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political cynicism for turbulent times

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Current Events

Current events drive politics. Where does the news end and politics begin?

It can take years for the truth about an event to come out. A perfect example is the investigation into whatever the Russians did or didn’t do during the 2016 election. Will we find out the truth once and for all after months, maybe years of investigating?

Not likely.

Current events are easy to distort. They are simple to leverage. By the time media outlets have reshaped a controversial event to make it sales worthy and politicians decide what it’s good for we have something completely new creation on our hands. A piece of history has become a saleable commodity.

When we want to know the facts behind current events there is truth to be had. We just need to look for it, even though the truth is seldom as entertaining as fake news and distorted rhetoric.

Whenever possible posts in Civil Candor’s current events category rely on information from reputable government agencies to drill down to the truth behind a controversial event or tragedy. Failing that, it’s always good to know what voices in the House and Senate have to say and what they intend to do because that’s where the policies that shape our society come from.

The information to put current events in perspective is always out there. We just have to look for it.

Intelligent Life on Other Planets Should Stop Us

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There is no way to rationalize or justify the stupid, violent things that mankind does. Years of condemning weapons of mass destruction culminated in another gas attack in Syria that the UN Security Council can’t agree to condemn and is powerless to prevent again. Russia sent a bleak message with the test-firing of a new Satan 2 missile on the eve of an escalating war of threats between the two most dangerous superpowers on Earth. We haven’t destroyed our Earth yet, but that won’t stop us from looking for other worlds to wage war on. The push to militarize the galaxies has already started. Intelligent life on other planets should stop us the moment we show up on their doorstep.

Clueless About Politics or Naïve About What Drives Policy?

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The Internet isn’t our friend. Prescription drugs kill. Gun control is a non-starter on Capitol Hill. These three truisms contradict everything we hear in the media and from lawmakers desperately seeking a bipartisan win. Don’t expect any of the hype to go anywhere. These are issues meant for press releases and Americans who are clueless about politics, not legislation no one will be able to agree on.

Bulletproof Backpacks, Safe Students and Idealism Go to War

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Students planning walkouts, visits to state legislators, a talk with the president, and other strategies to finally get our gun laws to wise up and keep kids safe are about to learn a harsh lesson. Government doesn’t jump because we want something. It jumps when the people who run it want something. Federal and state legislatures have been fighting over gun control for a long time. That’s how educating kids created a market for bulletproof backpacks and why “safe students” doesn’t mean what it’s supposed to mean.