Homicide rates linked to trust in government, sense of belonging, study suggests 

In his analysis, Roth found four factors that relate to the homicide rate in parts of the United States and western Europe throughout the past four centuries: the belief that one’s government is stable and its justice and legal systems are unbiased and effective; a feeling of trust in government officials and a belief in their legitimacy; a sense of patriotism and solidarity with fellow citizens; and a belief that one’s position is society is satisfactory and that one can command respect without resorting to violence.

When those feelings and beliefs are strong, homicide rates are generally low, regardless of the time or place, Roth said. But when people are unsure about their government leaders, don’t feel connected to the rest of society, and feel they don’t have opportunity to command respect in the community, homicide rates go up.

This theory helps explain why the United States generally has had one of the highest murder rates since the mid-nineteenth century of any advanced Western democracy, Roth said.

"As Americans, so many of us hate or distrust our government. You can see it today in the anti-government rallies in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. It’s been part of our culture since the very beginning, but especially since the Civil War, and it is one reason why we have such a high homicide rate," he said.

Homicide rates linked to trust in government, sense of belonging, study suggests

Cal Thomas 

This is about liberal Democrats realizing their decades-old dream of complete control of our lives. Every move you make, every breath you take, they’ll be watching you. Except, of course, when it comes to terrorists who want to destroy America faster than the liberals do.

Cal Thomas

Apparently, Cal has forgotten that it was the conservative Republicans that compelled sheep-like citizens to take off their shoes for the good of the Fatherland, er, Homeland. That an incensed flock of conservative chicken hawks waged war all over the globe. That conservative Republicans rammed the horribly named PATRIOT act down our throats while pushing those who objected into “Free Speech Zones,” cages located off the beaten path. That self-professed freedom-loving conservatives created CIA prisons and tortured anyone — anyone! — they chose to without taking any “personal responsibility” for their own crimes.

Cal has every right to be an idiot and to make his idiocy well-known. Sadly, each column he writes now is a loaded rifle tossed into the hands of an even bigger idiot who sees himself as saving the nation from blacks, browns, women, gays, hippies, the young, Democrats, whatever. To these dangerous fools, the nation is only what they accept and nothing more and they will kill to have their way. Thomas, Krauthammer, Beck – is Lush Limbaugh still around? — Palin, ad nauseum, are the rabble rousers. Blood will be on their hands.

Religion inspired the best in us all? Yeah, right.

 Think Progress » New Right-Wing Craze Prays That Obama’s ‘Days Be Few’

Commentators have noted that it’s unclear whether the intent is to hope for an end to Obama’s time in office — or an end to his life. But a look at the lines in the rest of the psalm hint at the latter:

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Think Progress » New Right-Wing Craze Prays That Obama’s ‘Days Be Few’

Let me know when someone on the Right denounces this one. I won’t hold my breath.

Update 11/21/09: Still waiting for Conservative condemnation of this one, but Cafe Press has done the right thing.

Think Progress » Cafe Press Bans All ‘Pray For Obama: Psalm 109:8? Merchandise 

Yesterday, Cafe Press announced that it was again reversing itself and removing all the merchandise in response to strong public pressure:

The public debate started with questioning if the design was simply intended to be criticism of the President or something much worse. The discourse was surprisingly civil online, given the heated nature of the topic. Given that, and the positions of groups like the ACLU and the Anti-Defamation League, we decided to let the dialogue play out publicly before making a final decision.

Last night we posted a poll on our blog, read through the emails we’ve received and weighed the nature of the calls we’ve received on the topic. In the process we also learned that many of the original designers of the Psalm 109:8 designs had already decided to remove them on their own.

General consensus has proven that the design does point to a broader interpretation of the Psalm and thus has been deemed inappropriate for sale at CafePress.

The results of the Cafe Press poll were 76 percent calling the slogan “overly inflammatory and inappropriate” and 22 percent saying it was fair.

Think Progress » Cafe Press Bans All ‘Pray For Obama: Psalm 109:8? Merchandise

LOL?

Think Progress » Utah lawmaker claims he doesn’t ‘mind’ gays, but ‘I don’t want ‘em stuffing it down my throat all the time.’

BUTTARS: I meet with the gays here and there. They were in my house two weeks ago. I don’t mind gays. But I don’t want ‘em stuffing it down my throat all the time. Certainly not in my kid’s face.

Think Progress » Utah lawmaker claims he doesn’t ‘mind’ gays, but ‘I don’t want ‘em stuffing it down my throat all the time.’

From week to week, you never know which conservative is going to say the most outlandish or stupid thing – even as their numbers dwindle, the competition seems to expand. But, we have quite a WTF?! with Virginia Foxx.

Think Progress » Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats

During a debate on the House floor today over designating 21 miles of the Molalla River as “wild and scenic,” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who opposes the legislation, tried to claim a progressive environmental record for her party. “Actually, the GOP has been the leader in starting good environmental programs in this country,” said Foxx.

Foxx then extended her claims of the GOP’s progressive history to the issue of civil rights. “Just as we were the people who passed the civil rights bills back in the ’60s without very much help from our colleagues across the aisle,” said Fox. “They love to engage in revisionist history.”

Think Progress » Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats

It is especially important to remember that the major opposition to civil rights came from southern Democrats  – the same people who now constitute the hard core of the Republican Party.

 Think Progress » Republicans Are Shocked The Public Is Mad At Them For Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment

Politico reports that Republicans are now scratching their heads at why the public is so incensed about their “no” votes:

Privately, GOP sources acknowledge that they failed to anticipate the political consequences of a “no” vote on the amendment. And several aides said that Republicans are engaged in an internal blame game about why they agreed to a roll-call vote on the measure, rather than a simple voice vote that would have allowed the opposing senators to duck criticism.

As BarbinMD writes, “Seriously? They voted against an amendment that was prompted by the brutal gang-rape of a young woman by her co-workers while she was working for a company under contract for the United States government, after which she was locked in a shipping container without food or water, threatened if she left to seek medical treatment, and was then prevented from bringing criminal charges against her assailants. And they failed to anticipate the political consequences?”

Thune is also claiming that Franken doesn’t really care about Jones and other rape victims whose employers have blocked them from seeking justice; he and other Democrats just wanted to “create a vote which they could use to attack Republicans.”

So basically, the only lesson they learned is that next time, they have to hide their votes when they decide to screw over women’s rights. That way, they can support their allies in the contracting business and the public will never find out.

Think Progress » Republicans Are Shocked The Public Is Mad At Them For Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment

The purge continues. Only true believers are welcome.

Think Progress » Under Pressure From Tea Party Activists, Charleston GOP Censures Lindsey Graham For Bipartisanship 

On Monday, the Charleston County Republican Party’s executive committee “took the unusual step” of officially censuring Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The local GOP committee admonished Graham for stepping across party lines to work with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) on a bipartisan clean energy bill and other pieces of legislation. The censure stated that Graham’s “bipartisanship continues to weaken the Republican brand and tarnish the ideals of freedom.”

Think Progress » Under Pressure From Tea Party Activists, Charleston GOP Censures Lindsey Graham For Bipartisanship