Justitia Themis

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Posts by Justitia Themis

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  82

  My 66th birthday is today!!

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  once i was little boy in fort worth, texas living with my maw maw and paw paw and mommy.. then, i was an 18 year old 6'4'' skinny 165lb religious nut being dipped in a baptismal during a local assembly.. suddenly, i was 20 and listening to a jail cell door clang behind me as a conscientious objector.. wow!

  23 years old and put on parole until my 6 years sentence was ended!

  i got married to a nice jw girl and had 3 kids!.

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  Justitia Themis

  Happy Birthday! You look great and sound happy...way to go!
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  17

  Law School/Medical School Reading Book on Genetics and Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Justitia Themis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the book is recommended reading in my bioethics law class.

  this is a law/medicine class that combines students from the school of medicine, the school of public health, and the school of law, so a broad cross-section of people will base their opinions of jws on this book.

  my fellow students include a working neonatologist, a japanese health department employee, a chinese gentleman who works for some chinese gov't agency, a north african lawyer, an australian international health care worker, an undergrad ethics professor from a different, but local, university, and a social worker who is a fellow at a local pediatric bioethics foundation.

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  Justitia Themis

  the authors think that genetic profiling itself (like the search for "cancer genes" described above) has ethical issues...for example - should these women be subjected to pre-emptive mastectomies because they have this tendency?

  I suspect this will be discussed. So far the book has addressed only the genetic counselor meeting with the family to explain how genes really work: it takes two "hits" to develop cancer. Having the gene is one hit, and then something in the environment (MRI, ingested chemical, etc.) causes the second hit that turns off this suppressor gene which then allows the cancer to grow.

  On the ethical side...the author is Jewish, and he conferred with Dr. Harry Ostrer (also Jewish), and the irony is not lost on them both that geneticists (mostly Jewish) have created Hitler's dream test.

  http://www.gf.org/fellows/16494-jeff-wheelwright

  One of the advisers to my book project is Dr. Harry Ostrer of the New York University School of Medicine. An expert both on the genetics of Jewish populations and of heritable disorders, Dr. Ostrer has extended his investigation to Hispanos. Recently I helped him organize a DNA-sampling meeting in San Luis Valley. I discuss the implications of this research in my book.
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  17

  Law School/Medical School Reading Book on Genetics and Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Justitia Themis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the book is recommended reading in my bioethics law class.

  this is a law/medicine class that combines students from the school of medicine, the school of public health, and the school of law, so a broad cross-section of people will base their opinions of jws on this book.

  my fellow students include a working neonatologist, a japanese health department employee, a chinese gentleman who works for some chinese gov't agency, a north african lawyer, an australian international health care worker, an undergrad ethics professor from a different, but local, university, and a social worker who is a fellow at a local pediatric bioethics foundation.

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  Justitia Themis

  May I ask what was the reaction of your classmates?

  BOTR, classes started just last week, and the book is recommended, not required reading, so I don't have any feedback yet. However, the required text deals extensively with the legal and ethical issues surrounding JWs, autonomy, minors, informed consent, treatment choices including blood transfusions, etc.

  I'll be sure to update the board as to how those discussions proceed.
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  17

  Law School/Medical School Reading Book on Genetics and Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Justitia Themis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the book is recommended reading in my bioethics law class.

  this is a law/medicine class that combines students from the school of medicine, the school of public health, and the school of law, so a broad cross-section of people will base their opinions of jws on this book.

  my fellow students include a working neonatologist, a japanese health department employee, a chinese gentleman who works for some chinese gov't agency, a north african lawyer, an australian international health care worker, an undergrad ethics professor from a different, but local, university, and a social worker who is a fellow at a local pediatric bioethics foundation.

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  Justitia Themis

  And only a small minority of all the witnesses i've encountered used alternative medicine. i guess my anecdotal data trumps yours.

  This will be my last response concerning this issue because you are taking this thread off topic, and the subject of JWs and alternative treatments has been repeatedly debated on this DB. Feel free to resurrect one of the prior threads.

  Nevertheless, I noticed you skipped my primary socio-economic/educational level argument and instead chose to focus on the secondary anecdotal evidence that I specifically said merely informed my opinion. Bad form. ; )

  also i'm sorry to tell you but alternative medicine is all snake oil.

  Many physicians/hospitals use a holistic cancer treatment approach. Apparently, they didn't get your memo.

  the wt writing cautionary statements about alternative medicine doesn't mean jack shit. they write warnings for literally everything.

  I didn't write that the WTBTS has written "cautionary statements about alterantive medicine." I said they wrote concerning "not promoting" it in the congregation. They wrote concerning not promoting because people were forming strong opinions for/against certain treatments, and it was causing problems in the congs.
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  17

  Law School/Medical School Reading Book on Genetics and Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Justitia Themis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the book is recommended reading in my bioethics law class.

  this is a law/medicine class that combines students from the school of medicine, the school of public health, and the school of law, so a broad cross-section of people will base their opinions of jws on this book.

  my fellow students include a working neonatologist, a japanese health department employee, a chinese gentleman who works for some chinese gov't agency, a north african lawyer, an australian international health care worker, an undergrad ethics professor from a different, but local, university, and a social worker who is a fellow at a local pediatric bioethics foundation.

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  Justitia Themis

  I see. When you stated what I quoted that implies that JW's have a thing for alternative

  Agreed. That's why I said it was a "good catch."

  When you stated what I quoted that implies that JW's have a thing for alternative, which is probably not the case. I'm going to guess that the percentage of JW's who use alternative medicine is the same as non-JW's.

  I'm not sure I agree with your statement.

  I suspect the general population with the same low socio-economic/educational level as the average JW seeks alternative treatments at approximately the same ratio, but I also suspect that JWs include a disproportionate portion of individuals from that low socio-economic/educational level. So, I do think JWs have a "thing" for alternative treatments, and my 40+ year history in the organization in four different states informs my opinion. Additionally, the WTBTS has written articles cautioning against promoting alternative treatments in the congregation, so apparently it felt it was a problem that needed addressing.

  using alternative medicine for treating cancer is dumb

  Using alternative medicine as the sole treatment for cancer is indeed "dumb," but using certain forms as adjunct treatment can be helpful.
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  17

  Law School/Medical School Reading Book on Genetics and Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Justitia Themis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the book is recommended reading in my bioethics law class.

  this is a law/medicine class that combines students from the school of medicine, the school of public health, and the school of law, so a broad cross-section of people will base their opinions of jws on this book.

  my fellow students include a working neonatologist, a japanese health department employee, a chinese gentleman who works for some chinese gov't agency, a north african lawyer, an australian international health care worker, an undergrad ethics professor from a different, but local, university, and a social worker who is a fellow at a local pediatric bioethics foundation.

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  Justitia Themis

  I get what the writer is trying to say but presenting anecdotal evidence is dumb.

  Good catch! I should clarify that he doesn't attempt to link this family's behavior with all JWs. He uses the JW stuff to paint a picture of the cultural context in which this woman lived and how it shaped her medical choices.
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  17

  Law School/Medical School Reading Book on Genetics and Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Justitia Themis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the book is recommended reading in my bioethics law class.

  this is a law/medicine class that combines students from the school of medicine, the school of public health, and the school of law, so a broad cross-section of people will base their opinions of jws on this book.

  my fellow students include a working neonatologist, a japanese health department employee, a chinese gentleman who works for some chinese gov't agency, a north african lawyer, an australian international health care worker, an undergrad ethics professor from a different, but local, university, and a social worker who is a fellow at a local pediatric bioethics foundation.

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  Justitia Themis

  The book is recommended reading in my Bioethics Law class. This is a Law/Medicine class that combines students from the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, and the School of Law, so a broad cross-section of people will base their opinions of JWs on this book. My fellow students include a working neonatologist, a Japanese Health Department employee, a Chinese gentleman who works for some Chinese gov't agency, a North African lawyer, an Australian international health care worker, an undergrad ethics professor from a different, but local, university, and a social worker who is a fellow at a local pediatric bioethics foundation. The rest of us are JD students or heath law LLMs (JDs who are getting their masters in health law).

  The author does a great job of weaving together genetics, Jewish history, and JW culture. In sum, the BRCA.185delAG breast cancer suppression gene is a Jewish gene; if you have it, you have a Jewish ancestor. The story traces the gene from the Spanish Inquisition and Spain's Jewish expulsion (think Christopher Columbus) and to the Hispanos who settled in New Mexico and Colorado. He accomplishes this through the case of a Hispana female with the gene, who develops breast cancer, and whose family had converted to JWs.

  The author really gets JW culture. He watched her "windowless" Kingdom Hall wedding video, and noted the very "wooden" ending of ...'so long as live together according to God's marital arrangement....' He mentions the patient's sister who is forgoing kids and pioneering instead because the big A is sooooo close.

  He also addresses the penchant for JWs to seek alternative treatments. Sadly, he relates the story of the "German" uncle, who married into the family and sold quilts to get money for her treatment. His wife has the gene, a lump, and needs a biopsy, but since he has a loser job and the wife cleans houses, they don't have the money. The husband rationalizes away not wanting to pay for the biopsy to both his wife and the author by saying they would use natural treatments anyway, so it doesn't matter! The Uncle claims he loved his niece, and that she would always say, "Uncle, I see an elder in you!"

  I'm only about 30 pages in, but the author hints that the reason the woman dies is not breast cancer but her treatment refusal. I suspect there might be a blood issue coming up, but I'm not sure.

  BTW, this book is a very NON-technical, easy read, and I highly recommend it!

  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeff-wheelwright/wandering-gene-and-indian-princess/

  In 2008, science writer Wheelwright reported in Smithsonian magazine on the discovery in Catholic Hispanos in New Mexico and Colorado of a genetic mutation, BRCA1.185delAG, that is characteristic of Jews. The mutation, whose designation indicates that the letters AG are missing at location 185 on the gene, causes the gene to fail at its task of suppressing cancer. The author tells the story of the discovery of its ancient origins more than 2,000 years ago among Hebrew tribes in the Middle East, the dispersion of the Jews to Europe, the enforced conversion of many Jews to Catholicism under the Spanish Inquisition and the arrival of Spaniards in the New World. Into this large picture, Wheelwright weaves the story of Shonnie Medina, a young Hispano woman who carried the mutation, and of her extended family, possible carriers of the gene. Medina was raised a Catholic but became a Jehovah's Witness, a fact that allows the author to weave another thread into his complex tapestry
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  86

  The Other Side of the Indian Rape Story

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  i'm posting this story, not to defend an indefensible act, but to try to provide some balance.

  the fact is that so many indians exist in a poverty so deep that it's difficult for westerners to even understand.

  the youngest of the rapists in the now world known rape story, according to this uk, independent newspaper story, grew up in that world that seems hopeless.

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  Justitia Themis

  Fulltime, I believe you brought the ire of the board down upon yourself.

  The title of your thread indicates that you are addressing “the other side” of the story. Most people appeared to have interpreted your title to mean that you think the article presents valid moral or legal justifications/rationalizations for the “other side.” Personally, I agree with their interpretation of your title.

  However, you claim you were just trying to enhance general understanding of the social challenges in India. If so, your title should have indicated that.

  As the article and you note, poor, lower caste men (I would add women) in India face challenges that Westerners struggle even to imagine. Nevertheless, this case has struck a nerve even in India because of the vicious nature of the attack.

  Even if one accepts the premise (which I do not) that the only option these men have is to rape, it does not excuse raping the woman AND THEN INTERNALLY ASSAULTING HER WITH AN IRON BAR.
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  46

  US Entitlement Programs At Glance

  by Scott77 in

  1. social
  2. current

  1. thirty-nine percent of adults who make more than $100,000 have used entitlement benefits at one point, compared with 70 percent of people who make less than $30,000, according to the pew study.. 2.. the average monthly food stamp benefit is $133.42 for an individual, according to the department of agriculture, which administers the program.

  the rate is highest in hawaii ($213.65) and lowest in minnesota ($115.98).

  in fiscal year 2012, 46.6 million people (in 22.3 million households) received food stamps, and the federal government spent $74.6 billion on the program that year.. 3. .

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  Justitia Themis

  Welfare - don't understand how it says you can only collect 60 months. If that is the case, then how come we keep hearing about welfare queens and generations of welfare users and single mothers being on it 18 years. I am confused on that one.

  Most of the information, and I use the term loosely, concerning "welfare queens" comes from the Right, and it is presented in a misleading fashion.

  At issue is the TANF program, which generally prohibits providing federal block grant funds for longer than 60 months. However, there is usually a corollary state program, and the terms of the state programs vary greaty. For more information on the federal program, you might find the following link and article helpful.

  http://www.mdrc.org/update-state-welfare-time-limit-policies-and-their-effects-families

  Federal law affords states great flexibility in setting time-limit policies. The federal 60-month limit does not apply to state-funded benefits; also, states may use federal TANF funds to support up to 20 percent of the caseload beyond 60 months. Thus, states may set a 60-month time limit, a shorter limit, or no time limit, and they may choose to exempt families from time limits. Not surprisingly, time-limit policies vary dramatically from state to state. Other key findings from the study include:

  • Nationally, a large proportion of TANF households are not subject to time limits, but time limits play a key role in some states. About 44 percent of TANF households are not subject to federal or state time limits because they are “child-only cases” — typically, children living with a relative or families in which the parent is not eligible for benefits. In addition, about half of TANF families live in states that rarely or never close families’ cases because of time limits. On the other hand, a quarter of TANF families live in states that usually terminate benefits after 60 months, and nearly as many are in states with shorter limits.
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  46

  US Entitlement Programs At Glance

  by Scott77 in

  1. social
  2. current

  1. thirty-nine percent of adults who make more than $100,000 have used entitlement benefits at one point, compared with 70 percent of people who make less than $30,000, according to the pew study.. 2.. the average monthly food stamp benefit is $133.42 for an individual, according to the department of agriculture, which administers the program.

  the rate is highest in hawaii ($213.65) and lowest in minnesota ($115.98).

  in fiscal year 2012, 46.6 million people (in 22.3 million households) received food stamps, and the federal government spent $74.6 billion on the program that year.. 3. .

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  Justitia Themis

  7.
  In 2014, people younger than 65 with an income of less than $15,000 for a single individual (and slightly higher income cutoffs for couples and families with children) will be eligible for Medicaid. The federal government and states are still debating how to cover the cost for the program's potential growth. In 2011, 52.6 million Americans were receiving Medicaid. The federal government spent $272.8 billion on the program in 2010, and state governments spent $116.3 billion, totaling $389.1 billion.

  Number seven is wrong. There may be others that are wrong, but I didn't bother to read any farther after discovering the first error.

  Number seven is referring to the ACA's Medicaid expansion, which the SCOTUS ruled unconstitutionally coercive. Therefore, each state can decide whether or not it wants to cover this group of people.

  If the state chooses to implement the expansion, the federal gov't will reimburse the state 100% of the costs of the new participants, droppping down to 90% in (I think) 2020. However, this group of people do not get full Medicaid benefits; they get only the "essential benefits" contained in the the Bronze plans listed in the Exchanges.