Society's ChildS


Attention

Crumbling infrastructure and disregard for the poor: Lead poisoning prevalent in poverty-stricken US states


RT
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 05:33 UTC
lead poisoning flint, water contamination flint
© Rebecca Cook / Reuters Michigan National Guard Staff Sergeant William Phillips (R) assists a Flint resident with bottled water at a fire station in Flint, Michigan January 13, 2016.
Depending on who you ask, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, is either a reminder of the progress made against lead poisoning, or a sign more needs to be done. After nearly four decades of federal lead regulations, the issue is back in the headlines.

Almost four decades after lead was federally regulated out of paint and gasoline, it's not often lead poisoning makes the national news. But in Flint there are areas where more than half of the children have levels of lead in their blood above 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) - and the issue of lead exposure is gaining prominence again.

There is no safe blood lead level. However, in 2012 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially recognized 5 μg/dL as the standard for lead poisoning. Levels as low as 2 μg/dL are known to lower IQ, according to the CDC, while slightly higher levels in children put them at risk of developing ADHD and other learning disabilities. There is no reversing the effects of having too much lead in the blood.

Comment: Very little change is likely to occur, until Americans begin to comprehend that what has happened in Flint is symptomatic of the decline of the Empire and is the natural outcome when pathological individuals overtake society, and begin to systematically dismantle or ignore core necessities that in a normal society would insure the common good.

Note to America: When corruption is rampant, empires fall

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Quenelle

Protest against big pharma! Activists outraged over "obscene" greed driven pharmaceutical conference

Chris Kinder
Counter Pounch
Fri, 22 Jan 2016 17:25 UTC
shutterstock
"This conference that we are picketing ... is an obscene reflection of the reality of this country today, that the most important thing is money and profit, and not human needs!"

- Carole Seligman, speaking at the demonstration
It was in their fancy tailored suits and with suspicious eyes that Big Pharma CEO's and investors got interrupted by protestors and speeches such as the above, as they came and went from the (too-big-to-fail) JP Morgan-sponsored conference on "health care" (read: profit care) at the elite Westin St. Francis hotel on Union Square in San Francisco on Monday, the 11th of January 2016.
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Cardboard Box

Truth emerges: New analysis shows TPP trade agreement will lead to increased unemployment and inequality

Derrick Bronze
Anti-Media
Fri, 22 Jan 2016 00:00 UTC
TPP, trans-pacific partnership
One of the major purported selling points for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a supposed increase in new jobs as a result of the controversial trade deal. The deal involves 12 nations, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and more. However, two recent economic reports have contradicted the claims that jobs will increase. They have shown that, more than likely, the deal will lead to a loss of jobs.

First there was a World Bank report that predicted that TPP would produce negligible boosts to the economies of the U.S., Australia, and Canada. TechDirt writes:

"So according to the World Bank's figures, the U.S. will gain an extra 0.04% GDP per year on average, as a result of TPP; Australia an extra 0.07% annually, and Canada a boost of 0.12% per year."

This study was followed up by a review from Jerome Capaldo and Alex Izurieta at Tufts University. In a study titled "Trading Down: Unemployment, Inequality and Other Risks of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement," Capaldo and Izurieta claim their study uses a more realistic model than past analyses. Specifically, the researchers state that their model incorporates effects on employment that were previously excluded from TPP calculations.

Their study found that economic growth is likely to be limited — and negative— for some countries, including the United States. The researchers also found the TPP would probably lead to increased unemployment and inequality. Capaldo and Izurieta explained:

"The standard model assumes full employment and invariant income distribution, ruling out the main risks of trade and financial liberalization. Subject to these assumptions, it finds positive effects on growth. An important question, therefore, is how this conclusion changes if those assumptions are dropped."

Comment: The Trans-Pacific partnership is an attempt to set the rules of the global economy to favor multinational corporations over everything else, trampling on democracy, national sovereignty and the public good. In short, a perfect way for pathological elites to cement their power and control over the masses.

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Black Magic

Pennsylvania man convicted on 1,068 counts of raping his underage step-daughter, 6 counts for raping underage sister

Kathyrn Schroeder
Opposing Views
Fri, 22 Jan 2016 17:30 UTC
A Milesburg, Pennsylvania, man has been found guilty of 1,068 counts of rape against a minor.
Child rapist
© Centre Daily TimesEdward Grier, child rapist
Edward Grier, 41, was convicted on Jan. 20 of 1,068 counts for raping his then 13-year-old step-daughter, and six counts for raping his sister, both minors at the time of the abuse, The Express reports.

The step-daughter's abuse ended after 4 years in 2014 when she was discovered by police walking alone in the dark. She confided to police that she could no longer live at home because of her stepfather's abuse.

Geier reportedly did not deny the allegations, but told police they would not find DNA evidence linking him to the victim. They did.

Bodily fluids, including semen, were found in numerous areas of the girl's bedroom, and upon DNA testing, were found to belong to the victim and Geier.

On Feb. 24, 2015, Geier was arrested and charged with more than a thousand counts, including rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person younger than 16, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion, sexual assault, corruption of minors, indecent assault of a person younger than 13 years of age, and indecent assault of a person younger than 16 years of age.

In May 2015, Geier's sister came forward with allegations of abuse that took place in early 2003 when she was 14 years old. She told police she fell asleep while babysitting Geier's son and when she woke up, he was raping her. Her mother allegedly talked her out of going to the police, and forced her to recant her story when she did confide in them while at school.

Comment: There was a time when an inhuman monster like this man was just taken out into the woods.

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Heart - Black

FBI allows over 200K pedophiles access to child porn to make 25 arrests

Justin Gardner
The Free Thought Project
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 16:25 UTC
FBI distributes child porn
The FBI has embarked on a new strategy to catch people dwelling in the depraved world of online child pornography, and it is raising some eyebrows. For almost two weeks, the FBI ran one of the internet's largest child pornography websites and allowed users to download thousands of illicit images and videos.
"The Justice Department acknowledged in court filings that the FBI operated the site, known as Playpen, from Feb. 20 to March 4, 2015. At the time, the site had more than 215,000 registered users and included links to more than 23,000 sexually explicit images and videos of children, including more than 9,000 files that users could download directly from the FBI. Some of the images described in court filings involved children barely old enough for kindergarten."
For all of this dissemination of child porn to people around the country and the world, the FBI brought charges against just 25 people, nine of whom remain unidentified. They have been unable to link specific people to these nine network addresses.

Comment: Though no one would argue against twenty five fewer pedophiles on the loose, the FBI acted with no regard for the continued victimization of the children in these videos. This sting operation was criminal in and of itself, however, it is no surprise that this tactic was considered acceptable in light of the rank pedophilia that pervades government agencies all over the world.

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Quenelle

People Power! Area high schoolers protest Trump rally with "Trump makes America hate again" sign

Nour Habib
Tulsa World
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 16:24 UTC
Trump, protest
© IAN MAULE/Tulsa WorldIndividual acts, no matter how small, are noticed by the universe and counted
With their protest sign — a sheet carrying the words "Trump Makes America Hate Again" — tucked away deep in one of their shoes, a group of high school students nervously made their way into the center pit at the Mabee Center for Donald Trump's rally on Wednesday.

More than a dozen students from Booker T. Washington, Edison and Bishop Kelley high schools were among the protestors who showed up at the rally.

Noah Miracle, a Booker T. junior, said the group went because they think it is important to stand up for what they believe in.

"We've really had the idea of freedom of speech drilled into our heads in school since a young age, so this was really an opportunity to apply these things to the real world," he said.

"It was important to remind Trump and his supporters that while different political ideologies are completely acceptable, hateful and divisive rhetoric is not."

Miracle said Trump is "openly corrosive to civic life and American values."


Comment: From the mouths of babes the truth is often spoken. Interesting symbolism that the young man's last name is 'miracle.'


Comment: If each of us would take a stand and contribute minor acts of resistance to a system that gives us candidates like Donald Trump and Killary Clinton we could literally change the world.

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Eye 1

Poles protest increased surveillance law changes


Press TV
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 03:16 UTC
poles to streets
© ReutersThousands of Poles march through Warsaw to protest against the government's plan to increase its surveillance powers.
People took to the streets of Warsaw Saturday protesting against the Polish government's planned changes to a law that would increase surveillance over citizens. Thousands of Poles marched in the capital city urging the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) to withdraw the reform plan. "You're supposed to listen, not listen in," read one of the banners carried by demonstrators.

The proposal, which has not been signed yet, expands the government's access to digital data and loosens the legal framework of using surveillance in law enforcement. Critics of the law say it will undermine privacy rights. "Our privacy, intimacy is under threat, we can be followed, watched over both in our homes, and online," said Mateusz Kijowski, one of the protest organizers.

Since the PiS took power in November 2015, its efforts to exert more control over the judiciary and the media have raised concern among some in Poland. The Polish government's move has also alarmed the EU, which has started investigating charges that Warsaw is undermining the EU democratic principles. If the probe finds Warsaw guilty of the alleged violations of the EU principles, it would lead to the suspension of Poland's voting rights in the 28-nation bloc.

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo has defended the government's plan. She told EU lawmakers this week that her government had not breached European or Polish laws after it made changes to the top constitutional court and put public media under its direct control.

Comment: But, PM Szydlo, governments always say that! The best means to disempower the public is to increase fear-based surveillance, own the courts and control all the media. Just ask the US!

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War Whore

Jury ruling: Innocent man assaulted by cop had right to defend himself

Andrew Emett
Free Thought Project
Fri, 22 Jan 2016 15:43 UTC
police brutality Orlando
© News6 Johnson attempted to diffuse the situation by walking away from the aggressive officer, Wilson followed and assaulted the innocent homeless man.
Accused of assaulting a police officer, a homeless man was recently found not guilty after a jury reviewed the body cam video of the arresting officer. Instead of charging him with resisting arrest, the jury agreed that the unarmed man had a right to defend himself against an overzealous cop.

On August 26, 2015, Terre Johnson, 44, was sitting on the curb when Officer James Wilson confronted him for no apparent reason. After threatening to give Johnson a citation for asserting his civil rights, Officer Wilson questioned whether the homeless man could even afford to pay the bullshit ticket. On his own body cam video, Wilson threatened and insulted the surrounding homeless people willing to defend Johnson's constitutional rights.

As Johnson verbally defended himself, Officer Wilson placed his hand directly in front of Johnson's face. When Wilson ordered him to keep his hands down, Johnson immediately complied and placed his hands on the ground while continuing to argue with the condescending cop. As Johnson asked the aggressive officer to give him five feet of space, Wilson incessantly pressed his hand against Johnson's chest while putting his face in Johnson's face.

Comment: The escalation of police brutality is one mark of tightening social controls in the US. Soon anyone could be made a criminal for any reason. By design?

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Better Earth

African Muslims & Christians stand united - show Americans how not to let ISIS win

William N. Grigg
Free Thought Project
Fri, 22 Jan 2016 15:38 UTC
Cameroon Christians and Muslims
For three years, the Nigeria-based Boko Haram terrorist group, which has aligned itself with ISIS, has carried out murderous attacks in neighboring Cameroon. The advertised purpose of that onslaught, in which more than 1,100 people have been killed, is to turn the country into an "Islamic state." Five people were murdered in the most recent attack, a suicide bombing at a mosque in Neguetchewe.

Rather than seeing the country's Muslim minority as a fifth column, many within its Christian population — led by prominent clerics, such as Joseph Klofou of the Protestant Church of Cameroon - have volunteered to guard mosques so that Muslims can worship in peace. Muslims have reciprocated that gesture by standing guard outside Christian houses of worship.

"I feel frustrated seeing my brothers and sisters dying," explained Klofou. "I must act while praying to God to send his angels and warriors to fight Boko Haram because He is the merciful God of armies."

Referring to Boko haram as "a group of bad people," Djafarou Alamine of Cameroon's central mosques declared that "Islam condemns all that they have been doing to both Christians and Muslims who are all God's creatures even though they have religious differences."
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House

San Francisco scrambling to relocate homeless before Super Bowl 50


RT
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 05:54 UTC
Homeless
© Susan Ragan / Reuters
With Super Bowl 50 just weeks away, host city San Francisco is struggling to move its homeless into shelters and out of the eye of the media. Workers have been sent to the Embarcadero to help transients find shelter away from the future Super Bowl Fan Village.

According to Bloomberg Politics, San Francisco officials are focused on cleaning up the scenic waterfront Embarcadero Center. The Embarcadero is a highly rated shopping and dining center with high-end stores like Godiva Chocolatier and L'Occitane En Provence. With views of the Golden Gate Bridge, it is easy to see why it is an ideal location for the one million visitors expected to be at the Super Bowl Fan Village.

However, the city's famed Market Street, which runs down to the Embarcadero, is also a makeshift home to some of San Francisco's 6,775 homeless residents.

Comment: See more: Jail or freezing to death: Woman vandalizes Virginia assembly to escape cold

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