Social Injustices at Christmas Time

I love this picture! I wish all families could be this fortunate!!

I am neither a Liberal, nor a Conservative...I don't do labels; what I am is a fed up citizen, who has grown tired of all this political grandstanding, judgmentalism, religious posturing, and hate-mongering; and I've come to realize that the United States is no better than the average 3rd world nation! It seems the "important" people are looking down there noses at the less fortunate.

Recently, I did some research in order to comment on a post by a Facebook page I’m a fan of, concerning meeting the needs of the less fortunate because you may be the hand of God to them; and the statistics I learned about ticked me off.

So, please forgive the rant…but, pay attention to what I’m about to say!

It’s the Christmas season; but there are a few things we seem to have forgotten. The cold reality of the destitute in the USA…

Recent Statistics (within the last 2 years)

• Vacant Houses – 14.2 million
• Wasted food (not eaten or sold) – 133 billion pounds
• Homeless – 578,424 men, women and children

That is downright disgraceful!! According to the Conservative Right, the United States is a Christian Nation, and the greatest nation on the planet! Why then, in the name of all that is decent, are these statistics even a reality??

Don’t want the US Government to take care of those who are less fortunate than you?? Then, stop passing the buck!!

You heard me…when you donate to a charity organization (soup kitchen, clothes closet, etc.), like any decent Christian would, you are LITERALLY passing the buck; you’re telling them it’s THEIR responsibility to care for the poor, homeless and hungry.

And, I've got a news flash for all you Conservative Right-wingers who pat yourselves on the back for being such good Christians, when you religiously donate your tax deductible contributions to charities; you're actually supporting government-funded socialist programs. You're not as against socialism as you thought, eh??

Mark 12:30-31 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (NLT)

Matthew 25:34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’....“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (NLT)

However, the Conservative Right has become so busy arrogantly beating their chests over what it means to be a Christian, that they’ve forgotten what He commanded!! This is what happens when one becomes "high and mighty" in their own sight (Romans 12:13), they lose sight of the greatest commandment we were given! 

I was homeless, at one point in my life; it's not a lifestyle anyone desires, trust me. Most of the homeless and destitute don’t get seen by those charity organizations; which is why they panhandle...in an attempt to survive, one more day/night. And all of these organizations are bound by rules and regulations (imposed on them by the government) that make it very difficult to properly see to anyone's needs!!

Whenever I had a job, I always looked for someone to help; I’ve bought food and drink for homeless people who ask me for help, many times. Even when I didn’t have a job, I still tried to meet the needs of the less fortunate. I may not have been “earning my keep”, but I still tried to help those who didn’t have anything.

Sometimes I would deliberately ask them how they were doing, and wait to hear them tell me what they need. If I couldn’t fill that need, myself, I would pray that someone would come into their lives that could; but, I always tried to meet their needs, whenever possible.

That’s what Jesus said we should do…take care of each other!! There’s even a stipulation as to whom we should be caring for…when you did it to the least of these. According to Jesus Christ, Himself, we are SUPPOSED to be caring for those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

If you don’t want “Big Gov” to do it, get off your religious high horses and start doing it yourself!! Share what God has blessed you with…not with a charity organization, but with an actual needy person.

Buy them some food, or clothing! Put them up in a hotel, if you don’t want them in your house. Help them find a job; or hire them, if you own a business!! Find a way to fix up those abandoned houses, and let a homeless family occupy them! Show some compassion and empathy....HELP THEM!!

I’m not just saying do these because it’s December, and we’re gearing up for the Christmas holiday…I’m saying do it EVERY day of the year!! BE the Light of Christ to those who have no hope!!

The Liberal Left wants the world to be a better place for all human beings. They believe in fairness, and equality among ALL people. In fact, I've met more Liberals who are more compassionate, in their every-day lives, than most Conservative Right-wingers. Ain't that something!

Jesus had compassion on the weak (Matthew 9:36)…we need to practice that, too. THAT is how we’re going to make this world a better place, for everyone!!

Merry Christmas?? Not for the forgotten...

This is a scene from the story "The Little Match Girl"
I encourage you to read it...this is what we're doing to our own homeless.

Bad Fats vs Good Fats: Let the Truth be Told!

Who amongst you still believes that fat is a bad thing? I wrote a Blog, a while back, called “Are You a Good Fat, or a Bad Fat?”, you can read that, here. The more research I’ve done on this subject, the more information I soak up!

Backstory…

When the Food Guide Pyramid was introduced by the USDA, back in 1992, the government instructed us to limit our fat intake to 30% of total calorie intake. The pyramid looked like this…

The USDA has demonized fat for decades…it’s bad for us, they say; and they haven't distinguished between good fats and bad fats, until recently.

This handy little guide of theirs tell us that in order to have a balanced diet, we should focus more attention on carbs (breads, cereals, rice, pasta, etc), eating 6-11 servings per day; our focus on fruits and veggies should be to eat only 3-5 servings of veggies and 2-4 servings of fruit per day. Apparently, they’re not as important as the bread and cereal group. The next level of the pyramid tells us we should only eat 2-3 servings of meat and dairy, per day; meat and dairy are high in fat, so we should limit our intake.

And the top of the pyramid is where fats are featured….fats, oils and sweets, to be exact. Now, limiting your intake of sweets is a stellar idea! Sweets aren’t healthy, at all. But, fats aren't as bad as they'd like for us to think.

The Food Guide Pyramid, has taken on a few changes, through the years; it looked like this, in 2005, and was called MyPyramid:

In this version, the USDA tells us to balance a healthy diet with exercise; but, do you notice that the grains group is still the biggest section, and the fats group (the little yellow stripe) isn’t mentioned at all?

Here’s the latest transformation…it’s called Choose MyPlate. It’s a much more balanced eating structure, aside from one minor detail…

Do you see it?? Where did the fat go? Now, it is true that you get a certain amount of fats from all the other food groups, but not enough to keep our bodies in good shape! On their website, they explain that avocados and olives are part of the vegetable group (technically they're both fruits), and nuts/seeds are part of the protein group.

But, let’s get serious for a minute…how many people out there consider avocados and olives, when talking about fats? Or, the fact that nuts and seeds have protein in them? Trust me, the USDA considered that when they created the pyramid.

The website also states, “Soft margarine, mayonnaise, and salad dressings are mainly oil and are not considered to be part of any food group.” It’s true…they’re not foods; they’re condiments! Margarine should never be consumed, in the first place; I touched on that topic, in this Blog post.

Sidebar – processed carbs (cereal, bread, pasta, etc) aren’t any better for the body than margarine. You can get all the carbs your body needs by upping your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

I digress…why has the USDA demonized fats, and favored processed carbs, so much?? I think Dr. Pealmutter explains why we need to eat more fats, quite well, in this video.

But, there is a huge difference between fats and fats….good fats (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and Trans-fats. Trans-fats will raise your LDL cholesterol (the bad one); it also causes heart disease, strokes, and Type 2 Diabetes.

It is commonly found in fast food, fried foods, donuts, pastries, and snack foods like cookies and chips; but, it can also be found in any processed food that contains hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated) oils...things like crackers, pretzels, cake mixes, microwave popcorn, pizza, etc. Any oil that is hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated, is a trans-fat and should be avoided at all cost!

Anything you’re eating, if the box, bag, jar, or package says “0 Trans Fats!” check the Ingredients list; look for the oils…Big Food is sneaky, when it comes to disclosing whether or not the oils in foods are hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated. If there’s any oil in the processed food you’re eating, it’s most likely a Trans-fat.

Within the past 30 years or so, the amount of calories we’ve consumed from fats has fallen to around 30%, while obesity has doubled; and heart disease remains this country’s number one killer.

I can't stress this enough...our bodies need saturated fats to function properly; as previously mentioned in Dr. Pearlmutter’s video, saturated fats are good for cognitive brain function; saturated fats also keep us at a healthier weight.

The more we limit fats from our daily nutrient intake, the more people end up with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and a host of other health concerns....but that's good business for Big Pharma, because they've got a pill for every ailment our bodies develop!

Here are some more benefits to eating saturated fats:

• Saturated fat encourages the liver cells to dump their fat cells, which helps the liver to function more effectively. It has also been shown to protect the liver from alcohol and medications, including acetaminophen and other drugs commonly used for pain and arthritis.
• Saturated fatty acids, especially the kinds found in butter and coconut, help white blood cells to recognize and destroy invading viruses and bacteria.
• Saturated fat is required for calcium to be effectively incorporated into our bones.
• In order for our lungs to function properly, the air spaces have to be coated with a thin layer of something called “lung surfactant”; 100% of this surfactant is saturated fatty acids.
• A diet that limits saturated fatty acid intake robs the brain of the ability to function properly; the human brain is made up of fat and cholesterol, and the majority to fats in the brain are saturated.
• Limited amounts of saturated fats, in your daily diet, also limit your body’s ability to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi; our immune systems rely on saturated fatty acids to keep the T-cells (white blood cells) in working order.

But, not all saturated fats are equal…dairy, eggs, and meat all have saturated fats in them; but so do nuts and seeds. If you’re an omnivore, you’ll want to buy grass-fed dairy and meats; and only eat eggs that are laid by backyard (free-range, cage-free) hens. this way, you'll be getting the most nutrient-dense animal products.

The lion’s share of eggs we buy, at the grocery store, come from factory farmed hens. Imagine stuffing 25 live chickens into a shopping cart, cutting their beaks off, and only cleaning their “cage” once a year. Their eggs are nutrient deficient, high in cholesterol, and candidates for E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter which are found in the hens, themselves. I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll pass on the store-bought eggs!

The same with factory farmed meats…they're all nutrient deficient, and disease-prone. You’ll be better off buying free-range, grass-fed, organic meats and dairy products.

Grass-fed meats are higher in Omega-3s, which are considered “good fats”; the folks at eatWILD.com discuss the health benefits of eating grass-fed meat, eggs and dairy on their website. In the left hand corner, you’ll find a link titled “Shop for Local Grassfed Meat, Eggs and Dairy”, which will lead you to a clickable map where you can find local farms to buy your grass-fed products.

If you choose to be vegetarian or vegan, a great way to get an adequate amount of good fats into your diet is by eating nuts and seeds; the VeganHealth.org website has a couple of very good tables, listing the different plant-based foods that are rich in SFAs (saturated fatty acids), MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids). However, it is important to remember that too much fat is a bad thing, even when it comes from healthy sources; so make sure to incorporate tons of fruits, veggies, beans, and legumes with your nuts and seeds. And always buy organic, and non-GMO, when you can!

So, go ahead and enjoy food; eat an abundance of healthy foods....omitting the unhealthy foods, altogether.

And have a blessed day!!

Schoolhouse Rock Taught Me that Knowledge is Power!

And the Bible has taught me that I shall know the truth, and the truth shall set me free (John 8:32). That being said, please allow me to shed some light on a particular subject…..

I believe in the Constitution of the United States; I always have. But, I’ve never quite understood the dynamics of why it says what it says; nor have I ever understood what it all meant.

So, I’ve decided to become a bit more familiar with it….starting with the 2^nd Amendment; in my research, I’ve also discovered that 1 out of every 3 American citizens owns at least one firearm. One-third of the entire population of this country is exercising their right to bear arms. Or are they??

I shared this on my personal Facebook page, today….

Before I shared it, I read it; and my mind was sufficiently blown! When I learned about the Constitution of the United States, in school, I was never taught what the term “well-regulated militia” meant.

The 2^nd Amendment reads……

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

I was taught that this was about the rights of the American citizen; and never questioned that, until now.

Through the years, I’ve noticed that most citizens of this country tend to focus more on the part that says “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”, and proverbially beat their chests at the thought of our government denying us the right to own a firearm.

They cry, “Molon Labe!” (come and get them!) believing themselves to be noble, patriotic Americans who are protecting their 2^nd Amendment rights. But most of them have conveniently forgotten the part about the well-regulated militia…which is, according to Chief Justice Warren Burger, the very “people” this amendment is referring to!

But, what is a militia?? Webster says….

1 (a.) a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency. (b.) a body of citizens organized for military service

2 the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service

The only people who come close to that definition, in America, are local police forces and the actual military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, etc). The Constitution of the United States does NOT grant us ordinary, run-of-the-mill citizens the right to own a firearm; the people whose rights “shall not be infringed” are those who are in the militia.

How does it feel, knowing that one-third of the United States of America is in violation of the Constitution? I am now sufficiently worried for our tired, our poor, and our huddled masses.

How can we call ourselves the Land of the Free, when we don't even bother to obey the rules that secure our freedom??