Washington, D.C.- Three decades of harsh criminal justice policies have created a large population of ex-offenders that struggle in the labor market long after they have paid their debts to society, according to a new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). Because prison records and felony convictions greatly lower ex-offenders' chances of finding work, the United States loses between $57 billion and $65 billion a year in lost output.
Last week, a resurgent Republican Party retook control of the US House of Representatives, giving the Democrats a drubbing the likes of which has not been seen for decades. The Democrats lost 61 seats, seeing their side sink to 189 seats to the Republicans' 240. They needed 218 to take over again.
The change in control of the House has some serious drug policy implications. There's bad news, but maybe also some good news.
Reform measures passed in the current Congress, such as repealing the bans on federal funding of needle exchange programs and implementation of the Washington, DC, medical marijuana program, could see attempts to roll them back. And pending reforms efforts, such as the battle to repeal the HEA student loan provision, are probably dead. Reform friendly Democratic committee chairs, who wield considerable power, have been replaced by hostile Republicans.
But the incoming Republicans made slashing the deficit and cutting the federal budget a winning campaign issue for themselves, and will be looking for programs they can cut or eliminate. That could open the door to hacking away at programs that support the ongoing prosecution of the drug war, but it could also open the door for cuts in prevention and treatment programs.
As the Chronicle noted here earlier this week, it's not just Tea Party types who want to wield the budget ax. The mainstream conservative Heritage Foundation issued a report just before election day laying out a whopping $434 billion in federal budget cuts, including eliminating the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the drug task force-funding Justice Assistance Grant (JAG, formerly the Byrne grant program) program, and the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities state grant program.
"Budgetary issues is where I'm most optimistic," said Bill Piper, veteran national affairs director for the Drug Policy Alliance. "Given the fiscal climate, there could be real cuts in the federal budget. Next year is probably an unprecedented opportunity to de-fund the federal drug war. These new Republicans are a different breed—anti-government, anti-spending, pro-states' rights, and some are proven to be prone to bucking the leadership. If the Republican leadership votes to preserve the drug war, they may rebel," he said.
"We can go after the Byrne grant program," Piper enthused. "That's a very important deal. If we can cut off drug war funding to the states, the states won't be able to afford their punitive policies anymore. During the recession in the Bush administration, when the administration was cutting money to the states, a lot of states passed reform measures because they couldn't afford to lock people up. This time, the federal government has been bailing out state criminal justice systems, but if we can cut or eliminate Byrne grants, the states won't have money for their drug task forces and imprisoning people. Then they will have to consider reforms like cutting sentences and making marijuana possession an infraction."
"Sentencing reform on budgetary grounds is possible," said Kara Gotsch, director of advocacy for the Sentencing Project. "From our perspective, that is a way to reduce government spending. If you want to reduce drug war spending, you reduce costs by investing in prevention and substance abuse programs. That will be part of our talking points, but the reality is, to be successful they're going to have to be bipartisan."
Eric Sterling, former House Judiciary Committee counsel and current head of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation was less sanguine than either Piper or Gotsch about the urge to cut the deficit leading to progress in drug reform. "The prospect of saving money leading to criminal justice and drug policy reform is remote," said Sterling. "In state legislatures where they have to balance the budget, everyone recognizes what has to happen. But in Congress, they know there is still going to be a deficit."
Sterling also questioned just how different the Republican freshman class will be from traditional Republicans. "That's a big question mark," he said. "They are younger and bring with them different experiences about drug policy or marijuana in particular, but most of these men and women won by using traditional themes that most incumbent Republicans used, too. I think for them, cracking down on drugs and crime will have more value than trying to save money by funding diversion or correctional programs that aren't about harsh punishment."
But Piper remained upbeat. "Next year is probably an unprecedented opportunity for the movement to defund the drug war. The stars are aligning. A lot of tax groups are already on record for cutting some of these programs," he noted. "Given the fiscal climate, we could see considerable cuts in the federal budget. The type of Republicans coming into office, as well as Obama's own need to show he can practice fiscal discipline, means a real chance to cut or eliminate some of those programs," he said. "The down side is that funding for prevention and treatment is likely to come under fire, too."
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) -- no friend of drug reform.
While budget battles will be fought in appropriations committees, criminal justice issues are a different matter. One of the most striking changes comes in the House Judiciary Committee, where pro-drug reform Democrats like chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) are being replaced by the likes of Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), who will head the Judiciary Committee. Smith, a conservative old school drug warrior, was the only congressman to speak up against passage of the bill to reduce the disparity in crack and powder cocaine sentences.
He also authored a bill this fall that would have made it a federal offense for US citizens to plan to commit acts outside the US that would violate US drug laws. While that bill was allegedly aimed at large drug trafficking organizations, it could have made federal criminals out of college students making plans to visit the coffee shops of Amsterdam. He took to Fox News last month to lambaste the Obama administration as insufficiently tough on marijuana law enforcement, a clip he displays on his web site (scroll over the small video screens; the title will pop up).
"The fact that Rep. Smith is going to be the chair will definitely have an impact," said Gotsch. "He was the only vocal opposition to the crack cocaine sentencing reform, and the fact that he is now going to be chair is discouraging. It indicates that he won't be thoughtful about sentencing reforms for low level drug offenders."
"The Democratic committee chairs were good on drug policy and unlikely to advance bad drug war bills," said Piper. "Now, with Conyers and Scott gone and Lamar Smith in charge, we can expect stuff like Smith's foreign drug conspiracy bill to come out of that committee."
"You couldn't find bigger champions for reform than Scott and Conyers," said Gotsch. "We won't have them as chairs now; that's probably the biggest disappointment to our community."
"Smith has been quite out there in his attacks over the drug issue," said Sterling. "My hunch is that we will take advantage of the political attractiveness of the drug issue to try to have both oversight hearings and legislation that would be embarrassing to Democrats."
And don't expect too much from the Democrats, either, he added. "The Democratic caucus is going to be more reluctant to deal with the drug issue in a progressive way than it has been," said Sterling. "They see it as a distraction from the heart of the message they need to bring to retake power in 2012."
With people like Smith holding key House committee positions, the drug reform agenda is likely to stall in the next Congress. Instead, reformers will be fighting to avoid reversing earlier gains.
"In terms of passing good things, there probably wasn't a lot more that was going to happen with Democrats before 2012," said Piper. "The important low hanging fruit of overturning the syringe ban, the DC medical marijuana ban, and the crack sentencing bill had already gotten through. We might have been able to achieve repeal of the HEA drug provision, but probably not now."
The drug reform movement's job now will be not only blocking bad legislation, but also fighting to prevent a rollback of drug reform victories in the current Congress, such as the repeal of the bans on syringe exchange funding and implementing the Washington, DC, medical marijuana law, said Piper.
"They're unlikely to go backwards on crack, but the syringe ban and the DC medical marijuana ban were both repealed with some, but not a lot, of Republican support," he said. "The syringe ban repeal barely passed, and that was in a Congress dominated by Democrats. Will they try to restore the syringe funding ban and overturn DC's medical marijuana program? That's our big fear. Hopefully, we can scrape up enough votes to defeat in the House, or stop it on the Senate side," he said.
Piper also dared to dream of an emerging Republican anti-drug war caucus. "We don't know who these new Republicans all are, but some have probably been influenced by Ron Paul (R-TX)," he said. "If only 10 of them stand up against the drug war, that's a huge opportunity to raise hell in the Republican caucus. Almost a third of Republican voters want to legalize marijuana, and that's an opportunity for us, too. Maybe there will be Republicans we can work with and create a truly bipartisan anti-drug war coalition in Congress. That's a foothold."
For Piper, the future looks stormy and cloudy, but "the silver lining is in appropriations fights and opportunities to organize an anti-drug war movement in the Republican caucus. We just have to play defense on a bunch of stuff," he said.
"The activist community is going to have to figure out what the recipe for our lemonade is," advised Sterling. "That requires first a redoubled effort at organizing, using themes such as the wise stewardship of the scarce resources we have, and what works and what is effective," he said.
"It also requires mobilizing people not involved in this issue before, whether it's the business community or people who see their rice bowls been broken by the Republican approach," Sterling continued. "Teachers, nurses, people asking how come the part of the public work force this is protected is the police and the police guards. Drug policy reform activists have to think about what are the alliances they can make in this time of public resource scarcity."
New York state Sen. Eric Schneiderman, author of last year's Rockefeller drug law reform legislation, won the Democratic Party nomination for state attorney general in last week's primary election. Scheiderman won 34% of the vote in a five-person race, besting Nassau County prosecutor Kathleen Rice, who came in second with 32%.
He will face Republican nominee Staten Island prosecutor Dan Donovan in the November 2 general election. In his victory speech, Scheiderman vowed to follow "the same aggressive, progressive approach" as current Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is favored to win the governor's race.
While all five Democratic attorney general candidates vowed to take a hard line on public corruption, help prevent another Wall Street crisis, and protect New Yorkers from terrorism, Schneiderman also played up his drug reform credentials.
On his issues page, Schneiderman touts his authorship of Rockefeller reform legislation, adding that the laws "were not only unfair and unsustainable, but an economic and moral threat to every New Yorker," and advertisements running during the campaign cited it as well. The New York Times also cited Schneiderman's championing of Rockefeller reform among its key reasons for endorsing him in the primary.
Scheiderman goes into greater detail in his Agenda for the Office of New York Attorney General. In addition to touting his role in Rockefeller law reform and in cosponsoring the law that forbids law enforcement agencies from keeping files on innocent people who have been stopped and frisked, Schneiderman vows to monitor and report on stop and frisk searches and to examine the criminal justice system for system-wide biases. He also promises to ease rehabilitation and reentry for ex-convicts and to promote a color-blind criminal justice system.
Long-time drug reform advocate Jodi James has won the Democratic primary for Florida House District 31, in Brevard County on the Central Florida Atlantic Coast. She will now face Republican incumbent John Tobia (R-Melbourne) in the November general election.
James also won the nomination in 2002, only to be defeated in the general election.
According to official figures from the Florida Secretary of State's office, James pulled down 44% of the vote in a three-way race. Her two opponents split the remainder, coming in with 28% each.
As the South Florida Gay News noted in bemoaning the loss of openly gay, fiscally conservative candidate Joe Pishgar in the race,"But Pishgar was not the only unique candidate in that race. Jodi James handily took the Primary as the NRA-endorsed daughter of a Deacon who wishes to relax marijuana laws and do away with FCAT testing in schools."
James has been active in drug reform politics since moving to the Sunshine State in 1995. She is a member of the Drug Policy Forum of Florida and served as executive director of the Florida Cannabis Action Network. She has also been active in Democratic Party politics at the state level.
On her campaign web site, James staked out a progressive position on criminal justice issues, saying: "Jodi James believes in a criminal justice system that focuses on restoration for the victim first. She supports everyone having equal access to the courts. Justice can only be served if everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. Jodi supports restoration of civil rights upon the completion of sentences and alternatives to incarceration when public safety can reasonably be assured."
In addition, in her "issues at a glance" section, she lists herself as supporting "smart on crime practices that bring justice to the victim" and "sensible drug policies that reduce crime." A link next to that item opens up the web site of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
With her primary victory, Jodi James has taken another step on drug reform's long march through the institutions of power. Let's hope there are many more reformers following in her footsteps.
The National Reentry Resource Center, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, has launched the Making Second Chances Work conference website. Conference participants and others interested in reentry can view the videotaped sessions with experts and download materials used during the conference on some of the most pressing issues facing the field.
Making Second Chances Work: A Conference for Grantees Committed to Successful Reentry was held May 26-27, in Washington, D.C. It brought together 2009 Second Chance Act grantee representatives. Individuals from state and local governments, community and faith-based organizations, and federally recognized Indian tribes participated in two days of meetings with experts in the fields of housing, employment, mental health and substance abuse treatment, community supervision, and other areas important to people transitioning from prison or jail to the community.
Many sessions focused on grantees making the most of the federal investment in their programs by highlighting accountability issues and key practices such as assessing an individual's risk for committing future crimes, designing data-driven programs, and effectively allocating the limited resources available for people returning from prisons and jails. Special attention was dedicated to sharing strategies on meeting the distinct needs of youth returning to schools and families from detention in a secure facility in an effort to interrupt the costly cycle of crime and incarceration.
If you have any questions, please contact Shawn Rogers at 646.383.5745 or by e-mail at [email protected].
The National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC) provides education, training, and technical assistance to states, tribes, territories, local governments, service providers, nonprofit organizations, and corrections institutions working on prisoner reentry. The NRRC is coordinated by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA). For more information, visit http://www.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org. For more about the CSG Justice Center, see http://www.justicecenter.csg.org.
The NRRC was established by the Second Chance Act (Public Law 110-199), which was signed into law on April 9, 2008. The Act was designed to improve outcomes for people returning to communities from prisons and jails. This first-of-its-kind legislation authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services that can help reduce recidivism. For more information about the Act, see http://www.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/about/second-chance-act.
The NRRC's work also is directed by the Justice Center's key project partners: the Urban Institute; Association of State Correctional Administrators; American Probation and Parole Association; and Shay Bilchik, research professor/center director, Georgetown University Public Policy Institute. Additional guidance is provided by advisory committees that include representatives of nearly 100 leading nonprofit organizations and service providers in the reentry field.
Gov. Bill Richardson (D) Monday signed into law a bill that removes one obstacle to employment for people with criminal convictions. The bill, SB 254, the Consideration of Crime Convictions for Jobs bill, will remove the question on public job applications about whether a person has been convicted of a felony, leaving such questions for the interview stage of the hiring process.
The bill applies to job application for state, local, or federal public jobs. It does not apply to private sector employers. It passed the Senate 35-4 and the House 54-14.
Known as "ban the box," such bills are designed to allow ex-convicts a better opportunity to reenter the job market. Having a job is a key means of reducing recidivism.
New Mexico now becomes the second state to pass such legislation. Minnesota passed a similar measure in 2009. Some cities, including Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, and San Francisco have passed similar measures as well.
"Lots of young people -- and old people, too -- have that one stupid mistake they made years ago," said Republican Sen. Clint Harden, a former state labor secretary who sponsored the bill. The bill gives them a chance to explain before they are shut out of the hiring process: "Yeah, I had a felony when I was 22, I got caught for possession with intent, I did probation, that was 15 years ago, and I don't do drugs now and yadda yadda," he told the Associated Press late last month.
"We thank Gov. Richardson for signing the 'ban the box' bill," said Julie Roberts, acting state director of the Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico office. "The governor and the New Mexico legislature affirmed their support for people with convictions to be given this opportunity for a second chance. This bill will make our communities safer and keep families together by providing job opportunities to people who need them most."
One in five Americans has a criminal record, and Roberts is one of them. She had a drug bust at age 18. "Since then, I've gone to college, I have had internships, I haven't been in trouble for eight years but I still have to check the box," she said. "There's a lot of people like me. This new law will allow individuals who are qualified for a position the chance to get their foot in the door," she said. "As a person with a criminal conviction, this law will not only help me, but others around the state who made a mistake years ago and are now rebuilding their lives."
In addition to the Drug Policy Alliance, the bill was supported by the New Mexico Conference of Churches, the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of New Mexico, the New Mexico Public Health Association, the Women's Justice Project, and Somos Un Pueblo Unido.
Gov. Bill Richardson (D) Monday signed into law a bill that removes one obstacle to employment for people with criminal convictions. The bill, http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/_session.aspx?chamber=S&legtype=B&legno= 254&year=10" target=_blank_>SB 254, the Consideration of Crime Convictions for Jobs bill, will remove the question of public job applications about whether a person has been convicted of a felony, leaving such questions for the interview stage of the hiring process. The bill applies to job application for state, local, or federal public jobs. It does not apply to private sector employers. It passed the Senate 35-4 and the House 54-14. Known as "ban the box," such bills are designed to allow ex-convicts a better opportunity to re-enter the job market. Having a job is a key means of reducing recidivism. The measure passed the Senate 35-4 and the House 54-14. New Mexico now becomes the second state to pass such legislation. Minnesota passed a similar measure in 2009. Some cities, including Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, and San Francisco have passed similar measures as well. "Lots of young people - and old people, too - have that one stupid mistake they made years ago," said Republican Sen. Clint Harden, a former state labor secretary who sponsored the bill. The bill gives them a chance to explain before they are shut out of the hiring process: "Yeah, I had a felony when I was 22, I got caught for possession with intent, I did probation, that was 15 years ago, and I don't do drugs now and yadda yadda," he told the Associated Press late last month. "We thank Gov. Richardson for signing the 'ban the box' bill," said Julie Roberts, acting state director of Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico. "The governor and the New Mexico legislature affirmed their support for people with convictions to be given this opportunity for a second chance. This bill will make our communities safer and keep families together by providing job opportunities to people who need them most." One in five Americans has a criminal record, and Roberts is one of them. She had a drug bust at age 18. "Since then, I've gone to college, I have had internships, I haven't been in trouble for eight years but I still have to check the box," she said. "There's a lot of people like me. This new law will allow individuals who are qualified for a position the chance to get their foot in the door," she said. "As a person with a criminal conviction, this law will not only help me, but others around the state who made a mistake years ago and are now rebuilding their lives." In addition to the Drug Policy Alliance, the bill was supported by the New Mexico Conference of Churches, the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of New Mexico, the New Mexico Public Health Association, the Women's Justice Project, and Somos Un Pueblo Unido.
Roughly 200,000 US veterans are in prison or jail, many of them there because of substance abuse or mental health issues, according to a new report released Wednesday. The report outlines the problem and suggests reforms that could ease the plight of American soldiers returning from the war zone and trying to make the transition back to civilian society.
According to the report, 140,000 vets were in prison in 2004, with tens of thousands more serving time in jails. Nearly half (46%) of vets doing time in federal prison were incarcerated for drug offenses, while 15% of those in state prison were, including 5.6% doing time for simple possession. Three out five (61%) of incarcerated vets met the criteria for substance dependence or abuse.
The report, Healing a Broken System: Veterans Battling Addiction and Incarceration, comes at a critical time. With hundreds of thousands of soldiers currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US faces a mounting challenge in caring for returning vets.
Many are returning home damaged by their experiences. According to the report, 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, depression, mental illness, or other cognitive disability. These medical conditions, if left untreated, can contribute to problematic drug use, addiction, and fatal overdoses, as well as homelessness, suicide, and criminality, particular violations of the drug laws.
While the study mentions 200,000 vets behind bars, the number is most likely much higher. That's because owing to problems in data collection -- a problem in itself -- the last year for which hard numbers on vets behind bars is available was 2004. Since then, more than a million more vets have returned from their deployments and mustered out.
The report had its genesis about a year and a half ago, when the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) teamed up with a classroom of law students at Northeastern University in Boston to investigate the obstacles veterans were facing in obtaining adequate access to mental health and substance abuse services. In addition to a series of surprising and dramatic findings, the report also includes a list of specific recommendations about how to improve services for vets suffering mental health and substance abuse issues.
"We learned that far too many returning vets are falling victim to the war on drugs because of barriers to effective treatment," said DPA's Dan Abrahamson at a Wednesday press conference. "There are nearly a quarter million vets behind bars right now for crimes motivated in part by mental health or drug addiction problems. One third of returning vets report symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Also, vets suffer from traumatic brain injury, depression, and mental illness at higher rates than normal. All of those are contributory factors to substance abuse and drug addiction, as well as overdose, homelessness, suicide, and being arrested for a non-violent drug offense."
In the battle theater, soldiers are supposed to function despite high stress, and the military is more than willing to prescribe them whatever it takes to keep them fighting. But it's a different story when the vets come home.
"Service-related drug dependency is being talked about quite a bit in the veterans community, but is not well understood outside the military," said Tom Tarantino, an Iraq war veteran and now legislative associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "The ease of obtaining prescriptions in theater is staggering," he explained. "I know crack dealers who are more discriminating about issuing drugs than some of the medics I saw in Iraq. It's alarming how many people were just given anti-depressants instead of asking whether they were really fit for duty," said the veterans' lobbyist.
"Sometimes, it's just a matter of expediency and life in a combat zone, but then you have vets coming back from an environment where meds are very loosely prescribed and they are confronted with a medical system much more stringent about issuing drugs," Tarantino explained. "And that can cause problems."
"Let's be smarter than the problem," said veterans' advocate Guy Gambill. "We can't afford not to be. We arrest too many people and incarcerate them for too long. Then the mark of a criminal record keeps them from getting jobs, housing, and other services, and then the recidivism rate goes up."
There are things that can be done, Gambill said. States can change their incarceration policies. Localities can be more proactive.
"Chicago police and the LAPD are doing front-end interventions," Gambill noted. "In LA, trained peer specialists are doing ride-alongs with the LAPD so the officers will recognize Iraq and Afghanistan war vets. In Chicago, police are doing crisis intervention training, and the first hundred of them are all Iraq and Afghanistan vets. They'll try to grab these guys at first contact and get them into treatment instead of jail. These sorts of peer-led interventions work very well. We need to catch this on the front end, so we don't have 200,000 homeless vets on the streets like we do now."
Another stumbling block is the Department of Veterans Affairs current policy on drug treatment for vets. The VA is willing to offer treatment, but not for vets behind bars.
"We need the Department of Veterans Affairs to lift their ban on drug treatment of incarcerated vets," said Tarantino. "We're pleased that the department now has a justice coordinator at every VA hospital, but they're waiting outside the prison door, not inside, when the vets need it most. This is a regulation they can change with the stroke of a pen," he said.
Yet another problem for vets, especially those with substance abuse issues, is the lack of access to proven treatments. And because the insurance provided to soldiers by the armed forces also covers their families, lack of access to treatment affects them as well.
"Vets don't qualify for substance abuse treatment unless they are diagnosed with PTSD," said Abel Moreno, a former Army sergeant who saw service in both theaters and who now works with veterans through his organization Vets 4 Vets. "We are fighting two wars at once. It's obvious PTSD exists, and it's clear there are going to be substance abuse issues. We've created a subgenre among today's vets where there is a pain pill-popping mitigation ideal. We need quantified data so we can attack this situation head on," he said.
It's not only in failing to provide drug treatment absent a PTSD diagnosis where the DOD falls down, said Dr. Bob Newman, MD, director of the Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. "Tricare, the Department of Defense insurance plan refuses to pay for maintenance treatment of addiction with methadone or buprenorphine," he noted. "Maintenance therapy is not a new idea. It's endorsed by agencies such as NIDA, SAMHSA, the Institute of Medicine, and the World Health Organization. The US government supports this, yet DOD has an insurance plan that excludes maintenance treatment without explanation. That's outrageous," he said.
Tricare insures not only military personnel, but also their families. Tricare's refusal to pay for maintenance therapy nearly cost Teresa Bridges her daughter. Teresa's daughter, Amanda, married a soldier, Sgt. Shawn Dressler. Dressler was killed in combat shortly after the couple were wed, and Amanda retreated into a haze of Lortab and Tramitol. Tricare paid for her treatment, but after a year, her doctor noted on her records that she was being subscribed maintenance doses of Suboxone.
"Suddenly, Tricare dropped her like a hot potato," Bridges said. "Tricare believes taking Suboxone is just substituting one addictive drug for another -- at least that's what they told me. Amanda has done well on Suboxone, and if she stops taking it, she will eventually relapse. Fortunately, she is now in a temporary assistance program, but that will end after a year."
Changes in state and federal statutes to focus on treatment instead of incarceration for veterans who commit nonviolent drug-related offenses.
Adoption by government agencies of overdose prevention programs and policies targeting veterans who misuse substances or take prescription medications.
Significantly expanded access for veterans to medication-assisted therapies such as methadone and buprenorphine to treat opioid dependence.
"The care and feeding and support of vets is a national concern and responsibility," said Gen. Stephen Xenakis, MD, Special Adviser to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs for Staff, Warrior & Family Support . "We are looking to knit together all the various services and institutions so that the soldier who has served and come home and ends up having problems or maybe ended up incarcerated gets treatment from all the sources available."
One of the big problems, said Tarantino, is lack of hard information. He noted that the Justice Department numbers in the report are from 2004. "In 2004, there were over one million fewer vets than there are today," he said. "We don't know how many vets are behind bars right now. We have no method for tracking vets unless they interact with some social services. We need to have DOD and DOJ compare lists. We need data," he said.
Lack of coordination among agencies dealing with vets is part of the problem, said Xenakis. "We need to better configure what we're doing," he said. "Records are not shared. The Department of Justice doesn't have access to Department of Defense records. We need to get organized so we can track people over time."
That effort has the support of the Pentagon, Xenakis said. "Our leadership heartily endorses this," he said. "It is really important that this information that this information is out there now, and that we follow it with the best action plans we can create. As a country, we have a responsibility to support our vets."


text:
Part 8. "S" – Speak Prophetically | Amos 5:21-24
Home Sermons Family Adoption Part 8.…
Jonathan Romig
Adoption, Amos, Bible People, Common Good, Culture, Everyday Life, Family, Holy Spirit, Politics, Power, Public Justice, Racial Justice, Sin, Wisdom
Faith & Flourishing in Politics
Amos, Galatians, James
https://www.cornerstonewestford.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211121_Cornerstone_Jonathan-Romig_Speak-Prophetically.mp3
On the morning of Thursday, February 3rd, 1994, a room of political and religious elite gathered in the ballroom of a swanky hotel in downtown Washington DC. Members of Congress were there, as was the President and Vice President, Bill Clinton and Al Gore, Hilary too. But there was also someone there you might not expect, Mother Teresa.
An 83-year-old nun from India, Mother Teresa had spent a lifetime caring for the poor and needy in the slums of Calcutta, the malnourished and thrown away. She'd received the Noble Peace Prize in 1979, but she still didn't fit the suits and ties in that room with her humble blue and white nun's habit. But today was the National Prayer Breakfast, and they had invited Mother Teresa to speak.[1]
And when Mother Teresa got up to talk, you could barely see her head over the podium, engraved with the Presidential Seal of the United States. And two big black microphones rested right on her forehead.[2] You couldn't see her face until she turned to the side. But although she looked frail, she spoke with power.
She began by talking about the importance of love and how, starting with the family, we are to live lives of love for God and neighbor. But we're not to just say we love God, but to show it by sacrificing for our neighbor. Mother Teresa called her audience to "be willing to give until it hurts."[3] And something about that rang true, didn't it? Because she had lived a life of giving until it hurt.
That gave weight to her next words as she spoke out prophetically against children putting their parents in nursing homes and forgetting them, as she spoke out against boys and girls taking drugs, and as she spoke out against abortion. She said, "But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because Jesus said, 'If you receive a little child, you receive me.'"[4] Long and resounding applause filled the ballroom.
If you were in that room behind that podium surrounded by some of the most powerful men and women in the world, would you speak truth to power? Would you speak prophetically? That's what "S" in "F.L.O.U.R.I.S.H" stands for, "Speak Prophetically." Most of us are never going to have a chance to do what Mother Teresa did. But we do have opportunities every day, small opportunities to speak prophetically, to speak truth to power in our contexts, in our families, jobs, and communities. Maybe if we are faithful in those little moments, God will call us to speak up in the big moments too.[5]
During the Ockenga Fellows Program, we talked about the concept of "faithful presence." My black brothers and sisters in Christ pointed out that sometimes Christians need to speak up and advocate for justice, even specific policies. Believers need to exercise not just "faithful presence" but "faithful prophetic presence."[6] We need to be faithful to Jesus, present where he has us and speak with boldness and courage. Faithful presence can be too passive.[7] Sometimes faithful presence needs prophetic power.
To speak prophetically is to speak truth to power.
The Hebrew Bible is full of the writings of prophets and stories of prophets speaking God's truth to the powers that be, whether governors and kings or cities and nations. To speak prophetically sometimes meant "future-telling," but most often, it meant "truth-telling." Not just, "This is going to happen in the future," but "Here are the consequences that are going to happen if you break God's laws." The prophets were God's covenant lawyers who reminded his people of the terms of their covenant agreement. If you honor and obey me, I will bless you, but I will curse you if you dishonor and disobey me.[8] The prophets didn't speak their own truth but God's truth to those in authority and the people as a whole.
We find many examples of prophets speaking God's truth to power throughout the Old Testament, Samuel to King Saul, Nathan to King David, Elijah to King Ahab, Isaiah to King Ahaz and Hezekiah, and our prophet today Amos to king Jeroboam II of northern Israel. But we also find other people speaking truth to power, and thus speaking prophetically, who weren't necessarily prophets, like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with King Nebuchadnezzar and Esther with King Xerxes.
When the evil Haman plotted mass genocide against the Jews, God sovereignly directed a young Jewish woman named Esther to become the king's wife. Her uncle Mordecai recognized that God had put her in her position for "such a time as this."[9] What if she remained silent? God would have raised someone else, but many Jews may have perished. The New Testament author James likewise says:
James 4:17 (ESV)
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
James says that part of being a follower of Jesus is recognizing opportunities to do good and taking them. Could that include speaking up for those who can't speak for themselves? If we see our government hurting the common good and working against shalom and flourishing, shouldn't we say something? Could we go so far as to ask if not speaking up is a form of disobeying Jesus' command to love our neighbor? Wouldn't silence in our democratic context mean we missed an opportunity to do good, as James says?
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ". . . the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."[10] Appalling silence! As MLK stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, he delivered his prophetic speech, "I Have a Dream." In his speech, he spoke of black poverty, voting rights, police brutality, and biblical justice.[11] As he preached, he quoted the prophet, Amos.
Amos 5:24 (ASV)
"But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."
Biblical justice and biblical righteousness are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have a just community without a right relationship with God or a right relationship with God without a just community.[12] MLK understood justice and righteousness are a pair and spoke for both as he stood on the Washington Mall and met privately with President Lyndon B. Johnson to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The prophet Amos wasn't a professional prophet. He wasn't what we might call ordained clergy today—no "Rev." in his title. Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa. God can use anyone to speak his truth to power, and that is what Amos did. Even though Amos lived in Southern Judah near Jerusalem, God gave him a message for six outside nations. Amos preached against Damascus (Aram), Gaza (Philistines), Tyre (Phoenicia), Edom, Ammon, and Moab for their violence, their slavery, their wicked religious practices, and their abuses of pregnant women. Amos not only speaks truth to outside nations, but his own as well, to Judah for breaking God's covenant and to northern Israel for oppressing the poor, weak, and vulnerable.[13]
Amos spent most of his prophetic message addressing the northern tribe of Israel, and for his faithfulness to God, he was called a conspirator (Amos 7:10). Amos dared to speak directly against the king of Samaria, Jeroboam II. And for that, a false priest named Amaziah, a priest at Bethel where the Israelites had erected a golden calf told Amos to go home (c.f., 1 Kings 12:25-33).
Amos 7:12-13 (ESV)
And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom."
"Stay away from the king and temple because you're threatening our civil religion!" The palace and temple combine to form a new idolatrous religion. Civil religion is when a state enmeshes itself in religion, and religion embraces the state to extend both their power. The consequence for Israel and any nation that does this is a watered-down faith and injustices.[14] God called Amos to speak out against Israel's religious and political corruption, and he calls us to speak out against a politicized faith and injustices in our context today. Without separation from the state, the church can't speak prophetically to the state.
One of the biggest supporters of apartheid in South Africa was the Reformed Church. They created theological arguments defending the division of land among the races and then persecuted those who spoke out against it.[15] That's not so different from many churches in the south during slavery. Or how about the faith leaders on both sides of the political aisle, who, once they've endorsed a political candidate, find it difficult to speak out against immoral activity or unjust policies?[16] Amos is confronting the same religious and political mixing of powers in his time, and while it's intimidating, he doesn't do it alone.
To speak prophetically is to speak truth to power with power.
God empowers the prophet Amos to deliver a prophetic rebuke. Amos isn't rebuking the nations and the king of Israel because of his own innate sense of justice, but because God has communicated to him true justice. Amos has a higher mandate than a political party or social cause. He has the word of God. The phrase "says the Lord" appears 21 times in Amos's nine chapters. Amos makes clear this message didn't come from him but God. When the false priest Amaziah tries to send Amos packing, he points to God's calling:
Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'
God sent Amos. Amos is not speaking in his own power, but God has empowered him. If it was up to Amos, he might still be with his sheep. God might call you to speak truth to power. He might call you into politics in our city, state, or nation or to speak up at a smaller level for an injustice you see at school or even in your own family. You might think, "I could never do that," but if God has called you, he will empower you with his Holy Spirit and God's word to say what he wants you to say.[17] God gives prophetic power.
But you will also need to check yourself. Are you speaking your personal opinion or God's words? For us to speak prophetically is not to speak my truth, but God's truth grounded in scripture. Something I noticed about Mother Teresa's speech was that it was full of scripture. She paraphrased verses from Matthew, John, 1 John, and Isaiah 11 times.[18] Her prophetic message didn't come from watching an abundance of YouTube videos, or reading New York Times articles, or even from listening to the Holy Post podcast (a personal favorite), but was an overflow of her love for scripture. When we claim to speak prophetically, how many of us are actually speaking God's truth directed by the Holy Spirit, not just personal opinions?
I still believe in the prophetic office in the New Testament.[19] I don't think prophets today create scripture as Amos did, but part of their role, apart from future-telling, is to remind people of Jesus' new covenant and the way we're supposed to live by it outlined in the Sermon on the Mount. We hold ourselves, our churches, and our politicians up to the flame of Matthew 5-7 and call us all to love God, neighbor, and enemy.
Just like we need wisdom to set public policy, we need the Holy Spirit to help us determine when to speak prophetically. But I think sometimes we try to speak prophetically in the public square without actually being called by the Holy Spirit to do so. It's so easy for righteous zeal to turn into self-righteous anger.
James 1:19-20 (ESV)
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
It's so easy to convince ourselves that we're mad because God is mad. But James warns us to slow down because our anger isn't the same as God's anger.
"The problem with carnal anger and outrage is that it's one of the easiest sins to commit while convincing oneself that one is being faithful. . . . Rage is no sign of authority, prophetic or otherwise."[20] – Onward by Russell Moore
The power of prophetic power is not anger or rage but the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit empowers our speech, it should be accompanied by the fruit of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, patience…" (Galatians 5:22-23). Watching the video of Mother Teresa, I think that's one of the things that gave her prophetic message so much power. You could see and hear and feel the love she had, the joy, the peace, and the incredible patience. She didn't yell at the President. She encouraged everyone to love each other. And that's why we speak, out of love for others. To speak prophetically is to speak truth to power with power.
We speak prophetically out of love for our neighbor.
Let's take a moment to take a bird's-eye view of the book of Amos. If we do, we find that Amos doesn't advocate for himself or the rights of sheepherders but for the poor and most vulnerable. He speaks for the good of his neighbors. When Amos first addresses Israel, he rebukes their injustices and unrighteousness:
Amos 2:6-7 (ESV)
Thus says the Lord:
"For three transgressions of Israel,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals—
those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth
and turn aside the way of the afflicted;
a man and his father go in to the same girl,
so that my holy name is profaned;
Israel has sold the poor for a pair of sandals. Amos challenges Israel's unbridled materialism, abuse of the poor, their sexual immorality, their religious sacrilege. I wonder what Amos would think of my love of smart technology? Would he point how abusive cobalt mining in the congo makes so many electronic processors possible in cars, phones, and computers?[21] Amos is not afraid to call out the wealthy, not for having money, but for how they got their riches and what they do with them once they have it.
Amos 4:1 (ESV)
"Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
who are on the mountain of Samaria,
who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
who say to your husbands, 'Bring, that we may drink!'
Samaria is Israel's capital, and it is full of men and women who crush the poor and drink their fill. They are the kind of people who don't want to see justice done in court, who detest the truth, and who raise taxes on the poor. Though they acquire much, God's wrath will come on them.
They hate him who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
Therefore because you trample on the poor
and you exact taxes of grain from him,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not dwell in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
What kind of people would do something like this? Maybe we're thinking, "If only they read their Hebrew Bibles, the Old Testament, they wouldn't act this way. If only they went to church, they'd be good people." Here's the kicker. The people committing injustice are the most religious, which brings us to today's text:
"I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
This should terrify us. Amos rebukes those most like us, church-goers. They're the kind of people who give their tithes and offerings, sing hymns and worship songs, and look like good Christians on the outside. But they have divided righteousness from justice, which corrupts both. God wants our love but also wants us to love our neighbor. And if we don't love our neighbor, we do not love him.
Before the church ever speaks prophetically to the world, we need to make sure we live prophetically in the world. Next week we'll look closer at Jesus' call to care for the poor and needy in Matthew 25. It's good that today we're seeing how the Old Testament prophets took this seriously too. We have to love our neighbor. As we love, we earn the credibility to stand up and address those in positions of authority for not loving their neighbors. Remember how Mother Teresa called out abortion? She added this:
The beautiful gift God has given our congregation is to fight abortion by adoption. [. . .] We have given already from one house in Calcutta, over 3,000 children in adoption. And I can't tell you what joy, what love, what peace those children have brought into those families. It has been a real gift of God for them and for us. [. . .] And also I offer you, since our Sisters are here, anybody who doesn't want the child, please give it to me. I — I want the child.
I will tell you something beautiful. As I already told you, the abortion by adoption — by care of the mother and adoption for her baby. We have saved thousands of lives. We have sent word to the clinics, to the hospitals and police stations: "Please don't destroy the child. We will take the child." So we always have someone tell the mothers in trouble: "Come, we will take — take care of you. We will get a home for your child." [. . .]
Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted and to give that child to married couple who will love the child and be loved by the child.
Mother Teresa's prophetic words have power because she demonstrated love. She was not motivated by a political cause but by love for the neediest. We speak prophetically out of love for our neighbor.
Amos's prophetic rebuke was an expression of God's love not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles, those surrounding nations, Damascus, Edom, and the rest. In the end, Amos prophesied that northern Israel, Samaria, and all the surrounding nations have hope, but only through King David's line in Judah.
"In that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old,
that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,"
declares the Lord who does this.
One will come to rescue Israel and Edom and all the nations who repent and seek the Lord.[22] A people of injustice and unrighteousness will be counted just and righteous as they call on the name of the king. We know that king, don't we? He is also a prophet who loved us so much he laid down his life for us, his enemy.
Prophetic power comes at the cost of self-sacrificial love.
You want to speak prophetically? Do you know what they did to the prophets? They sawed them in two, stoned them, murdered and mistreated them.[23] They lived lives of sadness and sorrow as they watched God's people disobey and reap the consequences. I think there's this idea that to be prophetic today is to flip tables like Jesus, to get angry and demand justice. Modern-day zeal includes social media attacks, shouting matches, flipping cars, putting a bumper sticker on your car or a yard sign in your lawn, or in my case, buying and wearing a t-shirt that says "Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8" This cost me $20, but did it really cost me anything? I believe in its message, but it doesn't cost me much.
But when Jesus chased out the unjust money-changers and drove out the animals from the temple, he was provoking the wrath of the chief priests and religious elite so that they would crucify him (John 2:13-22; Matthew 21:12-17).[24] He drove out the lambs to become a lamb who could take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus didn't flip tables because he felt marginalized or outraged, but to save us. Love was at the core of his prophetic action and must be the core of ours. Mother Teresa lived a life-of self-sacrificial love till the age of 87, and MLK lived the same till he was assassinated at 39.
Do you Amos's audience heard him and repented and sought God? Not right away. Northern Israel and its capital of Samaria were taken into exile for their sins. But Jesus did tell a parable we usually assume is based on fiction of a Good Samaritan who risked his life for the sake of another, who embodied self-sacrificial love and foreshadowed Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. God used Amos's prophetic ministry in ways he couldn't have imagined. Prophetic power comes at the cost of self-sacrificial love.
Benediction – Amos 5:24 (ASV)
Pastor Jonathan Romig preached this sermon at Cornerstone Congregational Church as part of his Doctor of Ministry research study through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Dear Church,
Thank you for listening to my eighth sermon from our Faith & Flourishing in Politics series, Speak Prophetically. As we consider what it means to practice "faithful prophetic presence" in our contexts, here are a few ways to keep praying and processing:
Journal: Think of your context, your family, workplace, and community. What are some scriptural truths those contexts may need to hear? Do they need to hear more about God's righteousness, or his justice, or both? How have you spoken prophetically? Journal about that experience. Then, write about some missed opportunities or what you think the Holy Spirit might be asking you to do going forward. Write a prayer asking God for help to speak prophetically, in his timing, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Article: Read "We Need Prophets, Not Partisans" by Brett McCracken posted on The Gospel Coalition (March 2, 2020). You will notice many themes we've already talked about in our series, like how politics can form us spiritually, the concept of faithful presence, and a warning that being partisan is not being prophetic. McCracken explains what it means to speak prophetically in our world today and why it matters so much.
Listen & Read (sermon & book): Listen to Pastor and author Eugene Cho speak prophetically in his sermon, "Faith & Politics." YouTube: https://youtu.be/4PnxqTt4ekk (37:08) If you resonate with his sermon, you might check out his book, Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics, which is an intermediate read (240 pages) but well worth the effort. He speaks prophetically throughout the book.
Read (intermediate): You know I like Timothy Keller, right? I recently read The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy by Timothy Keller as part of my study of the book of Jonah. This changed the way I see the book of Jonah and helps clarify Christianity's prophetic presence in politics (256 pages).
Ponder: Here, I'm sharing three different speakers exercising prophetic speech in different ways and from different Christian traditions. Try listening to each one and answer these three questions: 1) What biblical truths are they saying? 2) What things are not as clearly biblical and I may disagree with? 3) How do I feel about the manner in which they speak? Does it make me more or less receptive? Here are the three:
#1 – Mother Teresa: This humble nun served the most desperate in the streets of Calcutta, India. Listen as she speaks prophetically to the President of the United States (YouTube; Manuscript).
#2 – Martin Luther King, Jr.: Maybe you've heard MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech before. Hear the fire in his voice once again as he advocates for liberty for all people (YouTube; Manuscript).
#3 – William Sloan Coffin: I had not heard of Rev. Coffin until we discussed this interview in the GCTS Ockenga Fellows cohort. Listen to this UCC Minister's unabashed point-of-view (YouTube).
Worship: Listen to "Isaiah 58 + Purge Me" from Urban Doxology. If you'd like, you can read Isaiah 58 as the worship leader recites it. Take time to confess before the Lord any injustices you see in the world. Ask the Lord to reveal any participation in injustice in your own life. Praise God for always being just and true.
I know those are a lot of recommendations! I hope the ones you choose will help you love Jesus more and speak God's truth prophetically as the Holy Spirit empowers and guides.
Pastor Jonathan Romig
Discussion Questions.
Please use these questions in your Sunday school, small group, or other discussion time.
To watch the full service on Facebook, click here. To watch the sermon on YouTube, click here.
© 2021 by Jonathan M. Romig.
All rights reserved. No portion of this sermon series may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of Jonathan M. Romig.
Please share by linking directly to the original CornerstoneWestford.com posting or by printing out pdf copies (click "Save" for sermon or "Download" for slides).
[1]. "President Clinton at the National Prayer Breakfast (1994)," clintonlibrary42, YouTube, published August 5, 2016, accessed November 15, 2021 https://youtu.be/kiagkk3XeFU. Either a book or podcast mentioned this speech. I cannot remember.
[2]. "Mother Teresa @ National Prayer Breakfast," Geremia08, YouTube, published February 14, 2012, accessed November 15, 2021 https://youtu.be/OXn-wf5ylgo. Video courtesy CSPAN: https://www.c-span.org/video/?54274-1/national-prayer-breakfast.
[3]. "Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta: National Prayer Breakfast Address, delivered 3 February 1994, Washington Hotel, Washington, D.C." American Rhetoric: Online Speech Bank, accessed November 15, 2021 https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/motherteresanationalprayerbreakfast.htm.
[4]. "Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta . . ." American Rhetoric.
[5]. Kaitlyn Schiess said something similar to this on an episode of the Holy Post podcast.
[6]. Vermon Pierre, "Faithful Presence Needs Prophets," in Revisiting 'Faithful Presence': To Change the World Five Years Later, ed. Collin Hansen (Deerfield, IL: The Gospel Coalition, 2015), chap. "Faithful Presence Needs [. . .]," Kindle.
[7]. Vermon Pierre, "Faithful Presence Needs Prophets," Kindle.
[8]. Deuteronomy 28.
[9]. Esther 4:14.
[10]. "Appalling Silence of the Good People," Quote Investigator, published June 17, 2020, accessed November 20, 2021 https://quoteinvestigator.com/2020/06/17/good/. This quote is attributed to MLK's "Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story" in 1958.
[11]. "Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream: delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.," American Rhetoric: Top 100 Speeches, accessed November 15, 2021 https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm.
[12]. See Amos 5:7, 24; 6:12.
[13]. Amos 1-2.
[14]. Gary Scott Smith, "Civil Religion in America," ChrisitanityToday, published 2008, accessed November 20, 2021 https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-99/civil-religion-in-america.html. Originally published in Christian History & Biography, Issue 99: Faith & the American Presidency, 2008.
[15]. Kevin Giles, "Justifying Injustice with the Bible: Apartheid," Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE), published April 20, 2016, accessed November 20, 2021 https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/justifying-injustice-bible-apartheid.
[16]. See Chapter 1, "Thou Shalt Not Go To Bed With Political Parties" in Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk by Eugene Cho.
[17]. Luke 12:11-12 (ESV) And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
[18]. "Saint Mother Teresa . . ." American Rhetoric. See the footnotes.
[19]. Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28-29; Ephesians 4:11-12.
[20]. Russell D. Moore, Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2015) chap. 2, Kindle.
[21]. John Campbell, "Why Cobalt Mining in the DRC Needs Urgent Attention," Council on Foreign Relations, published October 29, 2020, accessed November 18, 2021 https://www.cfr.org/blog/why-cobalt-mining-drc-needs-urgent-attention.
[22]. "Seek me and live" See Amos 5:4, 6 for the concept of repentance.
[23]. Nehemiah 9:26; Matthew 21:35; 22:6; 23:31, 37; Romans 11:3; Hebrews 11:37.
[24]. Skye Jethani said something similar to this on an episode of the Holy Post podcast.
Tagged with courage, hope, politics, prophecy, prophets, public justice, speak prophetically, truth
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I-69, Former U.S. 59, Houston Truck Accident Lawyer
I-69 in Houston is a relatively new – and old freeway. Previously I-69 in the Houston area was known as U.S. 59. The part now designated I-69 was the section of U.S. 59 within Loop 610. Essentially the new freeway is essentially constructed of old previously dedicated freeways. In the Houston area, work on I-69 is generally focused on improving existing areas of former U.S. 59.
However, I-69 has been a route in progress for decades. The road is known as the NAFTA Superhighway because it provides a link between Mexico and Canadian port cities while also linking an array of major U.S. cities. While some states have failed to take action regarding the construction or resignation of I-69, the state of Texas has made I-69's construction a priority.
However, as a NAFTA Superhighway, it is no surprise that a significant amount of freight trucks carrying goods and products are traveling on the highway. While many of these trips are completed successfully, Houston is unfortunately a relative hotbed for commercial truck accidents. In 2013, more than 3382 commercial truck accidents were reported in the area. Unfortunately, when commercial truck accidents do occur, the large size and mass of the vehicles often mean that damage is significant.
I-69 Is A Heavily Traveled Route in Houston, Texas, and Beyond
I-69 passes through a number of east Texas counties including Shelby, Rusk, Nacogdoches, Angelina, Polk, San Jacinto, Liberty, Montgomery, Harris, Fort Bend, Wharton, Jackson, and Victoria. In the Houston area, I-69 serves as a major thoroughfare in and around the city allowing commuters and freight traffic to travel from Sugarland in the Southwest of the city to Humble in the north. Essentially, former U.S. 59, now I-60 serves as the backbone and main transportation artery for southwest Houston and many of its destinations.
In the Houston area, I-69 provides access to an array of destinations and other connecting roads. The highway provides access to I-610 and the IAH Hobby Airport. The road also provides access to I-45 and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The road also provides travels with access to I-10 also known as U.S. 90 along with many other downtown Houston destinations like the St. Joseph's medical Center. Still within Harris County, the road also provides access to the Westpark Tollway, Belt 8 (Frontage Road), and to the Sam Houston Tollway.
Why Can Serious Truck Accidents Occur on the Freeway?
The reasons why accidents involving commercial trucks on any freeway are numerous, but on I-69 in the Houston area these accidents can probably be attributed to the significant variation in types of vehicle traffic. The road is used heavily by both interstate truck traffic and by local commuters. Furthermore, the congestion and traffic conditions present on the roadway can also contribute to the significantly higher than average number of accidents on the road.
There are many other reasons why commercial truck accidents become unavoidable. These reasons can include:
Changing traffic conditions – Stop-and-go traffic is difficult to drive in and the changing conditions require extreme alertness. Drivers who fail to maintain a high level of concentration are likely to cause a commercial vehicle accident.
Poor weather conditions – Heavy rainfall and other severe storms can adversely affect driving conditions. Poor weather can increase stopping distances and decrease visibility and the time a driver has to react.
Fatigued truck driver – Hours of service rules imposed by FMCSA limit the amount of time a truck driver can be on duty consecutively and sets other limits on his or her ability to drive. These limits are set because fatigued driving can reduce reaction times and lead to poor decision-making.
Intoxicated driving – Alcohol, illegal drugs, and some prescription drugs can also lead to increased reaction times and poor decision-making. Driving under the influence significantly increases accident risk for all drivers.
Inexperienced CDL driver — While training and behind the wheel experience is required for CDL drivers, operators who are new to the profession may still lack the confidence and poise to react appropriately in difficult situations or may misjudge the circumstances.
Improper maintenance – A freight truck with mechanical issues, steering problems, or worn-down tires significantly increases the risk of a loss of vehicle control and an accident.
In many accidents, more than one factor combines to cause the wreck. The list above only covers some of the more common factors associated with serious vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, when these accidents do occur, they often cause serious injuries including broken bones, TBIs, and fatal injuries.
Commercial Truck Accident Injury Lawyers May Be Able to Fight For You
If you've suffered severe injuries or the death of a loved one in an accident with a large truck, bus, or other commercial vehicle the lawyers of Reiff & Bily's The Truck Accident Team may be able to fight for you. To schedule a free and confidential legal consultation call call 800-896-6173 or contact us online today.
Types Of Injury & Accident Cases We Handle & Win
Our attorneys are capable of handling the court system during your scariest and most difficult times. We handle a wide range of cases, from accidents and injuries that occur frequently, such as bone fractures, to uncommon accidents and medical conditions that demand highly specific knowledge, such as plane crashes. Types of claims and lawsuits we handle in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania include:
Premises Liability (Property Hazards)
Product Liability (Defective Products)
Wrongful Death and Survival Actions
Q: What should I do first after being injured in an accident?
Your first priorities should always be to get to safety and get emergency medical attention. Move to a safe place and call an ambulance. Get any emergency treatment you need as soon as you can. This will help injuries heal better and help document the injuries you suffered, which can will strengthen your case.
Q: How do I strengthen my case immediately following an accident?
Getting contact information and statements from eyewitnesses, photographs of the accident scene, and security camera footage of the accident can help build a strong case. Have a friend, a family member, or your attorney help you with this if your injuries are too severe to do it yourself.
Q: What should I NOT do immediately following an accident?
One of the worst things you can do is not get the help you need. Without medical attention, injuries could become worse or potentially become life-threatening. Get the medical attention you need immediately, even for minor injuries. Having a record of the treatment you received will also help prove damages.
Q: What should I NOT do after being in an accident?
Do not talk about the accident. You might need to file a police report or tell a doctor how you were injured, but do not admit fault to the other parties involved or tell other people how the accident happened. Things you say in private or post on social media might hurt your case later if they show an inconsistent story or admit fault.
Q: How will I know if The Reiff Law Firm is the right fit for me?
The Reiff Law Firm's Philadelphia injury attorneys have decades of experience. Our lawyers have handled cases across the board, helping injury victims and their families get the help they need after an accident. Sit down with our lawyers to discuss your case in a free legal consultation and decide for yourself if we have the right mix of skills and dedication to help with your case.
Disclaimers: *The Reiff Law Firm is unable to list some of our largest settlements to date in upwards of 8-figures due to confidentiality agreements.*$40,000,000 refers to the amount recovered across all practice areas from 2014-2019. *"100's of millions won" refers to value of all settlements and payments awarded for all cases in all practice areas by our attorneys since 1982. *Past results are not meant to predict future outcomes. © 2019 The Reiff Law Firm
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THERE is a tingling sense of expectation when you visit Leningrad for the first time, an expectation heightened if you are fortunate enough to get tickets for the opera on your first night. Our taxi sped along Nevsky Prospekt, past palaces and cathedrals (St. Isaac's, Our Lady of Kazan, the Church of the Resurrection), past a fretwork of canals and bridges (the Lion's bridge, the Horse Tamers' bridge over the Fontanka Canal); one enchantment followed another. We swept round the garden outside the Russian Museum, with bronze and russet autumn leaves fluttering down on to the statue of Pushkin. Beyond lay the Maly Theatre where the czar and his court had come, where Fyodor Chaliapin had sung. What wonders awaited us there, not only a new opera, ``Maria Stuart,'' by the composer Slonimski, but an encounter that would add a quite new dimension to our opera-going.
The lights dimmed, silence fell. The curtain rose on Edinburgh, on bekilted Russians dancing to a chorus of ``Shottlandia moya [My Scotland],'' on John Knox preaching, on Mary Stuart and David Rizzio singing a duet about enamored hearts before the assassins dragged him off to his doom. Lord Darnley slept uneasily, pursued by evil dreams, Queen Elizabeth was tormented by thoughts of regicide, and finally the great axe fell on the tragic Mary at Fotheringay.
WAS she perhaps, along with Slonimski, a composer herself? Not a bit of it! She introduced herself as Alexandra Ivanovna, a program seller in the Maly Theatre, with right to an occasional free ticket. ``I hope we meet again,'' she said.
We did. A few nights later we returned to the Maly for Faust and there, at a program-piled table, was Alexandra Ivanovna, this time in a less festive gown but no less dignified. She welcomed us as old friends and in a way, for the duration of the evening, we became her personal property. She showed us off to acquaintances as she might exhibit prize pupils or rabbits pulled from a hat. We were from Shottlandia, spoke Russian of a sort, but she could understand us; best of all we loved opera. She held court at her table like a small czarina.
In the dark cloakroom we sat among velvet and fur wraps, cloaks and capes, threadbare Leningrad overcoats that reminded us of the fusty dusty frock-coat worn by Gogol's wretched clerk, Akaky Akakevich. Alexandra's robe belonged to the same order. She brought out her gift for us - fabulous Maly posters of ``Boris Godunov,'' ``The Queen of Spades,'' ``Evegeny Onegin,'' ``Don Carlos,'' and ``Rigoletto,'' kept carefully against our hoped-for return.
We sniffed in an atmosphere of mothballs and more exotic perfumes while we listened to Alexandra. Anything we knew or thought we knew about opera was swept aside. Here was someone who, losing count of how many she had seen, could repeat them all by heart and interpreted them in her own way.
WE moved between the dim little cloakroom and our seats in the golden theater under the glittering chandeliers, only startled from Alexandra Ivanovna's visions by the warning bell for the fourth act. She started too. How many of her fellow citizens recalled certain dire sounds - the elevator creaking upward in the apartment block - would it stop at your landing or go? Would there follow the dread dawn ring at the door, the summons to some distant Gulag?
Each autumn opera was transformed for us more and still more. First, the familiar Italian of Verdi, the German of Mozart and Beethoven, the French of Gounod and Berlioz suffered a sea change into the rich strangeness of Russian, never to sound the same again. Added to that there was a sense of watching the unfolding of a human document, the realization that opera could voice truths no one for long years had dared express.
It was an endless voyage of discovery. There was Figaro asserting the revolutionary principle of equality with the count. Don Carlos, escaping from the Grand Inquisitor, and Sarastro proclaiming an end to the tyranny of the Queen of the Night and the powers of darkness, took on fresh meaning. Our spines, too, tingled at the terror of Boris Godunov and when the footsteps of the Stone Guest, the Commendatore, echoed across the stage, pursuing the damned Don Juan. We were moved to tears at the marvelous moment in ``Fidelio'' when the prisoners emerged from their dungeon into the sunshine. Shackled, gray-clad skeletons, blinded by light, they groped forward, clinging to one another, singing ``Freedom! Freiheit!'' The Russian people were passing before us.
Between the acts Alexandra Ivanovna waited for us in the garderobe. ``Ponimayete?'' she kept repeating with touching eagerness. ``Do you understand?'' She wanted us to see each opera through her eyes, to be as convinced as she was that, in the conflict between good and evil, the good invariably, inevitably, triumphed.
As she spoke the years fell away, she was no longer an elderly, shabby Soviet citizen but a young girl again, at her first opera; she was Chekov's Sonya promising Uncle Vanya rest and peace after much anguish.
``Some dreams do come true,'' she always concluded. ``Sometimes I even get a free ticket for the Kirov - then I wear my fine gown - you have seen it. The Kirov is beautiful too, but the Maly is my kingdom.'' However drab, bleak, and often alarming the outside world might be, in the Maly was found a magical sanctuary.
Each year we drove away from the theater, clutching our treasured posters, sometimes under a starry sky, at others in a fine Nordic drizzle. We saw crescent and full moons float on the Neva, watched mists curl and twine over the Fontanka and Moika canals, felt the chill of the first swirling snowflakes. We passed the Winter Palace, the Hermitage, the Decembrists' Square. Over there the grim Peter and Paul Fortress rose up, here the Aurora rode at anchor. We were turning over page upon page of the history book opened for us by Alexandra.
In our mind's ear we kept hearing her autumn greeting - ``Back from Shottlandia!'' as if we had dropped somehow from the sky - her eager, hopeful ``Ponimayete?'' We felt a humble gratitude for the friendship of this diminutive, dignified servant of the vast republic who welcomed us to her realm of the Maly, touched by her unwavering belief that one day the curtain would rise, as in opera, on the world of Sarastro and Fidelio, one of compassion and goodness.
No terrorist 'safe haven' in North Africa? That's a tall order.
Test your knowledge How well do you know opera? Take our quiz!


Country Concert 2019: Kid Rock is scheduled to perform in Fort Loramie, OH. Can you recollect how enthusiastic you were for your first concert! See this one of a kind concert experience that will be the hit of Country Concert At Hickory Hill Lakes. Country Concert At Hickory Hill Lakes tickets an enormous venue so make sure you understand the layout before you purchase the tickets so you will be able to get the perfect seats to see Kid Rock tickets!


text:
Home Open Access Publishers fully committed to Open Access transition
Publishers fully committed to Open Access transition
Academic publishers want to make the transition to Open Access (OA) a reality as comprehensively and rapidly as possible and see transformative agreements as vital to this process, according to a new independent report published today.
The report, authored by Dr Michael Jubb, emphasises the integral role agreements between academic publishers and institutions will play and also outlines the key areas where publishers remain concerned about the impact of the transition to OA.
Publishers, librarians and researchers contributed to conversations around three central themes in the report:
Green OA and embargo periods;
Licensing requirements; and
Hybrid journals.
The report, Evidence to inform a response to the UKRI review of Open Access policies, will be submitted to UK Research and Innovation in contribution to its forthcoming consultation on UK OA policy. It also reflects on the Plan S initiative for OA science publishing announced by Science Europe in 2018.
In the report's conclusions, Dr Michael Jubb writes:
"There has been a noticeable change in the tone of publishers' discussions about the future of scholarly publishing. Publishers want to make the transition to OA a reality as comprehensively and rapidly as possible, and they see the transformation of hybrid journals through the kinds of agreements now being put in place as the key viable route to a full transition.
"But they are clear that such a transition cannot be achieved as quickly as Plan S suggest; and that some key aspects of the Plan S requirements, particularly those relating to Green OA with zero embargoes and a CCBY licence, are simply unacceptable."
The report considers the role that transformative agreements will play in realising the UK's OA ambitions. Contributors to the report outline constructive suggestions as to how to productively leverage these arrangements, emphasising that future policies should be mindful of the logistical complexities of executing hundreds of agreements between publishers and universities.
Publishers – small and large, commercial and non-commercial – are united in a strong belief that Green OA, especially without an appropriate embargo period, is simply not sustainable as a mechanism for transition to a fully-OA world as it depends on the continuance of journals while simultaneously (and increasingly) threatening their viability.
Publishers' major concerns with regard to the CCBY licence relate to its use for articles in subscription-based and hybrid journals. Using the licence for such articles would allow anyone, and any organisation, to gather up and misuse those articles at scale.
Stephen Lotinga, Chief Executive of the Publishers Association, said:
"Academic publishers share in the desire to make the transition to OA a reality. But they do have legitimate concerns as to how to best navigate the transition period and this report outlines those areas of concern and the reasons behind them.
"As we await the proposals to be set out in UKRI's consultation paper, due to be published in January 2020, publishers look forward to developing the findings of this report to agree practical solutions for the next stage of the UK's OA policy journey."


A home owner has filed a class action lawsuit against Seterus Inc., a specialty mortgage service company, citing alleged violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, violations of the Pennsylvania Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act, and violation of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
Kay Wenger filed a complaint on behalf of herself and others similarly situated on Dec. 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Seterus Inc., alleging the specialty mortgage service uses unlawful and unfair debt collection practices to collect upon residential consumer mortgage loans.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on April 1, 2016, her mortgage was transferred to Seterus while in a state of default.


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text:
class ChannelsViewItemDelegate : public QItemDelegate
{
    Q_OBJECT
public:
    virtual void drawFocus(QPainter*, const QStyleOptionViewItem&, const QRect&) const {}
    void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionViewItem& option, const QModelIndex& index ) const;
};

class ChannelsView : public QTableView
{
    Q_OBJECT
public:
    explicit ChannelsView(QWidget *parent = 0);
    ~ChannelsView();

private:
    QStringList m_columns;
    int m_rowHeight;
    ChannelList m_channelList;
    QHash<QString, QImage> m_iconCache;
    QStringList m_favorites;
    QStringList m_idList;
    QString m_selectedId;
    QString m_playingId;
    QColor m_favoritesColor;

protected:
    void keyReleaseEvent(QKeyEvent *event);
    QImage channelIcon(QString id);

signals:
    void requestChannelIcon(QString);
    void channelActivated(QString);
    void requestChannelList();

public slots:
    void updateChannelList(ChannelList);
    void updateChannelIcon(QString, QImage);
    void selectionChanged(const QItemSelection&, const QItemSelection&);
    void channelActivated(QModelIndex);
    void contextMenuEvent(QContextMenuEvent*);
    void toggleFavorite();
    void playingState(QString);
    void stoppedState();

};

#endif // CHANNELSVIEW_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Do we need the fundamental theorem of Galois theory in Galois' proof of the Abel-Ruffini theorem? Admittedly, my question is a bit provocative. Let me be precise.
The fundamental theorem of Galois theory states three things (for a fixed finite normal separable extension $M/K$):
(1) The maps $L\mapsto \mathrm{Gal}(M/L)$ and $H\mapsto \mathrm{Fix}(H)$ determine an anti-isomorphism between the poset of intermediate fields of $M/K$ and the poset of subgroups of $\mathrm{Gal}(M/K)$.
(2) For each intermediate field $L$, $|\mathrm{Gal}(M/L)| = [M:L]$ and for each subgroup $H$ of $\mathrm{Gal}(M/K)$, $[M:\mathrm{Fix}(H)]=|H|$.
(3) $L$ is a normal extension of $K$ if and only if $\mathrm{Gal}(M/L)$ is a normal subgroup of $\mathrm{Gal}(M/K)$.
The main ingredient of Galois' proof of the Abel-Ruffini theorem is the following theorem that I will denote by $(*)$: a polynomial $f$ over $\mathbb Q$ is solvable if and only if $\mathrm{Gal}(f)$ is solvable.
Certainly the proof of $(*)$ uses (3) of the fundamental theorem of Galois theory to translate between the solvability of $f$ and $\mathrm{Gal}(f)$.
Question: Does the proof of $(*)$ use (1) somewhere? Or can one prove $(*)$ without proving (1)?

A: At least one of the previous lemmas needed on the proof that I remember uses it:
Lemma 3
Let $L/K$ be a finite Galois extension of prime degree $p$.
Suppose $char(K) = 0$.
Then $L/K$ is a prime radically solvable extension.
Proof:
Let $\Omega$ be an algebraic closure of $L$.
Let $\zeta$ be a primitive $p$-th root of unity in $\Omega$.
$\color{blue}{\textrm {Then $L(\zeta)/K(\zeta)$ is a Galois extension and\\
$Gal(L(\zeta)/K(\zeta))$ is isomorphic to a subgroup of $Gal(L/K)$.}}$
Hence it is a cyclic group of order $p$ or $1$.
By Lemma 2, $L(\zeta)/K(\zeta)$ is a prime radically solvable extension.
On the other hand, by another previous lemma $K(\zeta)/K$ is a prime radically solvable extension.
Hence, by Lemma 1, $L(\zeta)/K$ is a prime radically solvable extension.
Hence $L/K$ is a prime radically solvable extension.
QED

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The land on which PGA Catalunya Resort lies was originally set aside for a Formula 1 racetrack, and then a purpose-built venue for the 1997 Ryder Cup.
As it happened, PGA Catalunya Resort's future was to take a different path: one that would ultimately create one of Europe's finest golfing estates and host venue of the Spanish Open golf tournament and Qualifying School Final Stage events.
With the help of European Tour golf legend Neil Coles MBE, the Stadium Course – originally called the Green Course – took shape. Designed with The Ryder Cup in mind, its spacious holes and banking meant there would be perfect viewing for more than 30,000 spectators.
The acquisition of PGA Catalunya Resort by Irish entrepreneur Denis O'Brien in 2008, the successful proprietor of the acclaimed Quinta do Lago, Portugal, injected a new lease of life and significant investment into this fine estate, culminating in a distinct, upmarket property development of considerable style and elegance. Originally designed for high-level competitions, the course underwent significant upgrades to lengthen the 7,333yds, par 72 course and toughen some of its iconic holes, including the lakeside 3rd green, expansive par-3 11th and the 18th fairway.
These changes come as part of a three-year partnership with The European Tour, which sees the Qualifying School Final Stage return to the 36-hole resort until at least 2014. PGA Catalunya Resort is the eighth European Tour Destination to join The European Tour's portfolio of world-class venues. This distinction provides the stamp of tournament quality, and guarantees a level of on- and off-course facilities to provide a memorable golfing experience for all members and visitors.


Hercules 300 is a 300 watt PS3 micro ATX power supply. This power supply is compatible with many Dell, HP, IBM, Compaq, Gateway PCs for power supply replacement and new system assembly, and it supports 20 pin or 24 pin ATX v2.2 motherboards.
This power supply can replace over 500 Compaq, Dell, and HP systems, complete compatibility list.


My full trial write up will be posted tomorrow (I know you are all just dying to read it), but I got home late last night and couldn't get it finished. So, since I write WTF Wednesday as things piss me off, this one is ready to go!
God bless Stormy Daniels for refusing to go away. The same people who are morally disgusted by Bill Clinton and could not therefore vote for his wife (you know, because his skeezy ways are totally all her fault) are somehow not at all disgusted by Donald cheating on his wife (who just had a baby) with another woman. Huh? THIS MAN IS NOT THE PROTECTOR OF YOUR CHRISTIAN VALUES, Y'ALL. I am also horrified by the evidence that Daniels has and is willing to share. I do not ever need to see Cheeto peen. HOW IS THIS OUR LIFE.
The rotten Trump apple sure doesn't fall far from the diseased Trump tree. RUN, VANESSA, RUN.
The Cambridge Analytica story is CRAZY. WTF, Facebook?
In case you missed it in my Instagram stories or do not truly understand how upset I still am about it, I ordered a sandwich this week that came with banana slices in it. BANANA SLICES. It was a fig and brie sandwich with "seasonal fruit" which I wrongly assumed would be on the side. Being the naturally suspicious lady that I am, I opened my sandwich to inspect it upon arrival. I found a fig jam, brie, lettuce, a tomato slice, and a few thin slices of pear. All okay, so I took a big ol' bite and my mouth was immediately overwhelmed with the taste of banana. I HATE BANANA EVERYTHING.
I opened the sandwich again and couldn't find the offending banana, so I thought maybe I was mistaking the pear for banana since I don't always enjoy pear because of the texture. I took another bite and was definitely assaulted with banana. I finally pulled the cheese off the bread and found that not only were the banana slices secretly sealed under the cheese, but they were also hot bananas since it was a grilled sandwich. I was deeply upset. Also, bananas are not seasonal. We have them all the time. OUTRAGE. Also, there are no acceptable bananas. I don't need an explanation of how you can tolerate bananas. This is a banana free zone.
The Hubble images are gorgeous and deeply disturbing to me. Space worries me (THINGS ARE OUT THERE I KNOW IT), and seeing where all of those things could be living is more than my brain can handle.
I found out yesterday that I don't get paid the $15 a day for my jury service because I am a state employee and am paid my salary while I'm out. While I deeply appreciate that I didn't have to take vacation or use unpaid leave, I am irked that I don't get my $15 because I am petty. I either bought my lunch or had to buy items to make my lunch because the normal lunches I have prepared and frozen lunches at work that can't be eaten without a microwave. I also had to spend an extra hour in the car each morning to get downtown which was about 53 minutes longer than it takes me to get to work. I can get mileage reimbursement, but only for one way. I realize this is all silly, but UGH it was eight days of service and sandwiches!


text:
2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet (2011) - Rear
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet (2011) - Front
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet (2011) and Coupe
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet (2011) - Top
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet (2011) - Side
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet (2011) - Interior
By Arthur Demi via Porsche Published: Jan 17, 2010 Modified: Jan 17, 2010
911 Turbo S Cabrio
The engineers at Porsche have developed a new top-of-the-range sports car for the customer who will only settle for the very best in terms of power, performance and driving dynamics: the 911 Turbo S. The heart of this most exclusive high-performance athlete is of course a six-cylinder boxer boosted by two exhaust gas turbochargers with variable turbine geometry, with an increase in power over the 911 Turbo by 30 to 530 bhp (390 kW). Maximum torque is a most impressive 700 Newton-metres (516 lb-ft). At the same time this new top model comes as standard with all high-tech components available only as options on the "regular" 911 Turbo.
Despite its significant increase in power and dynamic performance, the new 911 Turbo S, at 11.4 litres/100 kilometres (equal to 24.8 mpg imp), does not consume any more fuel than the Porsche 911 Turbo, making it by far the most efficient sports car in its performance class.
The 911 Turbo S comes exclusively with seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) (Porsche's Double-Clutch Gearbox) conveying drive power to Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive. Driving safety optimised to an even higher standard is ensured by Dynamic Engine Mounts and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) including a mechanical differential lock on the rear axle. In conjunction with Launch Control on the Sport Chrono Package Turbo likewise featured as standard, 911 Turbo S accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and reaches 200 km/h in 10.8 seconds.
Top speed is 315 km/h or 195 mph. Extra-light and fading-resistant Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) provide the same outstanding performance in terms of stopping power and controlled application of the brakes.
The supreme level of standard equipment including Dynamic Bending Lights, 19-inch wheels in RS Spyder design with central locking, a three-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles, adaptive sports seats, cruise control, a CD/DVD changer and exclusive twin-tone leather upholstery in Black/Crema or Black/Titanium Blue additionally underlines the outstanding class and calibre of this first Turbo S in five years.
The new Porsche 911 Turbo S will be at the dealership as both a Coupé and Cabriolet as of May 2010. The German market price of the Turbo S Coupé is Euro 173,241 including 19 per cent value-added tax and local equipment in the market (the Euro base price is Euro 145,400). The Cabriolet retails in the German market at Euro 184.546, again including 19 per cent VAT and local equipment/specifications (base price Euro 154,900).
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet
2021 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabrio
2017 TECHART GTstreet R Cabrio based on Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet (991/II)
2016 TECHART Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet
2014 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
Mercedes-AMG GT S vs. Porsche 911 Turbo


text:
Q: TEST wifi network using SSID/password without connecting to it I am a react native developer, with little experience in native android development. I have done a lot of research about this but with little to no answers.
I am developing for an IoT device, and I need to send it the network credentials to which it to connect. The user should select their wifi network from the app, enter its password and I should check the combination for correctness without actually attempting a connection... Is this possible via the Android API in any way?
Thanks in advance.