Agonizing over the Democrats’ CIA torture report?

Abortions cut off legs and arms, suck out brains, or vacuum contents

Sometimes it’s the same people worrying about our “values” that allow torturing a terrorist suspect who think “choosing” to end the life of an unborn child is OK because it’s up to the woman.

“Surgical abortion empties the contents of your uterus and is usually performed within 12 to 14 weeks from your last normal menstrual period (first-trimester). However, the procedure can be done up to 20 weeks (mid-trimester). The procedure involves "vacuum aspiration" of the contents of the uterus.”

https://www.optionsforsexualhealth.org/birth-control-pregnancy/pregnancy/surgical-abortion

Suction pulls apart the fetus’ body and out the uterus. After suction, the doctor and nurses must reassemble the fetus’ dismembered parts to ensure they have all the pieces.

http://www.birthmothers.org/extras/types-of-abortions.htm

Finding bin Laden

Heads and apologies are rolling at Sony

Hollywood hypocrisy? Fake kissy face? Oh surely not! The Sony hack shows you should never say in an e-mail what you wouldn't say to the face. . . of the president.

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/12/11/a-sony-exec-cracks-jokes-about-obamas-race-and-eight-more-bruising-revelations-from-the-sony-leak/

Only 9% consider race an important news topic--the economy and terrorism are at the top. But if Hollywood is joking about Obama, maybe that should be a little higher.

Outraged

Highlights of prisoner statistics of the Bureau of Justice, 2013

• U.S. state and federal correctional facilities held an estimated 1,574,700 prisoners on December 31, 2013, an increase of 4,300 prisoners from yearend 2012.
• The 3-year decline in the prison population stopped in 2013 due to an increase of 6,300 inmates (0.5%) in the state prison population.
• The federal prison population decreased in size for the first time since 1980, with 1,900 fewer prisoners in 2013 than in 2012.
• The number of prisoners sentenced to more than a year in state or federal prison increased by 5,400 persons from yearend 2012 to yearend 2013.
• The number of persons admitted to state or federal prison during 2013 increased by 4%, from 608,400 in 2012 to 631,200 in 2013.

In 2012, the most recent year for which offense data were available, 16 percent of state prisoners and 51 percent of federal prisoners were serving sentences for drug offenses. Violent offenders equaled 7 percent of the federal prison population, compared to 54 percent of state prisoners.

http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5110

Rape and sexual assault at colleges

Among college-age females (ages 18 to 24), the rate of rape and sexual assault was 1.2 times higher for NONSTUDENTS than students for the period 1995–2013, the Bureau of Justice Statistics announced today[Dec. 11, 2014]. Nonstudents (65,700) accounted for more than double the average annual number of rape and sexual assault victimizations compared to students (31,300). Press release

Kristallnacht American style

Daniel Henninger, writing in the Wall Street Journal about the mobs invading NYC businesses, smashing windows, disrupting shoppers during the Christmas shopping season, and destroying property with the approval of the mayor and the encouragement of the president of the United States: "If we have learned anything in the past century, it is that when politically approved mobs start invading shopkeepers and smashing their windows in the name of politics, it is a sign that a society is veering off the rails." In 1930s Germany the elected government and local police stood by while businesses and targeted groups were terrorized an demonized. People were looking for someone to blame, so then it was "rich Jews." Now it's "white privilege." Goons just the same; mobs who have no idea what they are protesting. And now you don't even need a charismatic leader--you've got the internet to hype the lies. (HT Harry Lewis.)

Dr. Ben Carson on victimhood

Who are the racists?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VBAEJlR4pk#t=13

Those who believe blacks are capable, or those who believe they need special help, different standards? Those who believe blacks can obtain an ID needed for almost all transactions in modern society, or those who think they are incapable of getting one? Those who send their own children to private schools but want to close charters, or those who think blacks will do better outside the public system, just like the liberals kids?

Feinstein apologizes for CIA during Bush years with report prepared only by Democrats

Republicans didn't participate in the so-called "Senate" torture report. Will this be another case that the narrative matters more than the truth? The Intelligence committee's Democratic staff who are researchers but not experience in what happened after 9/11 prepared the $40 million classified 6,300-page report and its 600-page, declassified executive summary. What could possibly go wrong with only one party in charge? Like with the ACA? All the major players signed off on this.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2014/dec/09/cia-torture-report-released-senate

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-12-09/cia-misled-congress-about-terror-interrogations-report-finds

http://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2007/12/09/democrats-on-waterboarding-then-versus-now/

And it just had to come out the day of Jonathan Gruber’s testimony on how he helped confuse Democrats (called them “stupid”) with his expert advice (received about $6 million through 3 administrations), which the mainstream probably would have ignored anyway.

Democrats who were told exactly what was going on are running for cover, lying as they go.  Better to use drones, as Obama does, and don’t take any prisoners who could provide information. Just wipe out residential neighborhoods where they might be hiding.

Reducing violent crime—how it was done, 1992-2012

“In the last 50 years, the United States experienced an extraordinary increase, followed by an equally extraordinary decrease, in the number of Americans victimized by violent crime. Between 1960 and the early 1990s, violent crime in the United States increased dramatically. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports, the number of violent crimes in the United States rose from 288,460 in 1960 to 1,932,274 in 1992. The number of murders rose from 9,110 in 1960 to 23,760 in 1992. The number of rapes rose from 17,190 in 1960 to 109,062 in 1992; robberies from 107,840 in 1960 to 672,478 in 1992; and aggravated assaults from 154,320 in 1960 to 1,126,974 in 1992.

According to the Bureau of Justice  Statistics' National Victimization Survey, 10,015,769 Americans were victims of violent crime in 1992, up from 7,827,356 in 1973 (the first year of the survey). The causes underlying these increases have been debated for decades in universities, in legislatures, and around kitchen tables. But one fact is beyond debate: the country reacted to this extraordinary increase in violent crime with extraordinary policy changes and public safety investments at all levels of government.”

“. . . Between 1992 and 2010, the number of violent crimes in the United States dropped remarkably. The number of murders in 2010 was down to 14,748 from 23,760 in 1992. The number of rapes was down to 84,767 from 109,062 in 1992. The number of robberies was down to 367,832 from 672,478 in 1992, and the number of aggravated assaults was down to 778,901 in 2010 from 1,126,974 in 1992.10 According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey, about 3,817,380 Americans were victims of violent crime in 2010, down from 10,015,769 in 1991. And these accomplishments were achieved at the same time the enforcement community made a new commitment to prevent and detect terrorist activity at home and abroad.”  Letter from Assistant Attorney General, Dec. 23, 2012

Reasons for the improved safety of Americans is debated, but they include (a huge budget increase, of course) the following:

• reforms to policing
• increases in the number of police on the streets
• reforms to criminal sentencing,
• increases in prison and detention populations
• a commitment to reducing illegal drug use and drunk driving,
• increases in treatment capacity
• recognition that almost all those who go to prison are someday released
• efforts to reduce reoffending
• promote effective prisoner reentry
• drug courts
• "hot spot" policing
• CompStat,
• AMBER Alert system,
• new commitment to victims of crime and their right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Report to the Sentencing Commission as required by law, December 23, 2012, Assistant Attorney General of the United States.

Violent crime in the United States, 2013

Jonathan Gruber’s excuse

“I’m not a politician, and I was using inexcusable language to make myself sound smarter than I really am.”  He said it over and over to Trey Gowdy, House Oversight Committee,  and said he was not a politician.  But he sure did sound like one. He’s received over $6 million from the federal government. “Glib, thoughtless and inexcusable language” he said over and over.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/12/gruber-gets-gowdy-ed/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1PCuTLrfcE

Thomas Sowell on Ferguson’s victims

"The first victims of the mob rampages in Ferguson have been people who had nothing to do with Michael Brown or the police. These include people — many of them black or members of other minorities — who have seen the businesses they worked to build destroyed, perhaps never to be revived.

But these are only the first victims. If the history of other communities ravaged by riots in years past is any indication, there are blacks yet unborn who will be paying the price of these riots for years to come.

Sometimes it is a particular neighborhood that never recovers, and sometimes it is a whole city. Detroit is a classic example. It had the worst riot of the 1960s, with 43 deaths — 33 of them black people. Businesses left Detroit, taking with them jobs and taxes that were very much needed to keep the city viable. Middle class people — both black and white — also fled." Thomas Sowell

Eric Holder denies reports of his own department

Eric Holder says no more profiling--race, gender, ethnic group, age--but he'd have to ignore his own DOJ reports. "Homicide Trends in the United States, 1980-2008 Annual Rates for 2009 and 2010."

Blacks were disproportionately represented as both homicide victims and offenders.

*The victimization rate for blacks (27.8 per 100,000) was 6 times higher than the rate for whites (4.5 per 100,000). The offending rate for blacks (34.4 per 100,000) was almost 8 times higher than the rate for whites (4.5 per 100,000) (table 1).

* Males represented 77% of homicide victims and nearly 90% of offenders. The victimization rate for males (11.6 per 100,000) was 3 times higher than the rate for females (3.4 per 100,000).

*The offending rate for males (15.1 per 100,000) was almost 9 times higher than the rate for females (1.7 per 100,000).

*Approximately a third (34%) of murder victims and almost half (49%) of the offenders were under age 25. For both victims and off enders, the rate per 100,000 peaked in the 18 to 24 year-old age group at 17.1 victims per 100,000 and 29.3 offenders per 100,000.

Most homicides are with in the same group—93% of blacks are killed by blacks, 84% of whites are killed by whites, but when it is an interracial crime it is most likely a stranger, and black on white crime is much higher percentage than white on black.

See also: Easy access to the FBI’s supplementary homicide statistics reports

Unbroken the movie

Millions of people loved and read the book "Unbroken," and will wonder why his faith in Jesus Christ has been left out of Angelina Jolie's film. Stop wondering--I think we know why. But it does change his story. You can catch his real story of liberation on video. http://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelist-greg-laurie-disappointed-director-angelina-jolie-chose-to-leave-out-world-war-ii-heros-christian-faith-in-unbroken-movie-125839/

"But his life was changed, and he was, as he told me personally, 'instantly healed of PTSD' as well as his dependence on alcohol. When I interviewed Louis in front of over 45,000 people at Dodger Stadium, he was far more interested in talking about his conversion at the Billy Graham Crusade than his other amazing exploits. Louis Zamperini used his story as a bridge to tell the 'greatest story ever told,' the story of Jesus Christ."

Jonathan Gruber on abortion as a poverty tool

http://www.nber.org/papers/w6034.pdf

The 1996 welfare reform, signed by Clinton, pushed by Republicans, and decried by the liberal media, sort of coincides with falling abortion rates.  Gruber speculated in 1997 that an aborted child was better off than a child living in poverty—at least for the taxpayer.  I think improving the lives of single moms is a better plan.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41917.pdf  This report is a good summary of pre- and post-welfare reform programs.

A dramatic transformation in single mothers’ welfare, work, and poverty status has occurred over
the 27-year period examined in this report. The period has seen a marked structural change in the
provision of benefits under a number of programs that contribute to the fabric of the nation’s
“income safety net.” In turn, single mothers’ behavior has changed markedly over the period, in
part a response to structural changes to income “safety net” programs, with more mothers
working and fewer relying on cash welfare to support themselves and their children in the postwelfare
reform era.

Blacks and police—the myths, memes, and mistakes

Police community relations? Black victims are more likely than white to report crime, and 91% report the police came within an hour. Such careful attention to the needs of the black community since the outcries of the 1980s has resulted in saving many lives--mostly young black men. It also resulted in many bad guys being taken off the street--which makes Eric Holder angry.

The group most likely to be victimized by crime are not blacks (32.9 per 1,000), but American Indians (56.8 per 1,000) who have cradle to grave government supervision, health care, social workers, special police, many transfer programs, and reparations who mainly reside on land away from other groups. Victims of crime, regardless of race, are usually poor and urban. The myths and memes spreading with the riots encouraged by the administration will only hurt the very people Democrats claim to care about most.

 http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/bvvc.pdf

Landrieu—end of the Democrats in the South?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/12/07/mary-landrieus-seat-will-be-held-by-a-republican-for-the-first-time-in-132-years/

“The last time the Senate seat currently and temporarily held by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who lost in a runoff race Saturday night, was held by a Republican was in 1883. When Rep. Bill Cassidy (R) takes over the seat in January, he'll not only complete the Republican sweep of Louisiana's state house and Senate seats, he'll move the Deep South one step closer to being completely red.”

Do you have a college age son?

Mayor deBlasio says he has warned his bi-racial son about the police (who protect the family, btw). He's married to a black, former lesbian. But I digress. If I had a college age son I'd warn him about the campus rape-hysteria. The UVA isn't the first and won't be the last. I'd suggest not going to bars because if he takes a girl home she'll accuse him of putting a rape drug in her drink. I'd suggest he not live in a co-ed dorm that the universities encourage and sanction. Even after a relationship of 3 months and her climbing into his bed, he can be accused of rape (I think this was in a Philadelphia paper). Even if she signs a paper saying the sex was mutually agreeable, she can claim coercion. I'd suggest never being outside his apartment or dorm after 10 p.m. because all the notices I get from OSU seem to be about 2 a.m. crimes. I'd tell him that the presumption of innocence does not apply when the accusation is rape, and the case will be handled by the campus police and a kangaroo court, not experienced officers or our judicial system. Not that he would listen to me. . . but I'd nag anyway.

Can HIV drugs help people with MS?

I’ve known a few people who had HIV/AIDS, but I know many more who have MS.  “HIV and lower risk of multiple sclerosis: beginning to unravel a mystery using a record-linked database study,” Mia L van der Kop, J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry jnnp-2014-308297 Published Online First: 4 August 2014 doi:10.1136/jnnp-2014-308297

http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2014/07/16/jnnp-2014-307932

“Even though multiple sclerosis (MS) and HIV infection are well-documented conditions in clinical medicine, there is only a single case report of a patient with MS and HIV treated with HIV antiretroviral therapies. In this report, the patient's MS symptoms resolved completely after starting combination antiretroviral therapy and remain subsided for more than 12 years. Authors hypothesised that because the pathogenesis of MS has been linked to human endogenous retroviruses, antiretroviral therapy for HIV may be coincidentally treating or preventing progression of MS. This led researchers from Denmark to conduct an epidemiological study on the incidence of MS in a newly diagnosed HIV population (5018 HIV cases compared with 50 149 controls followed for 31 875 and 393 871 person-years, respectively). The incidence rate ratio for an HIV patient acquiring MS was low at 0.3 (95% CI 0.04 to 2.20) but did not reach statistical significance possibly due to the relatively small numbers in both groups. Our study was designed to further investigate the possible association between HIV and MS.”

Wouldn’t this be wonderful news?