Doubt #352
By Hank Silverberg
Commentary
Do I get another Covid-19 booster or not? Should school districts be working harder to convince all parents to get their children vaccinated to prevent measles?
Is any advice from the Centers for Disease Control good advice anymore?
The Trump administration has set back medical care in this county at least 50 years, maybe more.
Vital research on cancer, which had been conducted at some of our premier universities, has been stopped or slowed down because the federal funding was eliminated. Why? Because the folks in the administration think admitting minorities, more women and making sure their school has more diversity and inclusion is wrong. They ignore the value of diversity which helped build this country for two and half centuries.
Of course, it's not just Trump. We simply can not trust anyone in this administration to make the right decisions anymore. Heath and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has turned the CDC over to the anti-vaxxers and quack doctors who question any research done there, even though it's been completely vetted within the medical community.
I am not a doctor. So I won't go into too much medical detail here. But I do know that the measles vaccine has been very successful in controlling the disease over the last half century, and that the Covid-19 vaccine saved thousands, if not millions, of lives during the recent pandemic. These are facts, which should NOT be in dispute.
Those in charge of HHS right now would wipe all that out. Why? Quack medicine? Politics? Ignorance? I can't figure it out. There is no logic to it. It is the American people who will pay the price.
What can we do about it? First, seek out experts in the medical field not connected to the CDC for advice on the health of your family and yourself. Secondly, press your congressman or any candidate for congress on this issue. And when I say press, I don't mean a polite letter or email. Show up at candidate events or town halls over the next year as the congressional campaigns heat up. Get your friends to help. Make a fuss. Your life may depend on it.
News You May Have Missed!
Little League in Court?
Here's one of those stories that makes you shake your head and wonder. You may remember 12- year-old Marco Rocco, who was suspended in July
 |
| Little League Bat |
The incident got a lot of attention, including comments from some major league players, both for and against Marco's action.
But now comes word that Marco's bat, which he signed, has sold at auction for $9,882. The buyer remains anonymous. The money is going to the Little League program in Haddonfield where Marco plays ball. It seems everything these days ends up in court.
Is Crime Really That Bad?
How bad is crime in our major cities? Is President Trump really right that federal troops are needed to quell a big surge? Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau's Real Time Crime Index show that violent crime is significantly lower in 2025 than in 2024, continuing a post-pandemic downward trend across the country. For example, these statistics from two cities known for high crime rates:
*In Baltimore, homicide is down 39%, assault is down 8%.
*In Chicago, which appears to be Trump's next targeted city for federal troops, which he has called "the killing fields," homicides are down 25%.
The stats show aggravated assaults, which include non-fatal shootings, were down in Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Baltimore, and San Francisco, and unchanged in New York.
The crime index also shows property crime like auto theft or burglaries were mostly down in those six cities in the first six months of 2025.
All this is not to say that there is no crime. It is a serious problem, and the public knows it. A recent AP-NORC poll show 55% of the public has no problem with the military assisting in urban law enforcement, with Republicans jumping to 82%. BUT just 32% overall think federal troops should take control from local police departments.
Mr. Trump scores high on this issue. His overall approval rating is just 45%, but 53% approve of his handling of crime.
One other issue of note. A recent Miami Herald poll asked a question about ICE agents being masked and not showing badges while making arrests.
According to the Herald, "More than two-thirds of respondents, 68%, said ICE officers should be required to wear uniforms when conducting operations. Just 18% opposed this. Further, a plurality of respondents, 47%, opposed allowing ICE officers to wear masks to conceal their identities during arrests. Thirty-nine percent said this should be allowed."
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
This week's dumb quote comes from Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, speaking on CBS Face the Nation when commenting on the use of National Guard troops in Los Angeles earlier this summer:
"I do know that L-A wouldn't be standing today if President Trump hadn't taken action."
The protests in L-A in June were confined to a small area of downtown. There was some scattered vandalism and some small violent incidents in protest of ICE arrests of illegal immigrants, but the LAPD had everything under control long before the federal troops arrived. Noem has a tendency to exaggerate everything. This is a good example.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-crime-stats-92ee575c0d445320aa633f6abe2a26b9
(You suggestions and comments are welcome)
My recent book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at: HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
My NEWEST book is now available. It is designed for use in Public Speaking and entry level communications classes.
Comments
Post a Comment
Reactive comments are welcome. Please keep it civil. Any direct attack on the blogger or those who post is not welcome and will be deleted.