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Showing posts with the label life issues

Capital Punishment: It Could be Worse

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It seems that, no matter how bad things are: they could be worse. Take Alabama's recent execution of a Mr. Smith, for example. There's been discussion of whether or not using nitrogen gas was okay, along with the ongoing capital punishment debate. But at least the State of Alabama didn't defray expenses by livecasting the execution: despite pay-per-view being a well-established part of our society. I'll be talking about capital punishment this week: along with Hammurabi's laws, the breaking wheel, and a trend that might be good news. Death Sentences: An Ancient Practice The Breaking Wheel But We've Always Done It This Way Statistics, a Little History, and Science Nitrogen Asphyxiation: Bad News, Good News Excessive Bail, Excessive Fines, Cruel and Unusual Punishment Graphs and Charts, Numbers and — Maybe — a Trend Growth Curves: Executions Go Down as Population Goes Up Acting As If Human Life Matters Responsibility and Dignity: For Everyon

Hamas, Harvard, Ukraine and Alaska Air: Looking for a Bright Side

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All is not right with the world. But all is not wrong, either. Take Sunday night's air disaster that didn't happen, for example. Alaska Air 2059 Underground (Literally) Schools in Ukraine Hey, Everybody! See What We're Doing! — Improv by Hamas Meanwhile, Back in the States Civilian Homes, a Little Extra Shielding — Tomayto, Tomahto. Loving Neighbors: Not Easy, But I Must Bogeymen, Assumptions, and Attitudes: Past and Present Politics, Religion, and Not Missing 'the Good Old Days' "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" — Article 32 and "Protocols" — "Several Experts" and the Reptilians Spears, Pruning Hooks, and Making Sense in the Meantime Double Effect: It's Complicated "This is Not Us" "Yeh Hum Naheen" Academic Freedom and Responsibility A Civilization of Love: Something to Work Towards A "...Competent and Sufficiently Powerful Authority...." Poetry, Future Generations,

May 13, 2023: It’s Been an Interesting Week

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I'd been planning on having something else ready for posting. By Friday afternoon, that obviously wasn't going to happen. So I'll talk about what has been happening. I should have my ducks in a row by the end of next week. This week's highlight was an unexpected visit from number-two daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. They'd been vacationing in Kentucky, and had planned on driving straight through to their home in North Dakota. Then our granddaughter had a learning experience involving a swing and gravity. She'll be okay, but right now she's dealing with a broken arm. And that's why they stopped off in Sauk Centre. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A visit this week, a broken arm and illness in the house have distracted me. So I this week I talked life, health, faith and making sense.)

Edited Twins, Genetic Engineering and Bioethics

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Gene-editing rules showed up in my news feed last Monday. So, indirectly, did genetically-edited twins who, as far as I know, are still alive. If I'd known how little I'd be able to verify about Dr. He Jiankui's famous (or infamous) twins, maybe I'd have picked another topic. But I did find a fair amount of information about genetic editing technology, and a hint at why Dr. He's science project produced twins: Gene-Edited Twins At Least Two "World's First" Defining "First" Not-So-Good News CRISPR Technology and Surprisingly Long-Tongued Rabbits Procedures, Perspectives and People CCR5Δ32, Recent History and Speculation Chromosomes, Science and Twins TALEN and CRISPR: Repurposing Prokaryotic Molecules A Genomic Revolution: New(ish) Territory Louise Joy Brown, HEK 293 and Me Making Sense: It's an Option Bioethics, From a Former Lab Rat's Perspective More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Genetically edite

Euthanasia for the Mentally Ill: Not a Good Idea?

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Suicide was in the news, briefly, this weekend. Euthanasia, actually. Or assisted death. Whatever folks call the process, it's arranging for someone to die. Or, being impolite in my choice of words, killing someone. For thoroughly nice motives. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Canada has helped the terminally ill die since 2016. Euthanasia services are now offered to more sick and mentally ill citizens. Some doctors wonder if it is a good idea.)

Advent 2022: Remembering the Big Picture

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My culture's Christmas season begins with Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Our traditionally-frenzied holiday shopping season does, at any rate. That's not a particularly good thing, considering what stress can do to folks. On the other hand, America's shopping frenzy inspired "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas." I'll be talking about that, more-or-less-recent news, and events we're still celebrating, two millennia later.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Recent news, holiday stress and a hipster nativity. Yogi Yorgesson and C. S. Lewis: views regarding Christmas. Joseph, Mary and decisions.)

War, Peace and a Civilization of Love

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Yesterday was Veteran's Day. In my country, it's a time to remember folks who have served in America's military. Today I'll talk about why countries have military forces, and why I think it's a good idea. Even though I don't like war. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . We live in a less-than-ideal world. But we can make it better. I look at conscience and conflict, songs and ideas: and a few things we got right.

Ukraine: Invasion, Annexation, Labels, and a Good Idea

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(From BBC News, used w/o permission.) (Freedom Square, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Missile explodes, killing at least 10 people. (BBC News (March 1, 2022)) I don't know why Putin sent troops to Ukraine; why those troops bombed a hospital, a theater, and Kharkiv's Freedom Square; or why Ukraine's military didn't either give up or get promptly defeated: but that won't stop me from guessing.... (Russian forces in Ukraine. Death in a maternity hospital, a breadline and a theater. History, perceptions, and a coming consecration.) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Light Show in Washington; Law and Life; Masks Back On

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I'd expected to hear about charisms during Mass this morning. I did, in the Bible readings. But the homily was about why killing innocent people isn't a good idea, even if it's legal. And why we should see killing innocent people as a bad idea. And help folks who maybe felt pressured into ordering a hit because it's 'for their own good.' At any rate, The last-minute topic change was due to Saturday's light show outside the National Basilica in Washington, DC., which wasn't part of the prayer vigil happening inside. So far, Saturday's light show doesn't seem to be a hot news item. Not for national-level traditional news media, anyway. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Floyd/Chauvin Trial, Taser Trouble and Irksome Issues

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On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, a jury said that Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. Folks have been reacting to that. But protestors haven't torched Minneapolis shops and services in the three days since then. Not as far as I know. Which is a relief, but not a surprise. For one thing, it's late April: still a bit too chilly for comfort during pyromaniac performance art's prime time. I'll be taking a quick look at headlines. Then I'll talk about life, law, justice and why I think murder is a bad idea. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Atlanta Spa Shootings: Remembering Dignity

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Eight people didn't go home Tuesday. Someone attacked at least five folks at Young's Asian Massage in Acworth, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb. Two were dead when police arrived. Another two died in a hospital. A fifth victim is still alive, but wounded. Police found three more bodies at the Gold Spa in northeast Atlanta. They found another at the Aromatherapy Spa, across the street. Six of the eight victims are Asian women. A couple guys died, too. Atlanta-area law enforcement identified and caught a suspect. That was Tuesday.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Couney's Baby Incubators vs. the Progressive Era

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(Babies under glass at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific-Exposition, Seattle, Washington. (1909)) Martin A. Couney was not your typical Progressive Era American doctor. For one thing, Couney may not have been an officially-approved doctor. He said that he'd studied under Dr Pierre-Constant Budin. Maybe he had. But he hadn't. Couney revised his origin story rather often. That, changing his name at least once, and at-best-sparse documentation makes sorting out his history challenging.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Life and Death, Laws and Principles

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On the whole, I prefer being alive. Particularly when I consider the alternative. I don't consistently enjoy the moment I'm in: whatever is "now." Relishing some of the "nows" I've experienced would have been reason for concern, and that's another topic. But life, being alive? That's good. Even when it's been bad. Remembering that life can feel good helped me talk myself out of my first suicidal impulse, decades back.... ...But that's not what I'm talking about today.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Executed: Daniel Lewis Lee

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Daniel Lewis Lee died this morning. That's unremarkable, by itself. Roughly 150,000 people die every day. Cause of death varies. Diseases kill some of us. Others die in accidents. Civil authorities kill those who deserve death. In their government's opinion.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Death Came to Dayton

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Saturday night had been Sunday morning for just over an hour when death came to a street in Dayton, Ohio. A young man killed eight folks who had been outside a bar. He's dead. too. Probably killed by police. One of the killer's victims was his sister. Maybe she was an intended victim. Maybe she'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.... ...We know who, how, where and how many were killed. The crime's "why" is another matter. The killer is dead, so investigators can't ask him. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A High Standard

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Three folks on a streetcar in Utrecht, Netherlands, didn't get off. Not alive. Someone, maybe the man in that picture, killed them. He's been caught, apparently no more bodies have been found, and that's as much as I know so far. know for sure, anyway. This incident grabbed my attention, partly because it's been happening in the Netherlands: one of my wife's ancestral homelands. Instead of trying to focus on something else, I decided to share what I've been reading — and some odd speculation. (More at A Catholic Citizen in America )

Christchurch: Headcam at the Mosques

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You've almost certainly seen the news by now. Someone killed more than four dozen folks at a Friday afternoon prayer meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand. One attack was east of the city's center, the other west. Both were about a mile from Cathedral Square.... I noticed familiar angles in today's news and op-eds covering the attacks.... ...That's understandable. Even if some outfit managed to get all the facts and discussed how they'd affect — or might affect — everyone, I doubt that anyone would read the result. Maybe a few news wonks, with entirely too much time on their hands. I've got an angle or two, myself.... (More at A Catholic Citizen in America )

Still More Mass Murder

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Fourteen high-profile murders are in the news. Four died at a Waffle House in Nashville, 10 were killed on Yonge Street in Toronto. The accused killers have been caught. I put links to BBC News and Wikipedia pages about the murders at the end of this post. 1 I'll mostly be saying why I think murder is a bad idea, and how I see being human and making sense — or not, in some cases. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Murders, Life and Death

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Mass murder at a Florida high school is in the news again. Someone has been accused of killing 17 students and staff on February 14, 2018. He's being tried and may be executed. I'll be talking about him, one of the dead students and why I think human life matters. All human life.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Mass Murder: No Fast Fix

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This year's Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day were the same day. Folks exchanged greeting cards. Many got their foreheads marked with ashes. And 17 were killed at a high school. Someone's already called last Wednesday's mass murder the 'Valentine's Day Massacre of 2018.' The famous Valentine's Day Massacre was in 1929 . It happened when a Chicago gang tried resolving a disagreement over bootleg booze. It didn't succeed. Not quite.... ...I'm quite sure the 17 folks killed at Stoneman Douglas High School will be missed by their families, friends, and acquaintances.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .