Chemistry is Real with Real Consequences

 

Photo: The Independent

Reporting from last week shows the consequences of not taking chemistry seriously.  When first responders and legislators tell the public that fireworks have dangers associated with them, that is no joke.  A video from Today shows the explosion that occurred in Ontario (in California) when fireworks exploded - unexpectedly:

Along with that video were other accounts in the news.  In the following article, a series of photos show the timeline of the explosion in greater detail.  There is a serious lesson to be learned here.

Whenever I tell people that I am a chemist, the most frequent response is: "I did not do good in chemistry, too much math..."  Well, when people do not pay attention to chemistry, the following accidents do happen.  

With that being said, each of us should be aware of the dangers of the chemicals around us.  If anyone does not know the basics, then just start looking at search engines.  Type into the search bar: "How to store cleaning chemicals safely?"  That would be a good start.  What is absolute about the tragedy that occurred when the house exploded was that the accident was avoidable.  Educate yourself before an accident occurs in your home.

World Trade Blocked by Blocked Suez Canal - a Giant Ship

 

Photo: BBC News

A major world trade route has been blocked by a freight ship turned sideways.  The Suez Canal is blocked by a 200,000-ton ship.  Evergreen Marine is the owner of the ship.  A Taiwanese shipping company.  The ship hit land last week.  With a backlog of nearly 300 other freight ships waiting to go through, the problem is worsening by the hour.

To give an idea of the scale of the massive ship, the picture below shows construction equipment that appears to be sized to a child's toy compared to the vessel.  According to Reuters, the ship can carry up to 20,000 containers -- each 20 feet in length:

Photo: The Telegraph

Think about the size and complexity of the problem to be solved.  In an upcoming post, we will explore the carrying capacity in a dimensional analysis post/problem.  For now, think about the scale and the pressure that the crew is feeling holding up a major trade route.

More importantly, how did the staff of the canal manage to let this happen?  Who is responsible?  Who pays for the late arrival of products around the world?  Will this slow the opening up of the economy with the curtailing of the COVID-19 virus from the vaccine roll-out?

Stay tuned!

A Thought Surrounding Gene Editing To Ponder On...

 

Photo: Animated biology with Arpan

Gene-editing technology is in the early stages of use in society.  Part of that is due to ethical concerns -- a large part.  Where do we go with the technology from here?  Where is here?  Consider the fact that the CRISPR-Cas9, which stands for "Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats - CRISPR associated protein 9," is currently used in the war against the COVID-19 virus.

In an article from The New York Times, the new technology is discussed with a small amount of a backstory to bring the reader up to the present use -- to battle the COVID-19 virus.  Specifically discovering new variants of the virus.  Although, a paragraph of interest looking into the future is shown below:

To many, the most familiar faces of this technology are clinical testing companies, which use sequencing machines to read portions of our genetic code (known as “panels” or “exomes”) to investigate a few crucial genes, like those linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. But more profound promises of genome sequencing have been accumulating stealthily in recent years, in fields from personal health to cultural anthropology to environmental monitoring. Crispr, a technology reliant on sequencing, gives scientists the potential to repair disease-causing mutations in our genomes. “Liquid biopsies,” in which a small amount of blood is analyzed for DNA markers, offer the prospect of cancer diagnoses long before symptoms appear. The Harvard geneticist George Church told me that one day sensors might “sip the air” so that a genomic app on our phones can tell us if there’s a pathogen lurking in a room. Sequencing might even make it possible to store any kind of data we might want in DNA — such an archival system would, in theory, be so efficient and dense as to be able to hold the entire contents of the internet in a pillowcase.

The possibilities mentioned in the excerpt above are promising to me personally.  Recently, my mother had the terrible news of a cancer diagnosis.  Before receiving the COVID-19 vaccination (from Moderna), she did not experience any particular symptoms.  After receiving the vaccination, she was feeling fine for about a week.

Then the illness started to increase over the course of two-three weeks.  She finally admitted herself to the hospital.  Just to be clear, the COVID-19 vaccination did not cause her cancer.  Although, the COVID-19 vaccination might have signaled the fact that she had a growth on her Pancreas. 

She is currently starting treatment immediately.  Thank goodness.

Returning to the paragraph above and the promising technology associated with gene-editing technology.  I show the above excerpt to start a conversation and thought process.  Think about the benefits and risks to society moving forward.  Furthermore, how will technology change the practice of medicine?  How has fighting the COVID-19 virus changed modern medicine?

The ability to detect cancer at an earlier stage is just one of many benefits that CRISPR-Cas9 technology brings to the table.  Some concerns will be addressed in future posts, along with benefits too.  

But the overall question is:  Do the benefits to society outweigh the risks?

Stay tuned!

 

Climate Change Knows No Borders

Photo: NRDC

Climate change is real and threatens the entire planet.  With Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress, at the very least partisan legislation needs to be passed to combat climate change.  When Republicans are in charge of Congress, funding for the military along with tax-cuts for the rich automatically kick in.  No questions are asked.   

That is not the case currently with Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress.  Republicans are questioning every piece of legislation being proposed through the lens of a partisan vernacular.  A heightened sense of authority is being taken by the Republican party after the spending spree by former President Donald Trump.  

Reporting by Politico Energy has shed light on this hawkish perspective by the Republican party in Congress lately:

DIPLOMATIC FUNDING FOR CLIMATE: A group of congressional Democrats is pushing for a major cash injection into the U.S. international affairs budget to tackle a number of national security priorities, including climate change. Sens. Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen, along with Reps. Ami Bera and David Cicilline, are angling to increase funding that covers the State Department and USAID to $68.7 billion from $56.6 billion. “Time is running out. We need to harness the Green Climate Fund to help poorer countries invest in climate solutions, and with reforms to ensure it is well-managed and effective, it is the best positioned to drive climate action overseas and leverage additional dollars from other partner governments,” the lawmakers wrote in their plan. POLITICO’s Nahal Toosi has more.

I find the change in perspective by the Republican party in Congress interesting given that the world is immersed in a global pandemic.  Not to mention that former President Trump held back funding for the public due to his childish anger associated with not being re-elected in last year's election.

This is all happening with the back-drop of American's suffering from a growing backlog of mortgage payments.  Debt is piling up.  As mortgages are coming due from the Trump administration, people will continue to increase their debt and suffer greatly.  Just today, the New York Times ran an article talking about landlords in low-economic areas showing a greater percentage of court-evictions popping up.  What will happen to those Americans?  What are we to do as a nation?

On a greater level, climate change is a growing threat.  On a global level, climate change is posing a serious threat.  National security is tied directly to climate change.  Reports have surfaced over the last few years stating that fact.  Democrats have started to devote spending to address the growing threat.  What is disappointing is that Republicans are blocking such spending.  Why?

Again, the blog post has a rambling tone to it.  But spending far and near on climate change is a growing threat.  On a national level, economic harm at the local level with debt rising is a great threat too.  Congress needs to address all of these facets simultaneously.  And action needs to happen quickly.

Climate change is creeping into every conversation at every level.  When is the nation going to take this threat seriously?

Let's take action now.

Water Heaters: Out with the Old, In with the New...

 

Photo: BHI Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning

With better technology, comes better products.  Not just from an operational (easy to use) standpoint, but an increase in efficiency is expected too.  Although, some residents do not like 'new' and want their old system available for replacement with an equivalent old one too.  What to do about 'old?'

At the beginning of the new year of 2021, the outgoing Trump administration left yet another stain on the environment.  Yes, the Trump administration was good at leaving 'stains' all over the environment like a baby is great at soiling a diaper.  The two share in common the process of 'dumping' very efficiently.

With that in mind, the outgoing Trump administration put in place a stay order to allow the use of inefficient water heaters.  That is, to allow, old water heaters to be sold on the market.  A market that is changing toward promoting more efficient water heaters.  Not only more efficient but better all around.  Although, the cost is slightly higher.  That is the price (initial) of overall efficiency. 

According to reporting by Politico Energy, the State Attorney General of New York filed for a review of the order by the Trump administration:

AGs CALL ON COURT TO UNDO TRUMP RULES: Twelve state attorneys general are calling on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to review and vacate two final actions of the Trump administration that allow less-efficient water heaters and home furnaces to remain on the market. The group, led by New York AG Tish James, filed the petition for review Tuesday, opposing the final Trump Energy Department rule that determined use of non-condensing technology in gas-fired residential furnaces and commercial water heaters would constitute a performance-related "feature" under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, thus allowing it to avoid adopting energy efficiency standards. State AGs previously argued that interpretation of a "feature" is inconsistent with the EPCA.

The official statement can be found by clicking here.

The time has come to accept that efficiency is the new opportunity.  And that the opportunity to have a new system comes at a slightly higher cost.  The initial investment will pay off.  Watch the monthly costs associated with the new equipment/instrument.  The savings might not be immediate, but the long-term savings is there.  And that is worth all of the initial investment headaches.

 

Ralph Nader: On Meeting and Interacting with Reporter James Ridgeway

 

Photo: NY Times

Reporting the news accurately was a standard that James Ridgeway never let sink below that high bar he set early on at Princeton while writing for the Daily Princetonian.  Journalists should be recognized more for their contributions to society.  Keeping society informed is extremely important and difficult.  Especially, when there are conspiracies floating around social media gathering eyeballs quickly.  What follows below is a eulogy by Ralph Nader of the Journalist James Ridgeway.

Ralph Nader recently recounted in his newsletter the timeline of his interactions with James Ridgeway throughout history:

Reporter Extraordinaire: The Pioneering Pathways of James Ridgeway

James Ridgeway formally majored in English in the late 1950s, but he really majored in “Reporting” as the editor of the Daily Princetonian. Imagine what it took to put out a daily college newspaper. He had it all in spades and proved it over the next sixty years, with quiet energy and a boundless range of subjects.

I have never met a more honest, meticulous, humble, and productive reporter so persistent in getting the hidden story out to the people, whatever the odds. For Jim, reporting what wasn’t going to get reported was his way of seeking justice for the downtrodden, the powerless, and everyone else unfairly afflicted.

He broke many stories with his articles in the New Republic, the then formidable Village Voice, the Guardian, the Nation, and Mother Jones, among other publications that featured his terse, vivid prose.

The books he wrote also marked him as a reporter who saw stories, trends, and stirrings in the society earlier than his peers. Without pretense and ego, he had the key traits of the great reporters – unquenchable curiosity and the rare ability to “read the scene,” and maintain a driving empathy. He was immune from being jaded and calmly saw through phonies. He asked short questions to more readily evoke candor or expose evasion.

Ridgeway knew the tradition he was extending in his coverage of corruption, profiteering, and betrayals of duty in government and business. The shoulders he stood on were of the great muckrakers of the early 20th century – Ida Tarbell, Jacob Riis, Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens, and I.F. Stone.

I first met Ridgeway while scouring Washington D.C. in 1963-1964 to find someone who would take my findings on suppressed auto safety engineering and boldly report them. It was a tedious search. A visit to the Washington Post resulted in a twenty-minute presentation with a polite editor, who much later told me he thought I was just pitching for an inventor of some car safety device.

I finally walked into the house of the New Republic magazine and was ushered up the stairs to a young Ridgeway deep in thought at his typewriter. He looked at me, saying he just had a few minutes. Well, his curiosity resulted in a major article titled “Car Design and Public Safety.” The next year, he broke the fuller story titled “The Dick” about GM and its detectives tailing me, including to the U.S. Congress where I was soon to testify.

Ridgeway had the dual talent of digging into primary sources (Congressional, court transcripts, and internal memos) like I.F. Stone did and also hitting the ground where the affected people were ready to talk if anyone bothered to listen. And, like Lincoln Steffens, he knew that injustice and devastation undocumented would only fester.

That combination made his books prescient. They included The Politics of Ecology (1970), The Last Play: The Struggle to Monopolize the World’s Energy Resources (1973), and his early expose of corporate influence on the “University-industry” titled The Closed Corporation: American Universities in Crisis (1968). This book was an early alarm call for what has become deep and destructive corporatism inside higher education.

As corporatization of the mainstream press became more restrictive, Ridgeway went to the free culture of the Village Voice, where he worked for 20 years. When the Voice ownership changed, he started producing documentaries. His book and film, Blood in the Face, was on the far-right militias and other racist groups. The first edition, published in 1991, foreshadowed much of the turmoil we are seeing today. (A revised edition is due to release in June from Haymarket Books.)

During the past ten years, he and his colleagues resolved to focus on the cruelties of solitary confinement, giving voice to inmates so often arbitrarily imprisoned in a cage-size cell for 23 hours a day, trying to fight off going mad or suicide. Their stories were told in the book, Hell is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement (2016). He built an influential project with his longtime editor Jean Casella called Solitary Watch (see: solitarywatch.org), which received thousands of messages from prisoners and their desperate families. Jim would speak to these people on a regular basis, never exhausting either his empathy or his outrage. He maintained this level of engagement despite his painful ailments.

Add moral and physical courage to this dwindling species of truth-seekers no matter what. His was a generous spirit, sharing credit with others, and a patient mentor to his many interns and young journalists.

When Jim heard that we were organizing an intensive workshop to teach college students investigative reporting skills he offered to help. The 2008 event at Wesleyan University in Connecticut was also to memorialize/commemorate the luminous career of another courageous reporter, David Halberstam. Jim generously spent time with the students during and after the formal sessions. He also documented the entire week’s proceedings with his video team. Some of the country’s greatest journalists, including Sy Hersh, Jim Wooten, Roberta Baskin, Christopher Hedges, Amy Goodman, David Burnham, and others (see: www.journalismworkshop.org) journeyed to Middletown to train the next generation of reporters and to pay tribute to their late colleague. (I could see the respect they showed to Jim when they greeted him.) Jim sensed that they would be very candid and revealing about their own experiences and the restrictions imposed on reporters by government and business, which they and David and Jim experienced, but heroically resisted. As usual, his forecast was right on.

You can expand Jim’s legacy by supporting Solitary Watch (solitarywatch.org) either materially or with advocacy for expanding state reforms of this arbitrary cruel and unusual punishment in both corporate and public prisons.

His wife Pat and son David fervently wish that this work continues in their beloved Jim’s memory.

 

QAnon Conspiracy Theory has a Life of its Own

 

Photo: NBC News 

Conspiracy theorists have existed since the beginning of time. Human beings are creative creatures that can spin up a theory without evidence in a heartbeat.  Ask the same human being to provide evidence...well that is another story to unpack.  Evidence is scarce to back up theories posited by these fringe groups like QAnon.  

Anderson Cooper of CNN recently was targeted by a person propagating QAnon conspiracy theories.   In the interview below, the theorist has no evidence, just pure speculation as to the harm posed to Mr. Cooper:

Wow!  My big takeaway message from the video above is that the person who threatened Anderson Cooper did not have any evidence.  He decided to threaten a journalist with no evidence.  That is insanity.  Insanity is all around us.  Public sentiment might help squash the insanity that exists around us.  

The next time you hear an absurd theory from a person in your surroundings, ask them for evidence.  Take note of how many have actual evidence of their conspiracies.  Evidence should be present.  Otherwise, the persons' conspiracy theory is just an opinion.

President Biden's Stimulus Bill vs. President Trump's Tax Cuts - Direct Comparison

 

Photo: WCNC

Tax cuts favor the rich.  No doubt about that.  Although, my family member is hell-bent on pushing the narrative that tax cuts promote employment.  If only that were true.  A large portion of tax cuts for businesses ends up in shareholders' pockets.  I am open to a discussion regarding this - leave a comment in the section below.

With that as a backdrop, Senate Republicans are up in arms about the cost of President Biden's COVID-19 relief bill (stimulus package).  Every politician should express opinions (even skepticism) when the government purse is open.  Although, in the event of a pandemic, the conditions change when the fate of society is at cost.  There is no reason to save if there is no society in which to benefit from savings.

In the video below, an interview by Morning Joe's Joe Scarborough with Steve Rattner gives the public further analysis of the direct comparison of President Biden's stimulus bill and President Trump's tax cuts:

I am not suggesting a spending frenzy without limits.  But I am suggesting that the amount in question be considered against the backdrop of President Trump's 36% increase in the Federal Deficit over 4 years.  

Yes -- folks.  A whopping $8 Trillion was added by President Trump (36% increase) to the Federal Deficit - allowed by the Republicans in both chambers of Congress.  OH, how they were quiet when those tax cuts were being delved out.  Now they howl at spending which could save people from suffering large economic consequences from unmanageable debt.

There are two slides that need to be showcased below and discussed further:

Looking at the first graph, notice the dashed line decreasing by around 30%.  That decrease is in the percent of poverty associated with the American Rescue Plan - i.e., Biden Covid-19 Relief Plan.  Notice that prior to the decrease, there is an initial increase in poverty.  That increase in poverty was associated with Trump's tax cuts.

President Trump's tax cuts amounted to an increase in poverty among Americans while President Biden's plan lowers poverty in America.  What plan has support from Americans?

CNN News Anchor Don Lemon Gives an Opinion on Royal Family Interview with Oprah Winfrey

 

Photo: Wall Street Journal

Anyone who listened to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview would be hard-pressed not to think of Princess Diane.  The history of the Royal Palace occupants and outsiders has been rocky at best.  Accepting 'those' who don't fit in is out of the question.  Just get to the point.  

Is anyone surprised at the revelation in the interview?

Questions surrounding the skin color of the baby born to Prince Harry are an outdated moment in time.  That might be relevant a hundred years ago.  But today, interracial families are abundant across the world.  Not to say that their acceptance is not without issue.  But as a world, we need to move onto more pressing issues that confront society.

Don Lemon of CNN gives an opinion on the interview from the perspective of being in an interracial gay marriage:

Mr. Lemon is well spoken and states the obvious regarding the interview that took the eyes of so many people worldwide off of their weekend duties last Sunday.  Let's move on to more pressing issues that confront society.

Vice President Breaks Tie in House, but Republicans Setup Obstacles in Senate for COVID-19 Relief Bill...Why?

 

Photo:  ABC News

Today, Americans face economic devastation.  A COVID-19 relief bill is long overdue.  Republicans did not want to pass a bill before the 2020 presidential elections.  Americans suffered through the holidays.  President Biden won the office along with the Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress.  Now, action, economic action needs to be taken to help suffering Americans - NOW.

Why have Republicans been so obstructive to any type of spending?

Let's look at some recent history.  President Trump has taken the Republican party hostage over the last 5 years.  So much so that the Republican party allowed (while in control of both chambers of Congress) to increase the federal deficit by 36% -- OMG.  Yes, you read correctly.

The federal deficit was around $19 Trillion when President Trump received a government credit card with no limit.  President Trump managed to spend around $8 Trillion.  A whopping $8 trillion without limit from the Republican party.  That is on top of a gigantic tax cut for the rich - which amounted to more money being paid by the poor and middle class.

Thank you, Senator Mitch McConnell, for the bill.  Enriching your wife's family shipping business.  Allowing President Trump to start a Trade War put out farmers - generation farmers who have lost their farms.  Wow-what a great politician Senator Mitch McConnell is.  He looks out for his people.

Not to get off on a tangent.  

When I read an article last night discussing Senator Ron Johnson's action in the Senate, I could not help but think of the devastation caused by the hypocrites in the Republican party.  The clerks in the Senate have to read out loud a bill over 700 pages.  All of this delay a vote to approve COVID-19 relief funds.  

Where have we come as a society?

Who are we looking out for?

Who are we leaving behind?

What about student loan forgiveness?

What about child care relief?

What about infrastructure development?

Deficit discussions do not make any sense without economic growth to accompany the discussion.  Economic growth must occur to make sense of paying down a deficit.  Where is the economic growth?

Look around yourself?  Do you see economic growth occurring at a rapid pace, as Republicans are portraying?

We are in a sad state of affairs in the Senate.  The Republican party desperately tries to make up for the reckless spending that occurred on their watch in the Trump administration.  No wonder why the stock market grew at a rapid pace throughout the Trump administration.  Economic growth should have occurred as the country spent recklessly—all under the Republican-controlled Senate.  

And now the same Republican Senators are trying to save money?

What is happening here?

Don Lemon of CNN nailed it down with an update last week of the obstructive nature of the Republican party.  Check out the video by clicking here.

Stay tuned!

Should Minimum Wage Be Raised To $15 Across The U.S.?

 

Photo: NBC News

Should the minimum wage be raised to $15 per hour across the entire United States?  That is a looming question that has circulated Congress for years.  Now, with a Democratically run Congress, the question has more momentum to be seriously entertained.  How would different states handle such a raise in hourly wage?  Would small businesses suffer greatly?  Would large businesses suffer more?  Is $11 per hour more reasonable?

In an interview with MSNBC's Financial analyst Steve Rattner, Morning Joe's Joe Scarborough asks the above questions in a succinct but sobering poster.  Financial analyst Steve Ratner gives two great charts which are shown below before entertaining the questions above:

In short, the answer to the above questions is "yes" right off the start.  Although, after looking at the first chart, the need to raise the federal minimum wage above the 'poverty line' of $6.58 per hour is necessary.  

Secondly, the greatest planet on Earth should not have the near lowest minimum wage.  How does that look for capitalists?  Those greedy tricksters are profiting off the backs of Americans working barely to survive. 

Should America really be last in place in taking care of its citizens?  By wage, healthcare, and in general welfare?  Why are people so intent on leaving certain citizens out in the cold?  The minimum wage cannot stay low forever.  

As Steve Rattner points out with respect to a national minimum wage in the video above, the minimum wage needs to increase eventually.  We look pathetic in line compared to other nations.  Just look at the graphs above.  

What result do you draw from looking at the data above?  Do you think that the minimum wage is acceptable for those who receive it?  What should be done about it?  Nothing? Raise it? Leave it the same?  Or who cares?  At least think about it.  Stay tuned!

Republicans Want Health Care Too, Just Who Will Control It Is The Big Question?

 

Photo: Hacker Noon

Obamacare has withstood the test of time.  A Republican president took office over the last 4 years and with little (actually none) success was able to change Obamacare.  There is nothing more that boils the blood of Republicans than the thought of the government controlling healthcare.  On the flip side of that longstanding fear resides nothing.  No plan covers Americans with pre-existing conditions.  No suitable (and cost-effective) plan covers the vast number of Americans across the United States presently.  Why?  I don't know ask them.

In a recent article from Politico, the silence of Republicans regarding Obamacare and a suitable replacement is discussed.

In some ways, Nixon envisioned Obamacare Lite — or more accurately, Obamacare Very Very Lite. The ACA is a more robust, more expensive, and more heavily regulated framework, with states overseeing health insurance markets and the feds writing the rules and picking up much of the tab.

The Reagan wing, in contrast, didn’t see much of a federal role in protecting access to care or shielding people from health cost calamities. Reaganites, Blendon said, believed Nixon’s vision would be the first step on the slippery slope to single-payer.

Sometime between now and the 2022 elections, Republicans will have to move beyond that divide. Whatever they come up with, it will likely focus on giving states more leeway to regulate their health insurance markets. Even if Republicans are no longer threatening to upend the ACA, they still complain that its coverage is still too costly.

“Republicans want access to insurance,” Blendon said. “They just don’t want their health care controlled by federal government.” But how to guarantee that access — and who does the guaranteeing if not the federal government — remains the unanswered question.

The overarching question is: Who will guarantee/control healthcare for Americans? How is your healthcare?  Are you getting the coverage that you believe should be at cost?  The Republican party wants healthcare to be privatized to boost profits that are returned to shareholders.

Furthermore, Republicans do not want to pay for other Americans' care.  The party could care less if other Americans cannot afford healthcare.  Which is sad to say.  Why?  There should be no American walking in this great country that is without healthcare.

A more socialized healthcare system is on the horizon.  Why?  We just cannot leave Americans out in the cold without care.  What would you like to see in the healthcare system?  Leave comments in the chat below.  What we had prior to Obamacare was a mixture of both government-assisted and private healthcare competing for different groups of people.  Changes will continue to occur until we get it right.

Former CIA Director John Brennan on Congressional Hearing regarding Jan. 6th Attack on U.S. Capitol

 

Photo: Britannica

As the world starts to turn in a different direction, more commentary on national networks needs to be from trusted leaders.  Leaders who have the best interest of the United States in mind.  One such leader is the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Director John Brennan.  Especially, as the world takes in the terrible tragedy that occurred at the U.S. Capitol last month.  A point in history that will never be forgotten or diluted in importance.

The video below is an excerpt from an interview on MSNBC regarding testimony from Congressional Hearing on Jan. 6th rioting on the U.S. Capitol:

Director Brennan brings up appropriate security threats of conspiracy theorists in the video above.  Why are a few fringe Americans set on harming the U.S. Capitol?  Why are these extremists set on destroying government property or killing politicians?  What is wrong with these groups?

What is wrong with these politicians who are giving air time to these extremists views of destruction and death?  Where have we come as a nation to arrive here?  Time and history will tell.  Wake up America.  Re-establish order and bring safety back to America.