More Prohibitionist Lies exposed: ‘Crack baby’ study ends with unexpected but clear result. By Susan FitzGerald, For The Inquirer.
“Ever since her birth 23 years ago, a team of researchers has been tracking every aspect of her development – gauging her progress as an infant, measuring her IQ as a preschooler, even peering into her adolescent brain using an MRI machine.
Now, after nearly a quarter century, the federally funded study was ending, and the question the researchers had been asking was answered.
Did cocaine harm the long-term development of children like Jaimee, who were exposed to the drug in their mother’s womb?
The researchers had expected the answer would be a resounding yes. But it wasn’t. Another factor would prove far more critical.”
….
“My worst fear was that Jaimee would be slow, mentally retarded, or something like that because of me doing drugs,” she said. She agreed to enroll her baby in the cocaine study at Einstein. Drakewood promised herself that she would turn her life around for the sake of Jaimee and her older daughter, but she soon went back to smoking crack.
Hurt arrived early at Children’s Hospital one morning in June to give a talk on her team’s findings to coworkers. After nearly 25 years of studying the effects of cocaine and publishing or presenting dozens of findings, it wasn’t easy to summarize it in a PowerPoint presentation. The study received nearly $7.9 million in federal funding over the years, as well as $130,000 from the Einstein Society.
Hurt, who had taken her team from Einstein to Children’s in 2003, began her lecture with quotations from the media around the time the study began. A social worker on TV predicted that a crack baby would grow up to “have an IQ of perhaps 50.” A print article quoted a psychologist as saying “crack was interfering with the central core of what it is to be human,” and yet another article predicted that crack babies were “doomed to a life of uncertain suffering, of probable deviance, of permanent inferiority.”
Hurt, who is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, is always quick to point out that cocaine can have devastating effects on pregnancy. The drug can cause a problematic rise in a pregnant woman’s blood pressure, trigger premature labor, and may be linked to a dangerous condition in which the placenta tears away from the uterine wall. Babies born prematurely, no matter the cause, are at risk for a host of medical and developmental problems. On top of that, a parent’s drug use can create a chaotic home life for a child.
Hurt’s study enrolled only full-term babies so the possible effects of prematurity did not skew the results. The babies were then evaluated periodically, beginning at six months and then every six or 12 months on through young adulthood. Their mothers agreed to be tested for drug use throughout the study.
The researchers consistently found no significant differences between the cocaine-exposed children and the controls. At age 4, for instance, the average IQ of the cocaine-exposed children was 79.0 and the average IQ for the nonexposed children was 81.9. Both numbers are well below the average of 90 to 109 for U.S. children in the same age group. When it came to school readiness at age 6, about 25 percent of children in each group scored in the abnormal range on tests for math and letter and word recognition.
“We went looking for the effects of cocaine,” Hurt said. But after a time “we began to ask, ‘Was there something else going on?’ ”
While the cocaine-exposed children and a group of nonexposed controls performed about the same on tests, both groups lagged on developmental and intellectual measures compared to the norm. Hurt and her team began to think the “something else” was poverty.
As the children grew, the researchers did many evaluations to tease out environmental factors that could be affecting their development. On the upside, they found that children being raised in a nurturing home – measured by such factors as caregiver warmth and affection and language stimulation – were doing better than kids in a less nurturing home. On the downside, they found that 81 percent of the children had seen someone arrested; 74 percent had heard gunshots; 35 percent had seen someone get shot; and 19 percent had seen a dead body outside – and the kids were only 7 years old at the time. Those children who reported a high exposure to violence were likelier to show signs of depression and anxiety and to have lower self-esteem.
More recently, the team did MRI scans on the participants’ brains. Some research has suggested that gestational cocaine exposure can affect brain development, especially the dopamine system, which in turn can harm cognitive function. An area of concern is “executive functioning,” a set of skills involved in planning, problem-solving, and working memory.
The investigators found one brain area linked to attention skills that differed between exposed and nonexposed children, but they could not find any clinically significant effect on behavioral tests of attention skills.
Drug use did not differ between the exposed and nonexposed participants as young adults. About 42 percent used marijuana and three tested positive for cocaine one time each.
The team has kept tabs on 110 of the 224 children originally in the study. Of the 110, two are dead – one shot in a bar and another in a drive-by shooting – three are in prison, six graduated from college, and six more are on track to graduate. There have been 60 children born to the 110 participants.
The years of tracking kids have led Hurt to a conclusion she didn’t see coming.
“Poverty is a more powerful influence on the outcome of inner-city children than gestational exposure to cocaine,” Hurt said at her May lecture…. ”
Read full article >>>Here<<<
The War on Drugs is not only Unjust, Bigoted, and Oppressive in the extreme… It is an evil founded upon a mountain of falsehoods, Lies, and foolishness.
Cannabis is proving itself to be one of the most beneficial plants to humanity.
Science is now exposing the myths about Magic Mushrooms and Ecstasy… Now they are being investigated for their beneficial qualities for the brain, and helping with PTSD, etc… and yet the disastrous War on drugs continues.
Tim Wikiriwhi
Read more>>>> Forbes: Everything You’ve Heard About Crack And Meth Is Wrong
and >>> New Prohibitions. How our Police and Government work for Criminal Gangs.
and >>> Drug users fill New Zealand jails
And >>> What you should know about Drug Prohibition.
And >>> The Child Casualties of the Jihad on Drugs.
And >>> Prohibition is a Bad trip!
And >>> A Transitional Drug Policy
P-lab risk vastly exaggerated: Mike Butler … Breaking News.
Utilitarianism vs Libertarianism. Socialist pragmatism vs Libertarian Idealism
Down the foggy ruins of time
I N H A L E
Rulers bear the sword for a reason
Romans 13:4
For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Governments that serve God well should be agents of wrath that bring punishment on wrongdoers.
Christians should be supporting/advocating government punishment of wrongdoers. As I write this I think this doctrine is too obvious to mention and uncontentious… but I have seen that some Christians think justice has been replaced with “not judging”, forgiveness and mercy. And many people think the purpose of a justice system should be to rehabilitate and/or protect citizens.
Mercy and forgiveness have their place but these are, I believe, an individual’s prerogative – in the same way that generosity is an individuals prerogative. It is not virtuous when the state gives away people’s money against their wishes and neither is it virtuous when the state gives lenient punishments against a victim’s wishes. (Mercy, forgiveness and generosity by proxy are counterfeit virtues.)
Significant disagreements amongst Christians occur when we consider which wrongdoings should be punished. Wrongdoings can be classified as against God (e.g. worshipping other gods, disobedience), against self (e.g. drunkenness, greed, laziness, pride) or against others (e.g. murder, theft, assault).
Wrongdoings against God or self are nobody else’s business – those wrongdoings are between that person and God – as Paul said “Who am I to judge another man’s servant?”
The reason rulers bear the sword is to punish wrongdoers – specifically those who do wrongs against others.
(I thought I was finished… but I guess I’d better add that all punishments should be just i.e. they must not be disproportionate to the wrongdoing… eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, yadda yadda.)
No faith in Mother Earth
http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/climate-report-jamie-whyte-do-nothing-video-5879217
What does the bible say about climate change?
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matt 6:25-34
“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” -Genesis 8:22
After the fall of man, the days on earth became numbered. Not because of man made CO2 emmisions or over population of the human race, but because of the sinful nature of men. You can ride a push bike, plant trees, build wind mills and solar panels all you like if you want to save humanity. If you want real salvation, Jesus is your only hope! Amen.
How exactly do the government deal with climate change? We have an ETS which is taxing on businesses and consumers. The cost of an ETS essentially means, less business and subsequently less employment. Also means higher electricity and fuel prices which contributes to the high cost of living. Do the people of NZ really want this? As Jamie Whytt said; the people of NZ arn’t worried, we should just do nothing.
Anti-Gun, Anti-Hunting, Nature Worshipping Meat Heads.
Facebook Users are Outraged that Stephen Spielberg Killed a Triceratops
Read about it >>>Here<<<
And These Freaks actually get to vote!
Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it
It’s Henry David Thoreau‘s birthday today. 🙂
Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.
I heartily accept the motto,—“That government is best which governs least;” and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which I also believe,—“That government is best which governs not at all;” and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient.
All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions; and betting naturally accompanies it. The character of the voters is not staked. I cast my vote, perchance, as I think right; but I am not vitally concerned that that right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority. Its obligation, therefore, never exceeds that of expediency. Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority. There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men.
If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.
Of 10 highest IQ’s on earth, at least 8 are Theists, at least 6 are Christians: Examiner.com.
Andrew Magdy Kamal – apparently the highest IQ ever recorded, at 231.734. This was accomplished last year (2013) just before he turned 17. This includes an adjustment made for his age (which is done routinely for minors), so only time will tell if he maintains his position, but he is listed in Record Holder’s Republic for Highest IQ and Highest IQ average, and it looks pretty good. He is a he is a staunch conservative and a member of the Republican Tea Party. He is also the founder of the Coptic Orthodox Messianicans Group. Andrew Magdy Kamal hopes to use his talents and intelligence to spread the news of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) his hero, and he lives in Michigan.
Abdessellam Jelloul – apparently the highest IQ ever scored by an adult in the “advanced IQ test” was by Jelloul, who scored an adult IQ of 198. This was in a 2012 test which included 13 dimensions of intelligence (analytical, spatial, logical, memory, musical, linguistic, philosophical, moral, spiritual, interpersonal, intra-personal, bodily and naturalist). Unlike other tests, the advanced IQ test includes more measures that other tests cannot assess. I tweeted Mr. Jelloul a question about his beliefs in September of last year, and he graciously replied to me that he does “believe in God, a Supreme Architect of the universe” (see a screenshot of this tweet in the slideshow).
Christopher Michael Langan – has a verified IQ of at least 195. Langan achieved a perfect score on the SAT, but dropped out of Montana State University after concluding his professors weren’t qualified to teach him anything. ABC’s 20/20 measured his IQ (as an adult) to be between 195 and 210. Langan has indicated in his writings numerous that he believes in God, for example, in William Dembski’s book “Uncommon Dissent”, he wrote: “…since Biblical accounts of the genesis of our world and species are true but metaphorical, our task is to correctly decipher the metaphor in light of scientific evidence also given to us by God”.
Terence Tao – his IQ was estimated to be between 220 and 230 by the Davidson Institute when he was about ten years old. At eight years old, Tao achieved a score of 760 on the pre-1995 SAT, received a Ph.D from Princeton at 20 and at 24 became the youngest ever full professor at UCLA. I couldn’t find anything about Tao’s metaphysical views. He’s obviously a tremendous mathematician, but doesn’t seem to post much outside of mathematics.
Christopher Hirata – has a verified IQ of 225, calculated when he was in his teens. Hirata skipped middle school, and at 16 was working with NASA on a project exploring the possibility of colonizing Mars. The Daily Princetonian, Princeton’s student paper, where Hirata began attending for his PhD in Astrophysics at 18, reported that his IQ is around 225. Hirata posted the following to his Facebook on October 31, 2013: “Today’s experience: saying the Lord’s prayer with a homeless couple on Colorado Boulevard. It may not feed or shelter them, but I hope that it made a difference in their lives.” So he is clearly both a Theist and a Christian.
Evangelos Katsioulis – has apparently scored a 198 as an adult. Katsioulis is a Greek Doctor/Psychiatrist/Philosopher who has publicly referred to his belief in human souls several times. For example, he did a lecture in 2008 called “BODY AND SOUL”, and made clear that he wasn’t speaking metaphorically in it with lines like: “The soul is not the body. It is not the flesh. It is the spirit.” He is apparently a follower of a strand of Christianity influenced by Teilhard de Chardin.
Rick Rosner – has apparently scored a 192 as an adult, after years of honing his IQ test-taking skills. Has been a writer for the Jimmy Kimmel Show, and appeared on “So You Want to be A Millionaire”. Rosner denied that he was an atheist on Twitter, after an inquiry. He also retweeted this Einstein quote: “God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically” and in answer to the question “You know there’s a God?” he answered “Maybe. Suspect there’s an infinity of gods”.
Mislav Predavec – has apparently scored a 192 as an adult. [Update – I initially had the wrong quote linked here]. His Christianity can easily be confirmed by a beautiful response he wrote to a friend who had become a Christian in one of the groups he belongs to and which was posted online:
“David, I am so glad hearing good news about your convalescence, and more about your enlightenment, you are aware now that your suffer and pain, your giftedness and sense are a part of plan. Truly, all this can´t exist without being leading it intentionally. Atheistic explanation that everything is accidental progress is full of holes. Stay well my friend.
Mislav”
Gary Kasparov – is alleged to have an IQ of 190. He was perhaps the most universally attested-to as a top-shelf intellect, so it was unthinkable to leave him off of this list. In 2003 Kasparov played to a draw against a chess computer that could calculate three million positions per second. He is considered by many to be the greatest chess player of all time. Kasparov has described himself as a “self-appointed Christian”
Kenneth Ferrell – has apparently scored a 190 as an adult. If I have located the right Kenneth Ferrell online, it’s abundantly clear from his own words that he’s a Christian. Since I’m not sure, I didn’t include him in my count of believers.
So you can see that the brightest of the bright have not foreclosed on the possibility of the existence of an Intelligent Designer. Juxtaposed with the fact that most Scientists are not atheists, I’d say that the Appeal to Authority on which atheist debators have long relied has dissolved.
Steve J. Williams is the author of What Your Atheist Professor Doesn’t Know (But Should)
Read full article >>>Here<<< Read more.... Atheism. The Philosophy of Small Minds.
Pasteur’s Law, Creation Science vs Nose Bone Atheism.
Faith, Science, and Reason. The Pomposity of Atheism.
David Berlinski—Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions
The Walls are closing in on Atheism… not Theism.
Rapturous Amazement! The Advance of Science Converts The High Priest of Atheism to Deism. A Flew.
Kings and Convicts (Part 3) Korotangi Paki’s Thug life, and road to redemption.
Because my 2nd post on this subject was so long.
I decided to chop it in half and make a 3rd post.
When I speak of ‘Redemption’, I am referring to becoming a civilised and respectful member of society with something good to contribute, rather than Spiritual salvation from the Ultimate Judgement of God.
It is very true to say that Criminal reform often follows in the wake of true Chistian conversion and faith…. Christianity being describe as ‘that most potent of moral antiseptics’ by the father of sociology, Herbert Spencer, and it is also true to say that Christianity was the major civilising influence for Cannibalistic and Savage Maori culture when the English Protestant ‘Mechanic Missionaries’ first landed in Aotearoa before this country became a British Colony… at the request of the Confederation of Maori Chiefs, whom feared conquest by the French.
The influence of the Christian missionaries is evident in their petition to King William.
1831 Māori petition the British government
The civilising influences of Christianity aside, what follows is not about *how and why* a criminal might seek to reform, but that reform is possible, and that criminals can become valuable members of civil society.
Part One >>>Here<<< Part Two >>>Here<<< Part three is below. ****************************************************
^^^^
It has been a very bad week in the press for the Taunui Monarchy, with growing reports of more misbehaviour from the second son, including Racist ranting, and connections with the Mongrel mob, and we have herd that he was involved in a serious car crash a few years back… and yet was not convicted for that either.
I don’t think it is fair to assume the Kings son’s offending is a consequence of poor parenting, or positive proof the Monarch never bothered to try and instil healthy values in his son… it may indeed be the case.
It is certainly true in many Maori households.
Maybe the King is indeed a Bad Parent, yet it is just as likely that his sons bad behaviour has more to do with his misfit peers with whom he hangs out, than his upbringing.
Sadly many youths of our day… and a very high percentage of Maori youth embrace a delinquent lifestyle as it is a part of a Hollywood Glamorised Rebellious youth culture, and deeper still it has a lot to do with the Nihilism of our ‘age of Atheism’… on top of learning unhealthy values at home, and having Bad Role models.
The Thug life.
Korotangi Paki’s offending, and shameful behaviour no doubt springs from a combination of these things … The actions of a lost young soul who thinks that Lawlessness is cool, and struggles to find anything worth while in life.
I can relate to that. .. yet despite any of these circumstances …. and many others, Youths need to appreciate the fact that as they have become self responsible adults , that excuses for sloth, or bad behaviour simply don’t cut it…. and they must assume full responsibility for their lives and actions.
They must learn healthy values and to respect the rights and property of others.
I cant help but wonder if he had been convicted for his earlier offence , that that ‘reality pill’ could have helped him to appreciate that his High jinx juvenile delinquency comes at a cost.
Is it possible to believe that had he been convicted earlier, that he would not now be dodging punishments for more crimes?
Some kids learn quickly…. Others take decades.
I cant help but think that if I was King Tuheitia, that rather than try and save Korotangi Paki from facing the full legal consequences of his actions, the best thing that could happen to this young rebel is that he receives a conviction for these charges of Burglary and Drinking and driving, and that he is made to pay a fine, and do Periodic detention … to teach him that he is not above the law and that should he continue down this path of criminality, that he will suffer the consequences.
As for grooming the boy for the throne, i cant think of someone being less fit to rule over the tribe, than a person whom via experience has been taught that they are above the law and that the system can be manipulated!
What ought to matter to the King is not that his boy remains free from criminal conviction, but that he *Reforms his ways* Learns the lesson that Crime is not cool, or excusable, and that he grows in Character and virtue.
And being convicted for his crimes is in reality most likely to be a valuable lesson.
Some of us only learn the hard way.
If I was the king I would be very worried about the path my boy was taking, yet I would never say that my boy could *Never succeed me* if he ever received a criminal conviction…. on the contrary I would make it clear that he still has reason to hope if he ‘mans up’ and straightens up his life, and proves himself to have learned from his mistakes, and become a Man of virtue.
Indeed such a reformed person can become a very good leader of men, and a good example.
They can be better communicators to troubled youths, because they can empathise with them… and understand how their mind ticks.
They can use their personal insights … and speak from personal experience.
The reality is Maori don’t need more Pompous frauds whom are experts at ‘playing Maori’.
They do need leaders whom can guide them towards better values and ethics which are essential for Maori to learn if they are to climb out of the Dire social statistics which has resulted …. not from European colonisation, but from of an ethical crisis.
Korotangi Paki’s crimes and shameful behaviour stems from a lack of personal ethics and self responsibility…. not because he is a member of a persecuted racial minority.
The good news is that because this is so, It means the solution to his problems are not beyond his control, but are completely within his power to overcome.
It is simply a matter of him admitting to himself that he has taken a wrong path, and finding the will … the desire to become a better man.
He needs to walk away from any associates who are hell bent on Chaos and destruction, and to find new friends whom are also trying to make the most of life via virtue .
It is not an easy thing to achieve, but it is do-able.
The alternative is to travel further down the path that leads to destruction.
If the king does not give his son any hope that he can work his way out of this mess, and back into favour, that could be a burden too much to bear, and could be the factor which drives his son to destruction.
A Father’s Blessing or curse weighs a great deal upon a son, and when the boy is down… they need their fathers support to help get themselves out of the hole.
Yet the loving parent must never ‘Baby’ them… that’s not helping… that’s perpetuating the problem.
Thus I dare to challenge the common notion that convicted criminals cant make good leaders or examples.
I say that Reformed Criminals can be Great leaders and become inspirational examples to be emulated by others.
It is in reality up to Korotangi Paki what sort of Man he will eventually become… which course he chooses to navigate….
Life is not Static, nor are we slaves of circumstances, or of our genes.
As Freewill moral agents we are at all times making moral judgements, and expressing our Values.
We can learn from our mistakes and become better people, as long as we take ownership and responsibility for our actions.
I know these things from personal experience.
The return of the wayward (Prodigal) Son from the wilderness of the ungodly world.
>>>>>*If*<<<<< Korotangi Paki snaps out of his current folly, and begins to prove himself to be a Better, more mature person... I dont see any reason why after 7 years of truly self responsible behaviour that he should not be given a clean slate, considered to be a potential leader of the Tainui people... To er is Human, to forgive is divine. Tim Wikiriwhi.