Betsy DeVos, the Department of Education Secretary-designee, left senators at her hearing flummoxed by many of her answers, but went over the top when she denied her documented involvement in a foundation that has funneled millions of dollars to anti-LGBT causes.
From 2001 to 2013, DeVos was listed in tax filings as vice president of the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation, a nonprofit group founded by her mother that has been a generous donor to controversial groups like Focus on the Family and Family Research Council. Yet when pressed by Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) to explain her role at the Foundation, DeVos insisted her name should not have been included in any tax forms and that she had nothing to do with the organization.
"That was a clerical error -- I can assure you," DeVos said. "I have never made decisions on my mother's behalf."
Unfortunately for DeVos, there is a paper rail documenting her involvement in theFoundation has existed for years, but recently the organization filed a certificate of correction with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to have her name removed as a director.
"It is hard to believe that Mrs. DeVos could be listed as vice president of the Prince Foundation for 13 years and yet have no involvement with, or knowledge of, the millions of dollars in donations made to anti-LGBTQ groups that promote intolerance," Hassan said in an email. "For Mrs. DeVos to try to explain away these donations by claiming that her title was simply a 'clerical error' is concerning, to say the least."
During the time DeVos was listed as an officer, the Prince Foundation gave $5.1 million to Focus on the Family, an advocate of "conversion therapy" -- counseling designed to make gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer people become straight. The same group has railed against anti-bullying programs that even mention homosexuality as a covert way to introduce sexual orientation to children.
The organization also poured $6.1 million into the Family Research Council, a conservative think tank labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for saying such things as homosexual men are more likely to engage in child sexual abuse than heterosexual men. (Source: Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, "Betsy DeVos's 13-year 'clerical error'," The Washington Post, January 18, 2017.)
ADDENDUMS:
*In 2012, Democrats received 1.4 million more votes than GOPers for the U.S. House of Representatives, yet the GOP won the House by a wide margin.
*Since 1993, 1.3 million square miles of wilderness -- 10% of what's left on earth -- disappeared, usually plundered by lumbering, oil or gas exploration.
*A 2013 poll found that not even 6% of college-age millennials planned to enter the public sector right after college.
*"The last eight years have been painful for most people: between 2005 and 2014, the real incomes of over 60% of the world's population were flat or falling. If current economic trends continue, two-thirds of the world's individuals will be on track to be poorer than their parents." (Source: Rena Foroohar, "Looking for answers to the world's biggest challenges in the Eternal City," TIME, December 12, 2016.)
*"There are no American MIAs remaining in Iraq or Afghanistan. There are 126 MIAs from 14 Cold war clashes (not including shoot downs over water); 1,618 from Vietnam; 7,780 from Korea; and more than 73,000 from WW2." (Source: Mark Thompson, "Bringing a hero home," TIME, December 12, 2016.)
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Friday, January 27, 2017
President Trump Exercises Another Twist and Turn on Torture
NBC News' anchor David Muir conducted an interview of President Trump which aired on January 25th. When the subject of torture came up, Trump raised some questions: "Does it work? Does torture work? and the answer was, 'Yes, absolutely.' " Trump told Muir that as recently as twenty-four hours ago, he spoke with people at the highest levels of intelligence and they told him that torture absolutely works. One person President Trump did not consult was the new CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, who was "blindsided," because he promised senators he would "absolutely not" resume waterboarding.
Asked by David Muir why he was reconsidering the use of waterboarding, Trump replied: "We're not playing on an open field. ... As far as I'm concerned, we have to fight fire with fire." Trump also alluded to the terrible things terrorists were doing, such as cutting off the heads of people. During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to go well beyond waterboarding -- or " a hell of a lot worse." When, however, Trump talked to his defense secretary-designee, retired General Jim Mattis (now secretary of defense), he had a change of mind after Mattis said he could do better with "a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers." than by using torture. This sequence of events seems to be a classic case of Trump agreeing with the last person he talked to on an issue.
There is a caveat to what Trump has said on torture: he will not institute a regime of torture if his defense secretary and the CIA director will not support it. Thus, President Trump can tell his supporters that he tried his best to employ torture, but his high officials would not go along.
Trump employed a similar ploy when in a fiery speech in Arizona, billed as his signature speech on immigration actions, he promised to send all 11 million undocumented immigrants back to Mexico and only the "good ones" can come back. Within two days, he had changed his plan to build the Wall first and then make a decision on deportations. It is not difficult to discern the motivation behind announcing a new plan: he was trying to raise a hope to those opposed to mass deportations that maybe he might decide not to massively deport undocumented immigrants.
Regarding paying for the Wall to be built between the United States and Mexico, the U.S. taxpayer will need to pony up the money in front and then Mexico will be forced to cover the cost, or some significant portion of it. The idea being floated is to impose a 20% tariff on Mexican goods. The tariff was initially proposed as being imposed on exports but then changed to imports from Mexico. Therefore, those who like Mexican products will pay more to purchase them.
Mexican President Rena Nieto had a scheduled trip to the White House but when President Trump reignited the Wall issue, he cancelled his trip. Trump, with his thin-skinned inability to tolerate anyone who disagrees with him, or challenges him, then announced that he and President Nieto had "mutually" agreed to cancel the trip.
[Not So] Grand Old Party lawmakers decamped to Philadelphia for a three-day effort to hammer out legislative priorities. President Trump was invited and was expected to provide some specifics as to how the Affordable Care Act could be repealed and replaced. Trump has come and not conquered, as he almost completely ignored the subject. Trump recently pledged that everybody will be insured and the replacement plan is almost completely done.
Republican lawmakers, when interviewed, give widely varying answers on how replacement will taker place and on the timeline for replacement. The idea of simultaneously repealing and replacing, as President Trump wants, is a nonstarter, and insuring everyone is a pipe dream, since Republican lawmakers are strongly opposed to Single Payer. The Republican health care ACA replacement plans have largely been to: 1.) allow buying across state lines; 2.) set up Health Savings Accounts (HSAs); and 3.) provide income tax credits to cover medical costs. Trump has proposed offsetting health insurance premiums against taxable income. He may have dropped the idea; however, if implemented, it would cause a sizable loss of revenue.
Buying across state lines is not entirely prohibited today; however, the Congressional Budget Office has calculated that eliminating all present restrictions would insure only another 400,000 presently uninsured people. Most people don't have the excess income needed to set up a HSA, and even many of those who do, couldn't cover a six- or seven-digit medical care expense. Income tax credits, sufficient to cover most medical expenses, would result in substantial reductions in governmental revenue.
The mainstream media must do a much better job of exposing how bereft of ideas on health insurance are Republicans in high positions of power.
ADDENDUMS:
*Press Secretary Sean Spicer contends that "A lot of the people were there [at women's rallies] to protest an issue or concern to them and not against anything. Much as Kellyanne Conway stirred up a social media storm when she endorsed "alternative facts," Spicer opened up a social media assault against himself. I attended the Albuquerque rally, and virtually every of one of the many signs there expressed a grievance against Trump.
*The very same Mr. Spicer, who says he will be "honest" with the press, has told the press to "just shut up."
* A recent poll has found that 56% of the respondents are "very" concerned about losing health care coverage under the ACA; also, 45% of Republicans are "somewhat" concerned about insurance loss.
*Republicans were all up in arms about a black Democrat issuing executive orders, but nary a pip has been heard about a white Republican doing the same.
*A Washington Post/ABC News poll published last week, found 74% of Americans and 53% of Republicans saying that President Trump should make his tax returns public.
Asked by David Muir why he was reconsidering the use of waterboarding, Trump replied: "We're not playing on an open field. ... As far as I'm concerned, we have to fight fire with fire." Trump also alluded to the terrible things terrorists were doing, such as cutting off the heads of people. During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to go well beyond waterboarding -- or " a hell of a lot worse." When, however, Trump talked to his defense secretary-designee, retired General Jim Mattis (now secretary of defense), he had a change of mind after Mattis said he could do better with "a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers." than by using torture. This sequence of events seems to be a classic case of Trump agreeing with the last person he talked to on an issue.
There is a caveat to what Trump has said on torture: he will not institute a regime of torture if his defense secretary and the CIA director will not support it. Thus, President Trump can tell his supporters that he tried his best to employ torture, but his high officials would not go along.
Trump employed a similar ploy when in a fiery speech in Arizona, billed as his signature speech on immigration actions, he promised to send all 11 million undocumented immigrants back to Mexico and only the "good ones" can come back. Within two days, he had changed his plan to build the Wall first and then make a decision on deportations. It is not difficult to discern the motivation behind announcing a new plan: he was trying to raise a hope to those opposed to mass deportations that maybe he might decide not to massively deport undocumented immigrants.
Regarding paying for the Wall to be built between the United States and Mexico, the U.S. taxpayer will need to pony up the money in front and then Mexico will be forced to cover the cost, or some significant portion of it. The idea being floated is to impose a 20% tariff on Mexican goods. The tariff was initially proposed as being imposed on exports but then changed to imports from Mexico. Therefore, those who like Mexican products will pay more to purchase them.
Mexican President Rena Nieto had a scheduled trip to the White House but when President Trump reignited the Wall issue, he cancelled his trip. Trump, with his thin-skinned inability to tolerate anyone who disagrees with him, or challenges him, then announced that he and President Nieto had "mutually" agreed to cancel the trip.
[Not So] Grand Old Party lawmakers decamped to Philadelphia for a three-day effort to hammer out legislative priorities. President Trump was invited and was expected to provide some specifics as to how the Affordable Care Act could be repealed and replaced. Trump has come and not conquered, as he almost completely ignored the subject. Trump recently pledged that everybody will be insured and the replacement plan is almost completely done.
Republican lawmakers, when interviewed, give widely varying answers on how replacement will taker place and on the timeline for replacement. The idea of simultaneously repealing and replacing, as President Trump wants, is a nonstarter, and insuring everyone is a pipe dream, since Republican lawmakers are strongly opposed to Single Payer. The Republican health care ACA replacement plans have largely been to: 1.) allow buying across state lines; 2.) set up Health Savings Accounts (HSAs); and 3.) provide income tax credits to cover medical costs. Trump has proposed offsetting health insurance premiums against taxable income. He may have dropped the idea; however, if implemented, it would cause a sizable loss of revenue.
Buying across state lines is not entirely prohibited today; however, the Congressional Budget Office has calculated that eliminating all present restrictions would insure only another 400,000 presently uninsured people. Most people don't have the excess income needed to set up a HSA, and even many of those who do, couldn't cover a six- or seven-digit medical care expense. Income tax credits, sufficient to cover most medical expenses, would result in substantial reductions in governmental revenue.
The mainstream media must do a much better job of exposing how bereft of ideas on health insurance are Republicans in high positions of power.
ADDENDUMS:
*Press Secretary Sean Spicer contends that "A lot of the people were there [at women's rallies] to protest an issue or concern to them and not against anything. Much as Kellyanne Conway stirred up a social media storm when she endorsed "alternative facts," Spicer opened up a social media assault against himself. I attended the Albuquerque rally, and virtually every of one of the many signs there expressed a grievance against Trump.
*The very same Mr. Spicer, who says he will be "honest" with the press, has told the press to "just shut up."
* A recent poll has found that 56% of the respondents are "very" concerned about losing health care coverage under the ACA; also, 45% of Republicans are "somewhat" concerned about insurance loss.
*Republicans were all up in arms about a black Democrat issuing executive orders, but nary a pip has been heard about a white Republican doing the same.
*A Washington Post/ABC News poll published last week, found 74% of Americans and 53% of Republicans saying that President Trump should make his tax returns public.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
The Way We Were in 2016
The following is a miscellany of poll results from a number of polling agencies. The polling agency is shown first, followed by the results.
1.) Public Religion Research Institute - 74% say the country is headed in the wrong direction and 50% think the nation's best days have passed.
2.) Gallup - 77% say Americans are greatly divided when it comes to the most important values.
3.) Monmouth - 70% say the election brought out the worst in people and 7% lost or terminated a friendship because of political arguments.
4.) Harris - 82% say the people running the country don't care about ordinary Americans.
5.) Gallup - 76% have an unfavorable opinion of Congress and 47% of the Supreme Court.
6.) Quinnipiac - 55% say Obama was a "good" or "great" president. Only 21% say he helped their personal financial situation and 33% say he hurt their finances.
7.) Huff Post/YouGov - 67% say the tax system favors the wealthy and 39% say Uncle Sam takes too much from their paycheck.
8.) Public Religion Research Institute - 62% support same-sex marriage and 72% favor laws protecting lesbian, gay and transgender people.
9.) Gallup - 60% think marijuana should be legalized.
10.) The Washington Post/ABC News - 63% believe race relations in the U.S. are in bad shape. 55% think things are only going to get worse.
11.) Fox News - 80% fear that terrorists will soon launch a major attack on U.S. soil. 39% fear the government will try to take away their guns and ammunition.
12.) Survey Monkey - 22% of Trump supporters believe Trump will drop a nuclear bomb.
13.) Gallup - A record 28% of American adults are now obese and another 36% are overweight.
I will comment on a few of the items above.
3.) The fact that 70% believe the election brought out the worst in people suggests a strong negative judgment about Trump voters.
5.) The 70% who have an unfavorable opinion of Congress is belied by the fact that almost all incumbent Congress persons are returned to office.
7.) 67% say the federal income tax favors the wealthy, but Donald Trump, whose tax plan is enormously oriented to the wealthy, was elected president.
10.) A 2010 poll taken in 2010 found 30% believing there was a race relations problem in the United States. The same poll taken in 2015 found 60% believing the same. When the same poll was taken in the first quarter of 2016, after there had been a series of police fatal shootings, 63% believed the same. There has been such a great increase in videos and accounts of police shootings of unarmed blacks and the excessive use of force, that it is reasonable to blame law enforcement as the main driver of the deterioration in race relations.
11.) The 39% who believe that the government will take away their guns and ammunition reveals the wide spread of paranoia in the nation.
12.) It is a matter of grave concern that slightly more than one-fifth of Trump supporters believe he will drop a nuclear bomb.
1.) Public Religion Research Institute - 74% say the country is headed in the wrong direction and 50% think the nation's best days have passed.
2.) Gallup - 77% say Americans are greatly divided when it comes to the most important values.
3.) Monmouth - 70% say the election brought out the worst in people and 7% lost or terminated a friendship because of political arguments.
4.) Harris - 82% say the people running the country don't care about ordinary Americans.
5.) Gallup - 76% have an unfavorable opinion of Congress and 47% of the Supreme Court.
6.) Quinnipiac - 55% say Obama was a "good" or "great" president. Only 21% say he helped their personal financial situation and 33% say he hurt their finances.
7.) Huff Post/YouGov - 67% say the tax system favors the wealthy and 39% say Uncle Sam takes too much from their paycheck.
8.) Public Religion Research Institute - 62% support same-sex marriage and 72% favor laws protecting lesbian, gay and transgender people.
9.) Gallup - 60% think marijuana should be legalized.
10.) The Washington Post/ABC News - 63% believe race relations in the U.S. are in bad shape. 55% think things are only going to get worse.
11.) Fox News - 80% fear that terrorists will soon launch a major attack on U.S. soil. 39% fear the government will try to take away their guns and ammunition.
12.) Survey Monkey - 22% of Trump supporters believe Trump will drop a nuclear bomb.
13.) Gallup - A record 28% of American adults are now obese and another 36% are overweight.
I will comment on a few of the items above.
3.) The fact that 70% believe the election brought out the worst in people suggests a strong negative judgment about Trump voters.
5.) The 70% who have an unfavorable opinion of Congress is belied by the fact that almost all incumbent Congress persons are returned to office.
7.) 67% say the federal income tax favors the wealthy, but Donald Trump, whose tax plan is enormously oriented to the wealthy, was elected president.
10.) A 2010 poll taken in 2010 found 30% believing there was a race relations problem in the United States. The same poll taken in 2015 found 60% believing the same. When the same poll was taken in the first quarter of 2016, after there had been a series of police fatal shootings, 63% believed the same. There has been such a great increase in videos and accounts of police shootings of unarmed blacks and the excessive use of force, that it is reasonable to blame law enforcement as the main driver of the deterioration in race relations.
11.) The 39% who believe that the government will take away their guns and ammunition reveals the wide spread of paranoia in the nation.
12.) It is a matter of grave concern that slightly more than one-fifth of Trump supporters believe he will drop a nuclear bomb.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Trump Nominees Break With Him
Several Cabinet appointees of Donald Trump disagree with him on key campaign promises and others are opposed to the missions to which they have been appointed.
1.) CIA director-designee Mike Pompeo: He absolutely will not authorize waterboarding of terrorism suspects and he considers the intelligence community's conclusion on Russian interference on the U.S. elections "sound" and is 'very clear-eyed" about the threat Moscow poses. On hacked emails: "I have never believed that WikiLeaks was a credible source of information."
2.) Defense secretary-designee James Mattis: He placed Russia first among principal threats facing the U.S. and called Vladimir Putin "an adversary in key areas." He is opposed to "trying to break the North Atlantic alliance." He has a "very, very high degree of confidence in our intelligence community." He called the Iran deal "imperfect" but "we have to live up to it" when America gives her word.
3.) Attorney general-designee Jeff Sessions: He does not favor a Muslim ban or a Muslim registry. On waterboarding he voted against making it illegal as a senator but promised to enforce the law. Grabbing a pussy: He said during the campaign that he didn't know [that it was illegal!] but now says: "Clearly it would be." In regard to undocumented immigrants voting, he didn't know what Trump meant or what facts he had.
4.) Department of Homeland Security secretary-designee John Kelly: [He said of building the Wall] "A physical barrier in and of itself... will not do the job. ... It has to be really a layered defense." He doesn't agree with a Muslim registry. He has "high confidence" in the intelligence community's assessment regarding Russian interference. He is against torture and also against "mass collection of data on people."
5.) Secretary of State secretary-designee Rex Tillerson: He disagrees with Trump that climate change is a hoax and he would not support pulling out of the Paris Accord. He expressed some support for a carbon tax. The commitment to NATO is "inviolate"; he is against a Muslim ban; he does not oppose TPP; and he believes it would be bad if Japan or South Korea acquired nukes. He also disagreed with Donald Trump calling Mexican immigrants rapists, criminals and drug traffickers.
Although Donald Trump contends that he doesn't have a problem with appointing people to high positions who disagree with his policy positions and the Trump camp has said that if there is a conflict on what to do, Trump's position will prevail, it creates incoherence and even chaos in government, if his appointees disagree with him on implementing his most deeply held policy positions, especially when they disagree very strongly.
Besides appointing people who disagree with him on a range of issues, Trump has appointed people who are strongly opposed to the mission of the very department they will head. When former Texas governor Rick Perry ran for president in 2012, he vowed to eliminate three departments of government. He named two but couldn't for the life of himself, remember the third. It was the Department of Energy, the very department he has been chosen to lead.
An argument made for him is that as governor of Texas he has good knowledge of fossil fuels; however, if the very adverse effects of climate change are to be lessened, the path to renewable energy must be widened.
The nominee to head the EPA, Scott Pruitt, Attorney General of Oklahoma since 2011, railed against Obama's efforts to reduce carbon emissions from U.S. power plants in an editorial in the conservative magazine, National Review. Pruitt said that scientists "continue to disagree" about the science of climate change. In a tweet on June 17, 2016, Pruitt warned Democrats that if climate change skeptics can be prosecuted for fraud, so can alarmists. By skeptics, Pruitt is referring to oil companies like ExxonMobil, which is under investigation for fraud in New York and Massachusetts, because it withheld findings about the reality of climate change by its own scientists. "Alarmists" are those who accept the science of climate change.
Scott Pruitt sued the EPA for its Clean Power Plan and urged other states to join the lawsuit. In 2014, the New York Times published emails showing Pruitt and other GOP AGs collaborating with corporations and lobbyists to file lawsuits and challenge federal regulations on everything from fracking to air pollution.
When Donald Trump nominated the billionaire, Betsy DeVos, to be the Secretary of Education, he remarked that it is a department that he may eliminate. DeVos could be the head of that wrecking crew, as she is an ardent foe of public education -- she and her children have not attended a public school. She is a strong proponent of school vouchers and charter schools. When the United States initiated the public school system, it was regarded as a great gift to the world. With her money and her advocacy, Betsy DeVos has worked to transform that gift into trash.
I will end with a comment on Dr. Ben Carson's appointment as HUD secretary. In a moment of candor, Carson said that he had no qualification to head a major government department. One of Trump's surrogates said that Carson was qualified, as he was born in a urban area, and because as a brain surgeon, he was smart enough to figure out how to do the job. Well, someone who was born in a rural area but has spent his entire career in the public housing field would very likely be a better bet to run HUD successfully.
Specialists in a particular field are often relatively clueless when taken out of their field of work.
1.) CIA director-designee Mike Pompeo: He absolutely will not authorize waterboarding of terrorism suspects and he considers the intelligence community's conclusion on Russian interference on the U.S. elections "sound" and is 'very clear-eyed" about the threat Moscow poses. On hacked emails: "I have never believed that WikiLeaks was a credible source of information."
2.) Defense secretary-designee James Mattis: He placed Russia first among principal threats facing the U.S. and called Vladimir Putin "an adversary in key areas." He is opposed to "trying to break the North Atlantic alliance." He has a "very, very high degree of confidence in our intelligence community." He called the Iran deal "imperfect" but "we have to live up to it" when America gives her word.
3.) Attorney general-designee Jeff Sessions: He does not favor a Muslim ban or a Muslim registry. On waterboarding he voted against making it illegal as a senator but promised to enforce the law. Grabbing a pussy: He said during the campaign that he didn't know [that it was illegal!] but now says: "Clearly it would be." In regard to undocumented immigrants voting, he didn't know what Trump meant or what facts he had.
4.) Department of Homeland Security secretary-designee John Kelly: [He said of building the Wall] "A physical barrier in and of itself... will not do the job. ... It has to be really a layered defense." He doesn't agree with a Muslim registry. He has "high confidence" in the intelligence community's assessment regarding Russian interference. He is against torture and also against "mass collection of data on people."
5.) Secretary of State secretary-designee Rex Tillerson: He disagrees with Trump that climate change is a hoax and he would not support pulling out of the Paris Accord. He expressed some support for a carbon tax. The commitment to NATO is "inviolate"; he is against a Muslim ban; he does not oppose TPP; and he believes it would be bad if Japan or South Korea acquired nukes. He also disagreed with Donald Trump calling Mexican immigrants rapists, criminals and drug traffickers.
Although Donald Trump contends that he doesn't have a problem with appointing people to high positions who disagree with his policy positions and the Trump camp has said that if there is a conflict on what to do, Trump's position will prevail, it creates incoherence and even chaos in government, if his appointees disagree with him on implementing his most deeply held policy positions, especially when they disagree very strongly.
Besides appointing people who disagree with him on a range of issues, Trump has appointed people who are strongly opposed to the mission of the very department they will head. When former Texas governor Rick Perry ran for president in 2012, he vowed to eliminate three departments of government. He named two but couldn't for the life of himself, remember the third. It was the Department of Energy, the very department he has been chosen to lead.
An argument made for him is that as governor of Texas he has good knowledge of fossil fuels; however, if the very adverse effects of climate change are to be lessened, the path to renewable energy must be widened.
The nominee to head the EPA, Scott Pruitt, Attorney General of Oklahoma since 2011, railed against Obama's efforts to reduce carbon emissions from U.S. power plants in an editorial in the conservative magazine, National Review. Pruitt said that scientists "continue to disagree" about the science of climate change. In a tweet on June 17, 2016, Pruitt warned Democrats that if climate change skeptics can be prosecuted for fraud, so can alarmists. By skeptics, Pruitt is referring to oil companies like ExxonMobil, which is under investigation for fraud in New York and Massachusetts, because it withheld findings about the reality of climate change by its own scientists. "Alarmists" are those who accept the science of climate change.
Scott Pruitt sued the EPA for its Clean Power Plan and urged other states to join the lawsuit. In 2014, the New York Times published emails showing Pruitt and other GOP AGs collaborating with corporations and lobbyists to file lawsuits and challenge federal regulations on everything from fracking to air pollution.
When Donald Trump nominated the billionaire, Betsy DeVos, to be the Secretary of Education, he remarked that it is a department that he may eliminate. DeVos could be the head of that wrecking crew, as she is an ardent foe of public education -- she and her children have not attended a public school. She is a strong proponent of school vouchers and charter schools. When the United States initiated the public school system, it was regarded as a great gift to the world. With her money and her advocacy, Betsy DeVos has worked to transform that gift into trash.
I will end with a comment on Dr. Ben Carson's appointment as HUD secretary. In a moment of candor, Carson said that he had no qualification to head a major government department. One of Trump's surrogates said that Carson was qualified, as he was born in a urban area, and because as a brain surgeon, he was smart enough to figure out how to do the job. Well, someone who was born in a rural area but has spent his entire career in the public housing field would very likely be a better bet to run HUD successfully.
Specialists in a particular field are often relatively clueless when taken out of their field of work.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Species Extinction; Anti-Semitism Act; and Child Abuse in the Military
I. Species Extinction
Edward O. Wilson says that "at one-half and above, life on earth enters the safe zone. Within that half, more than 80 percent of the species would be stabilized." "The peak of destruction that humanity has initiated is often called the Sixth Extinction."
"When expert estimates for invertebrates (such as the insects, crustaceans, and earthworms are added to estimates for algae, fungi, mosses, and gymnosperms as well as for bacteria and other microorganisms, the total added up and then projected has varied widely, from 5 million to more than 100 million species." "Humanity is losing the race between scientific study of global biodiversity and the obliteration of countless still unknown species." "As a consequence of human activity, it is believed that the current rate of extinction overall is between 100 and 1,000 times higher than it was originally."
'Biologists recognize that across the 3.8 billion year history of life, over 99 percent of all species that lived are extinct." [1]
II. Anti-Semitism Legislation
The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act would damage free speech rights on campuses. It endorses the State Department definition of anti-Semitism, which includes "delegitimizing" Israel, or "demonizing" Israel being held to a "double standard." The bill directs the Department of Education to consider this definition when investigating complaints of anti-Semitism on campus. But the bill does not add any new protections for Jewish students; also, the bill shuts down debate by suggesting that anyone who looks critically at Israeli policy is somehow beyond the pale. If Israel advocacy organizations report, say, a divestment protest, federal investigators may come to campus to investigate, causing a severe chilling effect. And if investigators determine that the university in question tolerates an anti-Semetic environment, they may revoke federal funding.
The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act flew through the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent,with zero debate and no public scrutiny, because the text of the bill was not published. No doubt, that's because lawmakers want to prevent vocal debate on Palestinian equality at all costs. [2]
III. Child Abuse in the Military
A Los Angeles Times investigation has found that the Army, Navy and Air Force knew of numerous cases of child abuse or neglect were occurring but failed to intervene, or to alert the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) or state welfare agencies. FAP is not able to properly investigate many of these cases due to "failure on the part of others to report concerns or maltreatment incidents, "warned an internal 2014 report on 27 deaths in Army families. "In several cases, command was aware of ongoing abuse but failed to report it," the report said. A 2014 report on 50 deaths in Air Force families over a five-year period reached the same conclusion. FAP counted 5,378 child abuse and neglect victims in military families in 2015. "We get about 25% of the incidents," says Rene Robichaux, who oversees an Army-wide clinical child abuse treatment program from the Army Medical Command in San Antonio. [3]
Studies show that America's longest wars have always been associated with poor mental health in military families: Behavioral problems in children, a higher risk of divorce, and higher rates of suicide.
ADDENDUMS:
*Judith Rodin, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation, has said that one-third of the world's available food either spoils or gets thrown away without being eaten. She adds that fixing the problem will feed an additional 795 million hungry people, while protecting the planet.
*The Founding Fathers proposed a pluralistic republic free of the religious wars that had burned through Western Europe. Trump's ban on Muslims aids ISIS, which can point to it as proof that the U.S. is waging war on Islam. It's a potent recruiting tool for jihadists.
*Since the introduction of Reaganomics, there's been a 70% drop in "social mobility."
Footnotes
[1] Edward O. Wilson, "Fifty-Fifty," Sierra, January/February 2017.
[2] Jon Rainwater, executive director of Peace Action, explanatory email of December 6, 2016.
[3] David S. Cloud, "Child abuse in the military: Failing those most in need," The Los Angeles Times, December 29, 2016.
Edward O. Wilson says that "at one-half and above, life on earth enters the safe zone. Within that half, more than 80 percent of the species would be stabilized." "The peak of destruction that humanity has initiated is often called the Sixth Extinction."
"When expert estimates for invertebrates (such as the insects, crustaceans, and earthworms are added to estimates for algae, fungi, mosses, and gymnosperms as well as for bacteria and other microorganisms, the total added up and then projected has varied widely, from 5 million to more than 100 million species." "Humanity is losing the race between scientific study of global biodiversity and the obliteration of countless still unknown species." "As a consequence of human activity, it is believed that the current rate of extinction overall is between 100 and 1,000 times higher than it was originally."
'Biologists recognize that across the 3.8 billion year history of life, over 99 percent of all species that lived are extinct." [1]
II. Anti-Semitism Legislation
The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act would damage free speech rights on campuses. It endorses the State Department definition of anti-Semitism, which includes "delegitimizing" Israel, or "demonizing" Israel being held to a "double standard." The bill directs the Department of Education to consider this definition when investigating complaints of anti-Semitism on campus. But the bill does not add any new protections for Jewish students; also, the bill shuts down debate by suggesting that anyone who looks critically at Israeli policy is somehow beyond the pale. If Israel advocacy organizations report, say, a divestment protest, federal investigators may come to campus to investigate, causing a severe chilling effect. And if investigators determine that the university in question tolerates an anti-Semetic environment, they may revoke federal funding.
The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act flew through the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent,with zero debate and no public scrutiny, because the text of the bill was not published. No doubt, that's because lawmakers want to prevent vocal debate on Palestinian equality at all costs. [2]
III. Child Abuse in the Military
A Los Angeles Times investigation has found that the Army, Navy and Air Force knew of numerous cases of child abuse or neglect were occurring but failed to intervene, or to alert the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) or state welfare agencies. FAP is not able to properly investigate many of these cases due to "failure on the part of others to report concerns or maltreatment incidents, "warned an internal 2014 report on 27 deaths in Army families. "In several cases, command was aware of ongoing abuse but failed to report it," the report said. A 2014 report on 50 deaths in Air Force families over a five-year period reached the same conclusion. FAP counted 5,378 child abuse and neglect victims in military families in 2015. "We get about 25% of the incidents," says Rene Robichaux, who oversees an Army-wide clinical child abuse treatment program from the Army Medical Command in San Antonio. [3]
Studies show that America's longest wars have always been associated with poor mental health in military families: Behavioral problems in children, a higher risk of divorce, and higher rates of suicide.
ADDENDUMS:
*Judith Rodin, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation, has said that one-third of the world's available food either spoils or gets thrown away without being eaten. She adds that fixing the problem will feed an additional 795 million hungry people, while protecting the planet.
*The Founding Fathers proposed a pluralistic republic free of the religious wars that had burned through Western Europe. Trump's ban on Muslims aids ISIS, which can point to it as proof that the U.S. is waging war on Islam. It's a potent recruiting tool for jihadists.
*Since the introduction of Reaganomics, there's been a 70% drop in "social mobility."
Footnotes
[1] Edward O. Wilson, "Fifty-Fifty," Sierra, January/February 2017.
[2] Jon Rainwater, executive director of Peace Action, explanatory email of December 6, 2016.
[3] David S. Cloud, "Child abuse in the military: Failing those most in need," The Los Angeles Times, December 29, 2016.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Marcus on Breitbart and Other Observations on Trump Regime
I. Ruth Marcus on Breitbart
"No, no, no. The notion that Breitbart is 'just a publication' like The New York Times but just several notches to the right is untrue and unacceptable." We're going to hear the word 'normalize' a lot during the Trump administration, and the risk is going to be exactly that, unfortunately. Trump says and does so many outrageous things that it will be tempting for us to tire of calling them, and him, out."
"So, Breitbart is misogynist." "Breitbart is all-around offensive and irresponsible. "Gabby Giffords, the gun-control movement's human shield." "Hanna Abedin 'Most Likely a Saudi Spy, with Deep, Inarguable Connections to Global Terrorist Entity.' "
"This is a man who has advocated for creation of a 'white others-state on the North American continent' "
"Breitbart isn't just a publication. It's a pestilence -- one whose repugnant views Trump has invited into his White House." [1]
II. Trump and Berlusconi Have Similarities
Director Franiesca Comencini has pointed out that Trump and Berlusconi (Italy's leader for nearly two decades) have a lot in common. They both amassed fortunes in real estate through questionable business practices. They share a taste for marble, extreme tans, and strongmen: Trump is impressed by Vladimir Putin and Saddam Hussein; Berlusconi was chummy with Muammar Qaddifi. Both have a murky rasp on the concept of consent.
"American women are just at the beginning of their time with the Pussy Grabber-in-Chief. The advice is not to feel you have lost... you have to walk like a winner." [2]
III. Hostility Toward Immigrants
"Yet the argument for states' rights began in the early years of the republic in an effort to confront exactly the type of threat to non-citizens that the incoming administration poses. Trump's hostility toward immigration has taken various iterations, but the common theme is to rid the country of foreign residents deemed dangerous and to prohibit the entry of people from hostile nations. It would appear that, two hundred and eighteen years later, the principle of the Alien and Sedition Acts have sprung, with surprising vigor, from their resting place in history." [3]
IV. Post-Truth World
Playwright Steve Tesich says: "We are rapidly becoming prototypes of a people that totalitarian monsters could only dream about in their dreams. All the dictators up to now have had to work hard at suppressing the truth. We, by our actions,are saying that this is no longer necessary... in a very fundamental way we, as a free people, have freely decided that we want to live in some post-truth world." [4]
V. Repressing Women
"There are dozens of reasons why Trump won, but misogyny was a big part of it." "As Vox reported, one of the biggest predictors of Trump support was 'hostile sexism." "Those white women, like the rest of us, now live in a country where the public humiliation of women have the White House seal of approval." "Repressing women in the name of purifying a decadent culture is always part of this package, as it was in the fascist sates of the 1930s." [5]
Footnotes
[1] Ruth Marcus, "Right-wing Breitbart is not 'just a publication,' " The Albuquerque Journal, November 26, 2016.
[2] Ariel Levy, "The Women," The New Yorker, November 28, 2016.
[3] Jelani Cobb, "States vs. Trump," The New Yorker, November 28, 2016.
[4] Richard Kreitner, "Post-Truth and Its Consequences," The Nation, December 19/26, 2016.
[5] Katha Pollitt, "They're With Him," The Nation, December 5/12, 2016.
"No, no, no. The notion that Breitbart is 'just a publication' like The New York Times but just several notches to the right is untrue and unacceptable." We're going to hear the word 'normalize' a lot during the Trump administration, and the risk is going to be exactly that, unfortunately. Trump says and does so many outrageous things that it will be tempting for us to tire of calling them, and him, out."
"So, Breitbart is misogynist." "Breitbart is all-around offensive and irresponsible. "Gabby Giffords, the gun-control movement's human shield." "Hanna Abedin 'Most Likely a Saudi Spy, with Deep, Inarguable Connections to Global Terrorist Entity.' "
"This is a man who has advocated for creation of a 'white others-state on the North American continent' "
"Breitbart isn't just a publication. It's a pestilence -- one whose repugnant views Trump has invited into his White House." [1]
II. Trump and Berlusconi Have Similarities
Director Franiesca Comencini has pointed out that Trump and Berlusconi (Italy's leader for nearly two decades) have a lot in common. They both amassed fortunes in real estate through questionable business practices. They share a taste for marble, extreme tans, and strongmen: Trump is impressed by Vladimir Putin and Saddam Hussein; Berlusconi was chummy with Muammar Qaddifi. Both have a murky rasp on the concept of consent.
"American women are just at the beginning of their time with the Pussy Grabber-in-Chief. The advice is not to feel you have lost... you have to walk like a winner." [2]
III. Hostility Toward Immigrants
"Yet the argument for states' rights began in the early years of the republic in an effort to confront exactly the type of threat to non-citizens that the incoming administration poses. Trump's hostility toward immigration has taken various iterations, but the common theme is to rid the country of foreign residents deemed dangerous and to prohibit the entry of people from hostile nations. It would appear that, two hundred and eighteen years later, the principle of the Alien and Sedition Acts have sprung, with surprising vigor, from their resting place in history." [3]
IV. Post-Truth World
Playwright Steve Tesich says: "We are rapidly becoming prototypes of a people that totalitarian monsters could only dream about in their dreams. All the dictators up to now have had to work hard at suppressing the truth. We, by our actions,are saying that this is no longer necessary... in a very fundamental way we, as a free people, have freely decided that we want to live in some post-truth world." [4]
V. Repressing Women
"There are dozens of reasons why Trump won, but misogyny was a big part of it." "As Vox reported, one of the biggest predictors of Trump support was 'hostile sexism." "Those white women, like the rest of us, now live in a country where the public humiliation of women have the White House seal of approval." "Repressing women in the name of purifying a decadent culture is always part of this package, as it was in the fascist sates of the 1930s." [5]
Footnotes
[1] Ruth Marcus, "Right-wing Breitbart is not 'just a publication,' " The Albuquerque Journal, November 26, 2016.
[2] Ariel Levy, "The Women," The New Yorker, November 28, 2016.
[3] Jelani Cobb, "States vs. Trump," The New Yorker, November 28, 2016.
[4] Richard Kreitner, "Post-Truth and Its Consequences," The Nation, December 19/26, 2016.
[5] Katha Pollitt, "They're With Him," The Nation, December 5/12, 2016.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
The Plutocratic and Wall Street-Friendly Trump Cabinet
I. A Cabinet of "Racist, Sexist, Climate-Denying Extremists"
SierraRise claims that despite campaign promises to "drain the swamp," Donald Trump picked nominees who comprise "the most extremist and unqualified slate of cabinet picks imaginable." The list includes:
*A Labor Secretary who has promoted low wages, automating workers, and the objectification of women.
*A Housing and Urban Development Secretary with no relevant experience.
*A Commerce Secretary who owned a dangerous coal mine where twelve miners died in an explosion.
*A Secretary pf State who ran ExxonMobil.
*An EPA administrator who has sued the agency on behalf of fossil fuel companies.
*An Energy Secretary who wants to get rid of the department (and might not know what it does).
*A Health and Human Services Secretary who has attacked policies that protect women's health.
*An Interior Secretary who has a League of Conservation Voters' score of 3%.
*An Attorney General who opposes civil and voting rights and was denied a federal judgeship due to racist remarks.
II. The Big Business Ties of Trump's Major Appointees
During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to purge the wealthy interests that wield power in D.C. At a rally in Akron, Ohio, Trump said: "I don't need them. I don't want them."
Hillary Clinton was harshly criticized for a speech she gave to Goldman Sachs executives. As identified by TIME magazine, three of Trump's major appointees have Goldman Sachs ties:
Steve Bannon, chief strategist: The former chairman of the right-wing media group Breitbart is also a Goldman Sachs veteran who later formed his own boutique investment firm.
Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council: The former options trader eventually became the second in command at Goldman Sachs.
Steve Mnuchin, Treasury Secretary: Trump's top campaign fundraiser was a Goldman Sachs executive who later ran a bank, OneWest, which hired a former aide to Senator Chris Dodd to lobby on financial regulations.
Besides Steve Mnuchin, who hired lobbyists as head of OneWest, three other top appointees of Trump[ had strong lobbying ties:
Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation: The former Labor Secretary and wife of the Senate majority leader serves on multiple corporate boards, including Wells Fargo, with a significant lobbying presence in D.C.
Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State: Oil giant ExxonMobil has spent more than $170 million on lobbying since Tillerson became its CEO in 2006.
Andrew Puzder, Secretary of Labor: The CEO of the parent company of fast-food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's hired D.C. lobbyists, and was a top Trump campaign donor.
Including Puzder, three other Trump nominees made their bones as major donors:
Linda McMahon, Small Business Administrator: The World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder shelled out $6 million to a Trump super PAC in August and September alone.
Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education: The billionaire philanthropist and her husband, the former president of Amway, forked over nearly $2.9 million to GOP candidates and causes in 2016. [1]
ADDENDUMS:
*Wind power has increased from about 5% to 23.9% as a U.S. renewable energy source, while solar has increased from about 3% to 7.4% as a similar source. As leaders in U.S. installed wind-power capacity (megawatts), Texas has 18,531; Iowa has 6,365; California has 5,662; and Oklahoma has 5,453. (Sources: EIA; American Wind Energy Association)
*"A total of 560 major regulations -- those having an economic impact of $100 million or more -- were published in the first seven years of the Obama administration, according to the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center, compared with 494 for his predecessor, George W. Bush."
*The EPA calculates that gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment (GLGE) in the United States emits a total of 20.4 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.
*The International Energy Agency expects that as early as 2021, renewable energy will grow by as much as 42% globally.
Footnote
[1] Zeke J. Miller, "How Trump is restocking the Washington swamp," TIME, December 26, 2016-January 2, 2017.
SierraRise claims that despite campaign promises to "drain the swamp," Donald Trump picked nominees who comprise "the most extremist and unqualified slate of cabinet picks imaginable." The list includes:
*A Labor Secretary who has promoted low wages, automating workers, and the objectification of women.
*A Housing and Urban Development Secretary with no relevant experience.
*A Commerce Secretary who owned a dangerous coal mine where twelve miners died in an explosion.
*A Secretary pf State who ran ExxonMobil.
*An EPA administrator who has sued the agency on behalf of fossil fuel companies.
*An Energy Secretary who wants to get rid of the department (and might not know what it does).
*A Health and Human Services Secretary who has attacked policies that protect women's health.
*An Interior Secretary who has a League of Conservation Voters' score of 3%.
*An Attorney General who opposes civil and voting rights and was denied a federal judgeship due to racist remarks.
II. The Big Business Ties of Trump's Major Appointees
During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to purge the wealthy interests that wield power in D.C. At a rally in Akron, Ohio, Trump said: "I don't need them. I don't want them."
Hillary Clinton was harshly criticized for a speech she gave to Goldman Sachs executives. As identified by TIME magazine, three of Trump's major appointees have Goldman Sachs ties:
Steve Bannon, chief strategist: The former chairman of the right-wing media group Breitbart is also a Goldman Sachs veteran who later formed his own boutique investment firm.
Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council: The former options trader eventually became the second in command at Goldman Sachs.
Steve Mnuchin, Treasury Secretary: Trump's top campaign fundraiser was a Goldman Sachs executive who later ran a bank, OneWest, which hired a former aide to Senator Chris Dodd to lobby on financial regulations.
Besides Steve Mnuchin, who hired lobbyists as head of OneWest, three other top appointees of Trump[ had strong lobbying ties:
Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation: The former Labor Secretary and wife of the Senate majority leader serves on multiple corporate boards, including Wells Fargo, with a significant lobbying presence in D.C.
Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State: Oil giant ExxonMobil has spent more than $170 million on lobbying since Tillerson became its CEO in 2006.
Andrew Puzder, Secretary of Labor: The CEO of the parent company of fast-food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's hired D.C. lobbyists, and was a top Trump campaign donor.
Including Puzder, three other Trump nominees made their bones as major donors:
Linda McMahon, Small Business Administrator: The World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder shelled out $6 million to a Trump super PAC in August and September alone.
Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education: The billionaire philanthropist and her husband, the former president of Amway, forked over nearly $2.9 million to GOP candidates and causes in 2016. [1]
ADDENDUMS:
*Wind power has increased from about 5% to 23.9% as a U.S. renewable energy source, while solar has increased from about 3% to 7.4% as a similar source. As leaders in U.S. installed wind-power capacity (megawatts), Texas has 18,531; Iowa has 6,365; California has 5,662; and Oklahoma has 5,453. (Sources: EIA; American Wind Energy Association)
*"A total of 560 major regulations -- those having an economic impact of $100 million or more -- were published in the first seven years of the Obama administration, according to the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center, compared with 494 for his predecessor, George W. Bush."
*The EPA calculates that gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment (GLGE) in the United States emits a total of 20.4 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.
*The International Energy Agency expects that as early as 2021, renewable energy will grow by as much as 42% globally.
Footnote
[1] Zeke J. Miller, "How Trump is restocking the Washington swamp," TIME, December 26, 2016-January 2, 2017.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Gun Numbers, Laws, Ownership, and Gun-Related Deaths
1.) U.S. Gun Numbers
As of 2009, there were 310 million firearms in the United States. There were 114 million handguns, 86 million shotguns and 110 million rifles. Firearms were responsible for 71% of all murders in 2015.
2.) Gun Laws
California has the most restrictive gun laws in the United States, followed most closely by Illinois and New York. By region, the Northeast has the most restrictive gun laws.
The states with the least restrictive gun laws are Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia, with Arizona having the least restrictive laws.
3.) Gun Ownership
Gun ownership tends to be higher where gun laws are least restrictive. At 62%, Alaska has the highest rate of gun ownership in the U.S. and, at 5%, Delaware has the lowest rate of gun ownership. High gun ownership states, besides Alaska, are: New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, Arkansas, Alabama and West Virginia.
Except for California, Nebraska, Indiana and Ohio, which fall into the lowest of five categories for households owning a firearm, all of the Northeast states fall into the two lowest of these five categories.
4.) Gun-Related Deaths
Gun-related deaths are more prevalent in the Southern states. Those states that fall into the highest of five categories of gun-related deaths are: Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana (the highest at 19%).
Hawaii, at 3%, has the lowest rate of gun-related deaths. Others in the lowest of five categories are: California, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, New York, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut.
5.) Matches in Categories
The states that display a match between the most restrictive gun laws and the lowest rate of gun-related deaths are all in the Northeast, with the single exception of California.
The states that display a match between the least restrictive gun laws and the highest rate of gun-related deaths are: Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas and Louisiana.
6.) Background Checks
There were 9 million background checks in 2000 and 23 million in 2015.
The percentage increase in gun-owning households from 39% in 2000 to 41% in 2015, a growth rate far lower than that of background checks, suggests that those in gun-owning households are stocking up.
ADDENDUMS:
*More people die from guns than from car accidents. In 2016 there have been 1,622 accidental shootings, and 515 children have been shot.
*About half of owners say they own guns for protection, followed by hunting (32%).
*More than 60% of gun-related deaths are suicides, while about a third are homicides.
The sources for the information provided above can be found in: Emily Barone, "One nation, up in arms," TIME, October 24, 2016.
As of 2009, there were 310 million firearms in the United States. There were 114 million handguns, 86 million shotguns and 110 million rifles. Firearms were responsible for 71% of all murders in 2015.
2.) Gun Laws
California has the most restrictive gun laws in the United States, followed most closely by Illinois and New York. By region, the Northeast has the most restrictive gun laws.
The states with the least restrictive gun laws are Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia, with Arizona having the least restrictive laws.
3.) Gun Ownership
Gun ownership tends to be higher where gun laws are least restrictive. At 62%, Alaska has the highest rate of gun ownership in the U.S. and, at 5%, Delaware has the lowest rate of gun ownership. High gun ownership states, besides Alaska, are: New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, Arkansas, Alabama and West Virginia.
Except for California, Nebraska, Indiana and Ohio, which fall into the lowest of five categories for households owning a firearm, all of the Northeast states fall into the two lowest of these five categories.
4.) Gun-Related Deaths
Gun-related deaths are more prevalent in the Southern states. Those states that fall into the highest of five categories of gun-related deaths are: Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana (the highest at 19%).
Hawaii, at 3%, has the lowest rate of gun-related deaths. Others in the lowest of five categories are: California, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, New York, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut.
5.) Matches in Categories
The states that display a match between the most restrictive gun laws and the lowest rate of gun-related deaths are all in the Northeast, with the single exception of California.
The states that display a match between the least restrictive gun laws and the highest rate of gun-related deaths are: Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas and Louisiana.
6.) Background Checks
There were 9 million background checks in 2000 and 23 million in 2015.
The percentage increase in gun-owning households from 39% in 2000 to 41% in 2015, a growth rate far lower than that of background checks, suggests that those in gun-owning households are stocking up.
ADDENDUMS:
*More people die from guns than from car accidents. In 2016 there have been 1,622 accidental shootings, and 515 children have been shot.
*About half of owners say they own guns for protection, followed by hunting (32%).
*More than 60% of gun-related deaths are suicides, while about a third are homicides.
The sources for the information provided above can be found in: Emily Barone, "One nation, up in arms," TIME, October 24, 2016.
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