Once a conservative darling and Fox News contributor, in recent years S.E. Cupp has become more critical of right-wing politics. A recent piece of hers on CNN describes how, while impeachment is designed as a tool to hold a President accountable and reign in dangerous behavior, on Trump it seems to have had the opposite effect.
Check out the clip below:
Eight short years later a measles vaccine was developed and countless more lives would be saved around the world. From the CDC: “In the decade before 1963 when a vaccine became available, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15 years of age. It is estimated 3 to 4 million people in the United States were infected each year. Also each year, among reported cases, an estimated 400 to 500 people died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 suffered encephalitis (swelling of the brain) from measles.”
We live in a very dangerous and confusing time. Simultaneously we see scientific and technological wonders, and a growing number of our population being shackled by bronze-age ignorance. It has reached a point that is truly staggering when evidence is not even necessary for belief anymore. We truly live in a ‘post-truth’ society in which verified scientific and medical evidence is discounted on something as subjective and transient as a “gut feeling”, and the ramifications of this are singularly terrifying… especially if this trend continues of Americans using news more as a confirmation of personal bias than to inform beliefs and understanding.
The world has always had its share of free-thinking conspiracy theorists, and up until recently they remained on the fringes of our society, lurking in the darkness of their own ignorance. But the last few years has seen a massive uptick in the validity given to fringe beliefs. Flat-earthers are actually getting attention. It is considered fun sport to deny climate change while Australia, California and the Amazon burn… And people are dying from preventable diseases.
The list of science denying factions seems to grow daily and exponentially, and we cannot begin to guess what will come under attack next. It is becoming increasingly clear that the biggest problem is not science denial itself; Our biggest problem is that it has become normal.
Like most I am deeply troubled in the wake of the events in Charlottesville, NC last weekend, Fri, August 11, and Sat, August 12, 2017.
First, let’s be clear about something; The removal of the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville was a red herring. The “Unite the Right” groups (consisting of self-proclaimed White Nationalists, Neo-Nazis, KKK members et. al.) were not gathering to protest the removal of a statue. They were there to make a stand for the “white race” (whatever that is).
They were holding torches and chanting en mass “Jews will not replace us!”, “Blood and soil!” and “Whose streets? Our streets!” They were there to proclaim their hatred for Jews, Africans, Hispanics and anyone else that they deem racially inferior. A brief viewing of the HBO VICE mini-doc should make that abundantly clear. None of the the “Unight the Right” protesters were there in pursuit of peace. Violence was their goal.
Chris Cantwell, a self-proclaimed white nationalist leader was very clear on this point: “We’re not non-violent, we’ll f***ing kill these people if we have to.” In fact, those in attendance were a virtual “who’s who” of the american white racist movement. David Duke, a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan was there, and quoted saying “We are going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. That’s what we believed in. That’s why we voted for Donald Trump.”
Does anything else need to be said? We cannot stand for fascism in america. How is it that in americans fought and died in WWII to defeat the Nazis and fascism, and it is defended in the mainstream today? What sort of country are we becoming, and what needs to happen for us to wake up? 19 protesters were injured and one was killed in a senseless act of hatred and violence. These are domestic terrorists, and they must be named and treated as such.
That is all. ]]>
You can see our response to the hackers here.
The good news is that it may have inspired me to do some more writing. With the political discourse in America at an abysmal low-point, there is a lot to be said.
Stay tuned.
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