The, “At This Point What Difference Does It Make” quote comes from testimony during a 2013 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing when Republican senator Ron Johnson pressed Clinton to answer a question about the cause of the attack on Benghazi.
I get seriously upset when I see these cowards in Washington D.C.
Not being held accountable for their cruel deeds!!!
I really feel like the odd one out because it doesn’t seem to affect others as much as it does me. I just can’t comprehend it, and it affects me deeply, like in a spiritual way. Knowing you’re doing something terrible to people who don’t deserve it, unapologetically… I really can’t fathom it.
I’ve been cruel at times, and I like to use the word “egocentric” because it helps me understand myself and others a bit better. They’re in a place where they can’t think beyond themselves. It happens when we’re in crisis or, really, just in need and not being heard. Egocentrism is a defense mechanism that works for some people. It didn’t for me, and I’m glad I’ve grown to be a person who minimizes the hurt I put into the world. Some people never evolve past that egocentrism.
Because they like it. It makes them happy. They go out of their way to think up ways to hurt people. Cruelty makes them feel powerful when they are too pathetic to create, they can take the easy way to affect the world and destroy things like a tantrum throwing toddler instead.
They want the rush they get from hurting others, and love the idea that they have power over how others feel. They know better, but they don’t care. Some are just selfish, but that’s an oversimplification. Many just really, really enjoy hurting others.
They want to feel above them and somehow hurting people makes them feel dominant, even though hurting people is so easy any idiot can do it. They delude themselves into thinking it makes them better, but any person who doesn’t think like them can see how pathetic it is
‘ Just over a century later, Jean-Jacques Rousseau countered that human nature is essentially good, and that we could have lived peaceful and happy lives well before the development of anything like the modern state.
The researchers found that adolescents who had a variation of another gene, which contributes to how quickly serotonin is recycled in the brain and which has been linked to hostile behavior in children, were more likely to exhibit signs of psychopathy. According to Bernard, Williams’ conception of integrity as authenticity suggests that it is possible for a morally wicked person to have integrity.
Forty years ago it would have been correct to say that integrity is a neglected topic in analytical discussions of ethics. Bernard Williams’ “A Critique of Utilitarianism” put an end to that trend.1
A large body of literature is now available on the nature of integrity.2
Williams’ early writings on integrity and character were also key factors in the turn in moral philosophy from impartial, conduct-based moral theories (Kantian deontology and consequentialism) to a focus on views that at an earlier time were described as “personalist ethics” and we now commonly classify as virtue ethics or character-focused moral theories.3
Williams was not the lone voice in the shift from impartial moral theories to a central concern for character and virtue. (In speaking of Williams’ ‘early writings,’ I am referring to his work prior to Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy.4)
At the neurological level, greed is controlled by the reward centre of the brain. Greedy people feel good when they choose the stuff they want, and this happens at the unconscious, emotional level of the brain, meaning there’s little conscious awareness about how greedy actions might affect others, or be unfair.
One distinctive trait of evil people is their tendency to take pleasure in the misfortune of others. It’s almost as if they get a sense of satisfaction from others suffering. In some cases, this twisted satisfaction might even drive them to intentionally create situations that lead to misery.
People can sometimes act inhumanely due to a complex mix of factors including: psychological issues like a lack of empathy, social pressures, a desire for power, dehumanization of others, personal trauma, upbringing, and even evolutionary traits that could incentivize certain aggressive behaviors in certain situations; it’s important to remember that not everyone is inherently cruel, and most people are capable of kindness and compassion, but certain circumstances can trigger inhumane behavior.
Humans typically do things to get pleasure or avoid pain. For most of us, hurting others causes us to feel their pain. And we don’t like this feeling. This suggests two reasons people may harm the harmless – either they don’t feel the others’ pain or they enjoy feeling the others’ pain.
The question of whether humans are inherently kind or cruel is complex and depends on a mix of both nature and nurture, reflecting our genetic makeup and upbringing or environment. The philosopher Mencius argued that humans are innately good, but it’s necessary to develop and extend this goodness.
Some people are cruel as a coping mechanism to handle fear and rejection. They feel that by being cruel they can in some way control their fear of rejection or push a person away and avoid being hurt.
Some people are motivated to do evil to gain self- esteem, to live up to a grandiose self-image. In these situations, vindictive acts can be weapons used to put other people down. However, many evil acts are the result of idealistic fanaticism.
A simple game played with students illustrates that while humans tend towards self-interest, they also act with prosocial motivations. A growing body of research is revealing that pro-sociality is found more often in market-based (versus communitarian) societies.
Why are human beings said to be the cruelest of all living beings? Explanation: Humans are cruel because of their mentality. They are just cunning, and this nature came cauz of inheritance and society. No one can accept that the other person or opposite person is growing up and having a better future. Even if the other person’s future is ruined, most humans think they will ruin his/her future more.
Cruel people may enjoy causing others pain or suffering, either physically or emotionally. They may use insults or belittling language to diminish others and make themselves feel superior. They may be quick to anger and lash out at others for perceived slights or wrongdoings.
Trauma Cycles
This can lead to reactions such as defenselessness, anxiety, increased sensitivity, and anger. Some individuals may unconsciously react aggressively or hurtfully towards others to regain control and cope with these overwhelming emotions.
How is nature not as cruel as man? The cruelty of nature passes out quickly whereas the man’s ingratitude is everlasting.
Do Evil Doers Know They Do Evil
Some do, some don’t. The thing that counts is how they influence their surroundings and how this enables them to act on them being evil. Some do, some don’t. People who commit financial crimes – thieves, corrupt people, frauds – may internally regret their actions. Whether humans are born good or evil has been debated by philosophers for centuries. Aristotle argued that morality is learned, and that we’re born as “amoral creatures” while Sigmund Freud considered new-borns a moral blank slate.
What Does GOD Consider as Evil
Thomas Aquinas, the 13th-century Dominican theologian, and in the Theodicy (1710), by the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. According to Leibniz, there are 3 forms of evil in the world: moral, physical, and metaphysical. From this Svendsen proposes that there are four kinds of evil in the world: demonic, instrumental, idealistic, and stupid evil.
Why Do Bad People Feel They Are Doing Good Deeds
Psychologist Albert Bandura would probably agree. He theorized that people who do evil have justified the morality of their actions to themselves in some way. By convincing themselves their behavior is moral, these people can separate and disengage themselves from immoral behavior and its consequences.
The biblical concept of evil is also identified as: Something deficient, negative, or worthless (Gen 41:3 ; 2 Kgs 2:19 ; Matt 7:17 ; Acts 17:5 ) Emotional or relational distress, insult, guilty conscience (Gen 6:6 ; 28:8 ; Eccl 1:13 ; Matt 5:11 ; Heb 10:22 )
Why are people selfish nowadays? Cultural Shifts: Modern society often emphasizes individualism and personal achievement. This cultural shift can lead to people prioritizing their own needs and desires over those of the community.
Greed + Selfishness = Coldness and Dark Hearts
Greed is another natural human instinct -‐-‐ we are all selfish and greedy at heart, and for sound evolutionary reasons. In times of scarcity, a stingy cave man was more likely to survive and reproduce than a generous one who shared his limited resources with the less fortunate. What Did Jesus Say About Greed 19 Bible Verses About Greed And Wealth
Greed steals from life’s better joys
“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions’” (Luke 12:15). Life is about more than money. Character Trait: Greedy.
Greedy people may prioritize their own interests over the needs of others, leading to a lack of empathy and understanding in relationships. Greedy people may have difficulty maintaining long-term relationships, as their self-centered behavior can drive others away.
Thomas Hobbes. In his famous 1651 work Leviathan, Hobbes argues that people are inherently wicked and selfish, and he puts forth his ideas for the social contract and laws required by a society of evil creatures.
Similarly, in Humankind, historian Rutger Bregman writes that when we commit acts of cruelty and evil, we typically do so as a result of drives like a fear of strangers, a need to fit in, or a desire to act in the interest of the greater good.
What Does the Bible Say About Hurting People
We know it’s true, hurting people hurts people. Then we come to the words of Jesus: “love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who despitefully use you. If someone strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other… Be merciful even as your Father is merciful… Nature is a living system, and as such, uncontrollable. It is interdependent and dynamic.
Conversely, control is possible only in static, predictable situations.
We all share the same planet, and while nature can exist without us, we cannot exist without nature. As wealthy, developed, and technologically advanced as we may be, ultimately, nature is the bedrock of our human existence and the key to human resilience, health, stability, and well-being.
Explanation: The poet compares the biting wind of nature to the bite of ingratitude from man. The poet views man’s ingratitude as a fierce animal with sharp teeth. The poet has suffered a lot from ungrateful men, so he calls the winter wind not so unkind as man’s ingratitude.
Why Nature is More Powerful than People – Search Nature has urgency. Nature acts on the planet on a scale that dwarfs most human processes. The Earth’s powerful climate system is a case in point. The impact it has on every person in the world makes clear one basic fact : We are small, we are fragile, we are the ones at risk,
Human impact on the environment – Wikipedia Some human activities that cause damage (either directly or indirectly) to the environment on a global scale include population growth, neoliberal economic policies and rapid economic growth, overconsumption, overexploitation, pollution, and deforestation.
At least 11 states are slated to join California in prohibiting the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. To curb tailpipe emissions and boost EV and plug-in hybrid sales, California is working toward banning the purchase of combustion cars. Eleven more US states announced plans to follow suit.
California is gearing up to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars — and now 11 more US states are playing follow the leader.
A measure approved by the California Air Resources Board back in August 2022 requires all new cars, SUVs and pickup trucks sold in the state to generate zero tailpipe emissions by 2035. The policy won’t take existing vehicles off the road, but automakers and car dealers will be restricted to selling electric vehicles and certain plug-in hybrids.
This story is part of CNET Zero, a series that chronicles the impact of climate change and explores what’s being done about the problem.
“Our cars shouldn’t make wildfires worse — and create more days filled with smoky air,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. “Cars shouldn’t melt glaciers or raise sea levels, threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines.”
California has been given the green light by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars and light trucks by 2035. This decision is part of California’s Advanced Clean Cars II Regulations (ACC II), which were approved in 2022. Here are some key points:
Phase-out Timeline: Starting in 2026, 35% of new cars and light trucks sold in California must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). This percentage increases to 68% by 2030, and by 2035, only ZEVs can be sold as new.
Zero-Emission Vehicles: ZEVs include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids (with a range of 50 miles or more), and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Nitrogen Oxide Emissions: California’s plan also includes reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from heavy-duty vehicles by 75% initially, followed by a 90% reduction later.
Other States: Several other states, including Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, have announced plans to adopt California’s standards.
Governor Gavin Newsom has emphasized that this move is aimed at reducing air pollution and combating climate change. However, there is expected opposition from some political figures and industries.1.
California gets the green light to ban gas car sales by 2035.
Key takeaways
The Biden administration has granted California permission to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035, making it one of the most ambitious climate policies in the countrynytimes.com+2.
California’s phase-out will begin in 2026, requiring automakers to have 35% of their sales as zero-emission vehiclesnytimes.com+1.
This move is likely to face legal challenges and potential revocation by future administrationsmsn.com+1.
The state’s Advanced Clean Cars II rule requires zero-emission vehicles to represent 35% of new cars and light trucks in lots by 2026, and then 68% by 2030, before reaching 100% in 2035.
When it comes to emissions, California is a leader: 11 other states that link their standards to California’s have also announced plans to prohibit the sale of new ICE (internal combustion engine) automobiles after 2035, and more could follow.
Which states are banning the sale of new gas-powered cars?
Under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, states must either adhere to federal emissions standards or adopt California’s more stringent guidelines.
Seventeen states have historically followed California’s regulations, but so far only Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have announced they’ll enforce the Advanced Clean Cars II rule and prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles.
Delaware
Following a public hearing in April 2023, Shawn Garvin, the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control of Delaware, finalized regulations to adopt California’s regulations on the gas-powered vehicle ban. This served as an amendment to Delaware’s previously existing Low Emission Vehicle program, bringing it in line with the standards imposed by Section 177 of the Clean Air Act.
Maine
In May 2023, the Maine legislature received a civilian petition urging the regulatory body to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II standards within the state. A public hearing was held in August 2023, and a rulemaking session was supposed to be held in December but was canceled because of bad weather.
Further rule making is set to occur this year, with the most recent hearing having been held in March. If the ACC II is adopted in Maine, the state will be instituting California’s gas-powered car ban in 2028.
Maryland
Gov. Wes Moore announced in March 2023 that Maryland would be the seventh state to ban gas-powered cars by 2035. Moore cited public health as his reason for the adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, saying it would save the state nearly $40 million annually in lost productivity from respiratory and cardiovascular illness.
Massachusetts
One of the first states to adopt California’s Advanced Clean Cars II legislation, Massachusetts has a trigger law to automatically adopt any emissions policy enacted by the Golden State. As such, Massachusetts has planned to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 since the inception of the policy in August 2022.
New Jersey
New Jersey was the sixth state that has used Section 177 of the Clean Air Act to ban gas-powered car sales by 2035. In March 2023, Gov. Phil Murphy signed executive orders initiating the legislative process to adopt the stricter ICE vehicle regulations. “I am proud to announce that we’re accelerating New Jersey’s goal of reaching a 100% clean energy future ahead by 15 years — from 2050 to 2035,” Murphy said.
New York
New York was the fourth state to begin mobilizing to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035, with Gov. Kathy Hochul beginning a legislative effort in September 2022. The governor ordered officials to draft regulations that would “require all new passenger cars, pickup trucks and SUVs sold in New York State to be zero emissions by 2035.” The law was passed in the summer of 2023.
Oregon
Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission voted in December 2022 to phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles within the state by 2035. The state’s legislative body followed behind California, Massachusetts, Washington and New York to become the fifth state to enact the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations.
Pennsylvania
In accordance with the state’s adherence to California’s emissions legislation, Pennsylvania lawmakers have also agreed to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations. The state hasn’t formally released information about what any state-specific ACC II rules might look like as of yet.
Rhode Island
The eighth state to utilize Section 177 of the Clean Air Act to ban gas-powered vehicles, Rhode Island put the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations into effect in May 2023. Gov. Dan McKee was adamant that the new policy would cut back on smog and work toward environmental justice within the state. “The Act on Climate put us on the clock for meeting major carbon reduction mandates, and it’s clear to me that Rhode Island will only meet the mandates by addressing the transportation sector head-on,” McKee said.
Vermont
In November 2022, Vermont lawmakers approved changes to clean-car requirements that would require new cars sold in the state to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030, WCAX reported. Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, who must approve the policy, did not respond to a request for comment.
Washington
The other state with a trigger law to automatically adopt California’s emissions regulations, Washington adopted the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations at the same time Massachusetts did. Both states immediately followed up on the initial legislation passed by California in August 2022.
Other states that usually follow California regulations
Colorado
Colorado has adopted California’s zero-emission policies in the past, but Gov. Jared Polis has rejected the idea of a ban. Instead, state agencies will focus on making EVs more affordable and practical. Announced in March 2023, the Colorado Electric Vehicle plan sets a goal of EVs accounting for at least 80% of new car sales by 2032, compared with slightly more than 10% in 2022.
Connecticut
Though Connecticut seemed poised to accept California’s zero-emission regulations, and even ended up for a brief time on the list of states adopting Section 177 of the Clean Air Act to end sales on gas-powered vehicles, infighting from state lawmakers has killed any plans to go through with the ban — at least for now. A special session held earlier this year was supposed to come to another conclusion on the legislation, but no bipartisan solution was decided on.
Democratic lawmakers in the state have since abandoned the adoption of a gas-powered vehicle ban and are refocusing on other infrastructure legislation.
Virginia
In Virginia, the outlook is more muddled: Republican lawmakers are fighting to decouple the state from California’s emissions rules, but their last bill was defeated in February. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has still vowed to overturn what he called a “ridiculous edict,” according to WTOP News.
Minnesota
Though Minnesota’s 2021 Clean Car Rule links it to California’s standards, it doesn’t automatically trigger a ban on ICE vehicles. State Rep. Jamie Long, chair of the state Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee, said the likelihood of such a prohibition “is probably low,” MinnPost reported. Car dealers in the state sued to get the Clean Car Rule struck down in January but failed. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, meanwhile, has called for 20% of cars on Minnesota roads to be electric by 2030, up from 1% today.
With the way Biden ran this country in the last four years, why would 10 states Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi & Wyoming have less votes for Trump then he gained in 2020. And these Cities New York City 75%, Philadelphia 78.8%, Newark N.J. 71.7% Boston 75%, Baltimore 75%, Atlanta 75%, Detroit/Ann Arbor 65%, Minneapolis 70.2%, Chicago 70.3%, Denver 76.7% Los Angeles 64.8%, San Francisco 80%, Portland 78.7% and Seattle 73.6%…
Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, has come under scrutiny for his financial ties to investment giants BlackRock and Vanguard, raising concerns over potential conflicts of interest. As the Second Gentleman, Emhoff’s investment portfolio is of particular interest because both BlackRock and Vanguard have substantial holdings in lithium mining operations, including ventures in North Carolina, a state poised to become a significant player in the race for lithium production. With growing demand for lithium to support the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, questions are emerging over how Emhoff stands to profit from these investments while his wife holds a position of political power.
Doug Emhoff’s net worth, estimated at $5.8 million according to public reports, is largely tied to various investment funds, many of which are connected to BlackRock and Vanguard. These two financial behemoths, known for their global influence, have been significantly involved in the energy and mining sectors, with a particular emphasis on lithium mining as demand for EV batteries continues to surge. Lithium is considered one of the most critical components in green energy infrastructure, making investments in this space both financially lucrative and politically sensitive.
According to a Lifestyle Asia report, Emhoff’s wealth comes from his legal career and prudent investment decisions. His connection to BlackRock and Vanguard puts him in a prime position to benefit from the rising profitability of lithium extraction, particularly in North Carolina, where new mining projects are anticipated to ramp up in the coming years. The profitability of lithium is driven by the rapid expansion of the EV market, with companies like Tesla and other automakers clamoring for steady supplies of this key mineral.
North Carolina has emerged as a key player in the global lithium market. With new deposits discovered and mining operations scaling up, the state could become a hub for lithium production in the United States. BlackRock and Vanguard, with their heavy involvement in resource extraction, have major stakes in this emerging market. This intersection of political influence and personal financial gain raises ethical questions about potential conflicts of interest.
Critics argue that Emhoff’s financial ties to these firms could potentially compromise Vice President Kamala Harris’ stance on energy policy and regulation. How can the Second Family truly advocate for a balanced and ethical energy transition when one of its members stands to gain directly from a controversial industry? These concerns are echoed by conservative voices who see this as another instance of political elites profiting from industries that they are in a position to regulate. Read more Kamala Harris’ Husband Tied to BlackRock, Vanguard, and Controversial Lithium Profits – Finish The Race
Can I still buy a used gas-powered car?
This illustration shows the difference between an ICE car (internal combustion engine), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), plug-in hybrid car (PHEV) and a full battery electric vehicle (BEV). Each car type has charging, fueling and emissions differences. Theron Green/CNET
The regulations don’t force anyone to stop driving their current automobile or prevent them from buying a used car. They also don’t prevent you from buying an ICE vehicle in another state and registering it locally.
The average lifespan of a car is about 12 years or 200,000 miles, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, so there will be ICE cars available in the affected states for some time. Since only 12 states have adopted Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, there will likely still be a strong gas-powered vehicle market in America for the foreseeable future.
Are medium- and heavy-duty vehicles included in the ban?
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, like public buses and trucks weighing more than 14,000 pounds, “produce a disproportionately large portion of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions,” according to the California Energy Commission, and should be 100% zero-emission by 2045 “where feasible.”
California is set to prohibit the sale of large diesel trucks in 2036.
Is there a nationwide ban on gas-powered cars?
President Joe Biden has set a goal of having half of all new vehicle sales in the US be electric by 2030. To achieve that, he earmarked $5 billion to create a nationwide infrastructure of charging stations and revised the EV tax credit to spur domestic production.
But the White House has not floated an outright prohibition on new ICE vehicles. Instead, new standards for gas-powered vehicles dictate that manufacturers will have to build them to be more environmentally friendly, working toward a carbon-neutral goal.
Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan also requires government agencies to transition to buy only zero-emission light-duty vehicles by 2027 and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2035.
The White House announced in April 2023 that the federal government had already acquired 13,000 light- and medium-duty zero-emission vehicles in 2023, roughly four times the number it had bought in all of 2022.
Viability of the ban: What the experts are saying
While the ICE vehicle ban could go a long way to helping meet America’s emissions goals, there are questions that come up time and time again. How are we going to reliably get EVs into the hands of consumers? And how are we going to support them once those vehicles are in their hands?
CNET’s resident EV expert, Antuan Goodwin, points out that plug-in cars are more expensive than combustion vehicles right now — in many cases, they’re seen as a luxury. While price trends downward with improvements in technology, an ICE ban might raise the average transaction price for EVs.
In the short term this could end up hurting the average person, but in the long term this should actually help them out, due to the lower operating costs of hybrids and EVs.
Goodwin also identified infrastructural concerns that need to be reckoned with as these bans come into effect. According to Goodwin, we’ll need to figure out “how quickly plug-in infrastructure can and will grow, and what to do with all of the current gas stations as EVs replace combustion cars.” There will be ample time for this, however, as the ban doesn’t do anything to remove the millions of ICE vehicles already on the road today.
“Of course, combustion car emissions goals have been a constantly moving target, so we could see targets for ICE bans shift as trends in technology, public opinion and politics also shift in the coming years,” concluded Goodwin.
Which carmakers will no longer produce gas-powered vehicles?
With increased demand and government regulations, a number of leading auto companies have shared timelines for when they plan to phase out ICE vehicles.
General Motors has said it will sell only zero-emission cars by the time California’s ban takes effect in 2035. By 2040, GM said, it will be carbon-neutral both in its vehicles and manufacturing operations.
Other carmakers vowing to go all-electric include Jaguar (2025), Volvo (2030), Rolls-Royce (2030) and Honda (2040).
Ford has pledged to ditch gas-powered cars in 2030, but only in Europe.
Stellantis — parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Jeep — has said 100% of its sales in Europe and 50% of sales in the US will be battery electric vehicles by the end of the decade.
That’s when Mercedes-Benz says it will cease production of gas-powered vehicles “where market conditions allow.” The German automaker has promised to offer battery-electric versions of all its models by 2025.
Volkswagen plans to go all-electric in Europe by 2033.
Kia and Hyundai both have plans to ramp up their EV offerings, though neither has said anything about ending the production of ICE models.
Back in 2017, Toyota said it would phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2040. But while the Japanese automaker has led the way with hybrids, Toyota director Shigeki Terashi said in a 2021 investors’ call that it was “too early to concentrate on one option,” at least until 2050.
In January, incoming CEO Koji Sato said “the time is right” for an EV-first approach. But at the Davos summit that same month, Toyota Chief Scientist Gill Pratt argued that the scarcity of lithium for EV batteries made an all-in approach unfeasible.
“These shortages — not only of battery materials, but of charging infrastructure — will make it abundantly clear that one size does not fit all,” Pratt said, according to Automotive News, “and that the best answer is actually a mix of different vehicle types.” Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand, is slated to go fully electric by 2035.
Heart disease is a costly and deadly burden to the state of Ohio. In 2022, heart disease killed more than 30,000 Ohioans, and Ohio had the 12th highest rate of deaths from heart disease in the nation.
February is American Heart Month and new analysis from HPIO shows that early deaths from heart disease among working-age Ohioans (ages 15-64) vary greatly by county.
According to data included in HPIO’s October 2023 data snapshot Updated Death Trends among Working-age Ohioans, heart disease was the third-leading cause of death for working-age Ohioans, accounting for 5,654 deaths in 2022.
Using data from 2021 and 2022, HPIO found the age-adjusted rate of heart disease deaths among working-age Ohioans in each county, as illustrated above. The analysis shows wide geographic disparity in death rates. For example, Mercer County had the highest rate in Ohio, which, at 272.5 deaths per 100,000 population, was more than twice the rate of the lowest county, Noble, which experienced 132.6 deaths per 100,000 population.
According to the CDC, risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, overweight/obese, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Conditions in the communities in which we live, such as access to healthy food and healthcare services and the availability of high-quality jobs, can influence these risk factors.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death both in Ohio and the United States. Nationally, 1 out of every 4 deaths is due to heart disease. Heart disease includes several different diseases and conditions: coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI or heart attack), and heart failure. CHD is the most common type of heart disease and is caused by a buildup of plaque along the walls of arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart. This reduction in blood flow can cause recurrent chest pain (angina) or, if severe, can deprive heart muscle of oxygen and cause an MI. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is too weak to pump blood well enough to supply the body with a sufficient amount of oxygenated blood.
In addition to being the leading cause of death, heart disease can lead to decreased quality of life, increased disability, and higher healthcare costs. Many people who have heart disease have other chronic conditions as well. Most adults have at least one risk factor for developing heart disease.
Burden
Heart disease is a costly and deadly burden to the state of Ohio. In 2022, heart disease killed more than 30,000 Ohioans, and Ohio had the 12th highest rate of deaths from heart disease in the nation. Ohio’s age-adjusted rate of deaths from heart disease (193.9 per 100,000) was 16% higher than the rate for the United States. Heart disease is a major health burden for all populations regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, age, and geography.
In 2022, 5.6% of adults in Ohio were living with coronary heart disease and 5.4% had suffered a heart attack. Men had a significantly higher prevalence of heart disease than women. The prevalence of heart disease is highest among older Ohioans and those with the lowest income and education. The prevalence of heart disease in 2022 did not differ significantly by race or ethnicity.
While the prevalence of heart disease did not differ by race, Black Ohioans had an 18% higher age-adjusted heart disease death rate in 2022, compared with White Ohioans. Men in Ohio were 61% more likely to die from heart disease than women. Black men had the highest rate of heart disease deaths (293.0 per 100,000) in Ohio in 2022. The heart disease death rate in Ohio varied greatly by county in 2022. The county with the highest crude death rate (Jefferson County) had a rate 2.8 times higher than the county with the lowest rate (Delaware County).
Risk Factors
Heart disease is caused by a complex set of risk factors that include genetics, environment, clinical risk factors (e.g., high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol), and behaviors.
Individuals are more likely to have heart disease if they:
Have other chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
Have overweight or obesity.
Use tobacco products.
Drink too much alcohol, defined as more than one drink a day for women and more than two drinks a day for men.
Eat a diet high in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium (salt).
Are not physically active.
Ohio adults who have ever smoked were more than two times as likely to have heart disease than those who never smoked, and obese adults were 1.6 times as likely to have heart disease compared to those with a healthy weight, according to 2022 data. Certain conditions put an individual at a much greater risk for developing heart disease. In 2021, 73.2% of adults in Ohio with heart disease also had hypertension and 66.4% also had high blood cholesterol. Adults in Ohio with heart disease were also more likely than those without heart disease to have asthma, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Prevention and Management
Individuals can decrease their risk for developing heart disease by maintaining a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, not using tobacco products, and visiting their healthcare provider for annual checkups. For those who already have heart disease, healthy eating and provider-approved physical activity are key to managing heart disease.
It is estimated that one in three people with high blood pressure do not know that their blood pressure is elevated and are not receiving any kind of treatment. Many of those individuals have health insurance and see a healthcare provider regularly. When healthcare systems and providers use population health strategies such as utilizing their electronic health records to identify patients with undiagnosed hypertension, their risk of heart disease and stroke can be dramatically improved. In fact, population health strategies adopted by healthcare systems and providers such as team-based care and referrals to appropriate community resources can also improve management of patients with diagnosed chronic conditions.
After an individual is diagnosed with hypertension, high blood cholesterol, or another chronic condition, it is vital that the patient and providers act as a team to implement the best plan for the management of their condition. Often that plan includes medication to protect the body, but it is only effective if taken correctly. Inclusion of pharmacists as members of the healthcare team, especially in the provision of medication therapy management, can dramatically improve disease control rates and medication adherence. Clinical pharmacists can improve patient outcomes, reduce medical emergencies, prevent adverse drug events, and reinforce proper disease management messages when counseling patients.
In addition to care from the healthcare team, there are numerous community-based programs and resources that can support an individual’s management of their condition. There are resources for healthy eating and active living across the state in addition to community supports such as blood pressure cuff lending programs at libraries, churches, and barbershops. Self-management education classes and programs often do not require a referral by a healthcare provider. However, these classes/programs tend to have higher participation and retention rates and better health outcomes when people are referred by a healthcare provider.
Mercer County leads Ohio in the rate of early deaths from heart disease.
COLDWATER – Mercer County has the highest rate of early deaths from heart disease among working-age people in Ohio, a trend local public health officials aim to reverse through the next Community Health Improvement Plan.
While putting together the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment, health officials were alerted to a Feb. 23 news release from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio stating that Mercer County leads the state in early deaths from heart disease among residents aged 15-64.
Mercer County’s rate is 272.5 deaths per 100,000 population, more than twice that of Noble County, which experienced 132.6 deaths per 100,000, according to the release.
“We’re proud of our No. 1 status in a lot of things, but that’s not one of them,” said Mindy Kremer, vice president of development, marketing and communications for Mercer Health, at last week’s hospital board of governors meeting.
Looking to tamp down that disquieting figure, health officials have made it their top priority to increase overall health and improve rates of chronic disease, specifically heart disease, in the 2025 CHIP to be released early next year.
Kremer said to accomplish that task, residents need to address factors leading to heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, alcohol and tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.
“For example, under the decreasing obesity rate, exploring increased access to weight management services is one idea,” she said. “Education to increase healthy food behaviors through digital communications is another.”
Kremer said seeing the same health diagnoses crop up every few years can be disheartening at times. However, she finds some comfort in Mercer County Health District Board of Health member Diane Lefeld’s assessment that change comes about incrementally when dealing with deeply ingrained behaviors.
“These are cultural norms that have been happening for decades that we’re trying to break down,” Kremer said. “We’re not going to change those things overnight.”
Mercer Health is a member of Community Organizations Linking Together (COLT) Health, a group of volunteers and employees of community organizations and agencies committed to improving the health of the people of Mercer County.
With support from Mercer County Health District and Mercer Health, the members of COLT Health act as the steering committee for the group’s mission, Live Well Mercer County.
COLT Health carries out a needs assessment and improvement plan.
A CHNA is an examination of the health status of a community used to identify areas of concern. It’s used to develop a Community Health Improvement Plan, or CHIP, consisting of benchmarks and goals focused on improving the overall health status of the community.
Mercer County’s last CHIP plan was for years 2022-2024. The 2025-2027 CHIP is being drafted and is expected to be released early next year.
A CHNA survey was administered via the online platform SurveyMonkey.
“We also had a Marshallese version and a Spanish version for those populations in our community,” Kremer said. “We also did focus groups with those two groups as well as the Amish community.”
Local physicians and nurses offered feedback, too, and additional information and data was gleaned from Foundations Behavioral Health Services in Celina and the Ohio Hospital Association, according to Kremer.
Mercer County has an adult population of roughly 31,000 people. Five hundred surveys were turned in, resulting in a 1.5% return rate, Kremer pointed out.
“You may say that’s horrible, but the benchmarks for these types of assessments is somewhere between 5-10%,” Kremer said. “So are we happy with ours? No. We know we have work to do in the future, but it’s gotten better every time we’ve done this.”
The results
The 2024 CHNA revealed 77% of respondents do not eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, a 1% improvement from the 2019 CHNA. Also, 50% indicated they eat fast food more than once a week, a 3% decline; 51% do not exercise at least three times a week, a 1% decline; 37% do not receive any annual wellness exam, a 5% improvement; and 43% do not receive recommended health screenings, a 13% improvement.
Moreover, 48% reported drinking alcohol at least weekly, a 19% improvement; 13% reported tobacco use, a 41% improvement; and 10% reported illegal drug use, a 14% increase. The assessment notes, though, that adult cannabis use became legal in Ohio in November 2023.
The top 10 most common diagnoses of hospitalized patients were, in first place, morbid obesity, followed by hypertension, COVID, type 2 diabetes, acute respiratory infection, hypothyroidism, hyperlipidemia/high cholesterol, obesity, urinary tract infection and atrial fibrillation.
The top 10 most common mental health diagnoses among residents seeking treatment were, in first place, depressive disorder, followed by anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, alcohol disorder, cannabis disorder, stimulant disorder, opioid disorder and schizophrenia.
Community Health Improvement Plan
Health officials are now putting the finishing touches on the 2025-2027 CHIP.
“We have a strategic planning meeting on Jan. 13,” Kremer said. “We really hammer through and create an in-depth plan: this is what we’re going to do … this is who is responsible.”
The 2022-2024 CHIP identified and prioritized mental and behavioral health, followed by healthy weight status, substance use and abuse and health care literacy and navigation.
A work plan expanded upon the health care priorities, including the No. 1 concern, mental and behavioral health.
“Like other rural counties, Mercer County has a per capita shortage of psychiatric care providers. Acute psychiatric care is located outside the county,” the plan states. “While there is still some stigma associated with seeking help with mental health problems in our community, there has been an increase in demand for mental health services. We will continue working to address stigma and access problems during the course of this CHIP.”
Christ’s birth is traditionally celebrated in the West on December 25th, but many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. Neither date is likely correct in light of several clues uncovered by historians and information in the Bible itself.
Many have researched and attempted to answer the question, “When was Jesus actually born?” The birth of Jesus Christ was a pivotal moment in history and has long been a subject of scholarly debate and theological contemplation. The Nativity of Jesus Christ is traditionally celebrated on Christmas Day, December 25th, but let’s look into whether this was actually Christ’s birthday.
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke provide accounts of Jesus’s birth, including facts such as – the location of Bethlehem, the names of Mary and Joseph, fleeing to Egypt to escape King Herod, and the angels who appeared to shepherds – yet they do not offer a specific date for this momentous event.
As a result, the question of when exactly Jesus was born has given rise to a multitude of theories and hypotheses throughout the centuries. In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of dating Jesus’s birth and explore the various historical, astronomical, and theological perspectives that have emerged in an attempt to pinpoint the elusive date of the nativity. The biblical account does not give the year Jesus was born (Luke 2). So how was the date of Christmas decided, and when was Jesus really born?
When was Jesus Born?
The Bible gives no specific date of Jesus’ birth. However, the date can be estimated based on when Hebrew shepherds historically tended their flocks in open fields and according to the biblical account of Mary and Elizabeth’s pregnancies.
The Bible says in Luke 2:8-9. “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.”
According to Bible commentary Adam Clarke, it was traditional for the Jews to send their sheep to pasture from the spring until early October. As the cold winter months began, the flocks would return from the fields for protection and warmth. Since the shepherds were still tending their flocks in the fields around Bethlehem it can be deduced that the angels announced the news of Jesus’ birth no later than October.
To determine the approximate month of Jesus’ birth, we can look at the birth of John the Baptist as described in Luke 1. Zacharias, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife Elizabeth, who was barren, became pregnant with John the Baptist after Zacharias’ temple service. Gabriel visited Mary when Elizabeth was six months pregnant and announced that she would give birth to Jesus. By counting from the date of Zacharias’ priestly service to the birth of Jesus, we can find additional clues to answer the question of when Jesus was really born.
In those times, Jewish priests were divided into 24 courses that served in the temple throughout the year. The order of Abijah was the eighth priestly course (1 Chronicles 24:6-19) which served in the temple during the 10th week of the priestly cycle. The 10th week started on the second Sabbath in the month of Sivan, which falls approximately from mid-May to mid-June. After Zechariah returned from his priestly duties, Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist.
Luke 1:24-28, 31 chronicles these events, “Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, ‘Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.’ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’…And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.”
Based on the Bible text and knowledge of the priestly courses, we can estimate that Jesus was born around the time of Tishri, which falls in mid to late September. This approximation is reached by starting at the conception of John the Baptist, which occurred in Sivan (June). Then, we count forward six months to arrive at Gabriel’s announcement of the conception of Jesus, which happened in Kislev (December). Finally, we count forward nine more months, which is the average time it takes for human gestation to reach Tishri (September) when Jesus was born.
What Year Was Jesus Born?
While many scholars believe Jesus was born sometime between 4 BC and 6 BC, there is no definitive historical evidence that pinpoints the exact year of his birth. The commonly used Christian calendar, which designates Jesus’ birth as the starting point, traditionally places it at 1 BC or 1 AD, although these dates are approximate and may not align precisely with historical records.
Confusion in Historical Calendars
Several factors are involved in establishing the year of Christ’s birth. There were two dating systems at the time of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. One was his new Julian calendar, and the other calendar began with the year Rome was established: 753 BC. To complicate matters, Julius Caesar also determined that a year would be calculated beginning with the start of complete authority by the reigning emperor at that time.
About 500 years later, a mathematically-minded monk, Dionysius Exiguus, invented the concept of AD. His purpose was to establish when Easter should be celebrated by working backward using a complicated system of his own. He decided that Christ was born in AD 1, and his system was adopted in Europe around 200 years later.
Date Evidence in the Bible
Bible scholars work from what Scripture tells us regarding the history of Jesus. The events took place within the living memory of the writers or their families, such as the reign of Herod, during which time Matthew tells us Christ was born.
We know there was a celestial event that alerted the Magi, and this can also be dated. John the Baptist’s preaching took place during “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius” (Luke 3:1). Jesus’ approximate age at the start of His ministry (30) is also supplied in the book of Luke, so we can determine that Christ was likely born around 2 or 3 BC.
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” (Luke 3:1-2)
What Month was Jesus Born?
One hypothesis suggests that Jesus may have been born in the month of December. This idea is largely based on the mention of shepherds in the Gospel of Luke who were tending their flocks at night when the angelic announcement of Jesus’s birth occurred. Some argue that this activity would have been more likely in a warmer month, implying that Jesus might have been born in a mild Mediterranean climate during the winter. Additionally, the early Christian church established December 25th as the date to celebrate Jesus’s birth, possibly to coincide with existing pagan festivals, such as the Roman celebration of Sol Invictus. This choice could have influenced the association of Jesus’s birth with December.
However, it’s essential to note that this evidence is circumstantial and inconclusive. Other scholars argue for alternative months or even different years for Jesus’s birth based on historical and astronomical data. The uncertainty surrounding the precise month of Jesus’s birth underscores the challenge of dating an event that occurred over two thousand years ago and the various factors that have influenced the development of Christmas traditions over time. Ultimately, while December 25th remains the widely accepted date for celebrating Jesus’s birth, the exact month of his birth remains a mystery.
Why Do We Celebrate Christmas on December 25th?
The day and month of Jesus’s birth are even more challenging to establish. Theologians typically agree that December 25 is far from likely. In the late Roman Empire, there was a festival called “Sol Invictus” (the Unconquered Sun) that celebrated the sun god on December 25th. Some have suggested that the choice of this date for Christmas was influenced by the desire to Christianize or replace this pagan holiday – conceived as an effort to establish a pagan substitute for a date that already held a degree of importance for Roman Christians.
Another argument takes a different view. December 25th falls close to the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which is the shortest day and longest night of the year. In many pagan traditions, the winter solstice was a significant event associated with the rebirth of the sun and the return of longer days. Some festivals, like the Roman festival of Saturnalia, were celebrated around this time, often involving feasting and gift-giving. Saturnalia, in particular, is often cited as a possible influence on the dating of Christmas. Saturnalia was a Roman festival that celebrated the god Saturn and included various festivities, including gift exchanges and feasting. Some argue that the early Christians chose December 25th to celebrate Jesus’ birth to co-opt or replace Saturnalia with a Christian holiday.
When Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, it was easier for the newly formed church to repurpose the pagan observance of the winter solstice between December 17-25 since citizens were already prepared to celebrate the day. Thus, a celebration and festival filled with family and friends exchanging gifts meant these traditions would continue as Christmas.
Another intriguing theory proposes that December 25 was officially designated as Christmas Day by Sextus Julius Africanus in AD 221. This assertion is rooted in meticulous calculations that Africanus undertook, embarking on a historical journey that began with his estimation of the world’s creation in 5499 BC. With an unwavering dedication to precision, Africanus meticulously traced the lineage of biblical figures and significant events, meticulously aligning them with historical and astronomical data. His goal was to pinpoint the most appropriate date for commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, a task that required an intricate web of chronology and celestial observations. Africanus’s determination to find this date led him to December 25, marking it as the momentous day when Christians should celebrate the birth of their savior. His extensive calculations and scholarly dedication have left an enduring legacy, contributing to the rich tapestry of theories surrounding the birth date of Jesus Christ.
Dating Based on King Herod
Dating the birth of Jesus around the death of King Herod is a historical puzzle that involves a combination of biblical and extra-biblical sources, along with some scholarly interpretations. Here’s how it’s typically done:
Biblical Accounts: The primary source for dating Jesus’s birth in relation to King Herod comes from the New Testament, specifically the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 2:1, it mentions that Jesus was born during the time of King Herod. It also describes Herod’s attempt to have Jesus killed by ordering the massacre of infants in Bethlehem, commonly known as the “Massacre of the Innocents.”
Herod’s Reign: King Herod the Great is a well-documented historical figure. His reign is generally believed to have started around 37 or 36 BC. Historical records also indicate that he died around 4 BC, which is a crucial reference point.
Astronomical Data: Some scholars have suggested that the “Star of Bethlehem,” which guided the Magi to the birthplace of Jesus, might have been a celestial event. Astronomical calculations and computer simulations have been used to try to identify potential astronomical occurrences around the time of Jesus’s birth. Some theories suggest conjunctions of planets or other celestial phenomena around 6-4 BC.
Luke’s Gospel: While the Gospel of Luke doesn’t mention King Herod, it provides additional clues for dating Jesus’s birth. Luke 2:2 mentions a census ordered by Caesar Augustus. Historically, such censuses were conducted periodically, and there is evidence of one occurring in 6-4 BC.
Scholarly Consensus: Taking into account all the available evidence, many scholars place Jesus’s birth between 6 and 4 BC, with the death of King Herod serving as a significant anchor point. This allows for the events described in the biblical narratives to align with the historical context of Herod’s reign and the Roman census.
Celebrating the birth of Jesus on Christmas holds profound significance in Christian tradition, even in light of His life, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ birth marks the fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophecies, underscoring Jesus’s identity as the promised Messiah. This celebration reaffirms the belief that God’s plan of salvation foretold in the Scriptures, came to fruition through Jesus.
Christmas is the beginning of Jesus’s earthly life, leading to His sacrificial death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. Christians view Jesus’s birth as the initial step in God’s redemptive plan, offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith. Christmas is a source of joy and hope, signifying that God entered the world to bring light into darkness and offer hope to those in need.
In summary, Christmas, the celebration of Jesus’s birth, remains a deeply meaningful and cherished observance in Christianity. It not only acknowledges the historical and theological significance of His birth but also reminds believers of the foundational events that paved the way for His life, death, and resurrection. It is a celebration of God’s love for humanity, the hope and salvation brought by Jesus, and a time to share these profound truths with the world.
Does it Matter When Jesus Was Born?
Even if the global Christian community could clearly decide that Christ was born on a different day, changing the date of Christmas worldwide would pose many problems. Selecting a new date for celebrating Christ’s birth would require massive adjustments at both commercial and institutional levels.
School calendars and public holidays have been established to coincide with this time.
The economies of developed nations rely on the financial boost provided during the Christmas season.
Churches organize special events around this time.
Families use this date as a reason to get together.
It is beneficial to fix a date for Christmas Day, even if it seems arbitrary. In an age where “our fast-moving lives have wreaked havoc on our relationships,” as Rick Warren said, and we feel disconnected from one another, celebrating Jesus’ birth unifies the church body both locally and at large.
Moreover, Christmas celebrations provide an opportunity to engage community members who might not otherwise attend church events. The day is set apart even in the hearts and minds of non-believers. Associating Christmas with light-hearted festivities might seem disrespectful in light of its true meaning. Still, the joy of singing familiar carols and lighting candles, the sense of belonging and love connected to the holiday, encourages many unbelievers to attend Christmas services where they might hear the gospel.
Candice Lucey lives with her husband and daughters in (mostly) tranquil Salmon Arm, BC, Canada. Here, she enjoys digging into God’s word when not working or taking part in ministry activities.
The most recent polar reversal, called the Laschamp excursion, happened about 41,000 to 42,000 years ago. During this time, the north magnetic pole moved to the southern hemisphere and then back to the north.
Scientists studied ancient kauri trees found in wetlands in northern New Zealand. These trees were alive during the Laschamp excursion. By analyzing the growth rings, researchers measured a spike in atmospheric radiocarbon levels, which occurred when Earth’s magnetic field weakened. This helped them create a detailed timeline of the changes.
Earlier studies focused on what happened while the magnetic poles were reversed, during which Earth’s magnetic field was only 28% as strong as it is now. However, this new research revealed that the biggest changes happened during a transition period called the Adams Event.
During this time, the magnetic field dropped to just 0-6% of its current strength.
Researchers compared their findings with data from other Pacific sites and used climate models to show how the Adams Event caused major environmental changes. These included the growth of ice sheets in North America and shifts in wind patterns and tropical storm systems.
The event may also explain the sudden rise in cave art during this time.
As cosmic radiation increased, people likely sought shelter in caves, leading to a surge in cave painting. The study warns that if a similar magnetic field shift happened today, the effects would be devastating. Cosmic radiation could destroy power grids and satellite systems while triggering rapid climate change.
Professor Dosseto stressed the importance of understanding this event: “What happened 42,000 years ago is terrifying and could happen again. The weakening of the magnetic field only lasted a few hundred years, but its effects on the climate, environment, and life lasted thousands of years. It’s a warning for our planet today.”
Magnetic Poles can easily Change Climate! But can we Prove it yet ! But 99 percent of Scientists said there is Climate Change! It’s mostly Trump and his supporters go along with him! He doesn’t know !! He’s a Commercial Builder not a scientist! Umm where do you take your car to McDonald’s ( Sorry digression). Because we aren’t taking care of Earth and Sea ( water is 3/4 ) and Many areas Reefs are dead or dying! Fact. But obviously we won’t know how Magnetic Fields affect anything until something more Happens! And we don’t need to call people names! That’s really ridiculous! It’s great if you are educated in certain fields or look all this up. But if half of us think we’re not destroying stuff! Well. ??!!
Jane Johnson I don’t understand those who laugh. What is so unbelievable about it? It’s documented, there are multiple studies showing the same thing. How is this so mind shattering? Fragile reality, unable to expand because frightened to break any ceilings of understanding? Be brave, you’ll survive!!!
I know, they think we have so much power over nature but we don’t. If Earth was an apple the deepest we could dig down would be half way through the skin, and there are less greenhouse gasses now than ever before. Let them charge their electric cars, not knowing that the resources needed to create one lithium battery is more damaging than driving a petrol car on the road for 10 years, and that new mines have to be dug worldwide to access the minerals. If an electric car is in an accident no services are allowed to touch it as the battery is deadly, specialists have to be called in. We are forcing toxicity onto the people who just believe what they’re told. It’s a sad situation that is setting the hive mind on an awful path. Is Lithium mining hazardous to the environment – Search
Jane JohnsonZaena Burdick Apparently where it flooded in the hills of NC and all over there’s lithium mines that are there and that’s what they are after, not only that, the lithium, when the land for mining isn’t buyable, it’s stolen by the government supposedly for ” the greater good”. For who? The companies making money off of the products? Certainly not the Native Indigenous tribes that a lot of the land is taken from, regardless of their sacred places and land treaties…ugh. Gotta stop, it’s a rant now.
Minnie Spencer you ever hear that they can now direct hurricanes where they want to send them?? How else does one end up in the mountains that has never happened before where they find lithium that people refuse to sell land to mine????? MANY people lost property and lives and are still struggling to survive.
Where is fema for them and the people of Lainia. $700 per family for help and offers to buy their land cheap?? Funny that anything painted blue didn’t burn in those fires. Makes you wonder who you are being attacked by.
Jane Johnson The scenario of an EV in an accident should be sufficient to ban this vehicle favoured by fanatics. Plus the gauss meter readings inside the EV, or when being recharged are horrendous! Those with EH or a pacemaker CANNOT be in an EV!
The mining is devastating. I think people believe they are doing the Earth good… but all they are doing is filling the rich and wealthy pockets. I bet dollars to donuts they are still all driving gas powered vehicles.
Never mind also the disposal of those batteries when they need replacing and they will , or when the car is scrapped from an accident or age . 0ne private flight produces more carbon than you would produce in your entire lifetime. How many flights do climate activists like John Kerry take a year? Watch the documentary on Youtube THE TOXIC COST OF GOING GREEN I will never get one and I hope my children won’t either .
Planes burn up more fuel than cars per journey, and therefore produce more carbon dioxide. But how does this work out by passenger & by distance?
Asked by: Grant de Souza, by email
A Boeing 747 uses 7840kg of aviation fuel for the take-off, climb and descent portions of the flight and these account for about 250km. For journeys longer than that, the plane will use 10.1kg for each additional kilometre under typical cruising conditions. So to fly from Heathrow to Edinburgh (530km) uses 10,668kg of fuel, which releases a little over 33 tonnes of CO2.
Whereas a Ford Mondeo 1.8 TDCi emits 151g of CO2 per km and covers 650km to reach Edinburgh. That works out to be 98kg for a single passenger, compared to 79kg per person for the Jumbo, assuming it carries its full complement of 416 passengers. But you could drive 336 cars to Edinburgh for the same CO2 as one plane.
Jane Johnson … When you have lived long enough you realize that the so-called experts really have no idea how to slow down the process. Save the trees so we turn to plastic…save the oceans so we replace plastic with reusable… reusable causes disease so we change back to plastic and paper, but that is ok because we charge for them (rolling eyes). Incandescent lights use too much electricity so we go fluorescent…now we go LED – Search Videos
D. We are using too much water so we voluntarily cut back on consumption and then the price goes up because we are not using enough.
Do-gooders and “scientists” travel around the world spreading their messages of conservation and the dangers of fossil fuels…in their huge private jets!!! Now, forget that there are major factors adversely affecting the planet… It is full steam ahead for electricity.
Kathy McConnell not quite true, the magnetic poles are shifting, like a magnet one end positive, one end negative. The location on a map is like locating the Mississippi River on a map. 100 years ago it ran a different course. The shifting of the earth’s magnetic poles is like the shifting of the river, you can’t exactly depend on that map, it’s shifting, but not noticeable to the naked eye, but the river is. We all like to believe when something is shown to be in the same spot our whole lives, it’s something that can’t change. Guess what….
Mary Chancellor the thing that is unbelievable about her comment, what makes it so laughable is her denial of climate change. Much though there is a shift taking place, a very slow shift that is taking place over the course of tens of thousands of years we have seen a dramatic shift in the climate just since the dawn of the industrial age and the considerable acceleration of the use of fossil fuels…the sort of change in climate that historical records “normally” happen over the course of ten thousand years or more that have taken place before our very eyes in a period of barely 100 years…this is an unprecedented shift in what in the course of “normal events” amounts to a blink of the eye and yet Jane posits that “we are not causing climate change. That, THAT is what is totally laughable.
If you’re buying into the notion that climate change being caused by human activity is not real, try to understand the difference between “natural” events that take place over the course of A Thousand Years as compared to what has transpired over a period of barely 100 years.
Mary Chancellor Over 100 years ago, Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius in 1896, – Search who calculated the potential impact of a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide on global temperatures through the greenhouse effect.
The Earth’s molten core is responsible for our magnetic field, maybe a shift in how the core behaves causes the poles to reverse? I’m against all the climate change hysteria, but on the flip side I’m all for humans to stop polluting our mother earth, it will take major lifestyle changes for this to happen imo.
I’m looking for end of the world movies, not post apocalyptic movies where everything is already bad and you get flashbacks to when it was normal. But where everything is fine and normal in the beginning and then everything starts going bad. Kinda sounds like the movie 2012: Doomsday | Free Sci-Fi Disaster Horror Movie | Full HD | Full Movie | The Asylum
I partially believe that it is scripted. The most powerful people in the world understand how the world works & what happens when you/we die. It’s why they don’t feel so bad when people cross over, or their energy is transferred. Maybe this sounds like crazy talk.
All ancient civilizations speak of a world event that claims all that are on it. The knowledge that the most powerful have, it isn’t shared with us.
At least not in the way you’d hope for it to be shared. It’s in Predictive Programming. We are actually told. Just most won’t see this as anything more than conspiracy yet there have been so many movies that have predicted events that have come true.
What about the movie Contagion? Watch it. Think about what took place in 2019 & 2020. Even something like the movie “White Noise” & what happened in Palestine, Ohio. Not as devastating, but so many similarities. I mean, really there’s a laundry list. Even Terminator. That movie had SkyNet. Guess who has SkyNet?
I mean the list goes on. Even the House of Cards. What’s next, the movie “Leave the World Behind”. Look, just keep an open mind. We are told. Unless you have critical thinking & unless you have the ability to look outside the box you were placed in, you’ll forever stay in that box. Get ready, because we are headed for some world changing events many of which are intentional & many that are historical & natural. Some maybe not even from this place we reside in.
There is only one pole, the north pole. The North Star, Polaris can be found where exactly every night of the year, that’s correct, it remains fixed directly above the north pole. If we were moving anywhere near the speed that is claimed, the constellations would constantly be changing, but they’re not.
They postulated that this is slowly happening now. They think that there are places, such as Bermuda Triangle Explained where compasses and such just spin, indicating lack of a magnetic pole in that area. They think those areas will enlarge and eventually shift to the magnetic south.
Wow crazy propaganda for climate change , they really are looking for anything to convince the public. About climate change and how dangerous it may or may not be , they have no idea what went on 41000 years ago or even 2000 years ago as they still have no information on how or who really built the pyramids just a couple of thousand years ago but they want you to believe they know exactly what happened 41000 years ago
The only warning we as a mankind should be aware of is are we living our lives according to God’s commands and have obeyed the teachings in the word of God if we can we be saved from eternal damnation if we are not doing God’s will!
It is only about 6000 years old and man was created in God’s image. Gen 1:26.
Amazing to think that a 42,000-year-old tree can provide us with valuable insights into Earth’s magnetic field reversals. The fact that scientists can study the growth rings and measure the spike in atmospheric radiocarbon levels is just mind-blowing!
It’s called “precession” and it’s supposed to happen every 26,000 years.
“Axial Precession – As Earth rotates, it wobbles slightly upon its rotational axis, like a slightly off-center spinning toy top. This wobble is due to tidal forces caused by the gravitational influences of the Sun and Moon that cause Earth to bulge at the equator, affecting its rotation.
Earth’s axis appears stable, but it actually wobbles very slowly, like a spinning top. It takes Earth’s axis about 26,000 years to complete a circular “wobble.” This wobble is called axial precession. Earth’s axis helps determine the North Star, and axial precession helps change it.
However, the Earth’s tilt changes from 22° to 24° and back again about every 40,000 years. Right now, it is tilted at 23.5°.”
The Night’s Embrace ~ As twilight fades to inky black, The night unfurls its starry cloak, A canvas vast, where shadows dance, And whispers of the world invoke. The moon, a sentinel of light, Guides dreams through corridors of sleep, Its silver glow on silent streets, A vigil that the darkness keeps. In night’s embrace, the world transforms, The hustle of the day recedes,
A time for secrets to unfold, for hearts and minds to find their peace. Each star a story, each a spark, A map of wonders yet unseen, the night, a keeper of our dreams, A realm of what has been and been. So let us cherish this dark time, when day’s loud clamor fades away, for in the night, we find ourselves, In silent, solemn, sweet display.
I used to love living in the United States. It was a great place to call home. But lately, things have changed. The country is divided and there is a lot of hate. I don’t feel as safe as I used to and I worry about the future.
I don’t know what happened to this once great nation, but I hope we can find our way back to what we once were. Crime is up and out of control. After Decreases in 2020, Both Property and Violent Crimes Are Up in 2021.
Where did we go wrong?
It’s no secret that the United States is in decline. We’re losing our status as a world superpower, we’re becoming increasingly divided as a nation, and our economy is struggling. So what happened? How did we get here?
While many factors have contributed to this downward spiral of America, it all boils down to one word: POLITICS. Politicians are constantly fighting for power instead of working together on solutions and compromises. The number of people voting has dropped significantly over the years because they believe their vote doesn’t matter or they don’t know how to register or vote.
There is less opportunity for education because of state budget cuts (many schools offer only partial-day kindergarten). And many families are being torn apart by senseless violence (due to gun violence). All these factors have combined into a perfect storm which has led us into an era where American exceptionalism has been severely challenged.
The economy
The U.S. economy has been through a lot since 2020. The pandemic hit hard, causing widespread job loss and economic decline. The stock market crashed, businesses closed their doors, and families struggled to make ends meet.
Things are slowly starting to improve, but the damage has been done. The country is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic and struggling to get back on its feet.
Immigration
The United States has always been a nation of immigrants, but today, it seems like the country is more divided on the issue than ever before. Even though immigrants have always contributed to the growth and prosperity of the United States, many people are now calling for stricter immigration laws and even a complete shutdown of the country’s borders.
This divisive rhetoric has led to an increase in hate crimes against immigrants and a general feeling of unease throughout the nation. It’s time for Americans to come together and find a way to move forward, but it’s going to be a long and difficult road ahead.
The Supreme Court
Two Americas, one liberal and one conservative are moving in opposite directions on abortion, climate change, guns, and other issues. Pressed by Supreme Court decisions that limit liberal rights while expanding conservative rights, the United States appears to be schizophrenic, with diametrically opposed social, environmental, and health policies.
The most recent tipping point is abortion, with roughly half of the country soon limiting or prohibiting the procedure while the other half expands or reinforces access to reproductive rights. However, the ideological fault lines extend far beyond that single issue, to climate change, gun control, L.G.B.T.Q. rights, and voting rights.
Political correctness vs. Free speech
In recent years, there has been an increasing trend of people self-censoring to avoid offending others. This is due in part to the rise of political correctness. Political correctness is the idea that we should all be careful about the language we use to not offend or hurt anyone’s feelings.
While this may seem like a good idea, it can have some negative consequences. For one, it can lead to people being afraid to speak their minds for fear of offending someone. This can stifle open and honest dialogue. Additionally, political correctness can be used as a way to silence dissent or squelch unpopular opinions.
Media bias against conservatives
In recent years, it seems like the media has been biased against conservatives. This is evident in the way that news outlets often report on conservative politicians and policies. For example, when reporting on President Donald Trump, many media outlets use loaded language and negative framing.
This creates an inaccurate and unfair portrayal of conservatives and their beliefs. As a result, Americans are becoming more divided than ever before.
Climate change propaganda
Our once great country is now a shadow of its former self, and it’s all thanks to climate change propaganda. For years, we’ve been bombarded with messages about how we’re destroying the planet, and how we need to change our ways.
And while there’s some truth to those messages, they’ve been blown way out of proportion. As a result, we’ve become a nation of scared, paranoid people who are too afraid to take risks or make any real progress. We’re stuck in our ways, and it’s only going to get worse from here.
How did this happen so quickly and quietly?
In just a few short years, the United States has gone from being a world leader to a nation in decline. How did this happen so quickly and quietly? Some say it’s because we’ve become complacent, while others believe it’s due to the rise of other nations.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that something has gone wrong. If we don’t take action soon, our decline will continue. Here are some steps we can take to turn things around: 1. Address the root causes of our decline. 2. Invest in our future. 3. Be more competitive globally. 4. Improve our infrastructure. 5. Address social and economic inequality. 6. Increase investment in education and training.
Final Thoughts
In short, the United States is a nation in decline. Our economy is struggling, our political system is gridlocked, and our social fabric is fraying. We are becoming more unequal, more polarized, and more dysfunctional.
The question is: Can we turn things around?
I’m not sure. But I do know that it won’t happen unless we start making some changes.
We need to start investing in our future, and that starts with each and every one of us.
by Jerry D. Marx, Ph.D., M.S.W., University of New Hampshire
The Affluent Society
As the decade of the 1960s began, the United States had the “highest mass standard of living” in world history.1 The strong American postwar economy of the late 1940s and 1950s continued into the 1960s. In fact, from 1940 to 1960, the U.S. gross national product increased fivefold.2 There were several reasons for this economic growth. As previously discussed, the military spending during World War II finally pulled the economy out of the Great Depression. The temporary curtailment in production of many consumer products during the war resulted in a burst of consumer demand at war’s end. Servicemen rushed home to take a job, buy a car, purchase a home in the suburbs, and start a family. This led to a “baby boom” and further consumer demand for products. During this period, growing U.S. corporations were well positioned to meet both domestic and foreign demand for products, given the crumbled economic infrastructure of foreign competitors such as Japan and Germany. Military spending during the “Cold War” rivalry with the Soviet Union added further to this economic expansion, creating a formidable “military-industrial complex” in the United States.3
Leading intellectuals began to deliberate on the nature of this society and the impact it was having on American citizens. In 1958, economist John Kenneth Galbraith published “The Affluent Society” in which he described the growing power of American corporations, their success at producing material goods, their ability to create consumer demand through advertising, and the growing “New Class” of highly educated business and professional people for whom work was no longer dirty and menial, but interesting and rewarding.4 Galbraith argued that, in the old world, poverty was an “all-pervasive fact” of life, but that in the contemporary United States, social and economic policies should be based on the fact that “the ordinary individual has access to amenities – foods, entertainment, personal transportation, and plumbing – in which not even the rich rejoiced a century ago.”5
Four years later, in 1962, social critic (and Socialist) Michael Harrington chose to emphasize “The Other America” and its “culture of poverty.”6 This, he argued, was a land of between 40,000,000 and 50,000,000 relatively invisible poor people, the unskilled workers, the migrant farm workers, minorities, people for whom work was sporadic, demeaning, and demoralizing. To be sure, the other America is not impoverished in the same sense as those poor nations where millions cling to hunger as a defense against starvation. This country has escaped such extremes. That does not change the fact that tens of millions of Americans are, at this very moment, maimed in body and spirit, existing at levels beneath those necessary for human decency. If these people are not starving, they are hungry, and sometimes fat with hunger, for that is what cheap foods do. They are without adequate housing and education and medical care. But even more basic, this poverty twists and deforms the spirit. The American poor are pessimistic and defeated, and they are victimized by mental suffering to a degree unknown in Suburbia.7
Civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., explaining the cause of the 1965 riots in the Watts section of Los Angeles, also focused on the poor in a land of plenty. I believe what happened in Los Angeles was of grave national significance. What we witnessed in the Watts area was the beginning of a stirring of a deprived people in a society who had been by-passed by the progress of the previous decade. I would minimize the racial significance and point to the fact that these were the rumblings of discontent from the “have-nots” within the midst of an affluent society.8
In the early 1960s, poverty for a family of four was officially defined as living on an income of less than $3,000.>sup>9 Populations at high risk of poverty in the 60s included rural Americans, minorities, low-paid workers, and female-headed families. (The poverty status of older Americans improved considerably during the 60s thanks to increases in Social Security benefits.) To illustrate, in 1966, the percentage of rural Americans in poverty was 19 percent, compared to 14 percent for urban Americans. In that same year, the percent of nonwhite Americans in poverty was 41 percent, in contrast to 12 percent of white Americans. Furthermore, 32 percent of poor families in 1967 contained a head of the household that worked full-time, and another 25 percent of poor “breadwinners” worked part-time. What is more, many poor female heads of households, because of child-rearing duties and lack of child care, could not work outside the home, leaving 11 million of the poor in 1963 in these families.
The Political Agenda
Kennedy and the New Frontier
Democrat John F. Kennedy won a close presidential election over the Republican candidate, Richard M. Nixon, in 1960. Kennedy, the first Catholic President in American history, won by 2/10 of 1 percent of the popular vote.10 Much like the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Albert Gore, the 1960 election was so close that there was talk of a recount in certain disputed states, but Nixon discouraged the effort, noting how impractical and disruptive a recount would be, and declaring, “No one steals the presidency of the United States.”11
Did You Know?
John Kennedy was often criticized for his wealthy father’s heavy financing of his political campaigns. Showing his sense of humor during public speeches, John (called “Jack” by relatives and friends) would pretend to have just received a wire from his father. Reading it to the audience, John would say: “Dear Jack, Don’t buy a single vote more than is necessary – I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay for a landslide victory.”12
Although a Democrat and an activist relative to his predecessor, Dwight Eisenhower, Kennedy at first did not share the passion for social reform characteristic of traditional Roosevelt Democratic supporters. Given his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. was FDR’s Ambassador to England, Kennedy appeared more interested in foreign affairs than domestic policy.13
In any case, most of Kennedy’s legislative agenda, called “the New Frontier,” was not approved by Congress during his lifetime. The reasons for this included his congressional inexperience and low-status with older politicians in Congress.14
In getting elected, Kennedy, to a significant extent, had circumvented the traditional political process and appealed directly to the American people through the media. His career in Congress (or any political position) had not been long or distinguished, typical qualifications for a serious presidential bid.
Yet, both John and his father were familiar with Hollywood and the modern media.15 Most television viewers who watched the first 1960 debate between candidates Kennedy and Nixon thought that Kennedy with his movie star appearance had won, while radio listeners gave the edge to Nixon. As such, John Kennedy became the first made-for-television presidential candidate. But there was more than the television advantage. The Kennedy campaign adroitly used his photogenic qualities to appeal to the editors and readers of many popular magazines. During the campaign, the nation’s newsstands were filled with positive articles on Kennedy, his wife, and family.
And there was more to Kennedy than glamour. Setting a trend in modern American politics, the Kennedy family was the first to use private polling to ascertain local voter concerns during the campaign.16 As a result, Kennedy was able to directly address key issues of local communities as he traveled the nation in search of the presidency. These advantages in addition to the Kennedy family wealth got him elected, but Congressional leaders, given the razor-thin victory, saw no significant mandate for Kennedy’s legislative agenda.
Despite this disadvantage, the Kennedy Administration did enjoy some legislative success.17 The Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962 was the country’s first major job training program. Also, the Kennedy Administration increased federal funding to local welfare departments for casework, job training, and job placement through passage in 1962 of the Public Welfare Amendments to the Social Security Act (also known as the “Social Service Amendments”).
Reflecting a stronger economy than the 1930s, the focus on job training was more conservative than Franklin Roosevelt’s emphasis on public employment during the Great Depression. It should also be noted that the Kennedy Administration allowed states to include two-parent, unemployed families in their AFDC programs. The change was called Aid to Families with Dependent Children – Unemployed Parent, or simply, AFDC-UP.
During his campaign, Kennedy had visited the rural poverty areas of Appalachia. (A famous photo contrasts a handsome, well-polished Kennedy standing in front of a destitute Appalachian family on its front porch.)18 Once elected, Kennedy created the Area Redevelopment Agency in 1961.19 This agency provided support in the form of loans, subsidies, and public works to local businesses in poverty areas such as Appalachia.
The Kennedy family had also been sensitized to the needs of people with mental illness, given that one of John’s sisters had suffered with this problem. Consequently, the Community Mental Health Centers Act was passed in 1963.20 This act provided federal funds to public or private nonprofit organizations for construction, and later staffing, of community mental health centers providing outpatient and prevention services.
Another Kennedy legislative success was the Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Offenses Control Act of 1961.21 This program, although small and less well known, became a model for many of the Great Society programs. It sought to reduce juvenile delinquency by providing federal funding for local demonstration projects (such as “Mobilization for Youth” in New York) that created opportunities for youth education and training. These opportunities would be created through a comprehensive and rationally planned set of services to youth and their neighbors. These services might include individual, family, and group work as well as community organization.
Furthermore, in 1962, the Kennedy Administration passed tax credits for business investment and increased business depreciation allowances.22 These policy changes, along with an income tax cut passed in 1964, contributed to the continued economic growth of the 1960s.
Did You Know?
The night of his nomination for President, Kennedy decided to select Senator Lyndon Johnson from Texas as his Vice Presidential running mate. Some people close to Kennedy were shocked and angry with the selection. When confronted, Kennedy responded: “I’m 43 years old and I’m the healthiest candidate for President in the United States… I’m not going to die in office. So the vice presidency doesn’t mean anything.”23 Four years later in November of 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Although his legislative successes were few, Kennedy created a significant policy agenda before his death for his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ).24 This agenda included legislation dealing with civil rights, poverty, food stamps, health care, public school aid, and further tax reform. All of these were Kennedy initiatives in various stages of progress when he was assassinated in 1963.
Kennedy and Johnson, as a result, turned out to be a great team for the development of social programs. Kennedy created the agenda. He and his advisers were the intellectuals, the idea generators, the brains behind the legislative proposals.25 In fact, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, the long-time Speaker of the House, believed that one of Kennedy’s greatest achievements as President was the talented people he brought to government.
Lyndon Johnson, who scoffed at intellectualism, subsequently pushed Kennedy’s agenda through Congress. Johnson became the idea champion before Congress, the political muscle needed to pass legislation in the 1960s.26 In contrast to Kennedy, Johnson had much congressional experience and knew how to get things done in Congress. He consulted many members of Congress during the legislative process. He gave credit to individual members of Congress for legislative successes. In short, Johnson was a better “politician” than was Kennedy in the traditional sense of negotiation and compromise. The result was the successful passage of much federal legislation during the Johnson Administration.
Johnson and the Great Society
President Lyndon Johnson significantly expanded the federal partnership in American social welfare, a partnership of the federal government with private and other public institutions to promote social welfare. As discussed in earlier chapters, when traditional institutions in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors failed during the Great Depression, the federal government under President Franklin Roosevelt was forced to create new institutional relationships in an attempt to solve the crisis. That is, Roosevelt was forced to establish a significant role for the federal government in maximizing social welfare throughout the country. The “Great Society,” as Johnson called his legislative agenda, greatly expanded this role.
The agenda of the Great Society consisted of numerous pieces of legislation. The first, and perhaps most important, was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. When Johnson took office, the “Civil Rights Movement” was already well underway through court action and the voluntary efforts of various groups in the nonprofit sector. In 1954, the Supreme Court had ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional.27 Then in 1955, the refusal of an African American woman named Rosa Parks to give up her seat to a white rider on a Montgomery Alabama bus lead to a “boycott” of all public buses in that city by African Americans. The Montgomery Improvement Association, headed by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., organized the successful boycott, in which African Americans refused to spend their money on bus transportation until the buses were desegregated.
This civil rights victory led to further efforts to challenge segregation in southern states. African American college students began to use a “sit-in” strategy to desegregate lunch counters in stores across the south, refusing to leave their seats until served or jailed.28 In 1961, eleven youth calling themselves “Freedom Riders” began a protest of segregated bus stations and other discriminatory interstate travel laws. Then, in 1963, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, headed by King, and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights lead a campaign to protest segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, the largest industrial city in the South. King’s coalition used a nonviolent strategy, employing peaceful mass marches, sit-ins, and business boycotts to achieve their objectives. His advocacy effort attracted media attention nationwide (indeed, worldwide), forcing the cooperation of the federal government in enforcing African American civil rights.
Jailed during the Birmingham campaign, King wrote a famous letter to a group of clergy that had publicly criticized King’s coalition for moving too quickly for social change. Here is part of his letter written in response while in jail:
“We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, “Wait.” But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sister and brothers at whim… when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and seeing her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”… when your first name becomes “nigger…” when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness” – then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.”29
King believed public pressure generated from the Birmingham demonstrations contributed greatly to the Johnson Administration’s passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.30 The act promoted black voting rights by outlawing poll taxes and literacy tests. It also called for desegregation of public facilities and prohibited employment discrimination in organizations receiving federal money. To oversee the employment requirements, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was established. In addition, the U.S. Attorney General was given the right to file suits to desegregate schools. A weakness of the legislation was that enforcement was done on a case-by-case basis (i.e., individual lawsuits). This feature of the bill made it more difficult to enforce anti discrimination.
To expedite legal action, the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was passed.31 This act gave the federal government the right to presume discrimination in any state (or its subdivisions) where less than 50% of minorities voted in the latest federal election. The act also presumed discrimination in any area using screening tests such as literacy tests. In these cases, federal authorities could directly administer elections. Within one week from the bills signing, the federal Justice Department had filed suits to have poll taxes voided in Texas, Virginia, Mississippi, and Alabama.32 In addition, voter screening tests were suspended in several states.
Did You Know?
The Reverend Martin Luther King credited the civil rights demonstrations in Selma, Alabama with the passing of the 1965 Civil Rights Act. Indeed, President Johnson encouraged King to go ahead with the march in an effort to build mass public support for the legislation.33 They both hoped no one would get hurt, but Alabama state troopers used tear gas, clubs, and whips to stop the march. Television coverage of the graphic violence served to generate support for the civil rights legislation, just as Johnson and King had hoped it would. In any case, the 1965 Civil Rights Act is a clear example of government and nonprofit voluntary groups working in partnership to produce social change.
A third major piece of legislation passed during the Johnson Administration was Medicare (Title 18 of the Social Security Act).34 Medicare made health care more affordable for older Americans. The mandatory part of the program, Part A, covered various hospital costs and was financed by a payroll tax on employers and employees. Another characteristic of the bill is that it required no means test (i.e., no income requirements for eligibility). Some of its weaker characteristics were its failure to cover many chronic or long-term conditions. Furthermore, it did not cover preventative and outreach services and contained few cost controls.
To assist the poor with health care, the Johnson Administration passed Medicaid (Title 19 of the Social Security Act).35 This legislation was funded through matching grants with states. States had to provide emergency care and certain other basic services. In addition, each state had to accept people receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Beyond these requirements, it was left to each state to determine eligibility requirements and any additional services. The weaknesses of Medicaid were similar to those of Medicare. It did not promote outreach and preventative services and there were few cost controls in the legislation.
A fifth major piece of legislation passed as part of Johnson’s Great Society was the Older Americans Act of 1965. Title 3 of this act authorized the creation of a national network of Area Agencies on Aging. These agencies coordinate and subsidize services such as homecare and nutrition programs for older Americans.
The Johnson Administration also passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965.36 Johnson, a former public school teacher, had been sensitized to the needs of low-income schools working in Texas. This act provided federal assistance to low-income public school districts. In so doing, the legislation allowed private schools to share books and supplies with public schools.
Other Great Society programs included the Work Incentive Program and the Food Stamp Program. The Work Incentive Program was part of the welfare amendment of 1967. This program funded training programs and child care for women on welfare.37 It was one of the first punitive pieces of welfare reform in that clients could be cut off from AFDC if they refused job training or employment. Yet, the program allowed clients to keep part of their employment earnings without a reduction in benefits. Also, as stated, the Johnson Administration passed the Food Stamp Act, which established a Food Stamp Program to assist the poor in purchasing food. This program was later expanded, standardized (in terms of eligibility), and made mandatory in all states during the Nixon Administration.
The centerpiece of Johnson’s Great Society legislative agenda, however, was the “War On Poverty.” This anti poverty legislation, officially entitled The Economic Opportunity Act of 1965, consisted of several programs including Job Corps and the Neighborhood Youth Corps.38 Job corps provided urban school dropouts with alternative educational and training programs, while the Neighborhood Youth Corps provided part-time jobs to youth in local agencies.
The War on Poverty also offered a Work-Study Program that provided poor college students with campus jobs.39 In addition, the Volunteers in Service to America program, better known as “VISTA,” was initiated. VISTA was a domestic version of the popular Peace Corps program. Instead of sending Americans to work in foreign countries for a stipend, VISTA sent them to do community organizing in poor U.S. neighborhoods. Furthermore, the “War” included legal aid to the poor and the creation of medical clinics in poor neighborhoods.
The most controversial piece of the War On Poverty was the “Community Action Programs,” referred to as “CAP” agencies.40 Housed in the Office of Economic Opportunity, these CAP agencies were given several objectives: to plan and coordinate local services for the needy, to fund and deliver certain services (such as the preschool program, Head Start), and to advocate for the poor. Not only were the CAP agencies supposed to advocate for the poor, they were instructed to encourage “maximum feasible participation” of the poor in their programs. Maximum feasible participation of the poor was viewed as a way to bridge social reform and individual change. More specifically, proponents reasoned that empowerment through participation in social change activities would lead to better mental health for the individual. To promote empowerment and maximum feasible participation of the poor, many of the CAP agencies employed paraprofessionals from their neighborhoods and client populations.
Although CAP programs such as Head Start have proven very successful over time, the CAP agencies suffered from several weaknesses.41 Their objectives proved to be too broad, and at times, contradictory, therefore confusing the mission of the agencies. Were they a planning agency or an advocacy agency or a direct service agency? This ambiguity led to problems in implementing the programs at the local level. To illustrate, the Johnson Administration wanted to reduce welfare dependency, while clients used Great Society legal aid services to challenge welfare denials. What is more, many CAP agencies suffered from poor management practices, including inefficiency, patronage, and corruption.
The CAP agencies were indicative of the weaknesses of the Great Society legislation in general. Johnson wanted to be a great president, even greater than his hero, Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, although many social programs were established under Johnson, his administration did not pay enough attention to adequate funding and proper implementation.42 Fewer programs, better funded and implemented may have been more effective in the long run for American social welfare. Instead, many Americans got the impression that the federal government was just “throwing money” at social problems. This perception, along with Johnson’s prolonging of the Vietnam War, turned popular opinion against him and undermined his Great Society programs. In the end, he decided not to run for reelection.
Yet, those close to Johnson maintain that his commitment to the poor and civil rights was genuine.43 He accomplished in civil rights and national health care what Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal did not. In so doing, millions of needy Americans have benefited from the right to vote, Medicare, Medicaid, legal aid, Head Start, student financial aid, and other Great Society programs.
Critical Analysis: Was the Johnson Presidency a Failure?
Some historians consider the presidency of Lyndon Johnson to be a failure, but is this a fair and accurate assessment? True, Johnson significantly expanded the United State’s war in Vietnam, stating: “I am not going to be the President who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went meaning communist.”44 Yet, at least four presidents – Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon – can share some of the blame for the Vietnam War.45 They all contributed to American involvement in the Vietnam War. In any case, haven’t the Great Society programs helped millions of Americans at risk of racial discrimination and poverty? These programs weren’t perfectly designed in hind sight, but weren’t they critically needed? Does foreign policy failure outweigh domestic policy progress when evaluating a presidency?
Nixon and the Federal Social Welfare Partnership
Richard M. Nixon succeeded Lyndon Johnson as President of the United States in 1968. Although a Republican who was highly critical of Johnson’s Great Society, Nixon continued expanding the federal partnership in social welfare.46 Nixon’s policy views on the Great Society reflected the anger and resentment of the middle class and many local community leaders with the concept of maximum feasible participation of the poor in local services. That is, the practical realities of empowering the poor to take more control of local community institutions and services threatened local community politicians and administrators, leaving a resentment that Nixon capitalized on politically.
Did You Know?
President Richard Nixon detested social workers! He felt that they coddled the undeserving poor. He also felt that many of the Great Society services were ineffective programs that served bureaucrats and social workers more than the country.47
At the same time, however, Nixon sought to build voter support for his presidency and the Republican Party by enacting more and better social legislation than the Democratic Party.48 He did so by promoting legislation that helped the working poor and what America has historically viewed as the “deserving poor” – older Americans, people with disabilities, and children. Nixon pursued his strategy, to a considerable extent, by adding expansive amendments to Democratic policy proposals, by out-bidding them on certain pieces of legislation that assisted the working and/or deserving poor. In short, he tried to beat the Democrats at their own game as he saw it. The result was the passage of a considerable amount of health and human service legislation during Nixon’s presidency and a substantial addition to the federal government’s responsibility for social welfare.
Legislation enacted by the Nixon Administration included the Supplemental Security Income program in 1972.49 This legislation brought Old Age Assistance, Aid to the Blind, and Aid to the Disabled under the sole administration of the Social Security Administration of the federal government. Most of the cost for the program was assumed by the federal government. Supplemental Security Income, better known as “SSI,” provided assistance to people with mental and physical disabilities. This clientele included deinstitutionalized mental health patients. An important point to remember with SSI is that Nixon, the Great Society critic, greatly expanded the number of people receiving assistance in the various categorical services that comprise SSI.
Nixon also expanded the federal government’s role in the Food Stamp Program by passing reforms to the program in 1970 and 1973.50 He made funding and administrative oversight of the program a responsibility of the federal government. In doing this, Nixon established national eligibility standards for Food Stamps which included the working poor. Nixon also made participation in the Food Stamp Program mandatory for all states.
During his first term, Nixon also approved a 20 percent increase in Social Security benefits and indexed Social Security to inflation.51 This meant that as the cost of living went up, benefits would also rise. Unfortunately, the legislation did not include a corresponding increase in the payroll tax to fund the benefit increase. This, along with double digit inflation and an increase in retired people per worker, contributed to an eventual funding crisis in the Social Security Program.
Nixon also pioneered in the use of Revenue Sharing and Block Grants.52 “General Revenue Sharing” provided federal funds to local government for general operating expenses, while “Special Revenue Sharing” (including Block Grants) contributed federal funds to local government for broad categorical areas. Examples of Nixon’s Special Revenue Sharing were the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and the Housing and Community Development Act. CETA was a consolidation of job training programs, some of which included public service jobs. (Hence, CETA funds could only be used by the local government for this purpose.) The 1974 Housing and Community Development Act contained the Community Development Block Grant Program. These federal grants could be used by local communities for neighborhood improvement.
Title XX of the Social Security Act, passed during the Nixon Administration, was also designed as a block grant. This legislation contributed federal funds to states for a broad array of social services – including critically needed services such as child care and domestic violence shelters. (It should be noted here that many local private nonprofit health and human service providers ultimately received these funds through service contracts with the state government – part of the federal, state, and local partnership in social welfare!) Nixon was also the first president to pass legislation which used the tax system to give resources to the poor. This was the “Earned Income Tax Credit.”53 The credit was a payment to the working poor with dependent children of up to $400 based on a percentage of their earned income for the year.
Other legislation passed during the Nixon Administration included the Rehabilitation Act (1973), the Education for All Handicapped Act (1975), the Health Maintenance Act (1973), the Family Planning Services and Population Act (1974), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970), the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act (1974), and the Child Abuse Prevention Act (1974).54 The Rehabilitation Act led to major efforts to make buildings, public transportation, and jobs accessible to people with disabilities, while the Education for All Handicapped Act subsequently “mainstreamed” students with disabilities in public schools.
A bill that would lead to significant changes in the U.S. healthcare system, the Health Maintenance Act provided funding for the development of Health Maintenance Organizations. Another Nixon health bill, the Family Planning Services and Population Act helped low-income women obtain family planning services. And the Occupational Safety and Health Act provided federal oversight of safety standards in industry through the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, better known as “OSHA.”
The final two pieces of legislation dealt with child welfare-related issues. In the early 70s, there was a growing concern in America with child abuse. Part of this concern was the physical abuse of children guilty of minor delinquencies, but institutionalized in adult facilities. Consequently, amendments to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act in 1974 offered support to local juvenile diversion services for runaway and truant youth, while the Child Abuse Prevention Act provided funding to universities and demonstration projects for research on child abuse and neglect.
It should also be noted that Nixon took some positive steps on the issue of civil rights.55 For example, he followed through on desegregation of southern schools. In addition, the Nixon Administration’s “Philadelphia Plan” promoted affirmative action in the employment of women and minorities. Yet, Nixon’s agenda in his second term became more conservative with respect to federal spending on programs that might benefit these groups.
Public opinion polls showed that many white ethnic, blue-collar, and middle-class groups resented the militant tactics of activist groups and opposed further social spending. Thus, during his second term, Nixon attempted to focus more on the concerns of this “silent majority” – issues such as inflation, government spending, and ironically, crime. Facing the possibility of impeachment because of his involvement in the cover-up of a burglary at the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Nixon was forced to resign the presidency in 1974.56
Discussion: Politics, Social Workers, and Ethics
The June 17th 1972 burglary that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon took place in the Watergate building in Washington, D.C.; hence, the scandal came to be known as “Watergate.”57 It took place during Nixon’s campaign for re-election. One of the men arrested in the break-in of the Democratic National Headquarters, James McCord, was a “security consultant” for the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) and “security coordinator” for the “Committee to Re-elect the President” meaning Nixon. As later revealed, Watergate was only part of a vast array of break-ins, wiretaps, and sabotage connected to Nixon. 58 Nixon’s rationalization of the Watergate burglary was that this type of political behavior was not unique to him, except that he got caught. In fact, in his first congressional campaign, all of his pamphlets were stolen in a break-in at Republican Party Headquarters in California. The pamphlets, costing $3,000, had been purchased with money received from his wife’s sale of a piece of land.59 Was Nixon’s conduct in political office pretty much standard or was it significantly different and unethical? Does gaining and maintaining public office in America often involve unethical behavior? In any case, what lessons and concerns should social workers involved in politics derive from the Nixon story?
Developments in the Social Sector
The Women’s Movement
The Civil Rights Movement of the 60s helped to rekindle the Women’s Movement of the 1970s.60 Women have often been empowered to organize around their own specific issues by prior involvement in other social movements. Women were very active in the Civil Rights Movement just as they were in the Abolition Movement, the Temperance Movement, and the Antipauper Movement.
But the Civil Rights Movement was not the only factor contributing to the growth in the Women’s Movement.61 Other factors included the publication of Betty Friedan’s book, “The Feminine Mystique.” This best seller discussed “the problem that had no name.” This problem was the lack of identity of women in America. That is, American women at the time gained recognition only through the achievements of their husbands and children. For middle class women in the 50s and 60s, working outside the home was not an option. Thus the homemaker living in the dream home in the suburbs with all the latest labor-saving appliances was, in fact, suffering from depression.
Another influential book was Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will, published in 1975. This book discussed the various ways that women throughout history have been the victims of domestic violence and rape. The prevention of violence against women, therefore, became a key issue for the women’s movement.
Another issue underlying the women’s movement was discrimination in the workplace. Those women who did work outside the home were paid a lower wage than men doing the same work – about 69 cents for every dollar the male was paid. Furthermore, the 1973 Roe versus Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion and the fact that the Great Society had failed to adequately address women’s issues served to galvanize women across America. These kinds of issues came up again and again in the growing number of women’s groups and women’s studies courses. The result was a major campaign to pass an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. In the end, the Amendment was not passed, but the campaign helped women to see their common interests, leading to successful efforts in the 1980s and 90s for increased women’s rights and services.
The Reagan scalpel sliced deeper into federal social programs Tuesday, cutting about $5 billion from the budgets for veterans benefits, youth employment and food stamps and legal services for the poor.
The proposal for cutting funding for veterans staffing and construction was new, as was the proposal to take even more money from the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act by consolidating some of its programs.
But several reductions would be achieved by hastening the cuts announced in February, such as in the consolidating of elementary and secondary education categorical grants.
Combined with the cuts announced Feb. 18, President Reagan has now axed these amounts from the 1982 budget proposed by President Jimmy Carter: jobs and unemployment benefits, $5.8 billion; food, $4.9 billion; education, $2.4 billion; health, $1.2 billion; legal service and juvenile justice, $500 million; housing, $200 million; other welfare, $3.4 billion; community and regional development, $1 billion; postal service $200 million.
Additional cuts Reagan proposed Tuesday:
Comprehensive Employment and Training Act — $700 million, consolidating several programs, including summer youth employment and youth community conservation. Last month he proposed phasing out CETA’s public service jobs for a reduction of $3.6 billion.
Food assistance — $500 million from the food stamp program, and $900 million by converting food assistance for Puerto Rico into a block grant.
Education — $100 million this year and $1.1 billion in 1982 by hastening the cuts through consolidation of 44 elementary and secondary grants into two general block grants. In February the administration proposed no cuts in 1981 and $106 million in 1982. Vocational education, earlier scheduled for no cut this year, targeted for 25 percent this year and 20 percent in 1982, $200 million.
Veterans Administration — Overall reduction of about $700 million, including $100 million by cancelling and delaying some VA hospital construction and $300 million by trimming the VA’s Department of Medicine and Surgery to its 1979 staff level.
Small Business Administration and Farmers Home Administration — $800 million in 1981 by terminating the SBA’s non-physical disaster loan program, $800 million and $300 million by reducing the FHA’s direct loans for water and waste systems.
Justice — $300 million by terminating the Legal Services Corp., and transferring the Justice Department’s juvenile justice programs to a broad social service block grant.
‘Increased pro bono efforts by private attorneys, as part of their professional responsibility, are a major way of augmenting legal services activities financed by the block grant,’ the Office of Management and Budget said.
The budget bureau did not say how the additional food stamp cuts would be made.
‘The changes in the food stamp program are designed to eliminate anomalies found in the present program under which families with high annual incomes are nevertheless eligible for food stamps,’ it said.
Aware that veterans groups already have condemned any cuts, the White House said several hospital projects would be deferred or cancelled ‘but there will be no reduction in medical personnel serving patients directly and no reduction in compensation payments for the service-connected disabled or in pensions for other disabled veterans.’
Reagan also killed Carter’s proposal for a $130 million youth initiative program in education, training and employment.
Personal Profiles: Fannie Lou Hamer and Shirley Chisholm
One of the most high profile civil rights activists of the 60s was a woman named Fannie Lou Hamer. Born in 1917 in Montgomery County, Mississippi, Fannie dropped out of school at age 6 to help support her family by picking cotton.62 Yet, during her civil rights career, she would receive honorary degrees from two colleges, including the prestigious Howard University.
In August of 1962, Hamer tried to register to vote, but was rejected when she failed to interpret a section of the Constitution correctly.63 She finally passed the screening test in December of 1962. However, when she tried to vote in August of 1963, she was rejected again, because she had not paid a poll tax for two years. This occurred after she had been arrested in June of 1963 in Winona, Mississippi while trying to integrate a segregated bus terminal with a busload of other African Americans. While in jail, she was severely beaten by two inmates on orders from police officers.
Showing incredible courage, Hamer continued her community organizing around voter registration and other social issues throughout her life. In September of 1965, she was asked to testify at a closed hearing of the House Elections Committee. During her testimony, Hamer stated that if “Negroes were allowed to vote freely, I could be sitting up here with you right now as a Congresswoman.”64
A second prominent female activist in the 1960s was Shirley Chisholm. Born in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York to immigrants from Barbados and Guyana, Chisholm went on to earn a Masters Degree in Education from Columbia University.65 She was elected to Congress in 1969 while emphasizing such social issues as job training, equal education, adequate housing, enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, child care, and an end to the Vietnam War. In 1971, Chisholm ran for President of the United States, becoming the first viable female candidate of color. She ended up receiving 151 delegate votes for the presidential nomination. After the campaign, Chisholm stated, “What I hope most, is that now there will be others who will feel themselves as capable of running for high political office as any wealthy, good-looking white male.”66
Impact on Professional Social Work
By the 1960s, social workers were no longer leaders in developing social policy on a national level. As discussed previously, social work was more concerned with casework and professionalization in the 1950s. Therefore, with the possible exception of H.E.W. Secretary Wilbur Cohen and social workers involved in a few influential projects such as Mobilization for Youth, social work, as a profession, was not at the forefront of policy making during the Great Society as it had been in the New Deal. According to John Ehrenreich, there were very few articles on civil rights in Social Work before 1963.67 Those most influential in 1960s social policy, people such as Michael Harrington and the Reverend Martin Luther King, were not social workers.
In fact, the profession of social work came under attack.68 The National Welfare Rights Organization, established in 1967, advocated for the rights of public welfare clients. The target of this advocacy was often social workers in administrative positions in the public welfare bureaucracy. In addition, social work students began to protest against schools of social work. Given key social issues such as civil rights and welfare rights during the 1960s, many students believed social work curriculums to be irrelevant. As a result, schools of social work started adding courses in community organization, social planning, as well as race, cultural, and oppression. Furthermore, social work courses started to include more information on systems theory, prevention, and the causes of social problems.
During the 1960s, casework, itself, was attacked for either ignoring the poor or controlling the poor.69 Those who criticized casework for ignoring the poor pointed to all of the caseworkers serving the middle class in family service agencies around the country. The poor, critics contended, did not benefit from these agencies. Those who claimed that casework was overly controlling of the poor based their claims on “social control theory.” They pointed to America’s system of philanthropy, of services based on the wealthy giving to the poor, as another form of colonialism – philanthropic colonialism. In response, schools of social work began emphasizing “client advocacy” and “radical casework.”
Later, the Women’s Movement also had an impact on professional social work. The theoretical base of casework (with its heavy Freudian emphasis) was criticized for being sexist.70 In any case, during the 60s and early 70s, social work once again began to reflect the socio political environment at the time. This environment emphasized systemic causes of social problems and social action to remedy these problems.
You can completely recover from cancer. I’m living proof!
A tumor on my ovary the size of a football!
My entire life flipped upside down. Surgery. Chemo. and the long recovery after.
I struggled for months on months after I finished chemo. I needed to get back to myself.
Find health again. Find myself again.
After months of cancer fatigue, hot flashes, and gaining weight *sigh*
I wondered if I would ever feel healthy again?
Well – as you can see – I am healthier now than I was before cancer. I just needed to fuel my body to lose the weight and reclaim my energy. And the hot flashes? I’m completely hot flash free! https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg0R9EJAQ23/
Dr. Amy Morris, also known as Dr. Amy, is a cancer recovery expert and a cancer survivor herself. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 30 and has since dedicated her life to helping others navigate their cancer journeys.
Her program focuses on science-backed strategies to support the body through cancer treatment and recovery, aiming to help individuals achieve a cancer-free life and minimize long-term side effects2. Helping thousands of women diagnosed with cancer, I’ve discovered exactly what you need for recovery, remission and radical weight loss.
Life has offered me a unique view into cancer care. With over 13 years of clinical experience, a Doctorate Degree Focusing in Cancer Care (University of Toronto, College of Pharmacy), and as a STAGE 3 Cancer Survivor, I truly understand what it’s like to go through cancer. Dr. Amy’s story is one of resilience, hope, and empowerment, inspiring many people around the world1.
Her story is one of resilience, hope, and empowerment, inspiring many people around the world. Would you like to know more about her program or her personal journey?
But now – there are many days when I find it hard to believe that I ever had cancer at all.
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Our clinic offers a comprehensive range of medical services, ensuring that you receive the best possible care in a warm and welcoming environment. Whether you need a routine check-up, chronic disease management, or specialized medical advice, Dr. Morris and her experienced team are here to support you on your journey to optimal health. Visit us today and experience the difference of patient-centered care.
I’m owing you nine steps to complete0:05cancer healing whether you’ve just been0:07diagnosed years out from your treatment0:10or even if you’re just worried about0:11being diagnosed with cancer this video0:14is for you now look if you’ve gone0:15through cancer treatment you know that0:17you get a ton of support and guidance0:20when you’re in treatment but as soon as0:22you’re done you’re just left to figure0:24it out on your own you aren’t given any0:26guidance on how to prevent a cancer0:27recurrence for cancer survivors this is0:30really hard to believe I mean you’re0:32grateful to be cancer free and alive and0:34well but how do you make sure this0:36doesn’t happen to you again but no one0:38on your oncology team gives you the0:41answer to that you get really vague0:43information like just eat healthy and0:45exercise or give yourself time to rest0:48and recover and these strategies well0:51they don’t work before cancer I’m sure0:53you were already trying to eat healthy0:56and exercise so what can you do0:58differently now there must be something0:59something and there is this is exactly
The Problem With Online Cancer Advice
1:02why I’m giving you my nine steps to1:04complete cancer healing if you have1:06spent any time researching cancer online1:09then you know there’s a lot of1:11information out there and worse yet most1:13of it is conflicting it’s frustrating1:15because you’re trying to do what’s right1:17for you but what’s right what’s actually1:20going to work the trouble with advice1:22online is that it’s often extreme many1:25people will have you eating no sugar no1:27Dairy no grains and it’s just not1:29sustainable in the long term it’s really1:32hard to balance restrictive eating with1:35the demands of your work life and taking1:37care of your family the other problem1:39with online cancer advice is that it’s1:41very rarely evidence-based a lot of1:44advice that cancer influencers give is1:47just based off of their personal1:49 experience but just because it works for1:51one person does not make that true for1:53everyone it’s actually unlikely to work1:55for you instead in this video I’m going1:58to show you what has worked for2:00thousands of people before you what has2:02been proven to lower your risk of cancer2:06we know this because it’s worked for2:07thousands of people before you as a2:09cancer survivor myself after I finished2:12treatment I felt completely foreign in2:15my own body I had gained weight during2:17treatment my body achd all the time and2:21I was exhausted I was anxious about my2:24food and I was terrified of a cancer2:26occurrence it was a horrible place to be2:29in you were diagnosed with cancer you2:31deserve to feel amazing you deserve to2:34truly live your life confidently after2:36your diagnosis but the unfortunate truth2:39is hardly anyone is going to help you2:41find a path to actually lower your risk2:43of a cancer recurrence you need to help2:45yourself you need to take action now
Step 1 Eat Lean Protein
2:50without a doubt how you fuel your body2:53it matters from weight gain to joint2:55pain to hot flashes what you eat makes a2:58difference unfortunately there’s a lot3:00of misinformation about how to eat after3:03cancer some people will say to do the3:05keto diet and others will say to eat 3:07vegetarian and still more people will3:10say to avoid sugar or avoid soy but what3:13is the actual truth there are a few key3:16aspects to lower your risk of cancer the3:18first thing that you need to focus on is3:20lean protein most cancer survivors are3:22not eating enough protein it’s really3:24not your fault Comfort foods are not3:27often high in protein things like3:28crackers or toast they’re carbohydrates3:31they’re not protein but your body needs3:34protein to heal and recover it needs3:36protein to maintain your weight and fuel3:38your metabolism to be free of the long3:41chemo side effects and to help stay3:43cancer free your body needs protein and3:46as a cancer survivor you can still eat3:48meat you do not need to become a Vegetarian Vegan3:50vegetarian or a vegan you can still eat3:52lean proteins like chicken turkey or3:55seafood and occasionally you can eat red3:58meat now if you choose to eat vegetarian4:01or vegan for ethical or personal reasons4:04then I love that for you let’s support4:06you in getting the lean protein that you4:08need through plant-based sources but you4:10do not have to give up animal protein if4:13you don’t want to there’s a really clear4:15reason why white meat like chicken4:18turkey or fish it has never been linked4:21to increasing your risk of a cancer4:23recurrence as humans we’re actually much4:25better at absorbing animal protein4:28versus plant protein it’s true because4:30of our Evolution and our genetics is4:32just how the body works now not to say4:35you can’t get adequate vitamins and4:36nutrients if you’re a vegetarian or4:38vegan but it’s just going to take more4:40work eating vegetarian might be the best4:43strategy for you personally but it’s not4:45necessary if you want to prevent a4:47cancer recurrence so include some white4:49meat some seafood and some plant-based4:51protein sources and occasionally include4:54some red meat now of course the amount4:56of lean protein you need to be targeting4:59well that that’s specific to you it’s5:00really important to get expert Cancer5:03Care guidance to find the right lean5:05protein Target specific to you in your5:07body now because it needs to be specific5:09to you we can’t determine your unique5:12protein Target within this video but we5:15can assume that you likely need to start5:18eating more protein so let’s start hereStep 1 Protein5:20start by increasing the amount of lean5:22protein you eat with each meal you5:24should be aiming for 30 gram of protein5:27at every meal breakfast lunch and supper5:29these are foods like eggs or egg whites5:32chicken black beans or chickpeas that
Step 2 Eat Plant Forward
5:37now let’s clear this up because eating5:39plant forward does not mean the absence5:42of animal protein eating plant forward5:44means that the majority of foods that5:46you’re eating are plants and here’s how5:48to build your plate like a cancer5:51thriver I want you to load up half of5:54your plate with vegetables yes half I5:57know that’s a lot but there’s a reason5:59reason for this vegetables are packed6:02with antioxidants and fiber and that’s6:04exactly what you need to help recover6:06from cancer and stay in cancer remission6:09fiber has been shown to reduce your risk6:11of a Cancer recurrence and antioxidants6:14well they help restore your immune6:16system and also help lower your risk of6:18a cancer recurrence now fiber and6:20antioxidants they’re mostly found in6:22fruits and vegetables so start by6:24building half of your plate with6:26vegetables at each meal breakfast lunch6:28and supper now breakfast is going to be6:31the most challenging so start here make6:33an egg or an egg white omelette and add6:36some spinach to it now you’re eating6:38lean protein and you’re eating plant6:40forward on to step number three targeted
Step 3 Targeted Cardio Exercise
6:43cardio exercise you need to be strategic6:45about your exercise or your movement6:47this is one of the steps that make the6:49biggest impact in lowering your risk of6:51a cancer recurrence when you use6:53targeted cardio in combination with6:56targeted strength training you can lower6:58your risk of a cancer recurrence by up7:00to7:0259% now a lot of cancer survivors7:04mistakenly think that they just need to7:07rest and recover after their cancer7:09treatment if they want to reclaim their7:11energy if they want to feel like7:12themselves again then they just need to7:14rest but this is 100% inaccurate you7:18need to be strategic about your exercise7:21here’s how you’re going to do that start7:23with low intensity cardio I want you to7:25start with gentle exercise walking start7:28by tracking how many steps you take in a7:30day do that for S days just make a note7:33of how many steps you’re taking every7:35day once that’s done figure out the7:37average daily steps that you take over7:39that 7-Day period for the upcoming week7:42I want you to add 500 steps that’s now7:44your new goal you’re going to repeat7:46this process every week until you hit7:4910,000 steps but don’t worry if it takes7:51you a bit to get to 10,000 steps this is7:54not a race you’re still reducing your7:56cancer risk over time your ultimate goal7:59is is to hit 150 to 300 minutes of low8:02intensity cardio every single week but I8:05also do not want you to dive into8:08high-intensity cardio exercise this can8:10make your long chemo side effects worse8:13joint pain hot flashes exhaustion it can8:16actually make it worse it’s also not the8:19best approach to drop weight after8:21cancer either you want to start slow and8:23steady so start with walking this gentle8:26approach will help you reclaim your body8:29much faster after cancer will still8:31lowering your cancer risk that brings me
Step 4 Targeted Strength Training
8:36you need to use strength training in8:38combination with low intensity cardio8:40 it’s the combination of the two together8:42that’s been shown to lower your risk of8:44cancer by up to 59% now lots of women8:47are Keen to jump on the cardio part8:49makes sense we all know how to walk we8:51all feel comfortable doing that but8:53strength training that can be8:55intimidating but it doesn’t have to be8:57strength training can be done with just8:59just your body weight that’s it starting9:01with your body weight alone is a perfect9:04place to start strength training should9:05be done two to three times per week and9:07should focus on a full body exercise9:10there are some people who like to train9:12an arm day or a leg day but that should9:15not be your approach here you need to9:16focus on full body strength training9:19with each session okay next up is Step
Step 5 Cancer Prevention Supplements
9:24 supplements now this step is not what9:26you think there are a lot of cancer9:28 survivors that search for this one9:31magical supplement that’s going to lower9:33their risk of a cancer recurrence some9:36pill or powder that can stop cancer but9:38without addressing your nutrition and9:41the rest of these steps then focusing on9:43 supplements will make very little impac t9:46 they’re called supplements for a reason9:49they’re designed to supplement your9:51nutrition so we actually need to make9:53sure that you’re fueling your body9:54correctly before we dive into which 9:57 supplements are best for you don’t spend9:59spend time or energy here unless you’re10:02confident that the rest of these nine10:04steps are maximized okay and next isStep 6 Beans Legumes 10:07
Step 6 Eat beans and legumes five times per week
this is a commonly10:13overlooked aspect of cancer recovery and10:16remission eat more beans and legumes10:19beans and legumes have consistently been10:21shown to lower your risk of cancer or a10:23 Cancer recurrence and hardly anyone is10:25eating them they’re inexpensive they’re10:28easy to make start by including them in10:30your nutrition this might be things like10:33adding black beans to a salad or eating10:35humus maybe toss some lentils into a10:38soup or a stew just start by eating them10:40more often okay and on to step number
Step 7 Foods to Avoid
seven avoid these two Foods there’s a10:45lot of Babble online about what foods to10:47avoid after cancer sugar dairy meat the10:51list goes on and on it’s exhausting and10:54it’s also largely untrue there are two10:56foods that you should seriously consider10:59avoiding or limiting and it’s not sugar11:01sugar has never been linked to11:03increasing your risk of cancer or11:05fueling cancer there’s never been any11:08scientific evidence on that now of11:10course a high sugar diet well that’s not11:12healthy for anyone but if you’re fueling11:14your body with healthy Whole Foods then11:17it’s okay to have a treat every once in11:20a while you do not need to completely 11:23avoid sugar but the foods that have11:25consistently been linked to increasing11:28your risk of cancer are two things11:30 processed meats and alcohol first11:33 processed Meats now processed meats or11:35 any meat that’s had something done to it11:37to change its shelf life or to change11:39its color or its taste these are things11:42like cured ham bacon or hot dogs or deli11:46meat they have been shown to increase11:48your risk of cancer or a cancer11:49recurrence it’s unclear at this time if11:52nitrates in processed meats are what’s11:55responsible or if it’s something else so11:57to be safe it’s better best to avoid all12:00processed meats nitrate-free or not12:03second is alcohol alcohol has been known12:06to raise your risk of cancer let me give12:09you specific numbers we know that women12:11who drink less than six drinks per week12:14so less than a drink a day well they12:17increase their risk of cancer by about12:199% but women who drink less than four12:22drinks per week so less than a half a12:24drink a day will they increase their12:26risk of cancer by about 4% so if you12:29want to occasionally enjoy a drink or a12:32glass of wine with friends then go for12:34it but the more you cut back the lower
Step 8 Healthy Body Weight
12:37your risk okay but on to step number12:39eight and this is an important one12:42maintain a healthy body weight women who12:44maintain a healthy body weight will they12:46lower their risk of cancer and look12:49speaking from personal experience I know12:51that this is not easy as a cancer12:53survivor myself I struggled with weight12:56gain because of steroids or surgery12:59restrictions emotional eating or because13:02of forced menopause it was really rough13:05if you’ve gained weight I understand13:07it’s not your fault but it is going to13:09contribute to your increased risk of a13:12cancer recurrence the good news is that13:14there are clear strategies to help you13:16drop the weight even in force menopause13:18after chemo even on drugs like tamoxifen
Step 9 Develop a cancer remission mindset
This one is almost always always overlooked entirely 13:33 mindset work is a key part to cancer 13:36 recovery and remission and hardly anyone13:39is talking about it your mind is so13:42powerful now I’m not saying you can just13:44will your way out of cancer but your mindset can make a significant impact13:49there’s literature to show that people13:51who watch a comedy show before they13:53received their chemo well they actually13:56had higher levels of immune sell else13:59you can actually increase your immune 14:01 systems activity just by watching a14:04comedy show through mindset that’s the14:07power that your mind has you need to 14:09 start challenging your mindset so if you14:12feel like you’re doomed and that cancer 14:14is inevitable it’s going to come or 14:16 you’re going to be rediagnosis14:28start here start by reading this book by14:31Carol Dweck it’s called mindset I’ll link14:33this up below so you can find it okay so14:36now that you know these nine steps to14:38complete cancer healing we need to start14:40diving into your nutrition first this is14:43going to make the biggest impact I’ve 14:45linked up this next video here on foods14:47that help cancer cells die click the14:49link here I’ll see you in the next video
Today she joins us to share everything you want and need to know when it comes to cancer, specifically in females.
She shares the symptoms you need to be on the lookout for, how you can be making small changes every day that will reduce your risk of cancer by 59%, and what foods aren’t actually as bad for you as you may think.
We touch on the controversial conversation around Pink Washing and how big brands are taking advantage of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, how changing your habits can impact your family for generations to come, and why looking at yourself naked is the first way to detect breast cancer.
I was born in Tallinn in 1989. I started basketball training in the third grade and eventually rose to the Estonian youth and adult basketball teams, became a multiple Estonian champion and was chosen as the best player of the Estonian championship league season.
After graduating from Audentes Sports School with a gold medal in 2008, I went to America for four years at Binghamton University, where I played basketball in the NCAA Division 1 and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology, graduating cum laude in 2012 and being among the best basketball players in my conference.
After university, I returned to Europe and played two seasons of professional basketball – first in Bulgaria and later in Italy. While studying in America, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which unfortunately turned into chronic neuroborreliosis, ended my sports career and led to a 12-year fight for my health.
After giving up my professional career, I worked as a beekeeper for my father at Lemmena Beekeeping Farm, moved to Hiiumaa and started developing myself in photography. Inspired by the nature of Hiiumaa, I bought my first camera, wanting to share its beauty with the whole world.
That’s where my Youtube channel started, where I traveled around Hiiumaa in my videos, accompanied by my beloved dog Jack. I rescued Jack from a shelter as a puppy and he is my best friend. Over time, beekeeping became my hobby and photography became my full-time job – I founded my own company in 2021 and now I am diving deeper and deeper into the wonderful world of photography and videography.
I got my basic knowledge of photography from a black and white photography course at university, where I developed my first photos in the darkroom and captured the New York landscape. This was followed by a digital photography course, after which I knew that photography had a special place in my heart.
However, it was another 10 years before I bought my first camera and started to delve deeper into photography. I am now constantly improving my skills in various photography courses and I enjoy this work more and more. Life has been one big adventure and I would like to thank all the people who have lived with me and supported my activities, whether it be my work as a basketball player, a beekeeper or a photographer! Thank you for being you!
I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012, after getting sick nine months earlier and trying to see what was wrong with me. The road to diagnose was slippery, but I got treated with antibiotics right away after being diagnosed. However, the symptoms prevailed and I went for years feeling the symptoms with no doctor willing to retest or re-treat me for lyme.
After being sent to various doctors so see if I have something else causing the symptoms, I ended up in the hospital in 2020 only to find out I have neuroborreliosis. Why is diagnosing and treating Lyme disease so difficult and why are people not getting the help they need?
I am sharing my personal experience and views on this very complicated disease in hopes to help others who are struggling with the same problems. I am not a doctor, and this video is not intended to give any medical advice, but rather to share my story and bring awareness of Lyme disease.
Lyme disease can cause severe pain due to several factors:
Inflammation: The bacteria that cause Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, can trigger inflammation in various parts of the body, including joints, muscles, and nerves. This inflammation can lead to significant pain and discomfort1.
Neuropathy: Lyme disease can affect the nervous system, leading to neuropathy, which is damage or dysfunction of the nerves. This can result in nerve pain, tingling, and weakness, especially in the hands and feet1.
Arthritis: One of the later stages of Lyme disease can cause Lyme arthritis, which is characterized by severe joint pain and swelling, particularly in the knees and other large joints.
Systemic Impact: Lyme disease can affect multiple systems in the body, including the brain, heart, and muscles, leading to a wide range of symptoms that can contribute to overall pain and discomfort.
Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for managing Lyme disease and reducing the severity of symptoms. If you suspect you have Lyme disease, it’s important to seek medical attention promptly.
1www.lymedisease.org2www.cdc.govLittle update 4 months after the video- my doctors are thinking I might be suffering from neuroinflammation- a condition brought up by my immune system being over active after years of fighting with lyme bacteria- and that overreaction causes inflammation in the brain.
It makes sense to me as my symptoms come and go really fast, and I can usually track down what triggered them (usually eating anything gluten/dairy/white sugar, not sleeping properly, mental stress or doing too much physical work).
I don’t react to my symptoms mentally anymore (aka dont freak out or allow it to make me sad/frustrated/angry) and I have realized that if I am feeling the symptoms (extreme fatigue, dizziness, numbness of hands/fingers, brain fog), then instead of just resting and sleeping it off, I go to walk or move, to get my blood running, and that speeds up the recovery and helps me to feel better much quicker.
I avoid things that cause inflammation, and I am feeling quite well right now! Wishing you all the best, don’t give up!!! There are many people who have overcome Lyme and I am sure that it is treatable, you just gotta keep fighting for your health!!! I am right here with you & sending you lots of love!!!
Little update from March 2024! I have found the solution to my chronic Lyme disease through bee venom therapy!
So many people in the Bee venom.. therapy group have gotten totally rid of it after trying everything else that didn’t work! We just use regular honeybees that the beekeepers use and sting ourselves 3 times a week. I am not going to go into details, but you find all the information you need for free in the “Healing Lyme with Bee Venom” group on Facebook. Join the group and go under files, and then find the Bee Venom Protocol pdf.
@seanhunt2365 I need to do some more research on that because it still keeps lingering around when I am not careful, thank you for sharing! I got a lot of help from CatsClaw and also Biocidin LSF, these two made a huge difference for me. Wishing you all the best!!!
I found a possible reason why bee venom can help with chronic Lyme. Chronic Lyme is linked to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). Scientific article on spandidos-publications. Inhibitory effects of bee venom on mast cell-mediated allergic inflammatory responses
If you have any questions you can search in the group, probably your question has been answered already there. Or if you don’t find one, you can always ask in the group as well. My experience has been super good with it so I really recommend reading through the materials and looking into it. Best part is that it is very cheap and you can do it on your own at your own home, so you are not dependent on doctors who don’t believe/know how to help you anyways. Sorry to just throw it out there but just reading about people losing hope- bee venom has brought so many people back to health.
I did it for 7 months last year and got totally rid of most symptoms and also the food allergies- I can eat gluten and dairy again without relapsing! I thought that some of the symptoms I had were irreversible and that I have to live with them for the rest of my life- long story short they are not and I made almost a full recovery! I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice but I can say for myself that bee venom therapy gave me my life back when all that doctors could suggest to me was to start taking antidepressants! I am still continuing the therapy and will make a video about it soon! Until then take care and I am sending you lots of love!
Note: What works for one person may not always work for everyone else. That is my point. I think people overstep, sometimes in making announcements that even doctors would not ever consider saying.
Maybe it does work for some people and I’m happy for them.
I heard a friend of mine was getting treated for aggressive breast cancer, and so went straight to her to tell her about the research Dr. Eve Sapi out of University of New Haven – Search is doing between the connection of breast cancer and Lyme (to tell her to consider looking into if she has Lyme). She looked right at me and said “oh, I’ve had Lyme for years”. It flares often and I treat it with antibiotics and then it goes away.
I’m so sorry you are struggling like this. Thank you for having the courage to share your story . I’m going through it hard right now again but finally got a diagnosis 6 months ago. Had been bedridden past three years, and sick in and out of hospital for the past 10 years. Affected my joints, spine, muscles , bones, brain , heart, liver , and spleen . Walking or sitting is out of the question when this flare up hits. Doctors thought I had fibromyalgia, lupus, and Hashimotos and chronic fatigue .
The brain fog is AWFUL! I thought I was getting better but last week had a hard flare up for 9 days straight with the most insane constant pain. I am feeling WAAAY BETTER today after learning and treating properly. Due to all my bad experiences over a decade with medical doctors, I focused the last 2 years on naturopathic doctors and started using CellCore Biosciences products offers detox and gut health supplements to remove parasites, Lyme, mold toxicity, as Biotoxin’s, use carbon binders etc.
I’ve been on the products for parasites and BABESIA (a coinfection of Lyme that affects heart & red cells for 9 months and was feeling better than normal. Then I got Covid and experienced the worst pain of my life for 3 weeks. 2 months later, I had this flare up of bartonella and other coinfections that weren’t initially treated or diagnosed.
I have been working exclusively with highly recommended naturopathic doctors. On Instagram, Dr. Ashley Beckman, Dr. Jess Peatros, and Dr. Allyssa Lascala Aka “Biohacking bombshell”, I know when funds are tight because you haven’t been working since you’ve been sick, working with a naturopathic doctor and paying out of pocket is not always possible. So even if you can’t work with one of these Doctors, please check out their highlights and Instagram page because you will learn so much.
Dr. Jess MD has a platform setup to empower us to be our own doctor where we get to converse with 4 other doctors and figure out the root cause of any disease and treat it. I’ve learned a lot from Biohacking Bombshell aka Allysa because of all the free information she posts on her highlights . Highly agree with you on supporting your immune system first and sleeping 8-10 hours. In addition to cell core products that are killing and binding the Lyme, coinfections, and parasites , I found I also needed additional support for my slow mitochondria, inflammation, and immune health . So I started taking adaptogenics like cordyceps, eleuthero root, ashwagandha, lion’s mane , and my energy started getting better and stress went down . I added krill oil day and night with tumeric to help with inflammation.
But️ one important thing I just learned is that you have to protect and repair the area you are having symptoms because that is where the most damage occurs. So, for me I need collagen for my joints, alpha lipoic to protect my nerves in body and brain, Japanese’s Knotweed or Resveratrol and ubiquinol for heart health and oxygen to the brain.
Lyme disease kills our mitochondria. It is so just dealing with the toxic load that we end up not having enough oxygen left for our brain. This results in brain fog. Our brain needs at least 25% oxygen but when we have an overflow of the pathogens there just isn’t enough oxygen to go around. I get air hunger too and chest pains because I have BABESIA coinfection as well.
The most comprehensive protocol that has been working for me is cellcore products which you can get either working with a practitioner or ND or you can simply ask them for their code to order, . But I highly recommend starting 6 months guided by a doctor with the products because they are powerful and take care of biofilms, parasites, binders, parasites, restoring ATP and cell energy, and removing inflammation. It uses very potent herbal healing to attack and remove the microbial disease .
Lastly, a helpful tip, look into METHYLENE BLUE – Search. By Proscriptions because of their exceptional testing and purity and good taste … This troche or lozenge dissolves in your cheek and gum and works straight for your brain ! Restores incredible focused energy and productivity. They advertise it as a brain pharmaceutical but the 4 doctors behind it have a defined interest in Lyme disease and people with chronic fatigue . I’ve used it 3xs and the results are phenomenal! But you will have a blue Smurf tongue .
I don’t mind it. Add red light therapy and infrared saunas to your treatments if possible as they kill the microbes in your body, increase cell health which we definitely NEED, and alleviates pain, numbness, and brain fog. I do red light therapy and methylene blue daily, but I do the sauna weekly cause it sweats your toxins out and opens up your drainage pathways which is VERY IMPORTANT when detoxing from parasites and Lyme.
ALL YOUR DRAINAGE PATHWAYS like colon, lymph, liver, kidneys, MUST STAY OPEN in order to properly allow your body to flush them out. I hope this helps! I am happy to share or help anyone going through this cause it sucks and is prolly the hardest thing we’ll ever have to do. Grateful for this community to share, grow and heal together!
Fasting helped shift things for me mentally. Keto, C8 oil for ketones, NAC, a pure grain free AIP diet, probiotics, and Quercetin, in fact Inflammatone TM is a good combination products, has curcumin, Quercetin, nattokinase, frankincense resin extract, rosemary extract. It has a good product data sheet explaining the inflammatory pathways it regulates. Good luck, you got this. Great, you made the mental shift towards activity and acceptance. Awesome work.
Naturally tranquil and serene, I’m compelled to keep going down this beautiful road.
Edit: Thank you everybody for all of your help. I was very stressed out trying to decide what was best for my next step. I really didn’t want to do the Rifampin or the IM Bicillin shots (couldn’t find anyone to do those anyhow). I messaged my LLMD about switching to herbals and she was agreeable to it. She suggested Japanese knotweed, cryptolepis and /or Houttuynia. I really appreciate you all.
Rifampin…is it worth the risk? I’ve been on every antibiotic, anti-fungal and malaria medication out there and feel like I am running out of options. When the informed consent came over from my LLMD, I got scared and didn’t sign it. Why would the FDA allow a carcinogen in this medication? According to the IC, Rifampin puts me at a higher risk of developing cancer now and in the future. I’m already worried about the impact all of these heavy medications are having on my organs now and in the future and now this.
Yes! Hard as it may seem to think of GETTING UP instead of going down.. but if you just put on sneakers and walk five minutes at a hard pace, slow down after ten. You’ll find so much has been reduced . You don’t have to THINK to walk, just go. Pay attention to breathing, you may get winded in a minute, not it passes in a few more, when it happens, breath deep diaphragmatic breaths. Breath in 4 seconds, hold 4 breath out 8 hold 4. It’s like each exhale, inflammation goes down. Pain reduces as oxygen gets through to muscles.
@nwidas1 Thank you for posting. I gave up on most Drs and have figured out the same things on my own (self studying, pubmed, and good yt drs) I also high dose vitamins and minerals and take other herbs (too long to list) like yourself I will speak to anyone who will listen but often it falls on deaf ears. Have you tried iodine, avoiding plastics, sunlight/wet earth grounding, and fasting methylation(Dr Ben Lynch) Praying and a good mindset and being positive is essential all these have helped me as well. Thank you for spreading the truth. God Bless.
Lauren Lovejoy yes. Andrographis worked for me but yes it takes a long time. Yet It did no damage. And organisms do not develop resistance to it because the mechanism of action is different.
Jane Payeur BaldwinIf you do not want to go the synthetics (Rx) route, you could try the herbal route. My LLMD used both.
Does anyone else suffer from episodes of derealization where familiar surroundings look/feel uncanny, and even threatening, like in a nightmare? How would you describe derealization caused by Lyme?
Yes this happened a lot when I first started treatment and has gotten better in the past 2 1/2yrs for me. I would often tell my LLMD that “I know I’m here but don’t feel like I’m here, feels like something/someone has taken over my body and brain. It’s almost like Deja vu but a weird Deja vu, only way to describe it.
Peggy Canaris Derealization episodes, where familiar surroundings feel strange or unsettling, can be a symptom of neurological effects from Lyme disease. It’s often described as feeling disconnected from reality, like being in a dream or nightmare, and can be linked to inflammation or nervous system involvement caused by Lyme.
I have been on active lyme for years now. And the treatment did not work, so I did it twice. What worked was deciding lyme does not define me, i define lyme. I work with my mental health and my body, eat well and fresh, have my vitamins balanced, and sleep as much as I need. Gluten, milk, sugar and caffeine is mostly out of my diet. I have an active lifestyle, and I move a lot outside. Do only the things that I love. I do saunas and winter swimming for positive stress. Using essential oils do support me both physically and mentally. Having a massage once a month. Being balanced in my body and soul is the only way for me to have control over diseases. I host a party for lyme in my body the way it will be passive and can’t dictate over me. Haven’t had numbness for about 3-4 years for now. 💥️ It’s a great success. 💥
Combination chemo helps people with Leiomyosarcoma cancer live longer – Study finds
For years, the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin has been the mainstay of treatment for people with many types of advanced sarcoma i.e. cancers that begin in the bone or the soft tissues of the body.
Previously, it had been established that combinations of doxorubicin with other chemotherapy drugs helped some people live longer.
“But, compared with doxorubicin alone, the side effects of such combinations were severe, leading many doctors to consider them to be too risky to use in everyday patient care,” the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the U.S says.
But based on the results of a clinical trial conducted in France, this may soon change.
The trial, NCI reports, showed that adding trabectedin (Yondelis) to doxorubicin as an initial treatment for people with a type of sarcoma called leiomyosarcoma helped them live longer than people initially treated with doxorubicin alone. This increased the median survival time from 24 months to 33 months.
The findings were published September 5, 2024, in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Understanding Leiomyosarcoma
So what is Leiomyosarcoma? The name itself might sound foreign to many people but to those affected, it does ring a bell.
It is a rare and aggressive type of cancer that develops in the smooth muscle cells found throughout the body. Smooth muscle cells can be found in the urinary tract system, digestive system, uterus and blood vessels.
There are three different types of Leiomyosarcoma (LMS): Cutaneous or Subcutaneous LMS, Somatic soft tissue LMS and LMS of Vascular region.
According to Cleveland Clinic, Somatic soft tissue LMS affects your body’s connective tissue. It’s the most common form of LMS. Cutaneous or subcutaneous LMS affects the piloerector muscles in the skin. The piloerector muscles are located in your skin and eyes. They’re responsible for giving you goosebumps and making your pupils dilate. LMS of a vascular origin on the other hand is the rarest type of leiomyosarcoma. It develops in a major blood vessel, such as the pulmonary artery, inferior vena cava or peripheral arteries.
Although Leiomyosarcoma affects both men and women, data shows that it occurs more often in women, and it’s more common in people over the age of 50.
The process in which this cancer develops is through a genetic mutation in the smooth muscle cells which can result to uncontrolled cell growth and multiplication.
There are several risk factors that can increase a person’s likelihood of developing Leiomyosarcoma including; genetic conditions, exposure to chemicals such as, vinyl, asbestos or pesticides.
According to the NCI, Early signs and symptoms of this cancer vary depending on the part of the body affected and the tumor size, and they may include; changes in bladder function, gastrointestinal complaints such as nausea, vomiting, belly discomfort and bloating, pain and swelling on the affected area, unintended weight loss and a lump on the affected area.
Despite there being signs, it’s quite crucial for Leiomyosarcoma to be detected early because the symptoms can tend to mimic those of other conditions.
It is diagnosed through a physical examination in order to assess the patient’s health and look for any signs of the disease, imaging tests like x-rays, CT scans or MRI’s and a biopsy is also done by taking a small sample of tissue of the affected area and analyzed.
After the diagnosis, treatment begins. The treatment options, NCI says, are;
Surgery: The best option for LMS treatment is surgery. If all of the tumor is removed, there is a good chance of LMS being cured. If some cancer cells are left behind, there is a greater chance of the cancer coming back in the same spot, or a different part of the body.
Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy can be used around the time of surgery. The radiation is aimed at the tumor area to prevent it from growing back after it is removed.
Chemotherapy: When the LMS tumors are large, or the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body, then chemotherapy is used in combination with surgery.
The likely outcome of this disease and the survival rates vary depending on the stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor and the overall health of the patient. In the case of the stage of the disease, there is a 5-year relative survival rate whereby; 60% is for localized disease that is one that is still confined within its original site, 37% for regional disease that shows up in tissue or lymph nodes near the original site and 12% for distant disease that which has been found in tissue away from the original location. Distant disease is most common in places like the lungs, liver, brains and bones.
Treating people who have advanced leiomyosarcoma with the combo chemotherapy drugs trabectedin (Yondelis) and doxorubicin can help them live longer, a clinical trial has found. Combination Chemo Helps People with Leiomyosarcoma Live Longer
Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant tumor of smooth muscle cells; it’s most common in the uterus, abdomen or pelvis.
By Sharon Reynolds
For decades, the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin has been the mainstay of treatment for people with many types of advanced sarcoma, cancers that begin in the bone or the soft tissues of the body. Previously tested combinations of doxorubicin with other chemotherapy drugs helped some people live longer. But, compared with doxorubicin alone, the side effects of such combinations were severe, leading many doctors to consider them to be too risky to use in everyday patient care.
The findings were published September 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Giving the drugs at the same time also appeared to be more effective than giving one for a period followed by the other (sequentially). Although almost 60% of people in the trial initially treated with doxorubicin alone later received trabectedin, they still didn’t live as long as those who got both drugs together from the beginning of their treatment.
People initially treated with the combination, which was given for about four and a half months, could continue taking trabectedin by itself for up to almost a year, a strategy called maintenance therapy.
This makes it hard to tease out the effects of the combination from the effects of longer treatment overall, explained Dr. Margaret von Mehren, MD., a sarcoma expert from Fox Chase Cancer Center, who was not involved with the study.
But people in the trabectedin plus doxorubicin group lived almost a year longer, she continued, “which argues that the initial response to combination treatment and maintenance was helpful in a way that sequential therapy is not” she said.
The combination treatment did come with a spike in side effects, including serious issues that can substantially impact quality of life. But many patients may accept that risk if it can potentially help them live longer, said Dr. Robert Benjamin, MD, – Search Videos of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, another sarcoma expert who was not involved with the study.
Rare tumors, difficult studies
Sarcomas are rare, making up less than 2% of all cancer diagnoses. This already small number includes around 70 different subtypes. Because of their rarity, clinical trials of new treatments have often included people with many different types of sarcomas in order to have enough participants to produce meaningful results.
But research has indicated that different subtypes of sarcoma may be sensitive to different drugs, suggesting that treatment strategies need to be tailored to each subtype.
The combination of doxorubicin and trabectedin had shown promise in small studies of leiomyosarcoma, a tumor that develops in smooth muscle cells. Although it can arise almost anywhere in the body, it’s most common in the uterus, abdomen, and pelvis.
It took the French Sarcoma Group several years to enroll 150 people into their trial. Participants had been diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma that couldn’t be removed surgically or had spread (metastasized) and hadn’t yet received any treatment.
The researchers randomly assigned about half of the participants to receive up to six cycles of doxorubicin given once every 3 weeks, and the other half to six cycles of doxorubicin plus trabectedin given over the same time frame. Participants in both groups received medications to prevent the number of blood cells in the body from dropping dangerously low.
People in the combination chemotherapy group could continue to receive trabectedin as maintenance therapy for almost a year, as long as the drug appeared to be keeping their cancer in check.
More treatment, longer survival
After a median of more than 4.5 years of follow-up, people who received the combination therapy lived twice as long without their cancer getting worse as those who only got doxorubicin at the start of treatment: 12 months versus 6 months. Two years after starting treatment, 30% of people in the combination chemotherapy group were alive without their cancer getting worse, compared with only 3% who received doxorubicin alone.
Of the people who initially got doxorubicin alone, about 38% eventually received trabectedin after their cancer had come back, or relapsed, and 23% received it after a third or later relapse.
The six cycles of planned chemotherapy shrank the original or metastatic tumors enough to allow for complete surgical removal in 20% of people who received both doxorubicin and trabectedin, compared with only 8% of those who initially received only doxorubicin.
Historically, patients who are able to have their cancer completely removed with surgery “have the same potential for long-term survival” as those whose cancer is completely eradicated by chemotherapy alone, Dr. Benjamin explained.
With more side effects come decisions about best treatment choice
The addition of trabectedin to doxorubicin did substantially increase the number of serious side effects among participants in the combination chemotherapy group.
Almost everyone (97%) in this group had at least one major treatment side effect, including drops in the number of red or white blood cells and temporary liver damage. By comparison, just under 60% of people in the doxorubicin-alone group had serious side effects during treatment.
Despite the higher rate of side effects, 81% of people in the combination chemotherapy group finished all six initial cycles of chemotherapy, compared with 71% of people in the doxorubicin group. One death related to treatment—from heart failure—occurred in the doxorubicin group.
Some people with other health conditions, such as heart problems, liver disease, or problems with their bone marrow, may not be able to receive both drugs together, explained Dr. Benjamin.
“But I think for most patients with leiomyosarcomas, if you need to use chemotherapy, this [combination] is what you would want to use,” he said.
There are other strategies that could be explored to let more patients try combination chemotherapy up front, including the use of drugs that protect the heart, such as dexrazoxane, Dr. Benjamin added.
But some people with advanced sarcomas may still prioritize fewer side effects over a chance at living longer, said von Mehren, MD, “You have to take into account the patient’s preference on the impact of treatment on their ability to [live] their life day to day,” she said.
Others may want to join a clinical trial testing newer treatments, such as immunotherapies, she added. And people shouldn’t be discouraged from joining studies that include people with different sarcoma subtypes if that gives them the opportunity to try other treatment options, she said.
Brandie always had painful menstrual periods and a family history of fibroids and endometriosis, but her symptoms eventually got much worse! She then underwent ovary removal surgery and an elective hysterectomy. She then learned she had leiomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the smooth muscle. Leiomyosarcoma is a rare, aggressive cancer that grows in the smooth muscles, like those found in your stomach, bladder, uterus, intestines and blood vessels.
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My surgeon, Dr. Chawla was a sarcoma specialist. I was treated with proton radiation in order to shrink the tumor for surgical removal and it was successful. It made a hash of my bladder too. In fact, in many ways the radiation damage has lasted almost a year. I’m thankful that you made it through your journey. I just celebrated my one year after surgery and tests showed no more cancer so far.
Scott Hamilton’s Chemocare provides chemotherapy drug and side effect information, cancer wellness information, and links to additional reliable resources and organizations. The website is created and reviewed by a multidisciplinary team at Cleveland …
This post was originally published October 2, 2024, by the National Cancer Institute.
venom.. therapy group have gotten totally rid of it after trying everything else that didn’t work! We just use regular honeybees that the beekeepers use and sting ourselves 3 times a week. I am not going to go into details, but you find all the information you need for free in the “Healing Lyme with Bee Venom” group on Facebook. Join the group and go under files, and then find the Bee Venom Protocol pdf. 
you are struggling like this. Thank you for having the courage to share your story . I’m going through it hard right now again but finally got a diagnosis 6 months ago. Had been bedridden past three years, and sick in and out of hospital for the past 10 years. Affected my joints, spine, muscles , bones, brain , heart, liver , and spleen . Walking or sitting is out of the question when this flare up hits. Doctors thought I had fibromyalgia, lupus, and Hashimotos and chronic fatigue . 
I thought I was getting better but last week had a hard flare up for 9 days straight with the most insane constant pain. I am feeling WAAAY BETTER today after learning and treating properly. Due to all my bad experiences over a decade with medical doctors, I focused the last 2 years on naturopathic doctors and started using 
cells for 9 months and was feeling better than normal. Then I got Covid and experienced the worst pain of my life for 3 weeks. 2 months later, I had this flare up of bartonella and other coinfections that weren’t initially treated or diagnosed.
, I found I also needed additional support for my slow mitochondria, inflammation, and immune health . So I started taking adaptogenics like cordyceps, eleuthero root, ashwagandha, lion’s mane , and my energy started getting better and stress went down . I added krill oil day and night with tumeric to help with inflammation. 
️ one important thing I just learned is that you have to protect and repair the area you are having symptoms because that is where the most damage occurs. So, for me I need collagen for my joints, alpha lipoic to protect my nerves in body and brain, Japanese’s Knotweed or Resveratrol and ubiquinol for heart health and oxygen to the brain. 
. But I highly recommend starting 6 months guided by a doctor with the products because they are powerful and take care of biofilms, parasites, binders, parasites, restoring ATP and cell energy, and removing inflammation. It uses very potent herbal healing to attack and remove the microbial disease 
. By Proscriptions because of their exceptional testing and purity and good taste … This troche or lozenge dissolves in your cheek and gum and works straight for your brain 
! Restores incredible focused energy and productivity. They advertise it as a brain pharmaceutical but the 4 doctors behind it have a defined interest in Lyme disease and people with chronic fatigue . I’ve used it 3xs and the results are phenomenal!
.
