Trump glasses

See the world through the Donald's lens

#ReadYourWorld #BookWorm Narrative of Frederick Douglass

Based on him being in the news due to a certain famous person mentioning him, I decided to read his autobiography.

It was difficult to read, mainly because a couple of generations removed, it's hard to understand owning people, and surely the cruelty and brutality is startling.

But ... it was worth working through all of it, to understand - however superficially - what life was like for a slave.

Douglass was a champion of sorts, a hero in a surprising way. Through luck, perseverance, and an indomitable human spirit, he became an educated free man.

This is recommended reading. Surely, there are aspects of what he endured that are still around today....

Religious freedom

Congress is expected to introduce a "religious freedom" bill that would allow for discrimination on the basis for religion. Of course, it's unconstitutional, but as they say "you can't have a battle of wits with an unarmed man."

But here's the problem. I could find a way to discriminate against pretty much anyone based on what's in the good ole book. 

Let me show you what I mean using the Donald and the 10 commandments as my reference point:

Worship god? One could argue his businesses are more important to him and that offends my beliefs. 

Honor your parents? His mother was an immigrant. He does not honor her memory with his stance on immigration. 

The sabbath? I could say I was offended by the photo I saw of him in church. He looked bored. I think he would rather have been golfing. 

Idolatry? He loves gold and big buildings. 

Blasphemy? I know he has said "god damn" and that isn't acceptable!

Murder? Just thinking that he could kill someone and get away with it violates the principle. He insults the 10 commandments.

Adultery is the easiest one. Guy got around while he was married. And his comments about grabbing women by the pussy rightly insults me. 

Theft? Maybe he stole an election. But in a more specific sense he has clearly stolen from people who work for him, investors, and others. I got a problem with that. 

Dishonesty? The man lies constantly. He talks in alternative facts. That offends me!

And coveting? Clearly his ways of coveting other women and other people's possessions - and even the grand adulation - I can't take that. 

So you can see how it would be easy to apply it to anyone. It's a broad paintbrush anyone can use to promote hatred. It's absurd. 

So here's where this nets out for me. If it somehow becomes law I am going to discriminate against stupid people, because that's my right. And I'll use this as my reasoning:

Proverbs 13:16 "All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly."

I would be legally able to discriminate against anyone who chooses not to use knowledge!

So at least there's a silver lining. 

Not really of course but it underscores the ignorance of this proposed law. 

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain Egypt unearths 7,000-year-old lost city | Science | The Guardian

Cool find in Egypt! And much older than the seti temple nearby.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/2016/nov/23/egypt-unearths-lost-city-first-dynasty-sohag-province

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain -narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was mentioned yesterday, but have you read his autobiography? You can understand who the man was in his own words. And best of all you can read it online - for free - at the Gutenberg project. 

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23/23-h/23-h.htm

Or you can download his later autobiography about the war and life afterward at archive.org: the life and times of Frederick Douglass 

https://archive.org/details/lifetimesoffrede1881doug

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain First Look at Findings of NASA Twins Study | NASA

This is what's great about scientific discovery. NASA took advantage of having a pair of twins in the program so they could learn more about how space affects humans.

And certainly, this is just the beginning. There is the possibility that we could learn more about the overall human body and how it responds - and how we can make things better for humans.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/how-stressful-will-a-trip-to-mars-be-on-the-human-body-we-now-have-a-peek-into-what-the-nasa

Refugee screening.

I think most people simply don't understand the process, the work, and yes the vetting of individuals seeking to come to the US.

Let me sum up. I think many just assume that it works like this: You're living in a country that becomes unstable. You pack up your belongings and fly to the US, perhaps we even fly you here on a magic carpet. You get to immigration and they usher you in and give you a place to live, money, food stamps, and whatever you need! It's magical.

Except that from most countries, you need a visa to come to the US. Good luck with that in many cases. Visas are granted in blocks and quotas and vary from place to place. And the state department monitors developments around the world and updates its policies regularly.

Say you manage to get a flight and come here with no visa, and head to customs. Question one is about your intention, and based on your passport, you likely would be sent to a detention camp. And welcome to legal limbo.

And realistically, how many foreign nationals can afford to get out and make their way to the US, or could even find passage.

No. For the vast majority, they enter the refugee program. The state department assembled this guide to help you understand how complex it is.

And from some regions, there can be even more vetting. It's harder than this. And we're talking months - or even years - before you can get here.

So shutting down 7 countries to allow for more vetting - or whatever nonsense is spewed - is just a load of crap.

Could the process be improved? Sure it could. Is it perfect? No. But it allows for a fair process.

https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/266671.pdf