went on to say that studies show that Fortune 500 companies with the best record of putting women in executive positions are on average 40% more profitable. I’m confused with the statement regarding the company’s expectation. If in hiring the women the company put in writing that they were to work an extreme number of hours and identified the hours in which they were to work and the women weren’t doing so then I agree with the judge. If they did not have said written documentation then I’m assuming in order to meet the company’s expectation they had a schedule that equaled a 40 hour week and the same issue of hours would apply. In both these cases I wonder if anyone got the percentage of how many wanted a promotion and although qualified didn’t get it.

If women are going to be held back at work because they have a family then I say the men have to pay to play. Husbands can pay their wives for having babies (like a surrogate) and they can pay for the Nannies. It is said that women in the private sector are paid 23% less than the men doing the same job; in government they’re paid 11% less. On September 6, 2011 it was reported that a survey showed women making 78 cents on the dollar when compared with men. On October 26 it was reported that IBM for the first time in its 100 years named a woman to a CEO position. In November Healthways Science and Well-Being Research said women age 45-55 are earning $750,000 less in their career than their male counterparts.

On November 4 Alan Alda said Marie Curie is his inspiration; in 1903 got a Nobel Prize that had to be given to her and her husband because as a woman was not permitted to receive it and when she won again they didn’t want her to get it because she as a widower was in love with a married man; she received awards in physics and chemistry and never let anyone stop her. On November 15 I heard Bill Maher on the View say that any institution where there are no women around - it always goes bad - you do really need women around as a moderating influence. 

I will not be posting a blog for the next 2 weeks (tax time).

Santorum, Women & more

In an article published March 6, 2012 by the website Mother Jones: During his first US Senate campaign, Rick Santorum in a February 1994 town meeting in Clairton, Pennsylvania (PA) warned voters of a growing menace that was "breeding more criminals". "Most people agree a continuation of the current [welfare] system will be the ruination of this country," "We are seeing it. We are seeing the fabric of this country fall apart, and it's falling apart because of single moms." "Open up the current periodicals—study after study, article after article, children having children is destroying the fabric of our country," Santorum said. "If you want to close your eyes to it, if you don't care about it, if you don't want to solve it, if you want to continue the system, to let people stay and spiral—go ahead. Not with me." Single mothers, Santorum argued, needed politicians who weren't afraid of "kicking them in the butt." According to Mother Jones, it wasn't just single moms that came under assault from Santorum; he told his audience that the welfare program's ballooning costs were also due to "aliens," "drug addicts," and children "who have learning disabilities" as well. Santorum went on to suggest that cases of attention deficit disorder were being faked to bilk the government. "You have a lot of testimony indicating that parents are coaching their children to stay in that situation in order to receive benefits" he said. It wasn't just a matter of cutting government spending and playing life coach, though. One month later, at an appearance in Erie, Pa., Santorum framed welfare reform as a public safety issue. "What we have is moms raising children in single-parent households simply breeding more criminals," he said. When Santorum wasn't comparing single mothers to animals, he still pressed the issue of out-of-wedlock births and crime. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1994 that "we will never solve the crime problem unless we solve the welfare problem. They are deeply intertwined." (Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley did not respond to a request for comment.) The solution to poverty, crime, and moral decay, he insisted, was to turn off the money spigots. "We have programs right now that pay children to have children," he explained on the CNN's Crossfire in 1994. Santorum, who as a second-term congressman described his views as "moderate," continued to make single mothers a focal point of his welfare policy. Santorum, who often trumpets his role in pushing through landmark welfare reform did introduce legislation that would have required single mothers who had been on welfare for more than two years to work at least 35 hours a week in order to receive benefits. They would also be denied benefits if they could not identify their child's father. "If they don't give the name, they don't get any welfare," Santorum told the Inquirer. Under his plan, which did not pass Congress, unwed teen mothers would not be eligible for welfare at all. Santorum conceded his rhetoric—and his policies—wouldn't go over well with some audiences. "This approach can be described as 'tough love,'" he said of his welfare reform proposal in 1996. "But the operative word is 'love." Santorum has since toned down his broadsides against single mothers (if only slightly), but he's singled them out during his presidential campaign. In October 2011 he told Family Research Council president Tony Perkins that single moms are "the political base of the Democratic party." He continued, "Why? Because it's so tough economically that they look to the government for help and therefore they're going to vote. So if you want to reduce the Democratic advantage, what you want to do is build two-parent families; you eliminate that desire for government." In an effort to encourage people to get married, Santorum has proposed eliminating head-of-household exemptions for unmarried parents, while tripling their value for married parents. "We shouldn't have incentives for people not to be married," he said. On March 11 Santorum took Kansas with 51% of the votes (40 delegates); March 13 he took Alabama with 35% (Gingrich and Romney got 29%) and took Mississippi (delegates were split). On March 9 Romney received the Mississippi Governor’s endorsement; March 10 he picked up 18 delegates from Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands; March 11 he took Wyoming; March 13 he took Hawaii and American Samoa; and March 18 he took Puerto Rico.

The HBO movie Game Change was based on the book written by political journalists that covered the 2008 Republican campaign and said to contain quotes by anonymous staffers breaking confidentiality. I did not see the movie but excerpts were shown on ABC News; shows McCain being told that if he’s trailing by more than 5% of the women voters he’d lose so to get votes the Republican Party found Palin who was pleased to help out. Unfortunately she was not knowledgeable and therefore unprepared for what was to come. There are some things I’ve heard Palin say that I totally agree with and others I do not. Nicolle Wallace a former campaign advisor said it (the movie) was true enough to make her squirm. Chris Lehane said he felt Palin’s book Going Rogue compelled people to defend themselves or give their own perspective. A politician told ABC News that there really is no money in being politically honest but there is money in being dishonest. I find that vote getting seems to be more important to the Republicans than the real issues at hand. I also find Santorum’s dishonesty gets him votes over Romney’s honesty and somewhat clean campaign.

In October 2011 I heard that in the last 10 years women have been looked at differently; women’s clothes, makeup and more is brought up to discredit them. If women voters are needed to win an election I don’t know why they let things continue as they have been. FYI - It wasn’t until 50 years after Blacks got the right to vote that women with the 19^th Amendment to our Constitution in 1920 received the same right. 

Military Medical - Final Part

Per the March 6, 2012 Military.com Legislative Center website the proposed Department of Defense budget will ask retirees and their family members to cough up $13 billion over the next 5 years. The proposed TRICARE changes include the following starting October 1, 2012 (The enrollment fees and deductible changes would affect military retirees only and the changes to Pharmacy co-pays would affect all TRICARE beneficiaries):

Proposed TRICARE Prime Annual Family Enrollment Fees (Individual Fees are 50%) for Working-Age Retirees

Retired Pay Tiers        FY 2012       FY2013     FY2014      FY2015      FY2016*     FY2017

$0 - $22,589                $460/$520      $600         $680          $760           $850           $893

$22,590 - $45,178       $460/$520      $720         $920         $1,185        $1,450        $1,523

Over $45,178               $460/$520      $820        $1,120       $1,535        $1,950        $2,048

*Indexed to medical inflation (National Health Expenditures) after FY 2016.

Proposed TRICARE Standard/Extra Fees/Deductibles for Working-Age Retirees

Annual Enrollment Fees FY 2012     FY2013     FY2014     FY2015      FY2016      FY2017*

Individual                         $0               $70            $85          $100            $115          $130

Family                             $0              $140          $170         $200            $230          $250

Annual Deductibles

Individual                          $150           $160         $200          $230           $260         $290

Family                              $300           $320         $400         $460           $520          $580

*Indexed to medical inflation (National Health Expenditures) after FY 2017.

Proposed TRICARE-for-Life (TFL) Annual Enrollment Fees – Per Individual

Retired Pay Tiers        FY 2012       FY2013     FY2014      FY2015      FY2016*     FY2017

$0 - $22,589                    $0               $35           $75             $115          $150           $158

$22,590 - $45,178          $0               $75           $150           $225          $300           $317

Over $45,178                   $0               $115         $225           $335          $450           $475

*Indexed to medical inflation (National Health Expenditures) after FY 2016.

Proposed Pharmacy Co-Pays for All TRICARE Beneficiaries

RX Source                 FY 2012       FY2013     FY2014      FY2015      FY2016       FY2017

Retail – 1 month fill

Generic                           $5               $5               $6             $7               $8              $9

Brand Name                   $12             $26            $28           $30             $32            $34

Non-Formulary*              $25             N/A             N/A           N/A             N/A            N/A

RX Source                 FY 2012       FY2013     FY2014      FY2015       FY2016      FY2017

Retail – 3 month fill

Generic                           $0               $0               $0             $0               $0               $9

Brand Name                   $9               $26             $28           $30             $32            $34

Non-Formulary*              $25             $51             $54           $58             $62            $66

* Non-Formulary pharmaceuticals will have limited availability in retail pharmacies

Military Treatment Facilities – No Change, Remains $0 Co-Pay

With this information I find no indication that the military or retirees are forced to obtain health care under the existing Obama health care bill. I also did not find any significant changes in cost that are not offset by the cost of living raises that are being proposed.  

Military Medical - Part 2

About.com said military retirees or veterans cannot get free medical care from the Veterans Administration (VA) unless they have over 180 days of military service, an honorable discharge and either a service-connected illness, injury or disability or fall into a certain range of poverty. Retirees (under age 65) and their family members if they don’t qualify for VA benefits can enroll in any of the Tricare programs. Until 2001 when a retiree or retiree family member reached the age of 65 they were no longer eligible for Tricare. Instead, they were expected to receive medical care under the provisions of Medicare. With the introduction of "Tricare for Life" (TFL) there is no need to enroll in advance (except one must be enrolled in Medicare Part B). The only charges for this program are the monthly Medicare Part B Premiums. Under this program the member sees an authorized Medicare Provider and presents an ID Card; Tricare becomes the "second payer" and picks up any costs that Medicare doesn't cover. Although Medicare doesn’t cover services provided outside of the continental US, retirees residing in foreign countries can still take advantage of TFL because Tricare becomes the primary source of health benefits for them. Like those living in the US, to be eligible overseas retirees must be enrolled in Medicare Part B. TFL will provide the same level of coverage afforded retirees under 65 and they will be responsible for the same Tricare cost shares and deductibles as the under 65 retirees. Since a great number of retirees living overseas did not enroll in Part B because Medicare didn’t cover medical care received in foreign countries, some of the military related organizations are pushing for a waiver of the Part B penalty (entails a 10% penalty for each year the individual was eligible for Part B but didn’t enroll). There is nothing in the works that indicates such a waiver is coming.

Tricare Plus is a new program undergoing development. Basically it will allow individuals to use Tricare Extra and Tricare for Life benefits at military medical facilities. Not all military medical facilities will offer this option. Local commanders will determine whether or not they have the resources. Individuals will be required to enroll in the program at a participating medical facility then receive their primary care at that facility. There are no enrollment fees for this program. 

There are basically three ways to receive medications:

Military treatment facility (MTF) pharmacies-prescriptions up to a 90-day supply for most medications may be filled free of charge (not all medications are available). Each facility is required to have the medications listed in the basic core formally (BCF). The MTF through their local Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee may add other medications to their local formally based on the scope of care at that MTF.

Tricare Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP) allows ordering medications online or through the mail; for most medications up to a 90 day supply.

If a civilian pharmacy is part of the Tricare Pharmacy Network the cost is the same as the Mail Order Pharmacy. If your pharmacy is not part of the Network, Tricare will reimburse you $9 or 20% of total cost (whichever is greater). For users of Tricare Prime who use a commercial non-network pharmacy there is an annual per person/family deductible; the annual deductible for Tricare Standard users of a non-network pharmacy is part of the Tricare Standard annual deductible. Effective 1 April 2001, retirees/family members over the age of 65 are also eligible for the above pharmacy benefits, but like TFL they must be enrolled in Medicare Part B to participate. Cost-share is the same as shown above.

Dental Care for active duty is free through the Military Dental Clinic. Tricare does, however, offer optional dental plans for family members of active duty, and members of the Guard/Reserves and their family members. These programs require a monthly premium. The programs pay the total cost of some dental care, plus cost-share for other dental care. As of April 2012 the monthly premium rates will be:

Active duty - One family member $12.69 per month; two or more family members $31.72 per month.

Selected Reserves - Military member $12.69 per month; one family member $31.72 per month; more than one family member $79.29 per month and the military member and his/her family $91.98 per month.

Individual Ready Reserves (IRR) - For the military member, $12.69 per month; one family member, $31.72 per month; more than one family member, $79.29 per month; for the military member and his/her family, $91.98 per month.

Tricare offers a separate dental program for military retirees and their family members; premiums depend upon where the member lives and number of family members and the coverage is the same as the other programs. 

Military Medical - Part 1

With the recent buzz on the internet regarding medical benefits being taken away from the military in order to force them to be covered by ObamaCare, I decided to find out what is going on. I decided to start at the beginning and find out what changes have been made. According to About.com the idea of military medical care for the families of active-duty members of the uniformed services dates back to the late 1700s. In 1884 Congress directed the “medical officers of the Army and contract surgeons shall whenever possible attend the families of the officers and soldiers free of charge.” There was very little change until World War II; most draftees were young men who had wives of childbearing age. The military medical care system, which was on a wartime footing, couldn't handle the large number of births or the care of very young children. In 1943, Congress authorized the Emergency Maternal and Infant Care Program (EMIC). EMIC provided for maternity care and the care of infants up to one year of age for wives and children of service members in the lower four pay grades. It was administered by the “Children's Bureau,” through state health departments. The Korean conflict again strained the capabilities of the military health care system. On December 7, 1956 the Dependents Medical Care Act was signed into law. The 1966 amendments to this act created CHAMPUS (Civilian Health and Medical Program Uniformed Services) beginning in 1967. The law authorized ambulatory and psychiatric care for active-duty family members, effective October 1, 1966. Retirees, their family members and certain surviving family members of deceased military were brought into the program on Jan. 1, 1967. In the 1980s, the search for ways to improve access to top-quality medical care while keeping costs under control led to several CHAMPUS “demonstration” projects in various parts of the US; among these was the CHAMPUS Reform Initiative (CRI) in California and Hawaii. Beginning in 1988 CRI offered service families a choice of ways in which they might use their military health care benefits. Five years of successful operation and high levels of patient satisfaction convinced Defense Department officials that they should extend and improve the concepts of CRI, as a uniform program nationwide. The new program, known as TRICARE, is now fully in place (in FY 1996 the TRICARE/CHAMPUS budget was more than $3.5 billion). Depending upon their military status family members and certain veterans receive free or government subsidized medical and dental care. For the most part, this care falls under an overall program known as "Tricare." When Tricare was first instituted, there were only three types: Tricare Prime, Tricare Standard (the closest to the old CHAMPUS pro) and Tricare Extra. Over the past few years more Tricare options have been established.

Tricare Prime is an HMO concept and requires that one enroll in the program (active duty members are enrolled automatically; there is no enrollment fee or cost-sharing for active duty members and their enrolled family members). Individuals in Tricare Prime are assigned to a Primary Care Provider (PCP) which is usually the local military medical facility (base hospital). In order to receive specialist care they must be referred by their PCP. A new option under Tricare Prime is the Point of Service (POS) enrollment option, it allows for reimbursement of medical care received from anyone other than the PCP without the referral. If the POS option is elected at time of enrollment one can use Tricare Prime and still use the Tricare Standard or Tricare Extra options.

Tricare Extra gives more flexibility than Tricare Prime but could result in additional costs. The patient sees any Authorized Tricare Provider (ATP), presents an ID Card and receives medical care. ATPs have a contract with the military for designated costs. The active duty family members pay an annual deductible. After the deductible is paid Tricare pays 85% of the office visit cost and set amount for inpatient medical and mental health care. A special note - if the ATP fills out the claim forms for a member and receives direct payment from Tricare for their portion of the costs (vs. member filling out the forms and being reimbursed by Tricare), the ATP AGREES not to charge more than the Tricare Allowable Amount unless a separate agreement is signed with the ATP which obligates the member to pay the additional amounts.

Tricare Standard gives the greatest flexibility but costs the most. Under this program, you can see pretty much any medical provider you want. There is the individual/family annual deductible for active duty family members, Tricare pays 80% of what it says the care should cost and the member pays 20%. If the provider charges more than what Tricare says it should cost, you have to pay the additional difference; inpatient care rates are the same as for Tricare Extra. A little-known provision of the Tricare Standard Program is if the provider attempts to charge you more than the authorized amount, then the member can contact the nearest Tricare Service Center and they will help arbitrate the dispute with the medical provider.

The Guard and Reserve (and their dependents) can use any of the above Tricare Options anytime the member is called to active duty for more than 30 days. Use of Tricare Prime is free, as it is with active duty members; coverage is provided up to 90 days prior to activation for members who receive a 'delayed-effective-date' order and it lasts until 180 days following deactivation; Guard and Reserve members can purchase special Health Care Coverage under the Tricare Reserve Select program, if they were activated for a contingency operation for 90 days or more. 

Afghanistan Part 4

On January 9, 2012 an Afghan soldier killed an American and the Taliban released a US soldier in exchange for 3 at Guantanamo Bay; January 10 insurgents stormed an Afghan government building, 5 dead. On January 11 the 4 US troops shown in a video peeing on dead Taliban were identified; they’re charged with war crimes and discrediting the armed forces; in spite of the video the Taliban said they’re willing to talk about ending the war. On January 17 Afghan President Karzai urged the Taliban to allow vaccinations in the areas in their control; January 21 he met with insurgents for a peace talk. France threatened to pull troops after an Afghan soldier killed 4 French soldiers and we heard about a May 20, 2011 Crisis of Trust and Cultural Incompatibility study that said Americans say Afghan soldiers as cowardly, incompetent, pot smoking, murderous radicals; Afghans call Americans violent, reckless and arrogant bullies; it’s reported that 60 coalition troops have been killed by Afghan soldiers since 2007; the attacks may be unprecedented between allies in modern military history. The US said the problem is not systemic and the head of NATO said it’s terrible but isolated (the US is paying $12 billion this year to train the Afghans; the idea that they turn their weapons on Americans and our allies is horrifying). On January 30 we’re told Karzai is to meet with Taliban leaders in Saudi Arabia. On February 1 a military report said that the Taliban backed by Pakistan is ready to take control of Afghanistan when NATO troops pull out. On February 16 the US and Afghan governments began 3 way talks with the Taliban. On February 21 more than 2,000 Afghans set fires, throw rocks and shout hate in protest of the burning of outdated Qurans at the Bagram Air Field; a NATO investigation finds they were thrown out with the trash and burned in error as soldiers did not know they’re to be disposed of in a flowing river or buried; apologies were issued by NATO, the US State Department and the White House. Daily we hear the tension didn’t stop but instead spread; Afghans burned tires and set fuel trucks on fire outside US bases, the embassy was closed; the US tells its people to stay inside and is worried that the Taliban will capitalize on the situation. On February 23-2 US soldiers are killed by a man wearing an Afghan uniform; February 25-2 US officers are assassinated inside a secured compound (3 levels of security) and a 25 year old police intelligence officer is to blame; about a dozen Afghan Security Forces have been killed (total 30 dead). The Los Angeles Times article of February 25, 2012 said - Many worry that the US and its military allies are so eager to find a way out of this war that they will give their blessing to an accord with the Taliban that does not adequately safeguard women's rights or civil liberties. "This is not just about relations with the US" researcher Martine van Bijlert wrote on the website of the Afghanistan Analysts Network in the first days of the Quran burning protests. "This is part of a wider struggle over what kind of society Afghanistan is becoming, over who the custodians of religious power will be and what they will use it for."  Kabul, the capital, and a few other big Afghan cities have a cosmopolitan veneer of shopping malls, smart phones and gel-spiked hairdos. But in a society steeped in conservative Islam, a decade of US military engagement coupled with a massive development drive that has brought thousands of foreign civilians to Afghanistan has generated profound unease over outsiders' behavior as a polluting influence. The perceived insults are many: not only troops', sometimes heavy-handed treatment of ordinary Afghans or the video that surfaced last month of US Marines urinating on the bodies of Taliban fighters but also men and women consorting freely in heavily guarded international compounds or the consumption of alcohol at restaurants with a mainly non-Afghan clientele. "I was personally offended by what happened," said a college-educated 30-year-old who described himself as a moderate Muslim. "But there are elements that want to take advantage of this irresponsible act; the whole issue has been manipulated." Some imams or preachers delivered fiery sermons that helped drive the protests forward, turning the week's events into a broader complaint about the Western entanglement in Afghanistan. Inayatullah Baleegh thundered from the pulpit of a Kabul mosque "Burning the Quran at Bagram is an unforgivable crime and sin but the presence of infidels in a Muslim country is an even bigger sin." On February 27 the Taliban via a suicide bomber killed at least 9 at the Jalalabad Airport; March 1-2 US soldiers were killed by an Afghan English teacher; March 7 a roadside bomb killed 6 British soldiers. The Afghanis said apologies weren’t enough, they wanted revenge for the burning of the Qurans and there was over 2 weeks of purposeful killing for a mistake. On March 9 the US transferred prison responsibility to the Afghan government; March 11 a US soldier walked a mile and killed 16 villagers (mostly women and children) while they slept; Karzai said it’s an assassination that cannot be forgiven; Taliban fired on Afghan officials, students protested, asylum applications rose 20% and March 14 a translator tried to run a truck into the US Secretary of Defense’s plane. On February 3 on ABC News a Marine’s letter to his parents was read (he served 4 tours in Afghanistan) it said in part – My death did not change the world – there is a greater meaning to it – there will be a child who will live, this child will learn in the new schools that have been built, he will walk his street not worried, he will grow into a fine man, he will have the gift of freedom - if my life buys the safety of a child who will one day change this world then I know that it was all worth it. Although the Afghan government has been trying to modernize the country for over 100 years there are too many who don’t want change; religious leaders don’t get along and there’s been no progress with Taliban or insurgent peace talks to calm any fires. I think we should’ve given up our soldier so the Afghanis would know our intent is not evil. 

Afghanistan Part 3

Afghan factions opposed to the Taliban met at a United Nations-sponsored conference in Bonn, Germany in December 2001 and agreed to restore stability and governance to Afghanistan--creating an interim government and establishing a process to move toward a permanent government. Under the "Bonn Agreement," an Afghan Interim Authority was formed and took office in Kabul on December 22, 2001 with Hamid Karzai as Chairman. The Interim Authority held power for approximately 6 months while preparing for a nationwide Grand Council (Loya Jirga) in mid-June 2002 that decided on the structure of a Transitional Authority. The Transitional Authority headed by President Hamid Karzai renamed the government as the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA). One of the TISA's primary achievements was the drafting of a constitution that was ratified by a Constitutional Loya Jirga on January 4, 2004. On October 9, 2004 Afghanistan held its first national democratic presidential election; more than 8 million Afghans voted - 41% women. Karzai was announced the official winner on November 3 and inaugurated on December 7 for a 5-year term as Afghanistan's first democratically elected president and on December 7, 2004 the country was renamed the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Elections were held on September 18, 2005 for the "Wolesi Jirga" (lower house) of Afghanistan's new bicameral National Assembly and for the country's 34 provincial councils; about 53% of the 12.5 million registered voters turned out (the National Assembly's "Meshrano Jirga"-upper house is created by the provincial councils and presidential appointments). The first democratically elected National Assembly since 1969 was inaugurated on December 19, 2005. The second national democratic presidential and provincial council elections were held in August 2009 and National Assembly elections were held September 2010. Hamid Karzai's main competitor, Abdullah Abdullah, forced a presidential run-off to be scheduled but then withdrew. On November 2, 2009 officials of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) declared Karzai President of Afghanistan for another 5-year term; for the first time the elections were coordinated by the IEC, with assistance from the UN; 15.6 million people had registered to vote - roughly half of the country's population and 35% to 38% of the registered voters were women.

Afghanistan’s destabilizing factors include activities by the Taliban, other insurgents and al-Qaeda. The government's authority is growing although its ability to deliver necessary social services remains largely dependent on funds from the international donor community. In June 2006 Afghanistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed on a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program for 2006-2009 that focused on maintaining macroeconomic stability, boosting growth, and reducing poverty. The IMF suspended credit programs in Afghanistan following the collapse and discovery of widespread fraud at the country’s largest bank, Kabul Bank. Following regulatory action by the Government of Afghanistan to address the banking crisis, the IMF approved a new extended credit facility in November 2011. The new $133 million program is designed to enable progress toward a stable and sustainable macroeconomic position, assist in the management of the economic impact of withdrawal of international forces and address governance and accountability issues. Donors pledged continued assistance for the rebuilding of the country at the June 2008 international Afghanistan support conference in Paris. Overall the international community has made multi-year reconstruction and security assistance pledges to Afghanistan totaling over $100 billion (US assistance for reconstruction from fiscal year 2001 to the present totaled over $72 billion including support for security services). With international community support from more than 49 countries participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) the government's capacity to secure Afghanistan's borders and maintain internal order is increasing. Reform of the army and police to include training is an extensive and ongoing process and the US is working with NATO and international partners to further develop the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). As of October 2011 training and equipping programs for the ANSF remained at a steady pace to meet the objectives of having 195,000 Afghan National Army (ANA) and 157,000 Afghan National Police (ANP) by November 2012. On March 22, 2011 President Karzai announced the first group of provinces and cities where primary security responsibility would be transferred from the international community to the ANSF; Afghan forces took the lead in these areas in July 2011. A second group of provinces, cities, and districts for transition was announced in November 2011. With the completion of the first and second stages of transition, almost half the Afghan population will live in areas where primary security rests with the ANSF. By the end of 2014, Afghan forces will have the lead for security across the entire country. Now let’s looks at the events of the past few months.

On November 15, 2011 Afghan officials reported the arrest of a Taliban spokesman. On November 19 the Afghanistan National Assembly backs a long-term security pact with the US and 100s of Afghans protest. On December 6, a holy day in Afghanistan, 2 suicide bombers killed at least 58 Muslim Shiites and injured over 150. On December 21-5 NATO members are killed in a roadside bombing; December 23-10,000 US troops were pulled ahead of schedule and on December 29 a man in an Afghan army uniform killed 2 NATO troops. On December 30 NATO/Afghan raids captured 11 Taliban commanders. On January 4, 2012 it’s reported that the Taliban is to open an office in Qatar to hold talks with US. On January 6-4 NATO troops were killed in a bombing.  

Afghanistan Part 2

The Afghan fighters (mujahideen) were poorly armed in their fight against the Russian Marxist regime; in 1984 they began receiving substantial assistance in the form of weapons and training from the US and other outside powers. In May 1985 the seven principal Peshawar-based guerrilla organizations formed an alliance to coordinate their political and military operations against the Soviet occupation. Late in 1985, the mujahideen were active in and around Kabul. The failure of the Soviet Union to win over a significant number of Afghan collaborators or to rebuild a viable Afghan army forced it to bear an increasing responsibility for fighting the resistance and for civilian administration. Soviet and popular displeasure with the Karmal regime led to its demise in May 1986; Karmal was replaced by Muhammad Najibullah, former chief of the Afghan secret police (KHAD). Najibullah was ineffective and highly dependent on Soviet support. Undercut by deep-seated divisions within the PDPA, regime efforts to broaden its base of support proved futile. By the mid-1980s, the tenacious Afghan resistance movement was exacting a high price from the Soviets, both militarily within Afghanistan and by souring the USSR's relations with much of the Western and Islamic world. Informal negotiations for a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan had been underway since 1982. In 1988 the Geneva accords were signed, which included a timetable that ensured full Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan by February 15, 1989. The mujahideen were party neither to the negotiations nor to the 1988 agreement and refused to accept the terms of the accords. As a result, the civil war continued after the Soviet withdrawal. Najibullah's regime was able to remain in power until 1992 but collapsed after the defection of Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostam and his Uzbek militia in March. However, when the victorious mujahideen entered Kabul to assume control over the city and the central government, a new round of internecine fighting began between the various militias. With the demise of their common enemy, the militias' ethnic, clan, religious, and personality differences surfaced, and the civil war continued. Seeking to resolve these differences the leaders of the Peshawar-based mujahideen groups established an interim Islamic Jihad Council in mid-April 1992 to assume power in Kabul. Moderate leader Prof. Sibghatullah Mojaddedi was to chair the council for 2 months after which a 10-member leadership council composed of mujahideen leaders and presided over by the head of the Jamiat-i-Islami, Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani, was to be set up for 4 months. During this 6-month period a Loya Jirga or grand council of Afghan elders and notables would convene and designate an interim administration which would hold power up to a year, pending elections. But in May 1992 Rabbani prematurely formed the leadership council undermining Mojaddedi's fragile authority. In June, Mojaddedi surrendered power to the Leadership Council which then elected Rabbani as President. Heavy fighting broke out in August 1992 between forces loyal to President Rabbani and rival factions, particularly those who supported Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-i-Islami. After Rabbani extended his tenure in December 1992 fighting in Kabul flared up in January and February 1993. The March 1993 Islamabad Accord, appointed Hekmatyar as Prime Minister, failed to have a lasting effect. A follow-up agreement, the Jalalabad Accord, called for the militias to be disarmed but was never fully implemented. Through 1993 Hekmatyar's Hezb-i-Islami forces allied with the Shi'a Hezb-i-Wahdat militia and clashed intermittently with Rabbani and Masood's Jamiat forces. Cooperating with Jamiat were militants of Sayyaf's Ittehad-i-Islami and troops loyal to ethnic Uzbek strongman Abdul Rashid Dostam. On January 1, 1994 Dostam switched sides precipitating large-scale fighting causing 1000s of civilian casualties and creating a new wave of displaced persons and refugees. The country sank even further into anarchy; forces loyal to Rabbani and Masood, both ethnic Tajiks, controlled Kabul and much of the northeast while local warlords exerted power over the rest of the country; this led to the rise in power of the Taliban. In 1994 the Taliban developed enough strength to capture the Kandahar from a local warlord and expanded its control throughout Afghanistan, occupying Kabul in September 1996. The Taliban provided sanctuary to Osama bin Laden a Saudi national who had fought with the mujahideen resistance against the Soviets and provided a base for his and other terrorist organizations. Bin Laden provided financial and political support to the Taliban; by the end of 1998 the Taliban occupied about 90% of the country, limiting the opposition largely to a small mostly Tajik corner in the northeast and the Panjshir valley. The Taliban imposed an extreme interpretation of Islam--based upon the rural Pashtun tribal code and committed massive human rights violations particularly directed against women and girls. The Taliban also committed serious atrocities against minority populations particularly the Shi'a Hazara ethnic group and killed many noncombatants. Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda group were charged with the bombing of US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam in 1998 and in August 1998 the US launched a cruise missile attack against bin Laden's terrorist camp in southeastern Afghanistan. In 2001, as part of a drive against relics of Afghanistan's pre-Islamic past, the Taliban destroyed two huge Buddha statues carved into a cliff face outside of the city of Bamiyan. Bin Laden and al-Qaeda acknowledged their responsibility for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. Following the Taliban's repeated refusal to expel bin Laden and his group and end its support for international terrorism, the US and its partners in an anti-terrorist coalition began a military campaign on October 7, 2001 targeting terrorist facilities and various Taliban military and political assets within Afghanistan. Under pressure from US military and anti-Taliban forces the Taliban lost Kabul on November 13, 2001. 

Afghanistan Part 1

The US State Department’s website said that 80% of Afghanistan’s population is Sunni Muslim, 19% Shi'a (Shiite) Muslim and 1% other. The Sunni follow the Hanafi (the oldest, largest and the strictest yet more liberal of the 4 schools of jurisprudence - strict adherence to the Quran while allowing women to serve as judges of Islamic law) theory and philosophy of law while, somewhat less so in urban areas, the remainder of the population is largely based on ethnic kinship groups that follow Islamic religious traditional customs, practices and codes that have an important role in personal conduct and dispute settlement.

British concern over Russian advances in Central Asia and growing influence in Persia precipitated two Anglo-Afghan wars (1839 and 1878). During the reign of Amir Abdur Rahman (1880-1901), the British and Russians officially established the boundaries of what would become modern Afghanistan through the demarcation of the Durand Line. The British retained effective control over Kabul's foreign affairs. Habibullah Rahman (1901–1919) ruled until his assassination and his brother Amanullah regained control of Afghanistan's foreign policy after launching the third Anglo-Afghan war with India in the same year. The British relinquished their control over Afghan foreign affairs by signing the Treaty of Rawalpindi in August 1919; in commemoration Afghans celebrate August 19 as their Independence Day. King Amanullah (1919-29) moved to end his country's traditional isolation. He established diplomatic relations with most major countries and introduced several reforms intended to modernize Afghanistan. Some of these, such as the abolition of the traditional Muslim veil for women and the opening of a number of co-educational schools, quickly alienated many tribal and religious leaders. Faced with overwhelming armed opposition, Amanullah was forced to abdicate in January 1929 after Kabul fell to forces led by Bacha-i-Saqao, a Tajik brigand. Prince Nadir Khan, a cousin of Amanullah's, in turn defeated Bacha-i-Saqao in October of the same year and, with considerable Pashtun tribal support, was declared King and 4 years later he was assassinated in a revenge killing by a Kabul student. Mohammad Zahir Shah, Nadir Khan's 19-year-old son, succeeded to the throne. In 1964, King Zahir Shah promulgated a liberal constitution providing for a two-chamber legislature to which the king appointed one-third of the deputies. Although Zahir's "experiment in democracy" produced few lasting reforms, it permitted the growth of unofficial extremist parties on both the left and the right. These included the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which had close ideological ties to the Soviet Union. In 1967, the PDPA split into two major rival factions: the Khalq (Masses) faction headed by Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin and supported by elements within the military, and the Parcham (Banner) faction led by Babrak Karmal. The split reflected ethnic, class, and ideological divisions within Afghan society. King Zahir Shah reigned from 1933 to 1973 (when his cousin Sardar Mohammad Daoud overthrew him).

Sardar Mohammad Daoud who had served as Prime Minister from 1953-1963 solicited military and economic aid from both the US and Russia, introduced controversial social policies of a reformist nature and his alleged support for a Pashtun state in the Pakistan-Afghan border area heightened tensions with Pakistan and eventually resulted in Daoud's dismissal in March 1963. Amid charges of corruption and malfeasance against the royal family and poor economic conditions, Daoud seized power in a military coup on July 17, 1973. Daoud abolished the monarchy, abrogated the 1964 constitution and declared Afghanistan a republic with himself as its first President and Prime Minister. His attempts to carry out badly needed economic and social reforms met with little success and the new constitution of February 1977 failed to quell chronic political instability. Seeking to exploit mounting popular disaffection the PDPA reunified with Moscow's support. On April 27, 1978 the PDPA initiated a bloody coup which resulted in the overthrow and murder of Daoud (1973-78) and most of his family. Nur Muhammad Taraki (1978–79), Secretary General of the PDPA, became President of the Revolutionary Council and Prime Minister of the newly established Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. By the summer of 1978, a revolt began in the Nuristan region of eastern Afghanistan and quickly spread into a countrywide insurgency. In December 1978 Moscow signed a new bilateral treaty of friendship and cooperation with Afghanistan and the Soviet military increased significantly. During its first 18 months of rule, the PDPA brutally imposed a Marxist-style reform program and thousands of members of the traditional elite, the religious establishment, and the intelligentsia were imprisoned, tortured, or murdered and conflicts within the PDPA resulted in exiles, purges, imprisonments and executions. In September 1979, Hafizullah Amin, who had earlier been Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, seized power from Taraki. Amin refused to take Soviet advice on how to stabilize and consolidate his government. With the insurgency growing, on December 24, 1979 Soviet airborne forces landed in Kabul; they killed Amin and installed Babrak Karmal, exiled leader of the Parcham faction, as Prime Minister. The Karmal regime although backed by Soviet troops was unable to establish authority outside Kabul. As much as 80% of the countryside, including parts of Herat and Kandahar, eluded effective government control. An overwhelming majority of Afghans opposed the communist regime, either actively or passively. Afghan fighters (mujahideen) made it almost impossible for the regime to maintain a system of local government outside major urban centers. 

Pink Slime

On March 7, 2012 a former USDA scientist turned whistle blower said 70% of the ground beef we buy contains beef trimming fillers that used to be reserved for dog food and cooking oil. A retired USDA microbiologist also said the trimmings are put back into most ground beef; it’s heated at a low temperature to separate the muscle and fat, the excess fat is spun out, the remaining product is sprayed with ammonia gas to kill bacteria, the mixture (called pink slime by the USDA scientist) is formed into bricks and sent to meat packers who put it the meat.

Years ago, over the objections of the inspectors, the former Under Secretary of Agriculture, with ties to the meat industry, refused to have the filler put on labels separately – saying it’s pink so it must be meat. The former Under Secretary got a job on either Food Inc.’s or BPI’s board of directors (it wasn’t made clear in the report) and the USDA said her appointment was legal then but not now (changes in ethnic laws).

The last glimpse of Food Inc. (the manufacturer who calls the filler finely textured lean beef) was 6 years ago by Magnolia Pictures. The March report said that the only thing that’s sure is that if your meat is labeled USDA Organic it is actually meat and everything else is suspect. Due to people’s questions ABC News asked the market chains if their meat contained the filler and the only ones that responded saying that their meat doesn’t were: Costco, Publix, HEB and Whole Foods (this means Safeway, WalMart and every other large chain does).  

BPI the creator of the pink slime said it is USDA approved and it is nutritious while the American Meat Institute said it’s not an additive, it’s a beef product, so no label is necessary as the filler is being declared beef. The USDA has refused to respond to ABC’s requests for their current stand on the matter. 

Whether the pink slime is harmful or not doesn’t seem to be an issue here so I’m thinking that the fat content in our meat is higher than the label states. You can form your own opinion. 

The Pill Is More Than Birth Control

The discussions surrounding contraception being included in the Health Care bill is not over. On February 23, 2012 it was reported that 2,500 evangelical leaders and pastors signed a letter protesting the requirement that contraceptives be provided. On February 23 I heard that a federal judge ruled that pharmacies cannot be forced to sell emergency contraceptives (the day after pill). On February 24 it was reported that 7 states joined the churches in suing the Obama administration over the requirement for religious organizations to provide birth control.

Okay - last year I heard that 1 in 5 girls between the age of 13 and 18 are on birth control pills; an increase of 50% in the past decade and the age is getting younger; some are 12. Doctors are prescribing the pills for cramps, acne, regulating periods and birth control. There are parents that are worried about the increased risk of blood clots and breast cancer. And, girls said that they don’t want to be put on the pill without being part of a prior discussion. Nonetheless, more parents are seeking out the pill for their girls. Dr. Mary Rosser of the Montefiore Medical Center thought it was okay if the child asked for the pill and said that it’s safer than a teen pregnancy. Dr. Erika Schwartz a women’s hormone specialist feels doctors are over prescribing the pill. Dr. Schwartz has found that women who have been on the pill for a long time have trouble conceiving and moods; she also said that depression and weight gain disappear in a child when the pill is stopped. Dr. Schwartz said doctors need to start weighing the risks of giving children birth control pills against the so called benefits (reducing cramps, acne and regulating periods).

On March 8, 2012 Tim O’Reilly was on the View and explained that Viagra is covered by medical insurance and therefore comes under the government’s guidelines for a medical condition because the Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers it an abnormality; the pill is only considered as contraception and not for a medical condition. Tim said that right now it’s in motion under Title 10 of the Public Health Act that if you need birth control and go to a federal clinic you get it (free) and if you go to WalMart or Target you can get it for $9 a month; he feels that to insert this issue into ObamaCare is unnecessary as people have the option of getting birth control but believes that the taxpayers (people, not the government) pays for the cost because it’s mandated that companies pay for it (in other words premiums will go up). Tim says birth control is an option rather than medical care that you have to have and that’s why he thinks the Catholic Church is asking for an opt out.

On March 9 Dr. Oz reported that doctors are giving the pill to women over 40 because it’s been discovered that the pill helps prevent ovarian cancer; this is a medical condition. As the medical issues outweigh the birth control issue the CDC needs to reconsider its classification of the pill and simply negate the discussions regarding the pill being used for contraceptive use only. In my February 13 blog I said that insurance companies reported that in the long run it actually is cheaper to for them to pay for the contraceptives than pregnancies so the rise in premiums shouldn’t be an issue. On February 21 hundreds of women stood mute and arm in arm at the Virginia (VA) capitol in protest of anti-abortion legislation and on February 23 VA dropped the portion requiring the invasive vaginal ultrasound. I find women having to take this or other actions to stop the government from forcing a religious belief on women atrocious if we truly have freedom of religion.  

On March 7 it was reported that a study found that 20% of American families struggle with medical debt. The problem of medical care has been resolved by other countries and it’s time we resolve it here. The foolish argument over whether or not the providing of contraceptives be mandated is ridiculous; we have to provide children with care, we have to drive certain speeds on the roadways and more. I’ve beat the issue of contraceptives to death in previous blogs. I’m tired of people, the government, and the churches telling women what they can do with their bodies or forcing people to have children they don’t want and driving up the cost of government. Give them the damn pill if they want it.   

Not So Flat Tax

Per Fareed Zakaria’s article in the October 31, 2011 issue of Time Magazine, the US federal tax code with IRS rulings is now 72,536 pages with 16,000 pages of actual code and the statist French have a code of 1,909 pages. He says that the Russians, Czech Republic and Estonia have moved to a flat tax with considerable success. And, according to Zakaria, John McCann pointed to the tax code as the foundation for the corruption of American politics. Special interests pay politicians vast amounts of cash for their campaigns and in return they get favorable exemptions or credits in the tax code. In other countries this sort of bribery takes place underneath bridges and with cash in brown envelopes. In America it is institutionalized and legal but it is the same – cash for politicians in return for favorable treatment from the government. The US tax system is not simply corrupt; it is corrupt in a deceptive manner that has degraded the entire system of American government. Congress is able to funnel vast sums of money to its favored funders through the tax code – without anyone realizing it. The simplest way to get the corruption out of Washington is to remove the prize that members of Congress give away: preferential tax treatment. Zaharia say a flatter (not flat) tax code with almost no exemptions does that. 

According to Zakaria, the US today has the second highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world (our highest tax rate is 35%). Yet, of the 500 big companies in the stock index, 115 paid a total corporate tax rate – both federal and otherwise – of less than 20% over the past 5 years. Of those, 39 paid a rate of less than 10% (don’t forget – Romney paid 14%). So we have a system that appears unfriendly to business, invites companies to game the system and raises only a modest amount of revenue. Zakaria says the US is the only rich country in the world without a national sales tax or value-added tax (VAT). He quoted the rates for Germany (19%), Britain (20%), and Korea (10%). My research showed these countries as the 4^th, 6^th, and (South Korea) 15^th largest economies. He also says the US government gets 41% of its revenue from individual incomes and profits, compared with 29% in Germany and 21% in France (the balance comes from the VAT). Zakaria offers the following solution: 9% for 1-$149,000, 18% for $150,000-$499,999 and 27% for $500,000 up and he would keep deductions for state/local taxes and charitable contributions and enact a 50% inheritance tax. He said he would also lower the corporate rate to 18% and would impose a 9% VAT. I don’t think this idea is a viable solution as I’m sticking with a national sales tax hurts the lower income people most.

Companies have businesses expenses and all the options I’ve heard don’t tell me what a business deduction is and I do believe that the cost of running a business should be deductable as it’s not true income. I really think the bottom line is to level the field. For example, capital gains should be treated the same way earned interest from a savings account, money market, CD, stock dividends, etc. are (income is income). If you can deduct alimony then you should be able to deduct child support and day care. There are no tax credits to corporations other than those for hiring; everyone would get credits for using energy efficient products. My thing with education being written off is that private schools include supplies, uniforms and more while there is no write off for the same items for public schools; to be fair only those expenses that are paid by the government for public schools should be written off by those sending their kids to private schools. I agree that charitable donations and state/local taxes should be deductible. There are more changes that can be made to even out the playing field between the average American and those with the money for extra curricula or luxury expenses and investment. Now let’s get to the percentage of tax. I paid $1 for my $22 earnings in 2007; 4.5%. I believe that anyone at or below the poverty level shouldn’t pay any federal income taxes. To stick with somewhat of a 9/9/9 plan I’d have incomes of poverty +$1 up to $149,000 pay 9%, $150,000-$499,999 pay 18% and $500,000 up for individuals and corporations pay 27%. On February 22, 2012 the President proposed lowering the corporate tax from 35% to 28% and making it less for manufacturers in an effort to bring jobs back to the US (it’s close to my proposal). I know the inheritance tax is geared to the rich but middle income families also inherit property so I think I’d have a different tax for above and below $500,000 (27%/9%).

On February 25 I heard that Romney said his new plan would cut income taxes 20% and raise the age for Social Security (SS) and Medicare saying we need to balance the budget. Here we go again with ridiculous proposals; he can’t balance the budget without increasing taxes unless he at a minimum raises the age of SS to 70 and Medicare to 75 – I don’t think this is a good idea.    

Americans All Over The Place

As I said earlier, I believe the US Constitution provides us with an opportunity to show love. Unfortunately, most people are using it to spread hate.

It was said that Rick Santorum raised $9 million in February 2012 spreading his love of Christians but this in fact spreads hate for all others. And I already said that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie failed to lead his state into loving those different than his Christian followers when he vetoed the Gay marriage bill. I believe Mitt Romney if elected could set aside his Mormon beliefs, not his support of greed, to run the country. I thanked God that he took Michigan and Arizona on February 28, Wyoming on February 29 and Washington on March 3. I again thanked God when I heard that Santorum failed to file all the paperwork for Ohio so even if he took the state on Super Tuesday, March 6, he wouldn’t get all the delegates.

On March 4 Romney got the support of former first lady Barbara Bush and she said that it’s the worst campaign race she’s ever seen and I agree. On March 6, Romney took Alaska, Idaho, Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Virginia. Santorum took North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Gingrich took Georgia and Ron Paul won nothing. At this point in time Romney has 450 delegates, Santorum has 176, Gingrich - 105 and Paul has 47. Santorum and Gingrich vow to stay in the race; 1144 delegates are needed to secure the nomination and there are 30 states left to vote.   

Biases don’t stop here. On March 1, 2012 a Montana federal judge admitted sending a racist email about President Obama. It makes me wonder if his prejudice affects his decisions. Of course Rush Limbaugh, who made $50 million last year, is not concerned over losing 30+ sponsors and 2 stations (he said they’ll just get other sponsors) over his negative comments regarding the college student and the use of contraception (unfortunately Patricia Heaton also said some negative things until she realized that the outbursts were vicious - she immediately apologized). I’m confused with the fact that 15 million people listen to Limbaugh’s ranting; they can’t all be rich Republicans.

On March 6 the President criticized the Republican candidates’ talks about jumping the gun and going to war with Iran when the American people have indicated they are tired of war. I still believe that the candidates are fueling the anger and hatred that seems more pronounced than ever before.

Just a few months ago we had Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson and others harassed because of their weight. Sasha Grey, an ex-porn star, was hassled because she read to kids at a Compton, California elementary school and the school officials didn’t inform the parents; Sasha said she wanted to do it to help remove the stigma with the adult movie industry. I don’t like pornography but the school not Sasha was at fault. On December 2, 2011 we heard about the Milton Hershey private boarding school in Pennsylvania (founded , by the Hershey Foundation in 1909 to help underprivileged students) was  being sued because they denied entry to a 13 year old honor student that has HIV, the virus that causes Aids.

In a country where on December 23 an Associated Press poll showed 77% of adults believe in angels I would think that we would know that angels come in many shapes and forms. Our concerns should be directed more at realizing that on December 15 a survey showed that nearly 1 in 5 US women reported being sexually assaulted and that the University of Vermont was shut down because a fraternity asked its members who they’d like to rape. More items of concern should be that it was reported on December 18 that a 47 year old man doused a 73 year old woman with flammable liquid and set her on fire, burning her to death, in a New York  elevator because she owed him $2,000 for odd jobs done around her house. Then there’s the December 19 report that the Pediatrics Journal said 1 in 3 kids will be arrested before their 23^rd birthday and the December 21 report that Florida teen boys were trashing stores and posting the videos on YouTube to get notoriety or the December 26 incident with about 50 teens fighting each other, attacking shoppers and looting the largest US mall-‘Mall of America in Minnesota’ because someone falsely putting on FaceBook and Twitter that 2 popular rappers would be there;  30 officers had to respond and the mall was put on lockdown because of the frenzied fans. On January 1 a New York man threw Molotov cocktails setting fire to 4 Islamic centers.

We are out of control. I heard it said on the View in November that kids need to learn empathy using role reversal; the culture of sports and money has desensitized us when it comes to moral issues. I agree but our children are learning their bad behavior from the adults. And it doesn’t help that the Republican candidates smile when they attack one another and promote violations of our Constitution.  

Religious Bias

In mid February 2012 we heard that the New Jersey (NJ) Senate approved Gay marriage but Governor Christie vetoed it saying the people should vote on the issue; not a handful of politicians. Right after this incident, Maryland became the eighth state to legalize Gay marriage. On February 21 on the View they said that Tennessee has a bill that says ‘don’t say Gay’ that restricts schools from talking about homosexuality until high school; the bill referenced the show Modern Family saying it’s inappropriate for kids to watch it because they’d learn about Gays in the world. On March 1 the Washington DC Archdiocese said refusing communion to a lesbian at her mother’s funeral was against church policy (this suggests that the priest who had done so doesn’t know their policy). 

In an interview with Piers Morgan on March 3, Kirk Cameron, former Growing Pains star, said he does not support the idea of Gay marriage and said homosexuality is unnatural, detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization; if one of his (6) children revealed he was Gay that he would say that there are all sorts of issues we need to wrestle through in our lives and just because you feel one way doesn’t mean we should act on everything we feel; Stephen Baldwin supported Kirk while Tracey Gold on March 4 wrote that she’s a strong supporter of the LGBT community and believes in equal rights for all, no H8, Love. On March 5 Alan Thicke said on Twitter that he’s getting him (Kirk) some new books; the Old Testament simply can’t be expected to explain everything.

On the March 5 episode of the Talk LaToya Jackson said – there is so much hatred in the world today and when you find people that truly love each other we should respect and honor that; she also said when she left the Jehovah Witnesses that it opened up a whole new world of understanding for her. Sara Gilbert said - he should be aware of the people he’s hurting by saying that – the attempted suicide rate is 30-40% among young teens dealing with who they are and no one is fighting more for marriage than Gay people and if you want to talk about what’s detrimental – it’s passing judgment. Sheryl Underwood said - if he is to be Christ like then where is the love that Christ would have shown - this argument makes it seem that there was no love in what Christ taught.

On March 6 on the View I heard that the group American Atheists have put up billboards written in Arabic/Hebrew/English targeting Jews and Muslims in New York and NJ saying – You know it’s a myth and you have a choice (all religions are false).

As I’m sure I’ve already said, I am not an Atheist or a believer in organized religion but I am a believer in God and the 10 Commandments. Being raised a Catholic I’ve always had issues with the Church’s hypocrisy - go to confession – get communion – and start your dirty tricks all over again. I’ve also found it interesting that the Romans murdered Jesus Christ and the Catholic headquarters is based out of Vatican City near Rome, Italy. I repeat that I have a problem with the Catholic Church believing that it has right to forgive a person’s sins when the commandments clearly say it’s God’s right and no one else’s; this coincides with the church’s belief that they can decide if a Gay, Communist, or any other person with political or other issues that the church doesn’t believe in can receive last rights – yet they continually give them to murders, sex offenders, thieves and more that have violated the 10 Commandments.

If Christians believe in Jesus who said in John Chapter 8 (to the crowd that was going to stone a woman to death for adultery) – ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her’. As a result the men left and Jesus said to her –‘Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more’. It’s time for the Catholic and other Christians that are full of corruption (break any of the commandments) to stop throwing stones. The various individuals and governments that are throwing stones with their comments or by implementing bills that go against God’s will or those like Governor Christie that prevents God’s will from being done only feed hate and not love. They fail to consider the kids that are different and committing suicide; they fail to teach goodness in reacting to those that are different.

I realize in America we have freedom of speech and we are all allowed to have a difference of opinion. I support this freedom and I get that they don’t want to talk about Gays, bisexuals, and transgenders in sex education (personally I think sex education doesn’t belong in public schools) but parents are supposed to help their kids grow and I hope all of this foolish contradiction is a wakeup call for the American people. If we take a minute to think I believe that we would find that the US Constitution provides more of an opportunity to promote God’s love than any organized religion.