Raise to 25 Minimum Age for Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco Use in U.S.: Lower Legal BAC Max to 0.05%

The harmful effects of alcohol abuse and tobacco use are well known. A large percentage of those abusing them are young persons under age 25.

Most abusers of these products began using them before the age of 21 and certainly well before the age of 25. .

Human Brains Are Not Fully Developed Until Age 24 or 25
One reason for the poor judgment that leads to alcohol abuse among young persons is that persons’ brains are not fully developed until their mid20s. According to the Alcohol Pharmacology Education Partnership [1], “there is clear evidence that the brain does not mature fully until about age 24.”

“The rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed and won’t be until age 25 or so” according to the University of Rochester Medical Center [2].

Raising the minimum age for consuming alcoholic beverages to age 25 and raising the minimum age for tobacco use to age 25 would benefit young people enormously. This includes raising the age for using e-cigarettes to 25. Using e-cigarettes, also called vaping, is also very harmful, as noted numerous sources, including the CDC in “Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults [3].”

Alcohol abuse is high among college students, who are primarily under age 25. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [4] cites a national study as finding “almost 53 percent of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the past month and about 33 percent engaged in binge drinking during that same time frame.” .

Death, assaults, sexual assaults, and academic problems are some of the problems alcohol abuse among college students leads to according to collegedrinkingprevention.gov [5], citing studies linked to in its article.

Passing and enforcing a minimum age limit of 25 would stop a lot of college student alcohol abuse. If effectively enforced, it could also eliminate alcohol abuse by high school students as well as by high-school dropouts in their teens and early twenties.

Raising the minimum age for consuming tobacco and alcoholic beverages could do enormous good. But additional benefits can come from reducing the maximum legal blood alcohol concentration to 0.05% from the current 0.08% limit in the United States. .

Lower the Maximum Legal BAC to 0.05%
Negative effects of alcoholic beverages occur well below 0.08%, including negative impacts on driving, as reported by Michigan Medicine [6] and ePermitTest [7], as well as numerous other sources.

Many countries already have a BAC maximum limit of 0.05% or less including Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, as noted by various sources, including RUPissed.com [8] and drinkdriving.org [9].

Litter Is a Side Issue
In addition to the health risks from alcohol and tobacco use itself, one of the side problems is the litter generated by them. Studies indicate that cigarette butts are one of the most common items among litter. [10] The picture below shows cigarette butts beside a sidewalk along Virginia Avenue here in Lexington, Kentucky on September 28th, 2021.

Furthermore, empty cigarette packages and alcoholic beverage containers are high on the list of litter too. I know I often see smoldering cigarette butts on the sidewalk or ground, as well as empty cigarette packages and alcoholic beverage containers--often broken beer bottles. Smoldering cigarette butts sometimes start fires. Broken glass bottles can cut persons or tires on vehicles.

Raising the age to begin consuming such products and effectively enforcing the age limit could reduce this litter, and thus reduce the accompanying risks of fires and cuts caused by the poor judgment of individuals.

Closing Thoughts
Raising the minimum age for consuming alcoholic beverages and using tobacco to 25 might prevent persons from ever starting to consume alcoholic beverages or use tobacco products. By age 25 the more-fully-developed brains and better judgment of young persons might lead them to conclude that the risks of using such products are not worth it. I certainly hope so.

ENDNOTES:

[1] “Content: Brain Maturation is Complete at About 24 Years of Age”; The Alcohol Pharmacology Education Partnership; https://sites.duke.edu/apep/module-3-alcohol-cell-suicide-and-the-adolescent-brain/content-brain-maturation-is-complete-at-about-24-years-of-age/

[2] “Understanding the Teen Brain”; University of Rochester Medical Center; https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=3051

[3] “Quick Facts on the Risks of E-Cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults”; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; webpage last reviewed August 25th, 2021; https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html

[4] “College Drinking”; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; The quote I took from the article is referenced by an endnote in that article to the SAMSHA article cited below from their footnote. [SAMHSA, Center for Behavioral Statistics and Quality. 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Table 6.21B—Types of Illicit Drug, Tobacco Product, and Alcohol Use in Past Month among Persons Aged 18 to 22, by College Enrollment Status and Gender: Percentages, 2018 and 2019. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29394/NSDUHDetailedTabs2019/NSDUHDetTabsSect6pe2019.htm#tab6-21b. Accessed January 11, 2021.] That date accessed is the date the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism accessed the SAMSHA article. It was September 2021 when I accessed it via the link from the website below. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/college-drinking

[5] “College Drinking—Facts for Parents”; CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov; https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/parentsandstudents/parents/FactSheets/ParentFactSheet.aspx

[6] Uren, Brad, M.D.; “How Alcohol Impairs Your Ability to Drive”; Michigan Health; July 29, 2016; https://healthblog.uofmhealh.org/wellness-prevention/how-alcohol-impairs-your-ability-to-drive

[7] “The Effects of Alcohol on Your Driving Skills: Minimizing Driving Risks”; ePermitTest; updated November 21, 2020; https://www.epermittest.com/drivers-education/effects-alcohol-your-driving-skills

[8] Blood Alcohol Content Driving Limits By Country”; RUPissed; https://www.rupissed.com/blood_alcohol_limits.html

[9] “International BAC (blood alcohol concentration) Limits”; DrinkDriving.org; https://www.drinkdriving.org/worldwide_drink_driving_limits.php

[10] “Tobacco and the Environment”; truthinitiative.org; https://truthinitiative.org/sites/default/files/media/files/2021/03/Truth_Environment%20FactSheet%20Update%202021_final_030821.pdf

NOTE: This article was last revised on September 29th, 2021.

Solar Energy, Including Solar Cars, May Be the Way of the Future

I envision solar energy as the way of the future. I even expect the majority of cars to be solar-powered.

I admit that I may be dreaming. But there seems to be increasing support for solar power, which is becoming more practical.

What About Fossil Fuels?
Use of fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas, and gasoline is likely to decline dramatically in coming years. Indeed, their use is already declining. One reason: the pollution incurred by their production, transportation, and consumption. Another reason: their limited supply.

What About Alternatives to Fossil Fuels Other Than Solar Energy?
Solar energy is not the only alternative fuel source that can replace fossil fuels. Nuclear energy, wind power, and hydroelectric power are also in use and being considered for expanded use.

But nuclear energy is arguably much more dangerous than other fuel sources, including fossil fuels. Past accidents like the 1979 partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, the 1986 disaster at Chernobyl in Ukraine , and the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan that followed an earthquake are examples. The need to store radioactive nuclear waste may be an even larger problem--a huge one. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission states “the only way radioactive waste finally becomes harmless is through decay, which for high-level wastes can take hundreds of thousands of years.”

Wind power requires turbines that take up a lot of space and kill enormous numbers of birds. Furthermore, they only work when the wind is blowing. Some areas seldom receive significant winds.

Hydroelectric power is useful in certain areas. For example, Norway generates most of its electricity this way. But relatively few places seem to have water resources suitable for safely producing hydroelectric power in large quantities. Altering water flow for electricity generation affects the environment, droughts impact water availability, and some areas lack much water to start with.

How About Solar Energy?
The sun offers an enormous potential amount of energy that can be used for solar-power. The cost of solar panels has dropped enormously in recent years. Economies of scale can lead to further huge decreases in upcoming years. And solar power is already price-competitive with other energy sources in some areas.

A weakness of solar energy is that it doesn’t work at night when the sun isn’t shining. During times like the twilight before dawn in the photo taken the morning of September 7th, 2021 of part of the Lexington, Kentucky skyline below, solar power would not be generated. And the electric lines in the photo, like others in Lexington, are powered entirely or almost entirely by fossil fuels, which remain the #1 source of energy generation here in Kentucky.

N95 Masks: Some Benefits, Risks/Weaknesses, Etc.

Persons in the general public are wearing N95 masks much more in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of increased production and supply, the masks can now be purchased easily by the general public. Early in the pandemic persons were urged to not purchase them to save the limited supply for medical professionals.

Benefits
The current touted main benefit of course is protection against many particles of COVID-19. But N95 masks also help protect against transmission of the flu and many other diseases, as well as dust. N95 masks offer more protection than cloth masks. According to an OSHA webpage (1) , “When worn properly (with the mask making a tight seal with the user’s face), surgical N95 masks can filter at least 95% of very small (0.3 micron) test particles.”

Risks/Weaknesses
But there are risks and weaknesses. A study found (2) that wearing facemasks for long periods often produced “headaches, rash, acne, skin breakdown, and impaired cognition.”

For one thing, wearing the masks does make breathing more difficult. Furthermore, wearing them offers significant health risks for certain at-risk groups. For example, a study linked to on the National Institutes of Health website (3) discusses the risks to persons with COPD of wearing N95 masks.

An article in The Atlantic (4) questions whether the benefits of masking children outweigh the risks.

Furthermore, the N95 masks by definition only remove at least 95% of particles of a particular size. And the letter N in N95 indicates the masks do not protect against such things as oil. P95 masks protect against oil. No mask is 100% effective.

Wearing N95 Masks
N95 masks come in different sizes. For one to work properly, it has to be the right size for an individual’s face and needs to be put on properly. Furthermore, it’s nice to have clean hands when attaching the mask.

The OSHA website includes videos (5) about fit testing for N95 respirators. Since N95 masks made by different companies often differ in design, company websites often provide specific guidance too. For example, a Prestige Ameritech webpage (6) provides links to information about sizing and applying its ProGear® N95 respirator masks. That happens to be the type I purchased, and below is a photo of a box containing some of those masks, as well as a photo of an individual mask. But there are numerous other companies making the masks, and I am not affiliated with Prestige Ameritech in any way.

N99 and N100 Masks
In addition to N95 masks, there are N99 and N100 mask which protect respectively against 99% and 99.97% of the particles that the N95 is 95% effective against. But these masks are more expensive than N95 masks, likely harder to breathe through, and wearers likely experience side effects of wearing them that are more severe than those from wearing an N95 mask.

Cleaning and Reusing N95 Masks
While N95 masks are considered to be disposable, single-use devices, there are procedures for cleaning and reusing them. as noted in a study linked to on the National Institutes of Health website (7) .

Closing Thoughts
I’m not a medical professional and can give no medical advice. But I feel each individual needs to carefully consider the benefits and risks of wearing an N95 mask versus wearing just a cloth one or not wearing a mask.

Personally, I typically wear an N95 mask now while riding on my city’s bus system and while visiting the grocery or public library. However, at my workplace which seems to be well ventilated and where I seek to maintain social distancing, I normally still wear a cloth mask with three layers. Wearing an N95 mask for four hours or longer at work seems like a lot. I do feel the pressure on the bridge of my nose and my face from the tighter fit and a bit more difficulty breathing while wearing it. But I do feel that for me its benefits outweigh its risks when social distancing isn’t easy.

ENDNOTES:
(1) “OSHA Requirements for Occupational Use of N95 Masks in Healthcare”; April 18th, 2020; https://oshareview.com/2020/04/osha-requirements-for-occupational-use-of-n95-respirators-in-healthcare/; webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021

(2) Rosner, Elisheva; “Adverse Effects of Prolonged mask Use among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19”; Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology; Volume 6, Issue 3; https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/jide/journal-of-infectious-diseases-and-epidemiology-jide-6-130.php?jid=jide; webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021

(3) Kyung, Sun Young; Kim, Yujin; Hwang, Hyunjoong; Park, Jeong-Woong; and Jeong, Sung Hwan; “Risks of N95 Face Mask Use in Subjects with COPD;” Respiratory Care; 2020 May;65(5):658-664. doi: 10.4187/respcare.06713. Epub 2020 Jan 28., https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31992666/; accessed on a webpage of the National Institutes of Health September 3rd, 2021

(4) Prasad, Vinay; “The Downsides of Masking Young Students Are Real”; The Atlantic; September 2nd, 2021; https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/school-mask-mandates-downside/619952/ Webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021

(5) “Respiratory Protection: Respiratory Protection Training Videos”; Occupational Safety and Health Administration; https://www.osha.gov/respiratory-protection/training; webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021

(6) “N95 Instructional Videos”; Prestige Ameritech website; https://www.prestigeameritech.com/n95-videos; webpage accessed September 3rd, 2021

(7) Juang, Pascal S. C. and Tsai, Peter; “N95 Respirator Cleaning and Reuse Methods Proposed by the Inventor of the N95 Mask Material”; Journal of Emergency Medicine; 2020 May; 58(5): 817–820. Published online 2020 Apr 16. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.04.036; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7161499/; accessed on webpage of National Instututes of Health September 3rd, 2021

Make U.S. Mass Transit Much Better

Large numbers of low-income persons in the United States devote much of their money toward paying for personal automobiles, which they seem to consider virtually a necessity.

Automobiles are a big chunk of the budget for typical middle-class individuals too.

A key reason is that United States mass transit pales in comparison to that of many other developed nations. It seems sad that many poor persons own cars. Often persons consider them a necessity to get to and from work, buy groceries, etc.

Low-Income Persons Buying and Driving Unsafe, Undependable Cars
Frequently persons with relatively limited income buy and drive vehicles with defective brakes and other problems that make them unsafe and undependable. These persons endanger the safety of themselves and others. Furthermore, they spend money they might better use for other things like food, rent, healthcare, etc., on cars. These folks need alternatives.

Cities and Towns
A much-improved mass transit system would enable the majority of car owners in cities and towns to either do away with their cars or to drive them much less.

Subways, buses, passenger trains, and even ships on waterways are alternatives or potential alternatives to driving automobiles that typically carry only one or a few people.

Walking and bicycling is good exercise and can work for many short trips.

Carpooling with relatives or friends is another alternative. Furthermore, occasionally taking a taxicab, Uber, or Lyft is cheaper than owning a car fulltime.

Also, some employers (especially temp agencies) even provide transportation for employees to and from work. But I think riding on mass transit with an experienced, professionally trained driver is better, other things being equal.

In addition to employers offering transportation for employees, some organizations often provide transportation to and from medical appointments, etc.

Improving mass transit such as subways and buses in large cities is important. In the United States, New York City is probably the only major city where mass transit dominates over cars convincingly.

Lexington, Kentucky where I live is a city of over 300,000 people. It is blessed with a reasonably good bus system by U.S. standards. The bus system is called Lextran, and pictures below show a few Lextran buses and the Lexington Transit Center hub.
But in order to get the vast number of persons in my city who drive cars to switch to buses, my city's bus service might need to run much more frequently and to many more areas.

Improving bus service in smaller cities and towns than Lexington is important too. These smaller areas currently often have limited or no mass transit.

The first two photos show one of Lextran's buses. The last photo shows a few of the city's buses at the Lextran hub which is located downtown.

City bus systems like Lextran with their fleets of buses are leaders in the switch from diesel and gasoline to alternatives. Though the majority of Lextran buses may still be diesel powered, my city's buses include some diesel-electric hybrid ones, some powered by compressed natural gas, and some electric buses that charge at charging stations.

Dependable, frequent bus service is a key to winning over car drivers to riding buses. Providing local buses that travel the streets of cities and smaller communities frequently, accompanied by intercity buses to get to large cities, can alleviate the need for personal cars for many.

Traveling may not be needed at all for many purchases. Ordering online from Amazon, Walmart, etc., is an alternative. Also, many businesses, including some groceries and restaurants, offer deliveries via third parties such as Instacart.®

Servicing Rural Areas
Mass transit may not be economical in rural areas. But rural residents can receive many deliveries via USPS, UPS, and other delivery services that pick up and deliver groceries, etc., to homes.

Furthermore, rural residents can use alternative methods of transportation to get to towns where mass transit exists. For example, expanded availability of taxicabs, Uber, and Lyft may make it possible for even persons in relatively isolated areas to ditch their cars.

Rural residents can also carpool or ride with a neighbor or relative to the nearest town for shopping. Furthermore, after they get a ride to a town, in that town they can make a connection for a local bus or an intercity bus to go elsewhere.

Persons far away from their nearest town, nearest relative, or nearest neighbor may face the toughest time. For these persons a personal vehicle may almost be a necessity. But these individuals constitute a relatively small portion of the population. Most United States residents live in or near a town or city.

Pollution
Using mass transit can greatly reduce pollution. Enormous pollution is caused by automobiles despite efforts to improve gas mileage efficiency and the elimination of leaded gas.

More pollution is caused by the production, transportation, and use of the materials in the building of automobiles.

Electric-powered cars with batteries that are charged from the electric grid may overwhelm an electric grid that is already strained in many areas. Additionally, the charging of these vehicles often consumes electricity that is generated from fossil fuels that pollute.

Personal vehicles may become more environmentally friendly over the long term. For example, solar-powered electric vehicles that need no charging from the electric grid may become economically feasible. But that time appears to be far off. In the short term, person autos are likely to be polluting the environment in one way or another.

The least polluting forms of travel may be walking and bicycling. They provide exercise and are a great alternative to motorized vehicles for short trips. But in inclement weather such travel is tough, and transporting a family or large purchases isn’t reasonable while bicycling or walking.

Time and Space
Using mass transit can save time and space in addition to saving money. The average commuter devotes much time to driving in traffic on congested streets and highways or on long drives in less congested areas.

Furthermore, a lot of space is used to park these automobiles in home driveways, garages, and parking lots for workplaces, shopping centers, airports, etc. Much money is expended on the purchases, construction, and maintenance of these parking areas too.

By contrast, while riding a bus, subway, Amtrak train, taxicab, Uber, Lyft, or riding with coworkers, friends, or neighbors, one can talk to fellow passengers, read, enjoy the scenery, write, or listen to or watch something on your cell phone using headphones. That seems more fun than driving and dealing with traffic, parking, etc.

Savings on Highway Construction
Enormous sums of money are spent on expanding highways to accommodate increasing numbers of vehicles. If more persons use mass transit, it will reduce the need for highway expansion. This savings can pay for part of the cost of expanding mass transit. The cost of highway construction and maintenance varies widely depending on numerous factors, but it may cost millions of dollars per mile to build a new highway or widen an existing one.

Paying for Expanded Mass Transit
As mentioned in the last paragraph, the reduced expenditures on highway construction and expansion can pay for a significant part of the cost of mass transit.

Raising taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel is another way to help pay for such mass transit. U.S. taxes on such fuels are much lower than in many other countries.

As the trend toward purchasing private electric vehicles accelerates, a tax on the purchase of the vehicles and perhaps a tax on electricity could help subsidize mass transit while discouraging the purchase and driving of private vehicles.

These taxes are a way to help compensate for the environmental damage caused by private vehicles in addition to paying for mass transit.

Me in My Early College Years and My Grandparents for a Lifetime Doing Without Driving a Car
Mass transit used to be much more widespread in the United States.

My grandparents lived in relatively small towns all their lives. But as far as I know neither my maternal nor paternal grandparents ever drove a car. They depended on buses, passenger trains, walking, riding with friends or relatives, deliveries of goods to their homes by businesses, etc.

Furthermore, I remember while in college some decades ago that I rode a Greyhound bus from Lexington to a small town in southeastern Kentucky, then my parents picked me up there and drove me the remaining 30-40 miles to the family home in Jenkins. Years before that Greyhound even served Jenkins.

It’s been years now since Greyhound cancelled all service to southeastern Kentucky. But I support reinstating it, as well as service to many other areas. Additionally, with expansions to Uber and Lyft, it could be feasible to get to and from most places in the country without owning a car.

Dealing With Some Other Disadvantages of Mass Transit
Some persons fear the transmission of COVID-19 or other diseases while riding mass transit. But Greyhound, Amtrak, and commercial jets all apparently have ventilation systems that replace the onboard air every five minutes or less. Persons can wear a facemask for extra protection, indeed facemasks are currently required for travel on such transit in the United States.

Another problem is emergency travel when mass transit is not operating. If a person needs to travel to a hospital or evacuate at say 3 a.m. when mass transit is likely not operating in most areas, that is a difficulty. However, very few such emergencies occur. Furthermore, in cases of mass evacuation traffic jams, gas stations without fuel, damaged roads, etc., likely make automobile use unsatisfactory unless you leave in advance. And if you leave in advance, mass transit may be available.

Closing Thoughts
I confess that I lack the expertise to discern how cost effective and feasible it is to design and implement a quality mass transit system in the United States.

But it seems a terrible waste the way persons in the United States devote so much time, money, and materials to a transportation system that pollutes the environment so much.

We might be happier, healthier, and enjoy more free time if we devoted less time and money to purchasing, driving, and maintaining personal automobiles that sit idle for perhaps 150 or 155 of the 168 hours in a week.

I support improving mass transit. How about you?

Afghanistan May Be Better Off Under Taliban Than U.S. Military Rule

Afghanistan may be better off under the Taliban than being basically under United States military rule for approximately the last 20 years.

Furthermore, the rapid and relatively peaceful transfer of power to the Taliban seems to have gone surprisingly well so far. Relatively few deaths occurred during fighting. This is preferable to a civil war erupting--or perhaps more accurately an escalation of a civil war that has been going on for years. Maybe now the nation can experience a form of peace, relatively speaking.

Despite the United States spending over 2 trillion dollars directly and indirectly between 2001 and now on the war in Afghanistan according to a Brown University analysis, the U.S.-backed government obviously lacked the ability and/or willingness to control the Taliban or the country. An Associated Press article August 17th, 2021 discusses the costs and effects of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. I strongly agree with President Joe Biden that delaying withdrawal months or years would have been counterproductive.

The ease with which the Taliban fighters took control of cities, the negotiated surrenders of city officials, and the apparent acceptance of the Taliban provide at least circumstantial evidence of significant support for them. This is preferable to the violence and virtual civil war that has been occurring.

The future of Afghanistan is uncertain though. Indeed, fear of the Taliban may be a factor in the surrender of Afghan forces. Later in the article I discuss some serious weaknesses of the Taliban, weaknesses you've likely read about elsewhere. And though the Taliban controls most of the country, as of August 18th, 2021, Reuters reports that Panjshir province is not controlled by the Taliban.

Who’s to Blame for U.S. Failures in Afghanistan?
The United States military deserves credit for its efforts in Afghanistan. Praises to the many brave, dedicated soldiers who sought to do correctly. But the mission is still an overall failure as I see it.

Four United States Presidents have served in office during the United States war in Afghanistan. Many will blame President Joe Biden for his withdrawal plan. Others will blame President Donald Trump for setting up a withdrawal plan or President Barack Obama for his failure to solve the problem.

But in my view, the primary responsibility lies with President George W. Bush. He erred in embarking on the war in Afghanistan. The money, materials, and manpower could have been much better spent.

Bush’s main goal apparently was the capture of Osama Bin Laden. However, a small group of Special Forces that learned the language and culture of Afghans, became assimilated to them and their nation, and achieved camaraderie with the local people and warlords could likely have found Osama Bin Laden quicker and with fewer problems, less loss of innocent civilian lives, as well as fewer U.S. military casualties.

The difficult terrain of the landlocked country and the tribal nature of its culture would make it difficult for even a superb central government to control the nation. It was probably not realistic to expect the Taliban rulers to locate, capture, and turn over Bin Laden to the United States. And while that Taliban government couldn’t effectively control the entire nation, Afghanistan’s central government of the last twenty years under U.S. leadership seemed to offer far less control.

Taliban’s Former Rule in Afghanistan and Its Future Rule
During its former rule before U.S. intervention in 2001, the Taliban took actions to establish a form of law and order in the country, as well as providing some services. But it was guilty of excesses and abuses. Its regime seemed repressive by U.S. standards. Its treatment of women was especially harsh. Still, unless or until we have an international police force to enforce a set of standard international laws, legal international action within a country is limited.

A USA Today article is one of many offering a timeline for several events in Afghanistan's history in the last several decades.

Women’s Rights
The Taliban’s treatment of women during its former rule was a bit like that of Judaism outlined in the Bible’s Old Testament that Jews no longer follow, a radical distorted form of Islam, and to a lesser degree similar to that of the United States a few centuries ago when women couldn’t vote, were often homemakers focused on raising a family, and some women accused of witchcraft were tried, convicted, and murdered.

Furthermore, if the United States seeks to condemn the Taliban for its treatment of women, it would do well to do the same for Saudi Arabia, which has committed some of the same abuses. However, Saudi Arabia seems to gradually be changing. Maybe the Taliban is or will too. Of course, Saudi Arabia’s oil wealth enables its residents to enjoy benefits that those of relatively poor Afghanistan lack.

The Taliban claims it will not take as drastic action as in the past, and changes will not come suddenly, as reported by CNN and other news sources. During Taliban rule 1996-2001 women were required to wear burkas/burqas in public, which covered basically their entire body, with a screen in front of the eyes to see through. Still, there are already signs of requiring women to wear hijabs, but the hijab can be a head covering that is more like a scarf, less conceiling than burqas.

The London Guardian and other news sources reported about the Taliban's first news conference after the takeover, which was held August 17th, 2021. In it the Taliban promised forgiveness to enemies, as well as some rights for women and the media, but noted limitations on these rights and freedoms. But the Taliban does seem to support education and work for women now. And the Taliban is committing to not allowing terrorists to operate from Afghanistan.

U.S. History in Afghanistan and Some Other Places
The United States has a long history of negative impacts on Afghanistan, including military aid that benefited Osama Bin Laden, whom one prominent U.S. official called a “freedom fighter” when he was fighting against the Russians. The U.S. even paid for textbooks for schoolchildren that urged the children to fight against the Russians.

U.S. military actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, and several other places have done more harm than good. Iraq is basically in a civil war. Vietnam experienced enormous tragedy after our withdrawal from there.

Aftger a terrible transition period, Vietnam has experienced significant success. The same can happen in Afghanistan--hopefully with a far less tragic transition period. Lowering the U.S. Flag
Lowering the United States flag from the United States embassy in Kabul and the burning of U.S. flags and other materials by embassy personnel served as a symbol of the United States withdrawal from the country. Indeed, the widespread U.S. military forces, symbolized by U.S. flags similar to the one in Lexington, Kentucky that I photographed years ago near the courthouses that is shown below, were likely a negative influence among the many Afghans who did not want outsiders to control their country, and among those who suffered abuses at the hands of the U.S. military.

I hope over the long term the U.S. retains an embassy in the country, maybe in the same building it was in until days ago if it survives the transition period. But for the short term, removal of U.S. flags from the embassy is the correct decision.

Early Indications of How the Taliban Will Rule
It is too early to tell how the Taliban will rule Afghanistan this time. There have been reports of at least a few Afghans killed. But it is not known if these killings are sanctioned by Taliban leaders or just isolated incidents by Taliban fighters not controlled by leaders or by persons posing as Taliban.

Chaos has occurred at the Kabul airport and near it as thousands of persons seek to flee. Efforts by the United States and the Taliban to limit access to the airport have led to injuries, some severe. Video footage apparently showed persons seeking to rush onto a U.S. aircraft leaving the Kabul airport, and one or more persons hanging onto the aircraft and then apparently plunging to death from it onto the ground, as the jet took off. But controlling a mob of persons isn't easy.

Whether or not the fear many Afghans show toward the Taliban is justified remains to be seen. However, there are reports of Taliban going door-to-door seeking out persons who helped U.S. and NATO military forces.

A USA Today "Fact Check" article August 20th, 2021 sought to separate out some of the false information from the truth about the Taliban takeover. An August 21, 2021 New York Times piece discusses some of the ongoing events in Afghanistan.

Closing Thoughts
It’s time to seek to end destructive military actions by the United States. Our nation needs to respond in a more humanitarian way. We need no more gun toting Americans seeking to impose U.S. selfish interests by force.

Some years ago when I asked one U.S. military veteran who had served in the Middle East if he or many of the other U.S. soldiers had learned the language of the country they were in, he replied no, but that when U.S. soldiers pointed their guns at the residents they got the message. They likely did. And when the Taliban provided a form of law and order during its reign a couple of decades ago they got a message too. Despite its mistreatment of women by U.S. and international standards, the Taliban did provide structure and a form of law. Of course, I oversimplify things. The United States military performed many, many humanitarian actions in Afghanistan, and the Taliban has a history of abuses, including harsh laws in general--in addition to its mistreatment of women.

However, the Taliban in recent days seems to have enjoyed a manifest destiny superior to that of the U.S. white savages that stole land from Native American Indians, started war with Mexico and acquired more land, and enslaved African-Americans to do much of the manual labor on their farms, etc.

Recent news reports cite the Taliban as stating it will allow nonprofit organizations to continue their humanitarian work, allow embassies to stay open, seek to prevent outside terrorist groups from basing in the country, offer amnesty to those who opposed them, and oppose terrorism. They also stated they will support women’s rights, though they didn’t provide a lot of specifics on what they meant by those women’s rights.

Time will tell whether the Taliban has learned enough from past experience to rule constructively.

Various news organizations including BusinessInsider report that the United States has frozen approximately 9 or 10 billiion dollars of Afghan assets in the United States. The desire to get those assets unfrozen gives the Taliban extra incentive to be on good behavior.

I confess that I have never served in the military, nor have I ever traveled outside the United States. My views are based on what I've read, heard, and seen via news reports. But, as I see it, it is apparent that the United States involvement has not been nearly as effective as desired. Our withdrawal is a wise move. And President Biden stated August 16th, in a public speech to the nation, the United States will still seek to provide humanitarian aid, and to combat terrorism in various places as situations arise. And if the Taliban behaves well, they can obtain good international relations and presumably get back the frozen assets.

NOTE: This article was last revised August 21st, 2021.

Making To-Do Lists: My Three-Step Approach

If you’ve ever forgotten a birthday, anniversary, doctor’s appointment, homework assignment, weekly work schedule, etc., you likely realize the benefit of writing important plans down. Creating a to-do list is often an effective way to do this. It‘s my preferred way.

Furthermore, regularly making and following a weekly (and daily) to-do list is a common attribute of many successful persons. The list can take many forms. Below I briefly discuss some approaches before focusing on my technique. I also include a photo of a page from my notebook of weekly to-do lists.

Keeping track of what one plans to do (God willing) during a particular day or week isn’t easy, especially if a person’s schedule is busy. Writing things down on a list that can be carried around in one’s pocket often helps. Making a larger list in a bigger notebook that can be consulted in your room, apartment, or house in the morning and again at evening is nice in some cases too.

Various Approaches
It is increasingly common for persons making a to-do list to create it on their smart phone. If that works for you, great. But I find it takes me more time to type data into a cell phone than to write it on paper. Also, I don’t always have my phone easily accessible. Furthermore, there is the potential problem of a low battery, etc. But if you choose to do it that way, there are numerous apps available that may help you. The website Quire lists 15 of these apps. But I prefer doing it my way.

A desk planner of some type may work too. But for a list of a particular day’s specific plans, I prefer a pocket-sized planner I can carry around with me.

Other persons can help in some cases too. A secretary, wife, husband, parent, child, sibling, friend, etc., may help you keep your schedule sometimes. But even if one or more other individuals is/are dependable, they may not always be with you. Therefore, I think it’s best to keep up with one’s own schedule when reasonably possible.

My Three-Step Approach
I take a three-step approach to doing to-do lists: annually, weekly, and daily.

(1) I usually carry an annual pocket-sized calendar/planner with me in my pocket when I leave my apartment. I can add things to it as necessary during the day.
(2) At my apartment I keep a notebook of 8 ½ x 11 inch sheets containing weekly to-do lists. This provides space for more details than my annual planner.
(3) I carry a small piece of paper, perhaps 3 inches x 5 inches or 4 x 6 inches with me that has the daily schedule for the current day on one side and plans for the next day on the other. This is the one I consult during my daily activities. Persons with many daily activities may prefer an 8 ½ inch x 11 sheet they fold up instead. Persons with few activities may find the small annual planner I mentioned suffices.

But for me, this three-step plan works. The following sections detail my three-step approach.

(1) Annually:
Each year I purchase a small pocket-sized planner where I can list things I want to remember for the year (work schedule, other activities, birthdays, etc.). My favorite is a small At-A-Glance® planner. You can purchase it at places like Staples stores or on ataglance.com's website, (product #72-01, SKU # 72010522).

Its small size (approximately 3 inches x 4 3/8 inches) fits easily into one of my pockets. This planner provides equal space for each day of the week--unlike many business or school planners that devote less space to weekend days. And it contains sections in the back for names and addresses, anniversaries and birthdays, planning for next year, etc. The cost of the At-A-Glance® planner ($12.99 at a Staples store or $14.00 on the ataglance website) works out to less than 5 cents a day, which I consider reasonable. However, you can purchase other types of pocket planners much cheaper, if you prefer.

(2) Weekly:
In addition to my annual pocket planner, I keep a notebook of 8 ½ inch x 11 inch sheets for a weekly to-do-list. Unlike the long-term annual pocket planner, this one lists my weekly activities. Some of its information comes from the annual planner, but this one is more detailed.

The sheets in this notebook (one for each week) are subdivided into three sections. At the end of this subsection is a photo of a page from my notebook that may help you see what these pages look like. I took the photo before the week it covers, so the page is not filled in.

The first section lists fourteen virtues I seek to acquire or improve upon. Each day (at least most days) I mark in a box whether I did okay on it or not. This list of virtues is patterned after one Benjamin Franklin discussed in his autobiography, a book viewable in ebook form on Gutenberg.org. I modified Franklin's list a bit for my purposes. Each week I seek to focus on improving on one of the fourteen, while listing my progress toward each of them each evening, as Franklin apparently did. This process has helped me over the years, though I confess I haven’t attained the success Benjamin Franklin apparently attained with it.

The second section lists ten things I want to devote at least a bit of time to each day. You may choose different items. But my list includes:
1. Country: devoting a few minutes to learning a bit about some country,
2. Vocabulary: seeking to review ten vocabulary words,
3. Read in a book: seeking to read in some book (in addition to the Bible, which I seek to read a brief passage in each morning and evening),
4. Write: writing on something (a journal entry, letter, article, book, etc.),
5. Career: doing something to further develop my career,
6.Wash dishes: this helps me avoid procrastinating on washing my dishes,
7. Sort and file papers: daily I seek to organize some of my papers and/or throw away some unnecessary ones,
8. Straighten, clean, and/or organize: daily I seek to either do some straightening, cleaning, and/or organizing of my apartment
9. Prayer, devotional, walk and/or bicycle: I seek to have a daily devotional and prayer time in the morning and evening--ideally to remain in a prayerful spirit throughout the day. I also seek to get some exercise by walking and/or bicycling,
10. Listen, talk, help others: I seek to listen to the voices of others and other sounds around me, speak appropriately, and do one or more things to help others.

The third section of my weekly to-do list provides two columns. The left column lists “some things I consider appropriate to do that I seek to do,” if God wills. The right column lists some things I actually did that day. The bottom line of this third section allows a space for notes.

I hope the photo below of an actual page from my weekly to-do list planner (which I designed and printed myself, hopefully under God's Holy Spirit's leadership) helps you visualize how it looks.

(3) Daily:
The third step of my approach to to-do lists consists of an individual sheet of paper approximately 3 inches x 5 inches (or 4 inches x 6 inches, depending on what I have handy). On one side I list some specific things I plan to do on a particular day. The reverse side provides a similar list for the following day. Many of the items on this list are taken from the weekly list, but this one is more detailed.

How I Handle My Weekly To-Do Lists
I normally carry my pocket-sized annual planner with me in a pocket. I typically carry the daily planner when I’ve got several things to do while I’m away from my apartment. I keep the folder with the 8 1/2 inch x 11 inch weekly-planner sheets in my apartment where I typically consult it in the morning and again in the evening.

Though I throw away my daily to-do list sheets after using them, I save the weekly ones in a binder. I also save the annual pocket planners.

Closing Thoughts
What works for you may be different from what works for me. The pocket-sized annual planner alone may suffice for you. Or you may choose to focus solely on the individual daily sheets. You may prefer the larger weekly to-do list format of my notebook of weekly sheets. You may even prefer a desktop planner or a large wall calendar.

By the way, in addition to my general to-do lists, I also like to keep a separate to-do list for my grocery shopping--and to remember to take the list with me when I shop.

Furthermore, in addition to making out a to-do list, it’s good to prioritize the items you want to do in some way, maybe by numbering them in order of priority or by color coding them.

Praying over the list in the morning and in the evening can help too.

You may find a PCMagazine list called "10 Simple Ways to Make Better To-Do Lists" beneficial too.

Making the list(s) out is a nice action. But follow through is key. Seek to follow the list within reasonable limits and to update it as necessary. I’ve been accused in the past (justifiably) of devoting more time to doing my to-do lists than to doing the things on the lists. It’s important to keep a balanced perspective.

But I firmly believe that most persons can and will benefit from keeping some type of daily, weekly, monthly, and/or annual to-do list. Few (if any) persons can remember all the things they need to do. It can be embarrassing and harmful to miss appointments and deadlines. To-do lists can help prevent that embarrassment and harm.

Why Can't Antibiotics Be Purchased Over-the-Counter in the United States?

Why can’t antibiotics be purchased over-the-counter in the United States? Antibiotics sometimes seem like miracle drugs the way they help cure diseases.

A huge number of antibiotics are available via prescription for persons to take. But none are available over-the-counter.

I support making at least one common antibiotic purchasable without a prescription. This may improve persons' access to healthcare while decreasing costs.

The United States arguably has the finest health care system in the world at its best, yet many cannot afford treatment. Millions either lack insurance, lack the ability to pay deductibles, or their insurance claims are denied. Office visits and prescriptions cost a lot.

In some cases self diagnosis can help save money, time, and improve medical treatment. Responsible medical websites like WebMD and MayoClinic provide quality information that in some cases enable persons to come closer to diagnosing their own problems, although such sites make it clear they are not a substitute for professional personal medical advice and they are not intended for diagnosis or treatment. Indeed, many medical professionals turn to online information to help with their diagnoses.

While office visits and examinations by a medical professional can be productive, they can also be very expensive. And often the main thing a physician does is prescribe an antibiotic for a condition the patient has—a condition the patient may already suspect they have due to past experience, viewing online medical websites, etc.

I support making at least one or two commonly prescribed antibiotics available without a prescription. For example, amoxicillin has been around for decades and is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. Why not make amoxicillin available without a prescription for a start?

Risks From Making Antibiotics Over-the-Counter

Perhaps the biggest risk of making antibiotics available over-the-counter is the risk of overuse. Persons may seek to take an antibiotic for a virus or something else that antibiotics are not effective against.

Indeed, physicians sometimes overprescribe antibiotics now, perhaps just to be extra cautious in case they misdiagnosed a virus. Furthermore, misusing antibiotics is reported to lead to the development of “superbugs” that are resistant to many antibiotics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website reports (See endnote 1) that “Each year in the U.S., at least 2.8 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and more than 35,000 people die.” Misuse of antibiotics likely contributes to this.

But I feel the benefits of providing a common antibiotic without a prescription outweigh the risks, even if the particular antibiotic(s) made available over-the-counter are not suitable for all purposes.

Also, if only one or two antibiotics are made available without a prescription, it still reserves a huge number that physicians can use their discretion in prescribing.

While persons may misuse over-the-counter antibiotics, individuals already abuse tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and numerous over-the-counter medications. These can be far riskier than a common antibiotic, especially if persons take appropriate dosages of the antibiotic only when necessary.

Many Over-the-Counter Medications and Dietary Supplements Exist

A large number of medications and dietary supplements are available over-the-counter, including those pictured below that I own. But prescription medicines are not.

Precedent for Making Prescription Drugs Over-the-Counter

There is a precedent for medicines to progress from being available only via prescription to being available over-the-counter. For example, my mom told me that many years ago when I was a boy a doctor prescribed Benadryl for an allergic reaction I had. Since then, Benadyl has been made available over-the-counter. For many years now Benadryl has been available over-the-counter and benefits huge numbers of allergy sufferers without the need for or expense of an office visit and prescription.

The article (See endnote 2)"Prescription to over-the-counter switches in the United States” in the Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice, viewable on the journal website and the website of the National Center for Biotechnical Information, discusses these conversions, as well as some of the benefits, potential problems, etc.

Current Situation and Recommendations

Some persons in the United States already take antibiotics without a prescription. They ingest leftover medicine from a previous prescription or use medicine from another person’s prescription. They also may buy antibiotics online from a website that may or may not be reputable and may or may not offer genuine products that are packaged, stored, and shipped safely.

I'm not a medical professional and can't give any medical advice. Many medical professionals who know far more about antibiotics and medical care than I are opposed to making antibiotics available without a prescription.

Still, I strongly support the U.S. Food and Drug Administration either taking action to make some common antibiotic available over-the-counter or clearly stating why it opposes doing so. And I urge readers to prayerfully consider urging the Food and Drug Administration (and/or Congress) to act to make some type of common antibiotic available for purchase over-the-counter rather than via prescription.

Endnotes:

1 “Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance (AR/AMR)”; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; page last reviewed July 20, 2020 https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/index.html webpage accessed July 21, 2021

2 Chang, Jongwha; Lizer, Allison; Patel, Isha; Bhatia, Deepak; Tan, Xi; and Balkrishnan, Rajesh; “Prescription to over-the-counter switches in the United States”; Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice; 2016-July-September; 5 (3): 149-154; https://www.jrpp.net/downloadpdf.asp?issn=2319-9644;year=2016;volume=5;issue=3;spage=149;epage=154;aulast=Chang;type=2 webpage accessed July 21, 2021

Juneteenth (June 19th): Legal U.S. Slavery Ended Months Later in Dec. 1865

Juneteenth
Juneteenth (June 19th, 1865) was not the end of legal United States slavery.

In Kentucky and at least a couple of other states, slavery remained legal until December 1865.

On June 17th, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill making Juneteenth a national holiday. Juneteenth.com states "It was on June 19th [1865] that . . . Union soldiers . . . landed at Galveston, Texas with news . . . that the enslaved were now free." That website and many others provide much information about the holiday and its history.

It’s wonderful that the United States finally has a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Furthermore, Juneteenth may be a great day for such a holiday, since it is already celebrated in many parts of the country.

13th Amendment to Constitution Ends Legal U.S. Slavery
However, legal slavery in the United States did not end until December 1865, months after Juneteenth. It was in December 1865 that ratification by the necessary ¾ of the states of the 13th amendment to the Constitution occurred; Congress had passed the amendment January 31, 1865.

Section 1 of the 13th amendment states “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Emancipation Proclamation
What about the Emancipation Proclamation?

I thought of the Emancipation Proclamation when I saw the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Viewing the structure in person was a moving experience. I took the photo below of the statue on June 22nd, 2017.

Many incorrectly think Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ended all legal slavery in the U.S. But that’s not true.

First of all, it was debatable whether Lincoln’s proclamation was constitutional. He may have usurped Congress’s authority. Indeed, Lincoln later urged Congress to pass legislation to end legal slavery.

Second, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to slaves in border states like Kentucky that allowed slavery but remained in the Union.

Slavery was legal in Kentucky, but Kentucky did not secede from the United States. Therefore, Kentucky slavery was not outlawed until the passage of the 13th amendment in December 1865.

Lincoln’s preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in September, 1862 stated that all slaves in states (or parts of states) that were fighting against the U.S. on January 1, 1863 would be officially free if liberated by the Union army or they could escape. Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

Since Kentucky was not fighting against the United States, the Emancipation Proclamation did not apply in Kentucky. It also did not apply in other slave states that remained in the Union, such as Maryland, Missouri, Delaware, and New Jersey, for the same reason.

Maryland and Missouri took action at the state level to prohibit slavery before the 13th amendment passed. Howere, slavery remained legal in Kentucky, Delaware, and New Jersey until that amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed. Kentucky had far more slaves at that time than either Delaware or New Jersey.

My home state of Kentucky was one of the few places in the United States where slavery remained legal until the passage of the 13th amendment.

Illegal Slavery and Discrimination
Although the 13th amendment ended legal slavery, some illegal slavery continued.

Indeed, even now in the 21st century we occasionally read of cases of illegal slavery in the United States. Immigrants are sometimes enslaved to work under inhumane conditions. Girls are sometimes kidnapped into sexual slavery.

Furthermore, even after the 13th amendment passed, discrimination, segregation, and other injustices continued.

In addition, slavery also continues to exist illegally in some other countries in the world.  

Progress Continues
Additional laws and improved enforcement of the laws are leading to positive changes in the 21st century. Celebrating Juneteenth is one step in the right direction. But June 19th, 1865 wasn’t the end of all slavery.

NOTE:

This article was last revised on March 8, 2023.