Check out some video poetry from Drop of Atom my second book of poetry

 

Video poetry is simply poetry in video form. It attempts to create some visuals from the poetry itself to help the reader, listener, viewer truly visualize what the poet wanted them to see. I enjoy creating these from my poems because I like the creative process itself. While I feel like I can never get it exactly how I would want, some aspect of these sort of videos still seem slightly off to me, I do enjoy creating these and I hope to continue to make them. 

For those of you who didn't know this about me, I attended NWMSU for my first degree and majored in communications. I really enjoyed television and film production and worked for several years making independent movies. While I ultimately did not end up working in the visual arts, I still enjoy working on small projects like this one. My brother also likes to edit videos and between the two of us we have created a few of these visual poetry pieces and hope to do some more. Hope you you enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reducing the Prevalence of Abortion: A Retrospective Review

 

Title: Reducing the Prevalence of Abortion: A Retrospective Review

 

Abstract: Research has shown for several decades that restricting abortion access through legislation does not reduce the prevalence of abortion. However, utilizing a variety of research techniques an argument can be made that reduction in abortion rates can be accomplished by improving access to free or reduced-priced contraceptives, Universal Healthcare, comprehensive sexual education programs, and a reduction of housing and wage insecurities.

 

            According to the science and data “Restricting a woman’s access to abortion does not prevent abortion but simply leads to more unsafe abortions” (Cameron, 2018). Decades of research, both in America and worldwide, have shown that making abortion illegal does not reduce the number of abortions that take place instead it merely forces women into obtaining unsafe abortions. Since 1976 healthcare professionals in America have been aware of this fact. Researchers from the Center for Disease Control examined national abortion data from the three years surrounding the rulings (post-Roe V Wade) and estimated that the number of illegal procedures in the country plummeted from around 130,000 to 17,000 between 1972 and 1974 (Cates & Rochat,1976).

Illegal abortions lead to high mortality rates from infection and hemorrhage and by researchers’ standards are avoidable and unnecessary deaths (Haddad, 2009). And again, abortion-related deaths are more frequent in countries with more restrictive abortion laws (34 deaths per 100,000 childbirths) than in countries with less restrictive laws (1 or fewer per 100,000 childbirths) (Haddad, 2009).

           There are two main points I would like to discuss in this article: (1) Data indicates an association between unsafe abortion and restrictive abortion laws. (2) Preventing unintended pregnancy by providing better access to health care and contraceptives, improving sexual education, reducing wage and housing insecurities, and liberalizing abortion laws to allow services to be provided can reduce the rate of abortions and thus reduce abortion-related morbidity and mortality.

The first point is simple and plainly defined and quantified by hundreds of research projects, thousands of written documents, and decades of scientific data. It is factual to state, based on the current science and data, that making abortions illegal does NOT reduce the number of abortions.

           The second point is more broad but just as necessary, which is a multi-step approach to reducing abortions. All of these are based on scientific data and research.

           Firstly, access to free or reduced-priced contraceptives greatly reduces the prevalence of abortion. In fact, “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports access to comprehensive contraceptive care and contraceptive methods as an integral component of women’s health care …” (2015). This means that contraceptives, such as condoms or pills, should be over the counter, easy to access, and affordable with accompanying full insurance coverage or cost support. Other studies have even shown that easier access to contraceptives also reduces teen pregnancy (Kirby, 2007). To reiterate this point: “Universal access to contraception benefits society: unintended pregnancies, maternal mortality, preterm birth, abortions, and obesity would be reduced by increasing access to affordable contraception” (Rice et al., 2020).

While many countries offer free or reduced-price oral contraceptives, the United States does not.

           Secondly, Universal Healthcare has been shown to reduce abortion prevalence in several countries. Since the implementation of the PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) also known as “Obamacare”, study after study have revealed that access to birth control reduced abortion rates in America. Obamacare reduced the number of abortions performed in America because it allowed easier access to more affordable contraceptives (Abramowitz, 2017). Universal Healthcare would take what the ACA did and improve on it greatly. A study released by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that in Massachusetts when healthcare coverage was expanded) abortion rates dropped (Arons, 2016). To this day, Massachusetts has one of the nations only near full public state healthcare systems with a health insurance coverage rate of 97% of their citizens. If the United States were to implement either a single-payer or public option offering its citizens Universal Healthcare, abortion rates would decline substantially.

           Thirdly, funding and implementing comprehensive sexual education nationwide would reduce abortion rates. This remains a controversial issue in America as some feel that abstinence education is more appropriate, based on a variety of reasons. However, factually speaking, “increasing emphasis on abstinence education is positively correlated with teenage pregnancy and birth rates” (Stanger-Hall, & Hall, 2011). Study after study shows that abstinence education simply does not work, at the state level it does not reduce teen pregnancy (Carr & Packham, 2017), and on the local level “abstinence-only education programs were found to cause an increase in teen birth rates among white and black teens” (Yang & Gaydos, 2010). Despite these facts, in America, 1 in 4 teens receive abstinence-only sexual education and it simply is not as effective as comprehensive sex education (Bright, 2012). However, several studies have found that measures related to access to, and use of family planning services and contraceptives are related to lower state-level teen birth rates (Beltz et al., 2015). If the United States implemented and funded national comprehensive sex education courses in our public schools, we could substantially reduce abortion rates in teenagers.

Fourthly, reducing housing and wage insecurities in America would reduce abortion rates. For decades, researchers have made connections between low-income families, women, and abortion services. A multitude of these economically-driven research studies has found several key elements in the relationship between socioeconomics and abortion. Three different research projects by Coast et al., Moore et al., and Rogers et al. found a wide range of economic links between abortion denial and financial implications for women (2019). According to Reeves & Venator, “Improving the economic and educational prospects of poorer women is, therefore, an important part of any strategy to reduce unintended birth rates” (2015).

    It would be difficult to deny that financial hardship can occur post-childbearing for women and families. Even more so for women and families in poverty. One large ten-year study called “The Turn Away Study” looked at 1000 women, some who were allowed abortion and others who were denied (for a variety of reasons, mostly legal/limited options in particular states). This study showed that women who were denied abortion services were FOUR times more likely to suffer future economic hardships. On the contrary, women who received abortions were SIX times more likely to achieve 1-year goals for themselves (enroll in school, buy a house, etc). This same study also showed that women who were able to plan for children, children also benefited economically versus the women who were denied abortion services (Miller et al., 2020). The financial burden of being forced to carry and birth an unwanted pregnancy is severe. Denying abortions causes a tremendous financial strain on already strained families and burdens further on an already burdened system.

In summary, scientific and data-driven information shows us very clearly several things: abortion bans do NOT work in reducing abortion they INCREASE abortions and INCREASE mortality rates. To reduce abortions, countries need to invest in free or reduced-price contraceptives, Universal Healthcare, sexual education, and housing and wages. Investments in people and infrastructures would substantially reduce abortions versus simply passing legislation to make abortions illegal or more difficult to obtain.

           In conclusion, the recent supreme court ruling to overturn Roe V Wade and the subsequent state trigger laws going into effect will not reduce abortions in America. We will see an increase in abortions and an increase in mortality from unsafe and illegally performed abortions. If the United States would like to see a reduction in the number of abortions performed annually the previously listed and discussed strategies could substantially reduce the abortion rate.

 

References

 

Access to contraception. ACOG. (2015). Retrieved https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinicalguidance/committee-opinion/articles/2015/01/access-to-contraception

Abramowitz, J. (2017). Access to birth control through ACA drives down abortion rate. Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation. Retrieved 2022, from https://ihpi.umich.edu/news/access-birth-control-through-aca-drives-down-abortion-rate

Arons, J. S. (2016). A universal win. Center for American Progress. Retrieved https://www.americanprogress.org/article/a-universal-win/

Beltz, M. A., Sacks, V. H., Moore, K. A., & Terzian, M. (2015). State policy and teen childbearing: a review of research studies. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 56(2), 130–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.11.001

Bright, M. (2012). Study finds that comprehensive sex education reduces teen pregnancy. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved 3AD, from https://www.aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/study-finds-comprehensive-sex-education-reduces-teen-pregnancy

Cameron S. Recent advances in improving the effectiveness and reducing the complications of abortion. F1000Res. 2018 Dec 2;7:F1000 Faculty Rev-1881. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.15441.1. PMID: 30631424; PMCID: PMC6281004.

Carr, J. B., & Packham, A. (2017). The Effects of State-Mandated Abstinence-Based Sex Education on Teen Health Outcomes. Health economics, 26(4), 403–420. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.3315

Cates, W., & Rochat, R. (1976). Illegal Abortions in the United States: 1972-1974. Family Planning Perspectives, 8(2), 86–92. https://doi.org/10.2307/2133995

Coast, E., Lattof, S. R., van der Meulen Rodgers, Y., & Moore, B. (2019). Economics of abortion: a scoping review protocol. BMJ open, 9(7), e029939. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029939

Haddad LB, Nour NM. Unsafe abortion: unnecessary maternal mortality. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Spring;2(2):122-6. PMID: 19609407; PMCID: PMC2709326.

Kirby D. Emerging answers 2007: new research findings on programs to reduce teen pregnancy . Washington, DC: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy; 2007. Available at:https://thenationalcampaign.org/sites/default/files/resource-primary-download/EA2007_full_0.pdf.

Miller S, Wherry LR, Foster DG. The economic consequences of being denied an abortion. January 2020. Working Paper 26662, National Bureau of Economic Research.

Moore, B., van der Meulen Rodgers, Y., Coast, E., Lattof, S. R., & Poss, C. (2021). History and scientific background on the economics of abortion. PloS one, 16(9), e0257360. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257360

Reeves, R., Venator, J. Sex, contraception, or abortion? Explaining class gaps in unintended childbearing. Center on Children and Families at BROOKINGS. 2015. Retrieved https://docplayer.net/11861302-Sex-contraception-or-abortion-explaining-class-gaps-in-unintended-childbearing.html

Rice, Espey, Fenner, Gregory, Askins, C. Lockwood. Universal access to contraception: women, families, and communities’ benefit. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Volume 222, Issue 2, 2020. Pages 150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2019.09.014.

Rodgers, Y., Coast, E., Lattof, S. R., Poss, C., & Moore, B. (2021). The macroeconomics of abortion: A scoping review and analysis of the costs and outcomes. PloS one, 16(5), e0250692. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250692

Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (2011). Abstinence-only education and teen pregnancy rates: why we need comprehensive sex education in the U.S. PloS one, 6(10), e24658. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024658 

Yang, Z., & Gaydos, L. M. (2010). Reasons for and challenges of recent increases in teen birth rates: a study of family planning service policies and demographic changes at the state level. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 46(6), 517–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.03.021

 

 

 

Meet the author - my most recent interview with US Mag Blog - check it out!

 
Meet the author! Oh ya, that's me! And that's pretty cool!

I am excited to post this, my first interview of many that I will be doing to promote my second book of poetry, titled "Drop of Atom."

I shared some images from the interview below and the link to the interview is at the bottom of this page, so for sure go check it out!

Link to full interview:

http://www.us-mag.club/2022/03/25/meet-the-author-of-drop-of-atom-joey-salomone/

Vaccine hesitancy and the American education system

According to the CDC, unvaccinated Americans are 11 times more likely to die from covid than vaccinated Americans.

 

And that sentence is supported by the most recent data and science.

 

And that sentence should be enough for any logical person, sane person, rational person to read and think, “oh wow, I should vaccinate myself and my family so we can all continue to live.”

 

But that is not the reaction you get in this country.

 

I am astounded by the number of virologists and epidemiology and public health “experts” popping up on my social media feeds. They all have outrageous claims ranging from the demonstrably false (the Pfizer vaccine isn’t FDA approved) to the utterly deranged (masks have worms in them). Social media platforms have allowed misinformation to spread like wildfire, and then when it gets shut down or deleted, it simply fuels the fire more by adding to the people’s conspiracies that this is all a big fake.  

 

These people spend countless hours watching videos online, commenting on social media, and talking nonsense to their friends, family, and coworkers when instead, 15 min of solid fact-based research and a 10 min drive to a CVS are two actions that could save their life. But so many are continuing to buck the system and refuse.

 

President Biden spoke this week and stated his frustrations. “We have been patient, but now our patience is wearing thin,” he said during his nearly 30 min speech discussing his multi-step plan to defeat covid.

 

But the real question is: why are so many people still refusing to get the vaccine?

 

Mistrust in the government and politics have certainly played a role, as well as misinformation. But if Americans were more scientifically inclined, this would not be an issue.

 

Despite America having one of the top 5 funded education systems globally, our scores drop lower and lower every few years in both science and math. Currently, the US is nearly 24^th in science education and 38th in math. This is even though we spend more money than almost all the countries that are beating us. So, if it’s not funding, what is it?

 

One issue appears to be Americans' lack of knowledge in the system that science operates inside of. Americans do not fully grasp the fact that science is the only profession where you are constantly trying to disprove yourself or your colleagues. If a large group of scientists make a specific claim, backed by research and data, that claim is most often valid. And it’s been proven true because hundreds if not thousands of scientists and researchers have spent time trying to disprove it. Even today, many Americans do not believe in basic scientific facts, such as climate change or evolution.

 

Americans watched the system of science unfold in front of their very eyes with Covid-19. They watched as the nation’s top scientists said one thing. "no need for public to wear a mask," and then changed to "time to mask up." The scientifically inclined Americans recognized this as simply the trials and errors of science. As more information came in, the data changed, and masking appeared to be a better option. However, to the Americans that do not understand how the process of science works, this created untrust right from the beginning.

 

Another problem is sequencing in our education system. Often, if you compare significant concepts taught in US schools to schools worldwide (the human eye, tectonic plates, evolution, biology), the US tends to teach in the wrong order. While other countries reserve complex subjects for students who have a good grasp on basics, American students are taught mere facts (such as the parts of the human eye but NOT the physics behind sight) instead of scaffolding the information from simplest to the most complex. This means that American students are often taught complex scientific concepts with little to no base information. This seemingly backward form of educating science combined with the inability to read and research appropriately makes for students who cannot grasp fact from fiction. And decades of this form of education coupled with constant attacks on teaching science (such as evolution) has produced entire generations of Americans who have difficulty examining even simple information. This is detrimental when Americans need to be able to decipher information as factual or fiction based on the scientific data provided. Americans are struggling to do this. And this has become painfully obvious over the past 18 or so months.

 

Many Americans believe masks do not work. The science proves otherwise. Many Americans believe the covid vaccine was rushed, is not safe, or is not even FDA approved; those claims are all false. The truth is, many Americans do not have the base level of science education to critically think about the issues presented to them during a global pandemic. And we see that nearly every day in the news, some poor person died from covid because they refused to mask up or get the vaccine, and now their entire family is on television begging for everyone to wear a mask and get vaccinated. And despite the excessive amount of unnecessary human suffering we have seen, Americans continue to appear to deny science.

 

We do know that the more educated you are above a high school diploma, the higher your science scores appear to be, with postgraduates scoring the most elevated, nearly twice the score of those with a high school diploma. But with higher education becoming more expensive by the year, it should concern us that America will continue to struggle with basic scientific concepts for many years to come.

 

The bottom line is this: Americans lack the science education necessary to make crucial decisions as a country, such as wearing a mask and receiving a vaccine, and because of this deficit in knowledge, death and human suffering has increased exponentially. Many experts believe that a return to everyday life will continue to be delayed the longer Americans fight against science, and that is a real tragedy.

Simon Biles dropping out has America wondering why

Imagine, if you will, you are Simon Biles the day you dropped out of the Olympics. You spent the rest of the day cheering on your teammates and trying to remain positive. That evening while in your room, you open your laptop to see that the news has broken of you dropping out. You make the mistake of reading some comments on Facebook, Instagram, and news stories. You see a Facebook post that has several thousand shares and thousands of comments; it’s a picture of a gymnast you recognize, Kerri Strug, the gymnast that competed after sustaining an ankle injury that should have knocked her out of the competition. The headline reads something like, “this is what real heart looks like.” You are crestfallen.

 

Simone didn’t have an apparent physical injury; she had a mental block. This is not a satisfactory excuse for some Americans.

 

Why do Americans treat mental health issues separately from health issues? If Simon Biles had pulled a hamstring, do you think so many Americans would be expressing their disappointment in her lack of “grit”?

 

The truth is mental health is health; it has the word health in it. Simon Biles is the world’s best gymnast, and that is not an opinion that is a fact. Her routines are so complicated that other gymnasts do not even attempt them. It is truly impressive that a 24-year-old woman had the mental capacity to know that if she stepped out onto that mat and her mind was not in the right place, she could injure herself and ruin her entire career. By walking away from this competition, she very well might have done the hardest things she will ever have to do -- and this is a young woman who just recently spoke publicly about sexual abuse, another onerous thing to do.

 

The comments online really are disheartening, disgusting, and genuinely make me wonder what happened to the hearts of all these Americans. These Americans have no problem calling this girl a failure, a disgrace, and a disappointment. These Americans talk about how this younger generation has no heart when, in reality, the millennial generation is the first generation to recognize and understand that mental health is just as important as physical health. The brain is an organ just like a heart, and you must take care of it. The boomer generation does not understand this and has shunned those who have sought mental health help for decades, those who have tried to raise mental health awareness, and even those who take medications for their mental health. Because the generation before did not believe that mental health was a priority, we are left with an entire system that does not take mental health seriously and makes seeking mental health care a problematic task.

 

Capitalism taught the older generations that it is okay to break your body and mind for your dreams and goals. Capitalism poisoned multiple generations into believing the only way to be successful is to sacrifice things, sacrifice time with friends, sacrifice time with family, sacrifice your physical well-being, and sacrifice your mental well-being. However, the younger generation has realized it’s much more essential to have a work-life balance than bragging about your 80 or 90, or 100-hour workweek. And we can observe these ideals now in the reaction to Simon Biles dropping out. Why on earth are so many Americans so judgmental of this girl when it affects nothing in their lives? It is curious to think that perhaps not as many people would be supporting her success as much as they are criticizing what they view as her failures.

 

Sacrificing your physical or mental well-being for entertainment or representing an abstract concept, such as “America,” isn’t right, and it certainly isn’t fair. As Americans, we should support the idea that while we love to be the best in the world and win gold medals and celebrate our successes, we must recognize that sometimes, sacrificing too much for those successes makes it not worth it in the end. If Simon Biles had stepped onto that mat and broke her leg, people would have been critical of her decision to do so. Unfortunately, in today’s culture, she will always be criticized. But she is used to it, and she has survived it, and she will continue to survive it and be the best she can be. She understands how important her mental health is, more important than winning, and that must have been a challenging concept to handle.

 

Our athletes in this country are committing suicide by shooting themselves in the chest so that their brains are intact for autopsy because they knew something was wrong with them. And America seems to be okay with that. America was more upset several years ago about NFL players kneeling than about all the CTE controversy and the NFL’s cover-up. Or the fact that so many players leave the NFL with long-term brain damage, then it didn’t matter how successful they were and how much money they made; they can’t enjoy the rest of their lives because they have such severe brain damage. But that’s not what you saw on the Internet; what you saw instead were people burning jerseys because they were upset about a silent protest, a protest that harmed no one.

 

Many of us in this country are disappointed that Simon Biles had to drop out. We have watched her routines, and her docu-series, and her interviews, and we have become fans of this young woman. So, it is disappointing to see her not be able to compete. However, it is even more heartbreaking to think that so many Americans think what she did was weak when in reality, this is probably the strongest she’s ever been. And that is what makes Simon Biles the greatest gymnast of all time.

Missouri number one in nation for new Covid-19 cases

When I read that headline, as both a Missourian and a nurse, I am disheartened. 

 

Rural counties seem to be the areas of the State that were hit the hardest in the past several weeks. While many states have continued to see a steady decrease in cases, Missouri has seen a 72% increase. This is the highest percentage increase in the nation for the week it was recorded in July.

 

While this might be shocking for some, for healthcare workers, it is not. Missouri never had a state mask mandate. Governor Parsons has failed time and time again as he stumbled his way through this pandemic. He criticizes the federal government's plans but enacts none of his own. He has claimed that he requested that Missourians "take personal responsibility" but has minimalized the crisis on many levels once stated in an interview, "I don't think there is doomsday for the State of Missouri or the United States over COVID-19. It's something we have to be concerned with. But to try to put that into a fear category is wrong. This is like viruses we've dealt with before." But Parsons was wrong, and this virus was NOT like something we have dealt with in many decades. 

 

Instead of focusing on solutions to the crisis, he recently signed a law limiting what public health officials can do during this pandemic. This legislation tied the arms of the healthcare workers that are so desperately trying to save lives. Hospitals in Joplin and Springfield are filling up quickly, and with the new Delta variant, we are not sure how fast this 1000+ new cases a day could turn into several thousand. And with low vaccination rates and virtually no mask compliance in rural areas, this virus could spread even faster than before. 

 

We do not need to hurt Missouri's economy to stop this outbreak. We need to enact a straightforward strategy three-step strategy.

One, Missouri needs a statewide mask mandate, effective immediately.

Two, lift all restrictions on health departments and grant emergency funds to hire staff for testing, trace, and resources needed to contact those potentially exposed so they may self isolate.

Three, fund education and outreach on the effectiveness of vaccines, more people will take them if they understand that in the last several months, only about 0.01% of hospitalizations from Covid-19 were vaccinated, the other 99+% were unvaccinated, simply stated: vaccines work. And more Missourians should be aware of that fact.

Parson's shaky response to the pandemic and his current plan has failed Missouri and cost the lives of thousands of Missourians. Instead of his administration focusing on the science of viral spread and investing in programs and entities that could easily combat this disease, he instead is vehemently protecting organizations from any Covid-19 related lawsuits. 

 

 "I hope the first piece of legislation to hit my desk this year is a clean COVID-19 liability protection bill," Parsons stated during his State of the State address several months ago. He continued with: "Missouri businesses, manufacturers, health care providers, schools, churches, and many other entities across the state did not hesitate to step up and help their communities in the fight against COVID-19," he said. "None of these groups should be penalized for their efforts to help." 

 

Why would an organization be penalized for helping during a pandemic? If organizations and businesses did the right thing (offered testing, required masking & social distancing in the workplace, etc.), they would not have to worry about possible litigation. 

 

But we see instead another conservative protecting the rights of businesses and churches over individual's rights. It shows us the true nature of Parsons and his administration. 

 

Like many republicans nationwide, Parsons will never admit to a blundered pandemic response that costs the lives of thousands of Missourians. A pandemic that strained hospital systems statewide, all while refusing help or aid from the federal government. His legacy for Missouri will be one of unnecessary loss of life. Hundreds of thousands of families impacted in Missouri by this virus, from family members being hospitalized or dying from Covid-19 to the thousands of healthcare workers and their families strained by the workload. Finally, all of the families are negatively affected financially by this pandemic. All of whom Parsons has willfully ignored. And that will be his legacy.

Resources for vaccinations in Missouri here:

https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/

Information on tracking the spread of Covid-19 here:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/09/01/816707182/map-tracking-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-in-the-u-s

Marco Rubio’s tweet is a prime example of a disconnected political party

 

On Fathers Day, Marco Rubio took to Twitter to declare the following:

"Every major social problem in America can be linked to fatherlessness. Wherever involved fathers are rare, crisis is certain to follow and billions in government spending is no substitute for fatherhood."

This tweet is incredibly tone-deaf, especially to lesbian couples or single mothers. Same-sex couples are adopting more and more children every year, which we should support as a society. Anytime a child can be taken out of the system and placed into a loving home is a win. And what about single mothers who left due to an abusive partner? Rubio seems to have overlooked entirely several other categories of the family unit. Isn't America's greatest strength that we are a melting pot of different races, religions, beliefs, and family structures? Conservatives are always the loudest to yell about how great America is but always the first to forget what makes it so.

But that's not surprising considering the republican party has been neither kind nor inclusive to these sorts of families. Conservatives have never really strived to be a party of inclusion. In fact, in the past ten years, one could argue that conservatism is more about what you "aren't" than what you "are," e.i. not socialist, not lazy, not elitist, not Hollywood, not Antifa, not "woke," not liberal. Hate for liberals better defines the modern-day GOP than any other description.

What is only slightly more shocking is how ridiculous the claim is that "every major social problem" could be fixed by simply having more fathers around. Homelessness? Jobs? Education? Clean air & water? Access to healthy food? Healthcare? Child care? College access? While one could very easily argue that several of these issues could be linked back to the very clique definition of a "broken home," making a blanket statement that having fathers inside a house will solve all of society's problems is absurd. The party of "personal responsibility" strikes again. Which, let's be honest, is just a cop-out; it's effortless to blame society for its faults instead of engaging in meaningful conversations about real-world solutions. "Well, only if fathers were around more, we wouldn't have the student loan crisis." See how ridiculous that sounds?

But ignorant and blanket judgmental non-substantive statements are the earmark of what the conservative party in America does. Instead of debating the merits of climate change legislation, they would rather claim that Biden is "coming for your hamburgers." Instead of supporting a thorough investigation of the insurrection that led to the deaths of several officers, they would rather claim that it was Antifa disguised as Trump supporters. Always an excuse. Always a distraction.

Marco Rubio's tweet is an excellent summation of the GOP in America today: never a substantial argument or conversation, never a real solution, always just an exaggerated problem.