Are you prepared for what occupation brings?
Disturbed by torture? Prepare for more as the price of Empire. COMMENTARY Torture's Part of the Territory . By Naomi Klein Brace yourself for a flood of gruesome new torture snapshots. Last week, a federal judge ordered the Defense Department to release dozens of additional photographs and videotapes depicting prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. The photographs will elicit what has become a predictable response: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will claim to be shocked and will assure us that action is already being taken to prevent such abuses from happening again. But imagine, for a moment, if events followed a different script. Imagine if Rumsfeld responded like Col. Mathieu in Battle of Algiers, Gillo Pontecorvo's famed 1965 film about the National Liberation Front's attempt to liberate Algeria from French colonial rule. In one of the film's key scenes, Mathieu finds himself in a situation familiar to top officials in the Bush administration: He is being grilled by a room filled with journalists about allegations that French paratroopers are torturing Algerian prisoners. Based on real-life French commander Gen. Jacques Massus, Mathieu neither denies the abuse nor claims that those responsible will be punished. Instead, he flips the tables on the scandalized reporters, most of whom work for newspapers that overwhelmingly support France's continued occupation of Algeria. Torture isn't the problem, he says calmly. The problem is the FLN wants to throw us out of Algeria and we want to stay. It's my turn to ask a question. Should France stay in Algeria? If your answer is still yes, then you must accept all the consequences. His point, as relevant in Iraq today as it was in Algeria in 1957, is that there is no nice, humanitarian way to occupy a nation against the will of its people. Those who support such an occupation don't have the right to morally separate themselves from the brutality it requires. Now, as then, there are only two ways to govern: with consent or with fear. Most Iraqis do not consent to the open-ended military occupation they have been living under for more than two years. On Jan. 30, a clear majority voted for political parties promising to demand a timetable for U.S. withdrawal. Washington may have succeeded in persuading Iraq's political class to abandon that demand, but the fact remains that U.S. troops are on Iraqi soil in open defiance of the express wishes of the population. Lacking consent, the current U.S.-Iraqi regime relies heavily on fear, including the most terrifying tactics of them all: disappearances, indefinite detention without charge and torture. And despite official reassurances, it's only getting worse. A year ago, President Bush pledged to erase the stain of Abu Ghraib by razing the prison to the ground. There has been a change of plans. Abu Ghraib and two other U.S.-run prisons in Iraq are being expanded, and a new 2,000-person detention facility is being built, with a price tag of $50 million. In the last seven months alone, the prison population has doubled to a staggering 11,350. The U.S. military may indeed be cracking down on prisoner abuse, but torture in Iraq is not in decline it has simply been outsourced. In January, Human Rights Watch found that torture within Iraqi-run (and U.S.-supervised) jails and detention facilities was systematic, including the use of electroshock. An internal report from the 1st Cavalry Division, obtained by the Washington Post, states that electrical shock and choking are consistently used to achieve confessions by Iraqi police and soldiers. So open is the use of torture that it has given rise to a hit television show: Every night on the TV station Al Iraqiya run by a U.S. contractor prisoners with swollen faces and black eyes confess to their crimes. Rumsfeld claims that the wave of recent suicide bombings in Iraq is a sign of desperation. In fact, it is the proliferation of torture under Rumsfeld's watch that is the true sign of panic. In Algeria, the French used torture not because they were sadistic but because they were fighting a battle they could not win against the forces of decolonization and Third World nationalism. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein's use of torture surged immediately after the Shiite uprising in 1991: The weaker his hold on power, the more he terrorized his people. Unwanted regimes, whether domestic dictatorships or foreign occupations, rely on torture precisely because they are unwanted. When the next batch of photographs from Abu Ghraib appear, many Americans will be morally outraged, and rightly so. But perhaps some brave official will take a lesson from Col. Mathieu and dare to turn the tables: Should the United States stay in Iraq? If your answer is still yes, then you must accept all the consequences. Copyright 2005 Los Angeles Times http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news3/latimes92v.htm -- Gary Denton http://www.apollocon.org June 24-26 Easter Lemming
Re: Faith crimes
On 17 Jun 2005, at 4:36 am, Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Jun 16, 2005, at 3:25 PM, Russell Chapman wrote: Or, just maybe, these people are beating up these kids coz they're psycopaths who enjoy it (or derive some missing feeling or power or whatever), and then suddenly start talking religion and devils when they get caught ? Call me cynical... It might be the other way around. Sadistic people with delusions of inadequacy might be using religion as an excuse for torture. A simpler explanation is that religion is evil. I found a fuller version of these stories but I think registration is required so here it is: http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=665252005 Boys trafficked for human sacrifices ANGUS HOWARTH Key points Metropolitan police say African boys are sent to London to be murdered Met report also says young Africans being sent to UK as sex slaves London education authority reveals 300 black boys vanished in 2001 Key quote People who are desperate will seek out witchcraft experts to cast spells for them. Members of the workshops state that for a spell to be powerful it required a sacrifice involving a male child unblemished by circumcision - leaked Metrpolitan police report Story in full AFRICAN boys are being murdered as human sacrifices in London churches, according to a shocking Scotland Yard report. The Metropolitan Police has uncovered a trade in black boys being trafficked into the city. A number of fundamentalist sects believe powerful spells require the ritual killing of male children. The leaked report also reveals countless examples of African children killed after being identified as witches by church pastors. The ten-month study was commissioned in the wake of the inquiry into the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbi, who was brought to Britain from Ivory Coast by relatives and was starved and brutalised after they said she was possessed by the devil. A police spokesman said: The Met undertook a project based on recommendations arising from the Victoria Climbi report aimed at improving our knowledge of issues impacting child abuse within the African and Asian communities of London. Working in Newham and Hackney, community partnership officers ran a number of workshops with various sections of these communities debating issues such as female genital mutilation, physical chastisement, forced marriage and faith-related child abuse. The leaked report is quoted as saying: People who are desperate will seek out witchcraft experts to cast spells for them. Members of the workshops state that for a spell to be powerful it required a sacrifice involving a male child unblemished by circumcision. They allege the boy children are being trafficked into the UK for this purpose. The report is also quoted as saying that children may be brought to Britain as sex slaves, some of them for men with HIV who believe that if they have sex with a child they will be cleansed. In discussions with African community leaders, officers were told of numerous examples of children being murdered because their parents or carers believed them to be possessed by evil spirits. Police are now investigating the claims further. The police spokesman said: The aim of the project was to open a dialogue within these communities and encourage a debate which would help reduce the risks of harm to children. The recommendations in the report, due to be published later this month, are being carefully considered at the highest levels in the MPS in conjunction with partner agencies and community groups. The report concludes police face a wall of silence when dealing with the fundamentalist African community. Earlier this month, two women were convicted at the Old Bailey of torturing an eight-year-old child they accused of being a witch. The girl, an orphaned refugee from war-torn Angola, was stabbed, kicked, beaten, had chilli peppers rubbed in her eyes and was forced into a laundry bag and threatened with drowning in a river. Last month, Scotland Yard revealed it had only been able to trace two of 300 black boys aged four to seven reported missing from London schools in a three-month period. Child welfare experts say the number highlights the scale of the trade in children brought to Britain. The figure emerged through the murder inquiry following the discovery of a child's torso in the Thames in September 2001. The identity of the victim, named Adam by police, is not known, but his background was traced to Nigeria. It is believed he died in a ritual sacrifice. Detectives asked each London education authority to give them details of black boys aged four to seven reported missing from school between July and September 2001. It emerged that 300 had vanished, 299 from Africa and one from the Caribbean. The true figure for missing boys and girls is feared to be several thousand a
Re: Even better links on this project Re: life imitates art imitating life?
On 14 Jun 2005, at 11:18 pm, David Brin wrote: WHy these guys would go with claytronics I don't know. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4102018.stm They came up with the idea based on claytronics, the animation technique with involves slightly moving a model per frame to animate it. We thought that a good analogy for what we were going to do was claymation - something like the Wallace and Gromit shows, Dr Mowry told BBC World Service's Outlook programme. -- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ It is our belief, however, that serious professional users will run out of things they can do with UNIX. - Ken Olsen, President of DEC, 1984. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Faith crimes
William T Goodall [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 10:43:58 +0100 William T Goodall wrote On 17 Jun 2005, at 4:36 am, Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Jun 16, 2005, at 3:25 PM, Russell Chapman wrote: Or, just maybe, these people are beating up these kids coz they're psycopaths who enjoy it (or derive some missing feeling or power or whatever), and then suddenly start talking religion and devils when they get caught ? Call me cynical... It might be the other way around. Sadistic people with delusions of inadequacy might be using religion as an excuse for torture. A simpler explanation is that religion is evil. I found a fuller version of these stories but I think registration is required so here it is: Actually, a simpler explanation is that AFRICANS are evil, AIDS is a punishment from God and the (so-called) white man was acting as Gods instrument of mercy when he enslaved them to America, BUT I choose not to believe that nonsense EITHER. Actually, I've found that one can prove ANY opinion if you give only one side of the argument and you provide enough citations. Leonard Matusik [EMAIL PROTECTED] The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible. - Bertrand Russell There's a sucker born every minute -PT Barnum ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l - Discover Yahoo! Use Yahoo! to plan a weekend, have fun online more. Check it out! ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Faith crimes
On Jun 17, 2005, at 2:43 AM, William T Goodall wrote: On 17 Jun 2005, at 4:36 am, Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Jun 16, 2005, at 3:25 PM, Russell Chapman wrote: Or, just maybe, these people are beating up these kids coz they're psycopaths who enjoy it (or derive some missing feeling or power or whatever), and then suddenly start talking religion and devils when they get caught ? Call me cynical... It might be the other way around. Sadistic people with delusions of inadequacy might be using religion as an excuse for torture. A simpler explanation is that religion is evil. Not inclined to agree there; that's actually more of a one-dimensional point of view -- simplistic rather than simple, or perhaps oversimplified. China has been abusing Tibet now for half a century; yet it's China that is purportedly the atheist nation, not Tibet. If religion were the evil force, one would expect China to convert to some flavor of it and use that to justify their power-grabs. (One could say, At least they're being honest about it and not hiding behind the skirts of a priest -- I'd probably have to agree with the intent there, if not the conclusion. Say what one will about the methods -- at least China's honesty is refreshing. They just flat want power, and aren't using any Holy Writ to justify their reasons. ;) But there are examples of religious institutions attempting good as well. In the 1960s Vietnamese Buddhists weren't just setting themselves on fire; they were engaging in relief efforts for the laity. Actually IIRC the war there *forced* them into action -- they realized that simply sitting and meditating and burning incense was not going to be sufficient to address the suffering around them, and so *changed their religious policy* from one of non-involvement to something now called (by Thich Nhat Hanh) engaged Buddhism. And what of organizations such as the Salvation Army? They make positive differences in the lives of the indigent, homeless or substantially financially disadvantaged -- as do, believe it or not, the Hare Krishnas. There's no argument that some of the policies adopted by some religions can be evil, and there's no argument that some people involved in religion are themselves classifiable as evil (though the definition of the word evil is highly plastic and the subject of another discussion entirely!). But you can find that sort of evil prevalent in much ore earthly organizations, such as Enron, Halliburton or the currently constituted US federal government. It might be more practical to assert that groupthink is what can lead to evil. That is, falling into the view that one's in-group (whatever it might be) is THE right one, that everyone else is deluded or subhuman or lacking a soul or grist for one's financial mills or what have you. Get a large enough cadre of like-minded folks and you've got something that can feel a lot like a cult. (Ever see footage of Wal-Mart management conferences? They look like a combination of a political rally and a major church revival. VERY spooky.) Whatever language is used to justify the groupthink -- or its actions -- is completely irrelevant. It can be called jihad, crusade, free enterprise or manifest destiny; the results are often the same and, I think, they come from the same intellectual place within the players. Religion's an easy target because it is so prevalent, but I think the evil lies not in our cults, but in ourselves. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress The Seven-Year Mirror http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Faith crimes
On 17 Jun 2005, at 6:04 pm, Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Jun 17, 2005, at 2:43 AM, William T Goodall wrote: On 17 Jun 2005, at 4:36 am, Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Jun 16, 2005, at 3:25 PM, Russell Chapman wrote: Or, just maybe, these people are beating up these kids coz they're psycopaths who enjoy it (or derive some missing feeling or power or whatever), and then suddenly start talking religion and devils when they get caught ? Call me cynical... It might be the other way around. Sadistic people with delusions of inadequacy might be using religion as an excuse for torture. A simpler explanation is that religion is evil. Not inclined to agree there; that's actually more of a one- dimensional point of view -- simplistic rather than simple, or perhaps oversimplified. China has been abusing Tibet now for half a century; yet it's China that is purportedly the atheist nation, not Tibet. If religion were the evil force, one would expect China to convert to some flavor of it and use that to justify their power-grabs. Communism is a quasi-religion. Religions don't have to be theistic. -- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ Invest in a company any idiot can run because sooner or later any idiot is going to run it. - Warren Buffet ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Scouted: Onward (Moderate) Christian Soldiers
The Daily Kos reports on Republican former Senator John Danforth's rejection of the Dobson/Frist agenda: Moderate Christians are less certain about when and how our beliefs can be translated into statutory form, not because of a lack of faith in God but because of a healthy acknowledgement of the limitations of human beings. Like conservative Christians, we attend church, read the Bible and say our prayers. But for us, the only absolute standard of behavior is the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Repeatedly in the Gospels, we find that the Love Commandment takes precedence when it conflicts with laws. We struggle to follow that commandment as we face the realities of everyday living, and we do not agree that our responsibility to live as Christians can be codified by legislators. It's all right here: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/6/17/115225/108 Dave Tastes Great! Less Certain! Land ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Faith crimes
On Jun 17, 2005, at 10:45 AM, William T Goodall wrote: On 17 Jun 2005, at 6:04 pm, Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Jun 17, 2005, at 2:43 AM, William T Goodall wrote: A simpler explanation is that religion is evil. Not inclined to agree there; that's actually more of a one-dimensional point of view -- simplistic rather than simple, or perhaps oversimplified. China has been abusing Tibet now for half a century; yet it's China that is purportedly the atheist nation, not Tibet. If religion were the evil force, one would expect China to convert to some flavor of it and use that to justify their power-grabs. Communism is a quasi-religion. Religions don't have to be theistic. Right, like a knee-jerk reaction to the mention of religion. I have tons of respect for atheists and theists both who show their work, but not so much for those who only give the answers. It's no good writing Religion bad. QED. Dave ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Faith crimes
On Jun 17, 2005, at 10:45 AM, William T Goodall wrote: Communism is a quasi-religion. Religions don't have to be theistic. That succinctly states the point of the eight grafs I sent earlier on the topic, yes. ;) What you may have overlooked is that I lay the blame squarely at the feet of each of us, or rather I suggested caution for all of us, because we've all got the same urge to join, thrive and dominate. Including atheists. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress The Seven-Year Mirror http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Faith crimes
Behalf Of Warren Ockrassa On Jun 16, 2005, at 3:25 PM, Russell Chapman wrote: Or, just maybe, these people are beating up these kids coz they're psycopaths who enjoy it (or derive some missing feeling or power or whatever), and then suddenly start talking religion and devils when they get caught ? Call me cynical... It might be the other way around. Sadistic people with delusions of inadequacy might be using religion as an excuse for torture. Isn't that more or less what he said? - jmh ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Faith crimes
On Jun 17, 2005, at 11:34 AM, Horn, John wrote: Behalf Of Warren Ockrassa On Jun 16, 2005, at 3:25 PM, Russell Chapman wrote: Or, just maybe, these people are beating up these kids coz they're psycopaths who enjoy it (or derive some missing feeling or power or whatever), and then suddenly start talking religion and devils when they get caught ? Call me cynical... It might be the other way around. Sadistic people with delusions of inadequacy might be using religion as an excuse for torture. Isn't that more or less what he said? :D Yeah, I suppose it is; I guess I was thinking more along the lines of people committing heinous acts and, upon being caught, falling back on any excuse -- as opposed to joining a cult for the express purpose, at the outset, of committing heinous acts. It's probably hair-splitting. Those who want to behave sadistically will do so, and will use any excuse they can imagine to dodge a bullet -- or attempt to do so -- when they're brought to justice. Whether it's just following orders from a superior officer, or just following orders from a talking dog, the acts are the same, and it might be that the motivations are as well. Certainly from the perspective of the victims, the question why seems meaningless. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress The Seven-Year Mirror http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Plans B
Julia Thompson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Deborah Harrell wrote: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-05-31-malpractice-suits_x.htm snippage now Fear of getting sued leads an alarming number of doctors to practice defensive medicine, such as ordering unnecessary tests and avoiding risky procedures, a survey found. The practice has been around for decades, and is no secret to many patients. But the survey of 824 Pennsylvania doctors suggests it is surprisingly common, researchers said Ninety-three percent of the Pennsylvania doctors [from high-liability specialties] surveyed in 2003 said they sometimes or often practiced defensive medicine because of malpractice concerns. That means they engaged in unsound practices that exposed patients to potential harm, said Dr. Peter Budetti, a physician-lawyer and public health professor at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He called the numbers staggering {I don't completely agree with that statement - frex ordering extra lab tests when a few are completely justified only adds to the expense, not any extra danger. He was a bit hyberbolic there.} So, I'm wondering something now about my own most interesting experience in a hospital I gave birth to twins almost 21 months ago. 10 days before I gave birth, an ultrasound was performed for the purpose of determining the position of each fetus. They were both head-down, and I'd given birth to a fairly large baby previously, so my doc and I were on the same page, vaginal delivery. I was induced sniplet and the first baby, the one who'd been lower down for at least a couple of months at that point, was born without any major incident. sniplet Then it was time to deliver the second twin. SOP in this case seems to be, rupture the amniotic sac and deliver. Well... sniplet when his sac was ruptured, he decided he didn't like the position he'd been in for entirely too long. Attempts to turn him manually failed, so the doc was left with 2 choices: breech delivery or quick, unplanned c-section. She opted with the breech delivery, and apparently shocked the rest of the medical personnel in the room; apparently, that just isn't *done* at that particular hospital. Now, I think it was the best thing for everyone directly involved -- it was over more quickly, once she made the decision, I didn't have an incision in my abdomen to recover from, and I think it carried less risk to the baby, given that she'd had some experience in breech deliveries sniplet So, in that case, what would be the defensive action? The breech delivery or the c-section? I think this was more of a judgement call; both courses have potential risks/bad outcomes (of course, so does vaginal delivery!), so your doc made her best call -- and it worked out fine. I don't recall precisely what the time-to-delivery is in an emergency C-section, although I think it's ~ 7-10 minutes; if blood/oxygen flow is compromised for that time, and breech birth time is shorter, the risk to the baby would be lesser (as you noted, not having your gut sliced-n-diced was better for you). Defensive medicine that would have involved possible *increased* risk would have been to electively C-section without a try at vag deliv. [my opinion] Debbi who read yesterday that women docs have suicide rates *130% higher* than non-physician women (male docs have a 40% higher suicide rate than non-doc men) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Onward (Moderate) Christian Soldiers
Dave Land [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The Daily Kos reports on Republican former Senator John Danforth's rejection of the Dobson/Frist agenda: snip But for us, the only absolute standard of behavior is the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Repeatedly in the Gospels, we find that the Love Commandment takes precedence when it conflicts with laws. We struggle to follow that commandment as we face the realities of everyday living, and we do not agree that our responsibility to live as Christians can be codified by legislators. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/6/17/115225/108 Dave Tastes Great! Less Certain! Land I liked this statement as well: We strongly support the separation of church and state, both because that principle is essential to holding together a diverse country, and because the policies of the state always fall short of the demands of faith. Debbi Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show Maru ;-D Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Cover-up or protection?
Suppose a CDC researcher had uncovered evidence that a mercury preservative introduced in children's vaccine's was implicated in a 15-fold increase in autism in youngsters. What would the CDC do?. If you know the strong ties between large drug corporations and the administration the answer is no surprise. Extraordinary lengths were gone to to hide the study. The conference on high-level researchers to decide how to respond was itself covered-up. The study was privatized to keep it away from FOI requests. The CDC researcher was given a new job with the vaccine industry. The companies were allowed to continue to use the mercury compound for years and encouraged to export the vaccines to other countries. A new study was initiated with the researchers instructed as to what conclusions should be reached. Just bidness as usual. In fact, the government has proved to be far more adept at handling the damage than at protecting children's health. The CDC paid the Institute of Medicine to conduct a new study to whitewash the risks of thimerosal, ordering researchers to rule out the chemical's link to autism. It withheld Verstraeten's findings, even though they had been slated for immediate publication, and told other scientists that his original data had been lost and could not be replicated. And to thwart the Freedom of Information Act, it handed its giant database of vaccine records over to a private company, declaring it off-limits to researchers. By the time Verstraeten finally published his study in 2003, he had gone to work for GlaxoSmithKline and reworked his data to bury the link between thimerosal and autism. Vaccine manufacturers had already begun to phase thimerosal out of injections given to American infants - but they continued to sell off their mercury-based supplies of vaccines until last year. The CDC and FDA gave them a hand, buying up the tainted vaccines for export to developing countries and allowing drug companies to continue using the preservative in some American vaccines - including several pediatric flu shots as well as tetanus boosters routinely given to 11-year-olds ... The story of how government health agencies colluded with Big Pharma to hide the risks of thimerosal from the public is a chilling case study of institutional arrogance, power and greed. I was drawn into the controversy only reluctantly. As an attorney and environmentalist who has spent years working on issues of mercury toxicity, I frequently met mothers of autistic children who were absolutely convinced that their kids had been injured by vaccines. Privately, I was skeptical. I doubted that autism could be blamed on a single source, and I certainly understood the government's need to reassure parents that vaccinations are safe; the eradication of deadly childhood diseases depends on it. I tended to agree with skeptics like Rep. Henry Waxman, a Democrat from California, who criticized his colleagues on the House Government Reform Committee for leaping to conclusions about autism and vaccinations. Why should we scare people about immunization, Waxman pointed out at one hearing, until we know the facts? It was only after reading the Simpsonwood transcripts, studying the leading scientific research and talking with many of the nation's preeminent authorities on mercury that I became convinced that the link between thimerosal and the epidemic of childhood neurological disorders is real. Five of my own children are members of the Thimerosal Generation - those born between 1989 and 2003 - who received heavy doses of mercury from vaccines. The elementary grades are overwhelmed with children who have symptoms of neurological or immune-system damage, Patti White, a school nurse, told the House Government Reform Committee in 1999. Vaccines are supposed to be making us healthier; however, in 25 years of nursing I have never seen so many damaged, sick kids. Something very, very wrong is happening to our children. More than 500,000 kids currently suffer from autism, and pediatricians diagnose more than 40,000 new cases every year. The disease was unknown until 1943, when it was identified and diagnosed among 11 children born in the months after thimerosal was first added to baby vaccines in 1931. This version is easier to get to than the original http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/061605HA.shtml Gary Denton http://www.apollocon.org June 24-26 Easter Lemming Blogs http://elemming.blogspot.com http://elemming2.blogspot.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l