Robert Bowen
Stories (21/0)
Mental Health Is a Luxury
There have been three mass shootings in the US this week, two at military bases. After every mass shooting, we hear a lot of talk from politicians, particularly Republicans, about the need to address mental health. It is all bovine excrement. Mental Health has been the illegitimate step child of public health since the beginning of public health. “Mental Health in this country is a luxury, and luxury is only for the wealthy”, wrote Kastalia Medrano in a recent article on Vox. Truer words have never been spoken.
By Robert Bowen4 years ago in Psyche
Climate Change Is Accelerating:
The World Meteorological Organization issued its annual state of the global climate report this week and it was not good news. “Things are getting worse,” said Petteri Taalas, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization. “It’s more urgent than ever to proceed with mitigation. The only solution is to get rid of fossil fuels in power production, industry and transportation,” he said.
By Robert Bowen4 years ago in The Swamp
66% of Students Fail Reading Test in Half the States
America’s fourth and eighth graders are losing ground in their ability to read literature and academic texts, according to a rigorous national assessment released last week. The National Center of Educational Statistics, the research arm of the Department of Education, found that two out of three children did not meet standards for reading proficiency.
By Robert Bowen4 years ago in The Swamp
Male Dominance Prevails
Fifty years after the rise of the feminist movement, fewer than 2% of public places in the United States are named after a woman. Society has long paid tribute to famous people by naming a city, or, a building after them. The contributions of women, however, go unrecognized, at least when it comes to putting their name a on building. This tells our daughters their half of the population only warrants 2% of the public recognition.
By Robert Bowen4 years ago in Viva
Are We Getting Our Money’s Worth Amusing Trump?
In the modern era, all presidents have taken vacations and weekend trips to escape the stress of the job. FDR frequented a spa in Georgia; Truman returned to Missouri; Eisenhower visited Fraser, Colorado; JFK returned to his home in Hyannis Port; Reagan frequented his ranch in California; Carter went home to Plains, Georgia; G.W. Bush frequented his ranch in Texas; and Obama Christmased Hawaii, where he was actually born. No president in history, however, has spent as much time and money on “relaxation” as the current occupant of the White House, Donald J. Trump.
By Robert Bowen4 years ago in The Swamp
- Top Story - November 2019
No National Holidays Recognize WomenTop Story - November 2019
We are about to enter the Holiday Season. It kicks off with Black month, formerly knowns as Black Friday, followed by Thanksgiving, St. Nick’s Day Dec 6, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, New Year’s Eve and finally New Year’s Day. Later in the year, other holidays are also celebrated.
By Robert Bowen4 years ago in Viva
The Truths Were Self-Evident
One of the first things a child learns in school is the most quoted line from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
By Robert Bowen4 years ago in The Swamp
Money in Politics
Money is the root of all evil, some say. Money plays the major role in the outcome of elections. Money, via lobbyists, determines which laws and regulations are enacted and which aren’t. And, money seeps into the very core of our nation by manipulating the nation’s values. It does that by controlling the media, which controls the message. It has been this way since the beginning. As a historian, I understand that when we fail to learn from history, we repeat it. I prefer learning over repeating.
By Robert Bowen4 years ago in The Swamp