Long Term Effects of Marijuana

Long-Term Effects on the Body

People who smoke marijuana tend to pull in deep breaths of smoke and hold that smoke in their lungs for long periods of time. People who use marijuana in conjunction with tobacco could be exposing their lungs to dangerous amounts of carcinogens as a result of this practice. Even people who do not use tobacco with their marijuana could face a higher risk of chest colds and chronic coughs due to the constant exposure of smoke to their lungs.

The NIDA also reports that smoking marijuana can cause serious long-term damage to the heart. The drug increases heart rate 25 to 100 times, and it can cause some people to experience a skipping, jittering, out-of-control heart rhythm. People who have existing heart conditions may be at particular risk for this side effect, and it’s possible that some people could have heart abnormalities and not even know it. These people could be exposing their heart to damaging chemicals, making their underlying problem even worse.
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Long-Term Effects on the Mind

While these bodily side effects might be frightening, the mental risks of marijuana abuse are far more extensive and can be much more severe. For example, a study published in the journal The Lancet found a clear link between chronic use of marijuana and the mental illness schizophrenia. People who used marijuana on more than 50 occasions had a much higher risk of developing schizophrenia than did people who had used marijuana fewer than 50 times. That risk persisted, even when researchers controlled for other mental illness risks and economic status. In other words, marijuana use and this mental illness are closely linked. Researchers aren’t yet sure why this link exists, and more work is ongoing on this issue.

Chronic marijuana use has also been linked to a wide variety of other mental illnesses, including depression. A study published in BMJ found that daily use of marijuana resulted in a five-fold increase in the risk of depression in young adults. Weekly use of marijuana resulted in a two-fold increase in the risk of depression. Interestingly, the researchers also attempted to discern if these young adults used marijuana because they were depressed. In other words, they tried to discern if the link was there because people who are depressed used marijuana to help with their depression or if marijuana use itself caused the depression. Researchers found no link between depression scores and later augmented use. It seems that the depression was caused by the drug use.

In addition to serious and chronic mental illnesses, marijuana use has been linked to cognitive declines. People who abuse marijuana slow down the speed and function of their minds, and they may be working at an impaired level of cognition most, if not all, of the time. One study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Associationfound that people who used marijuana over a long period of time performed worse on tests of memory and learning than people who did not use marijuana. The poor scores on the test were directly correlated with the length of time the person used marijuana. In other words, the longer the person used the drug, the worse score the person got on the test. It’s clear that marijuana can have a serious impact on the brain’s ability to function properly.

Marijuana has also been linked to a form of apathy, particularly in young people. Smoking marijuana seems to make people feel disconnected, sedated and unable to work up the energy to achieve a goal. It’s possible that the underlying mental illnesses caused by marijuana use, combined with the lower level of brain activity caused by marijuana, could stand behind this lack of motivation. But, it’s also possible that this is a separate mental illness altogether.

http://rehab-international.org/marijuana-addiction/

Installment three on the the Politics of Food: The Scott comments on "The politics of food, the second installment"

I felt that his "comment" was actually a topic... all of its own.

"I almost commented on the last thread but they get left so quickly so didn't bother. I almost started a new one but have so much to say on the subject that I don't know where to start.

First I want to comment on a statement made by Mick: "Now, using gene splicing we can do it more efficiently, producing crops with desirable features, like improved nutrition."

Statements like this are what misguide the subject of food THAT WE ARE PROVIDED to eat. 'Gene Splicing' has not raised the nutritional value of one GM modified plant on this planet. While it may make a plant resistant to this or that or grow faster, the only thing that imparts 'nutritional value' to a plant is the medium in which it is grown. Nutrients supplied by fertilizers and crop rotation raise the levels of only three minerals. These three are absolute requirements for the plant to grow... without them the crop WOULD NOT GROW. Good quality growing medium has some 20 plus minerals, generally imparted to the soil by crushed, eroded or leached from rock in the soil. Our soils are extremely depleted of most minerals and they are NEVER replaced. unless a plant is left to decompose in place, minerals taken from the soil are gone and because less crop waste is left on the ground and stalks and leaves are not turned under but instead sold off for other products, those minerals never return. GM increases yield, not quality... Mick, in the link you posted, which was a mouthpiece article of the GM Agribusiness, it equates BRIX as a measurement of sweetness in things like molasses.... Learn about BRIX and why it is a quality marker for vegetables... all vegetables. Their comments were a diversion to the facts because mineral sugars have a big part to play in the ability to digest that vegetable. 

pfunky2222 has summed up in a very succinct way what I have to say. To the subject of affordability, many people are misguided about foods nutritional value and its cost. TD, while your choice of a low salt cracker my be a wiser choice with respect to say.. high blood pressure... but the nutritional value is suspect and costs 3 times that of white bread per calorie. We are being sold grain by Agribusiness, Food industry, Pharmaceutical/medical industry and indeed the government itself. Bigger tax base, cheaper labor and an ever expanding market drive these entities. In fairness to the medical profession I will say that much of their misinformation comes from dubious trials and ‘studies’ guided and supported by vested interests... if the facts do support the conclusion, the information never get coverage. 
The subject of grains as a food source is a complete subject unto itself but suffice to say, A growing number of people are starting to see a disease ridden world in a new light and the chorus focusing on Fat and Sugar are in many ways a diversion... particularly with regards to fat. The need to keep up the grain myth is important on a lot of levels... were it not for grain at least a 1/3 of the world population would have to disappear! Not good for expanding markets and cheap labor. The problems with blaming the ill health of our population (primarily western) completely on poor life choices is that it allows for the discussion to be brushed under the carpet. People must eat X number of calories per day to maintain weight. Without that minimum amount of calories we would eventually die. Taking an average man of around 6 ft. that is about 2500 per day. When you use income as a benchmark for gaining those calories, the type of food you can afford and its effects on how you eat is important. Using current average store prices in UK's ASDA (owned by Walmart  eating bread is 12 times cheaper PER CALORIE than broccoli.. 8 times cheaper than chicken breast and 1.5 times cheaper than potatoes. So if you are on a lower income you are pushed toward the bread and potato sources of calories. For the average person, the retort to this is "So, let them eat bread" To this I say... the story gets more complex."

"Next is the subject of grains. Essential for the feeding of our ever expanding world population, population and food production is yet another subject but suffice to say, grains and starches have become a vital source of nutrients worldwide but most importantly for the poor. Grains like wheat, corn and rice and root vegetables like potatoes  like every other carbohydrate, turns to glucose in the blood stream. The speed with which foods are turned into glucose creates several responses in the body. One of those responses is a rise in insulin who’s’ job it is to carry glucose to all of the cells in the body for ready energy. The faster foods turn to glucose the higher the insulin response and the faster cells must absorb the sugar out of the blood stream because the body does not like high blood sugar. 

What is never talked about is the fact that refined carbohydrates found in breads, pastas, mashed potatoes  gravy and a thousand other products is that they turn to glucose just as fast as sugars like the much maligned high fructose corn syrup. Because of this spike of sugar in the bloodstream we get energy and a feeling of fullness but that feeling does not last but about 2 hours and the body starts signalling again that it is hungry. Fats and complex carbohydrates convert slower and keep a feeling of satiety much longer. The fact is that people who for whatever reason have a diet strongly based around these foods will actually go through a physical withdrawal process that lasts 3 to 4 days. Try not eating any sugars, grains, or starches for a week.... be careful of what you eat... they appear in many products in many different ways and be sure to have plenty of other foods on had... you might find yourself seriously calorie deficient.
While the cause for diabetes is not known, a serious line of thought is that over time the ingestion of these high glycemic foods punish cells forcing them to absorb glucose they do not need to the point where they start refusing to take it. The more cells resist the greater the response from the pancreas to produce more insulin to ‘force’ the cells to accept the glucose (insulin resistance) and punishes the pancreas which has to produce higher and higher responses to these foods and over time causing the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin to be damaged. What does that have to do with low income people? If you have to by 17500 calories and need to spent up to 40% of your income to get the cheapest available... You purchase them in the form of bread and potatoes because that is what you can afford; you set yourself up of repeated bouts of hunger which leads you by the hand to a whole host of metabolic problems culminating in diabetes. People want to blame the problem exclusively on personal control and the inability to put down that big gulp. That is certainly a problem of a rather idol society but it doesn't explain why consistently 20 years after world food organizations enter a third world country with aid, that the country develops a diabetes problem. Those people are still poor... they don't get Big Macs, or Big Gulps or Jumbo sized Snickers.... they get refined grains... very little meat protein and almost no fats. The attack on sugars in food, while very relevant diverts attention from the damage grains and starches are doing to our health... but we wouldn't want the world to know that grains really aren't very good foods... I had someone ask me a while back... why do I think that it is never heard of other mammals, other than members of the Rodentia family, ravaging fields of grain but they will lay waste to vegetables in the next field."

BenghaziGATE, This is the week the lid blows off

CIA career officials clearly and repeatedly identified Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda-linked Islamic terrorists as the culprits behind the murder of four Americans.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/05/the_man_behind_the_benghazi_cover-up.html#ixzz2SWlYw5V5

Much worse than Watergate: Americans need a fullscale investigation of Benghazi

Jeffrey T. Kuhner
Benghazi may turn out to be President Obama’s Watergate.
The scandal is a growing cancer on the administration, threatening its very existence. The more information comes out, the more damning it is. This is why Democrats — and their media allies — are desperately trying to sweep the truth under the rug. Mr. Obama’s political survival is at stake.
High-profile lawyers Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing are in touch with State Department whistleblowers who were on the ground in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012, when our diplomatic mission was attacked by jihadists. Mr. diGenova says they can no longer remain silent.
The whistleblowers want to testify before a House congressional committee. There is only one problem. According to Mr. diGenova and Ms. Toensing, the whistleblowers are being prevented — and intimidated — from speaking out by the Obama administration.
Vindictive State Department officials are denying their request for legal representation. Since the whistleblowers’ potential testimony relates to classified information, they refuse to go forward in public without effective legal representation. The possible personal and professional consequences are immense.

If — and I stress if — they testify, then the Obama presidency is in mortal jeopardy. Mr. diGenova stresses that the whistleblowers possess information that will expose the administration’s lies and cover-up. Republicans on Capitol Hill should pursue this scandal to the end.
Benghazi should have been prevented. During the summer of 2012, Al Qaida thugs were roaming the streets of the city. The Red Cross and the British diplomatic mission pulled out. Our consulate had been physically attacked several times. This is why U.S. officials there repeatedly asked the State Department for bolstered security. It was denied.
Then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton testified under oath at a House hearing in January that she was unaware of any requests for extra security.
“I have made it very clear that the security cables did not come to my attention,” she said. That is false. According to a recent congressional report, Mrs. Clinton knew about the cables. In fact, she not only denied the extra protection, she explicitly ordered that consulate security be cut back. The report cites an April 19, 2012, cable bearing Mrs. Clinton’s signature that acknowledges the demand for more security assistance but insists that reductions in security assets should continue.
Moreover, the report also found that State Department officials deliberately manipulated White House talking points to remove any references of culpability by Foggy Bottom for the negligence in security.
The connections to terrorism and Al Qaida were purged. The White House wanted to shield Mr. Obama from any political damage in the midst of an election campaign. The administration covered up the obvious: Far from being smashed, Al Qaida had mounted a successful jihadist attack on U.S. soil, killing four Americans — including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. This is why Mr. Obama’s surrogates concocted the patently false narrative of a flash mob storming the consulate in protest of an anti-Muslim video. Their goal was to deceive the American public.
The media is also deliberately ignoring another aspect of Benghazigate. The administration refused to send in military reinforcements as Islamist thugs were storming the consulate. AC-130 gunships and U.S. special forces were at a military base only several hours away. They could have rescued our besieged personnel from the compound. Instead, they were ordered to do nothing, leaving Stevens and his colleagues twisting in the wind.
The attack continued for more than nine hours. Yet Mr. Obama refused to lift a finger to save endangered American lives.
Why is the administration so determined to stonewall a serious investigation into Benghazi? The real answer may lie beyond cynical politics. Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, has repeatedly asked about the CIA’s alleged illicit role in smuggling weapons from our Benghazi compound to Turkey and eventually into Syria. The Obama administration has been secretly arming the Islamic rebels in the vicious Syrian civil war, according to numerous news organizations. Mr. Paul has cited multiple media reports documenting the CIA smuggling operation in Benghazi. Stevens was critical of the operation. He also feared for his life.
The truth about Benghazi could expose the CIA’s clandestine involvement. If that is the case, the Obama administration would be implicated not only in something nefarious, but a lawless and criminal enterprise. Mr. Obama would be no better than a gunrunner, an international arms smuggler. Even his leftist media hacks would have to abandon him.
This is why Republicans must demand Watergate-style hearings on Benghazi. The American people have a right to know whether the president is a criminal.
Benghazigate is much worse than Watergate. At its core, Watergate was about the cover-up of a third-rate burglary. For this crime, President Nixon was forced to resign. Benghazigate is about the cover-up of the killing of four Americans. The families of Stevens, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods and Sean Smith deserve to know the truth. It’s time we gave it to them. Let the whistleblowers speak.

 http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/05/05/much-worse-than-watergate-americans-need-a-fullscale-investigation-of-benghazi/

MARZI, An innocent observer of world-shaking events

http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/marzi

MARZI

 

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"I am Marzi, born in 1979, ten years before the end of communism in Poland. My father works at a factory, my mother at a dairy. Social problems are at their height. Empty stores are our daily bread. I'm scared of spiders, and the world of adults doesn't seem like a walk in the park."Told from a young girl's perspective, Marzena Sowa's memoir of a childhood shaped by politics feels remarkably fresh and immediate. Structured as a series of vignettes that build on one another, MARZI is a compelling and powerful coming-of-age story that portrays the harsh realities of life behind the Iron Curtain while maintaining the everyday wonders and curiosity of childhood. With open and engaging art by Sylvain Savoia, MARZI is a moving and resonant story of an ordinary girl in turbulent, changing times.Advance Praise for Marzi: "With humor and perspective reminiscent of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis (2003), debut author Marzena Sowa ("Marzi") shows readers what life was like for her as a young girl growing up in what would soon become post–Communist Poland." —Booklist "A collection of episodes from Sowa's childhood form an engrossing picture of growing up in Communist Poland on the cusp of revolution. With the wide-eyed and skinny characterization of her child self (drawn by Belgian cartoonist Savoia), Sowa tells stories that evoke classic images of the Iron Curtain—long lines into sparsely stocked grocery stores, concrete apartment buildings, and factory smoke stacks—with a personal perspective." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Funny, sweet, complex and beautifully illustrated, I recommend it for every bookshelf. I can't wait to share it with everyone I know!" —Jill Thompson, Award-winning illustrator of Little Endless, Sandman and creator of Scary Godmother and Magic Trixie "Seldom has a book so perfectly caught the child's-eye view of the adult world. An innocent observer of world-shaking events, Marzi is also a thoroughly lovable and engaging narrator, and she fills these pages to bursting." —Mike Carey, New York Times bestselling author of The Unwritten

Mexican Drug Cartels now reside in 1,200 American communities

Thanks BHO.

 Mexican drug cartels reside in 1,200 American communities as of 2011, up from 230 in 2008, according to the Associated Press. Below is a map that shows just how many states have been penetrated, according to the National Post's special report on the topic. Link to Map: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=211583255200445972949.0004db306f524dc7f6bc3&ie=UTF8&t=m&source=embed&ll=38.272689,-96.152344&spn=32.935553,56.25&z=4

Obama Blames U.S. For Gun Violence In Mexico

Obama Blames U.S. For Gun Violence In Mexico, Pushes For Gun Control

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"Most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States," President Obama said during a speech at Mexico's Anthropology Museum. "I think many of you know that in America, our Constitution guarantees our individual right to bear arms. And as president, I swore an oath to uphold that right, and I always will."

"But at the same time, as I’ve said in the United States, I will continue to do everything in my power to pass common-sense reforms that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people. That can save lives here in Mexico and back home in the United States. It’s the right thing to do," Obama added.

The politics of food, the second installment in a theme that America needs to address.

In the first effort, "Is food political? I contend it is the most leveraged item on the planet.  I touched on food and healthcare, how it determines elections, and that the notion that if we ate right would we have needed Obamacare, and how we can possibly make better choices to add years to our lives. 

In this segment the focus will change to the selling of food.  Whole channels on the cable and dish networks are dedicated to food.  For example:  http://www.foodchannel.com/. The Food Channel, "Our Mission The Food Channel is a media company that is in the business of creating and publishing original content in order to provide food knowledge to the world.—trends, stories, recipes, products and show—to people in an entertaining way.

We are both author and finder of original talent, giving others a place for publication. While we originate and develop content, we also provide the electronic media to deliver and display the content online and via mobile. 

Our Mission

The Food Channel is a media company that is in the business of creating and publishing original content in order to provide food knowledge to the world. That means we:

1. Develop new recipes and insights into food, at times using new products on the market or offering menu innovation based around trends
2. Test food and food-related products to evaluate and rank the "best"
3. Offer our knowledge through foodchannel.com and its affiliates

WOW the Food Channel!  I bet all of us here watch it every day, or.. We have never watched it and even if we stumbled across it we wouldn't watch it.

Would this channel be something the government could use?  A channel dedicated to shaping your diets, all of us as a country eating what the government wants us to.  Why, to live longer...?

I think not.  Food stamps, this is the U.S. food channel, is it not?  Should it be, should we demand of our Congress person a law to guide our eating habits, we have these laws for our public school children, why not the adults?  I think some municipalities are already passing these laws, soft drinks, toys in the bag with the food, law after law creeping into our "free" society in city after city and state after state that control what we eat and the portion size, and if one can smoke nearby these eating establishments.

How on earth did we get to this point!!!  Are we adults so intellectually challenged that we need our government to legislate what and how much one consumes?

Yes, clearly the explosion of choices we have now as compared to 30 - 40 years ago has ruined our health, made slaves of the poor and made "X" percent of the population overweight enough to force our healthcare system to collapse into the hands of greedy insurance companies and vote hungry politicians, with no end in sight and with no end of the expanding cost of our healthcare.

What will be the next industry to collapse do to our collective eating habits, the insurance industry or the medical industry?  Or will the private businesses in this country, facing enormous costs to figure out how to still make a profit all the while juggling Obamacare, price in rising food costs that dwindling full time employees  will have to figure out on their own as employers drop healthcare, or will the local hospitals just pick up the slack just as they always have... And what will be the cost of THAT!!!

Socialists Activities Tuned Violent ... but that is not what the headlines say......

Hundreds of sign-carrying, flag-waving demonstrators jammed downtown streets Wednesday in a series of May Day marches and rallies — some at the peak of afternoon rush hour — protesting capitalism, promoting worker rights and pushing for changes in federal immigration laws.

From the Central Area to Capitol Hill to downtown, the daytime marches and rallies were peaceful. But by 8 p.m. the scene was starting to show signs reminiscent of May Day 2012, when groups of demonstrators, including black-clad anarchists, broke free from a march and smashed windows in businesses, a courthouse and cars.

By evening’s end Wednesday, police were pushing the mob back using pepper spray, there were 17 arrests and eight officers injured — mostly scrapes and bruises — and the streets were littered with debris.

From the start, police seemed determined to carry out their main goal: Let protesters peacefully move about the city while not tolerating lawbreaking affecting property and safety.

The march in support of immigration reform drew the largest crowd — between 3,000 and 4,000 people who rallied at Judkins Park early in the afternoon before taking a circuitous route through the Chinatown International District for a later rally at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle.

From along sidewalks and inside stranded cars, from downtown overhangs and in the windows of office and apartment towers, onlookers crowded in to watch as marchers chanted and waved flags and signs.

One read “No human is illegal.” Another said to heck with weed, “ ... legalize my mom.”

This year’s march took on a certain urgency, coming just two weeks after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill that, among other things, would grant legal status to an estimated 10 million people in this country unlawfully.

“This is it,” Mauricio Ayon, legislative director for Washington Community Action Network, said as he marched down Fourth Avenue. “The tide is turning on this issue, and I don’t think anybody wants to be caught on the wrong side of it.”

At the rally in Judkins Park, Pablo Alvarado, of Shelton, Mason County, wore long sheets of sketch paper over his clothes, scrawled with marker: “We are not immigrants, not criminals ... not foreigners” it said on the front. And on the back it added: “We are original inhabitants of this continent.”

Alvarado, who said he was an undocumented worker originally from Mexico, said he wanted to achieve legal status and to be treated with dignity.

The spectacle of these marches by people — some of whom entered the country illegally — doesn’t sit well with everyone.

“The irony here is that a day that has been set aside around the world to celebrate labor has been co-opted by people who are undermining the interest of American workers,” said Ira Mehlman, Seattle-based spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

During the afternoon march, police flooded the streets with bicycle officers, who moved with the march ers in staggered groups in what clearly was the main strategy for marshaling the demonstration.

Police put more officers on the street than last year, when violent protesters took advantage of poor preparation by the department, mixed messages on what force could be used and undermanned ranks.

Two reviews found fault with the Seattle Police Department, leading to highly detailed planning this year.

Some protesters during various marches Wednesday taunted officers, but police did not respond.

Among those in the crowd at Judkins was Seattle attorney Peter Ehrlichman, who is the deputy monitor overseeing a court-imposed settlement agreement between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice to address a federal finding that Seattle police too often resort to excessive force.

As the immigration march moved through downtown, the route was watched not only by police on horseback and bicycle — but also by a crew of self-described Seattle “superheroes” dressed in costumes. They stood together watching for trouble.

One of them, wearing a blue and red mask and going by the name El Caballero, stood in front of a Wells Fargo Bank branch as marchers paused in front and shouted anti-bank slogans. They quickly moved on, and El Caballero said: “It’s been pretty mellow so far.”

As the evening wore on, the tone changed. Most of the immigration ralliers dispersed, and by 6 p.m., what appeared to be a new group of protesters took to the streets, and the tension began to mount.

There were a few signs of mischief during an evening march downtown — one person jumped up and ran over a row of parked cars, smoke devices were set off — but the mood got more intense as the group walked into the Westlake Mall area chanting “Let’s go shopping, let’s go shopping.” A row of security guards came out of NikeTown and planted themselves around the storefront.

The crowd stalled out at Fourth Avenue and Pine Street while people tried to decide which direction to go. One woman said jokingly, “This is the downside of anarchy. We need a leader.” A few men started talking about going over to “mess with the cops.”

Police say demonstrators started to shove and attack reporters covering the event.

Protesters, many dressed all in black, eventually began setting off fireworks and throwing things at officers.

Officers moved in and began arresting people, police said. As officers were putting those arrested into a van to take them away, protesters circled the van to keep it from driving away.

They used concussion grenades and pepper spray, as well.

Seven of the eight officers injured suffered minor injuries and the eight suffered a more serious injury when she was hit in the leg by a rock.

Police say their handling of the night’s event was a success.

“What we saw was a gradual evolution that turned into an escalation. It was slow but steady,” said police spokesman Sean Whitcomb.

People broke windows at Capitol Hill’s Sun Liquor, a Walgreens and Bill’s Off Broadway, as well as on various cars.

“I sure hope this doesn’t become a tradition, because this doesn’t reflect the best of Seattle by any means,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “We’re a bigger, better city than this.”

By 11 p.m., at least 17 people had been arrested on suspicion of crimes ranging from assault to vandalism. The crowd began to dwindle, and some people were out in the streets picking up garbage from the overturned trash cans.

Duke hikes fees to provide sex-change surgery to students

Duke University plans to raise its student fees in order pay for students' sex reassignment surgery.

Duke University recently made the decision to raise student fees in order add sex-reassignment surgery to their healthcare plan.

The private university, located in North Carolina, follows Brown and other universities in offering coverage for the controversial operation.

Administrators say they will cover the cost of the reassignment surgery up to $50,000 that will be covered with a cause a 0.3 percent increase to overall student fees.

LGBT advocates on campus immediately celebrated the university’s decision.

“The addition of sexual reassignment surgery with a $50,000 cap makes Duke’s student health care plan one of the most, if not the most, transgender-inclusive plans in the country,” Sunny Frothingham, the outreach chair for Blue Devils United told the Duke Chronicle last week.

The official plan is in-line with a Student Government Resolution passed last March that called upon the school to cover sex change operations. The school previously covered mental health care, hormone therapy and breast augmentation and reduction surgery to students who wished to change their gender.

There are 37 universities in America that cover sex change operations, according to TransgenderLaw.org. Emory University is the only other college in the Southeast, besides Duke, to offer sexual reassignment surgery to students.

PENTAGON MAY COURT MARTIAL SOLDIERS WHO SHARE CHRISTIAN FAITH

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The Pentagon has released a statement confirming that soldiers could be prosecuted for promoting their faith: "Religious proselytization is not permitted within the Department of Defense...Court martials and non-judicial punishments are decided on a case-by-case basis...”. 

The statement, released to Fox News, follows a Breitbart News report on Obama administration Pentagon appointees meeting with anti-Christian extremist Mikey Weinstein to develop court-martial procedures to punish Christians in the military who express or share their faith. 

(From our earlier report: Weinstein is the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and says Christians--including chaplains--sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the military are guilty of “treason,” and of committing an act of “spiritual rape” as serious a crime as “sexual assault.” He also asserted that Christians sharing their faith in the military are “enemies of the Constitution.”)

Being convicted in a court martial means that a soldier has committed a crime under federal military law. Punishment for a court martial can include imprisonment and being dishonorably discharged from the military. 

So President Barack Obama’s civilian appointees who lead the Pentagon are confirming that the military will make it a crime--possibly resulting in imprisonment--for those in uniform to share their faith. This would include chaplains—military officers who are ordained clergymen of their faith (mostly Christian pastors or priests, or Jewish rabbis)--whose duty since the founding of the U.S. military under George Washington is to teach their faith and minister to the spiritual needs of troops who come to them for counsel, instruction, or comfort.

This regulation would severely limit expressions of faith in the military, even on a one-to-one basis between close friends. It could also effectively abolish the position of chaplain in the military, as it would not allow chaplains (or any service members, for that matter), to say anything about their faith that others say led them to think they were being encouraged to make faith part of their life. It’s difficult to imagine how a member of the clergy could give spiritual counseling without saying anything that might be perceived in that fashion.

In response to the Pentagon’s plans, retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, who is now executive vice president of the Family Research Council (FRC), said on Fox & Friends Wednesday morning:

It’s a matter of what do they mean by "proselytizing." ...I think they’ve got their defintions a little confused. If you’re talking about coercion that’s one thing, but if you’re talking about the free exercise of our faith as individual soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, especially for the chaplains, they I think the worst thing we can do is stop the ability for a soldier to be able to exercise his faith.”

FRC has launched a petition here which has already collected over 30,000 signatures, calling on Secretary Hagel is stop working with Weinstein and his anti-Christian organization to develop military policy regarding religious faith.

**UPDATE**

The FRC petition has now exceeded more than 40,000 signatures at the time of this update.