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Round-up of Customs and Border Patrol Abuses and Protests
Human rights abuses continue on our Southern border, but there has been some good pushback. First, the bad news. The worst parts have been the abuses reported from CBP “detention” camps, what most people would call concentration camps, as I noted here. Members of Congress visited the camps earlier this month, but little has changed. Read more
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Swimming Pools, Hot Tubs, and Other Summer Recreational Water Hazards
Is nothing safe anymore? Just in time for summer fun, the CDC announced an increase in infections from swimming pools and hot tubs. In their new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the CDC announced that cases of a parasite, cryptosporidium, had increased approximately 13 percent each year between 2009–2017, with 444 outbreaks reported in total. Read more
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A Tale of Two Principals
This week, two principals made the front page of the news for widely different reasons. Their stories raise thought-provoking questions about how the Holocaust should be taught. The first, shocking story was that of Principal William Latson, head of Spanish River High School in Palm Beach, Florida. In 2018, a mother (who preferred to remain unnamed) wrote asking how the Holocaust was being taught. Read more
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Do You Know Which Mosquito Repellents Really Work? Most People Are Wrong
Being summer–and a wet one at that–it seems appropriate time to repost this favorite from Forbes: Many Americans surveyed in June on how to protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases like Zika, dengue and Chikungunya are ill-prepared. The June survey by Spectrum Brands Holdings showed that respondents were extremely overconfident about their knowledge. Read more
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Refugee Detention or Concentration Camps? Protests Begin
Last week, more news came out about abuses of refugees at detention camps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came under fire for appropriately calling the “detention centers” concentration camps. She is historically correct. This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying. Read more
- Holocaust, Legacies - News and Commentary, Social justice, Strategies to teach tolerance, Uncategorized
“Our Stories Must Be Told” – Now More Than Ever
I visited this #Holocaust exhibit in August #Maine recently, at the Holocaust & Human Rights Center of Maine (HHRC). In Augusta, Maine (@HHRCMe). “Our Stories Must Be Told” is a very moving exhibit, which I highly recommend. If you haven’t yet, come check out our latest exhibit, Our Stories Must Be Told, at the Michael Klahr Center on the UMaine–Augusta campus. Read more
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Faith and Friendship
There are so many lessons packed into “Faith, Friendship, and Tragedy at Santa Fe High.” Skip Hollandsworth gifts us with this beautiful, thoughtful written eulogy. Friendships like Sabika and Jaelyn’s don’t come along every day. The Muslim teenager from Pakistan and evangelical Christian girl from small town Texas were inseparable. Read more
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Days of Remembrance – Holocaust Commemoration 2019
This year, Days of Remembrance week was observed April 28 – May 5. The latest synagogue shooting, a hate-filled attack on the last day of Passover, and on the anniversary of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooting, is a stark reminder of why educating about the Holocaust is more important than ever. Read more
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Holocaust Survivors and Liberators Speak Out
Since Holocaust Remembrance Week, there has been a variety of news, some good, more not. My aunt Kati (now Kitty Williams) is an Auschwitz survivor. Each year, she has spoken throughout the Omaha region and reached thousands of students with her messages of tolerance and hope. KETV interviewed her and shared this article and clip: KETV didn’t get the title of their article quite right. Read more
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Ticked Off – What We Don’t Know About Lyme Disease
It’s tick season again, so I’m sharing this article that first appeared in Forbes in 2015 as a reminder of what to look for. Unfortunately, little has improved in our ability to diagnose Lyme since then. My best advice is to treat your clothes and shoes with Permethrin regularly and to do tick checks several times per day after being outside. Read more