NEW YOR K | DC EDITION
00
In the News
NEWS
A Texas county lieutenant
says that sex traffickers can
be “anyone” and continuing
to rescue victims is worth it
if even one life can be saved.
... A4
Delta Air Lines is requir-
ing all new employees to get
COVID-19 vaccines, becoming
one of the first U.S. companies
to mandate the shots. ... A5
The nine campuses of the
University of California sys-
tem will no longer consider
standardized testing scores
as part of the admission pro-
cess, beginning this fall. ... A7
The Chinese regime is
heavily relying on Twitter and
Facebook to broadcast its
state propaganda to a global
audience, reports say. ... A10
UK Prime Minister Boris
Johnson says that there’s
“nothing conclusive” at the mo-
ment to suggest England needs
to delay its reopening. ... A9
Around 2,500 Falun Gong
practitioners paraded through
Manhattan on May 13 to mark
World Falun Dafa Day. ... A10
Pastors in China’s Christian
churches are now preach-
ing the Chinese Communist
Party’s ideology as the regime
pushes communism onto reli-
gions. ... A11
A U.S. Space Force com-
manding officer was removed
from his post after publishing a
book that warned of the spread
of Marxism and critical race
theory in the military. ... A1
OPINION
Rob Natelson: Defending the
Constitution: Limits on Federal
Authority ... A13
Roger Kimball: The Way We
Live Now ... A17
Cheng Xiaonong: Why
Has ‘Global Warming’ Disap-
peared? ... A15
FEATURES
Thomas Jefferson wrote
his rules for life in “A Deca-
logue of Canons for Observa-
tion in Practical Life.” ... B1
Film star Audrey Hepburn
had such timeless style that
her iconic looks have endured
for decades. ... B9
G.K. Chesterton’s poet-
ry—though less known than
his fiction or his journalism—
speak most boldly to us today.
... B8
Researchers continue to
grapple with questions about
the value of vaccines versus
natural immunity. ... C1
Muscles that surround
our spine play many essential
roles in our everyday move-
ment. ... C5
How to teach your kids
about money, no matter their
age. ... D7
Throughout history, young
males have undergone various
tests to mark their entry into
manhood. ... B4
DON’T DELAY.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY.
SUBSCRIBE.THEEPOCHTIMES.COM
Published in New York,
Washington, Houston, Chicago,
Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
THE EPOCH TIMES
(USPS 21-800) is published
weekly by The Epoch
Media Group, 9550 Flair
Dr. Suite 411, El Monte
CA 91731-2922. Periodical
postage paid at El Monte,
CA and additional mailing
offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to
The EPOCH TIMES, 229 W.
28th Street, Floor 5,
New York, NY 10001.
| W E D N E S D A Y, M A Y 19 , 2 0 21
BORDER SECURITY
A Deadly Trek Around a
Border Patrol Checkpoint
70 miles north of the border, a deputy searches for the
bodies of illegal immigrants who died from the elements
By CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON
B
ROOKS COUNTY, Tex-
as—Every week, deputy
sheriff Don White heads
out on remote ranch-
lands to search for the bodies of
illegal immigrants.
Brooks County is about 70 miles
north of the U.S.–Mexico border,
but it’s also where most of the bod-
ies turn up.
The only way to skirt the Border
Patrol checkpoint on U.S. Route
281 is to be dropped off south of it,
walk north on private ranchland,
sometimes for days, and then get
picked up again—the next desti-
nation is usually Houston.
White said many illegal aliens
who are trying to evade capture
are dropped near the county line
12 miles south of the checkpoint.
SEX TRAFFICKING
FIGHTING SEX
TRAFFICKING,
RESCUING
VICTIMS
See Page A4
ECONOMY
Biden’s ‘Build
Back Better’ Plan
Could Shrink
the Economy,
Analysts Say
B y EMEL AKAN
WASHINGTON—President Joe
Biden is calling on Congress to
approve more than $4 trillion in
infrastructure and social welfare
packages as part of his “Build Back
Better” agenda. While his ambitious
plans aim to spur economic and job
growth, analysts predict the pro-
posed spending and tax increases
would shrink the U.S. economy in
the long term.
Continued on A6
Accuracy The Epoch Times was founded in 2000 as an independent newspaper with the goal to restore accuracy and
integrity in media. We have received numerous awards for our reporting, including from the Society of Professional
& Integrity Journalists, the Society for News Design, and the New York Press Association.
Truth & Tradition VOL . X V I I I | NO. 2,964 $3.
CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON/THE EPOCH TIMES
GUN RIGHTS
Supreme Court
Rules Against
Warrantless
Searches for
Handguns
By MATTHEW VADUM
The Supreme Court unanimously
rejected Biden administration argu-
ments in a case from Rhode Island
that police should be allowed to
enter homes without a warrant to
seize handguns.
The ruling in the case, Caniglia v.
Strom, court file 20-157, came May 17.
Erich Pratt, senior vice president
of Gun Owners of America and the
Continued on A3
Sheriff’s search and recovery deputy Don White explains how he searches for
the dead bodies of illegal immigrants, in Brooks County, Texas, on May 13, 2021.
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER PROMPTLY. TIME SENSITIVE NEWS PERIODICAL
THE EPOCH TIMES
So far in 2021, 33 bodies have
been catalogued in the Brooks
County Sheriff’s Office’s “death
book.” The pages are filled with
photos of bodies in varying stag-
es of decomposition, including
THE EPOCH TIMES
U.S. POSTAGE
NEWARK, N.J.
PERIODICALS
DUVAL skeletons.
PAID
281 KLEBERG With the hottest months yet to
come, this year is shaping up to
Border Patrol Falfurrias be busy—on par with 2012, when
Checkpoint
129 bodies were discovered. Last
year, 34 bodies were found. MATT YORK/AP PHOTO
BROOKS Encino White, 68, volunteers his time
JIM HOGG COUNTY
and equipment to do the job; he
aims to spend around 100 days
66 MILES
KENEDY
STARR per year searching for “the lost,”
WILLACY as he calls them.
281
Ranchers, local law enforce-
HIDALGO ment, and Border Patrol agents
CAMERON
also find bodies, but White says,
MEXICO “I search the areas no one else
searches, to find the ones no one
Workers examine ballots cast in Mari-
Continued on A8 copa County in the 2020 election.
ELECTION INTEGRITY
MILITARY
DOJ Intervention
Space Force Officer Removed in Maricopa
After Denouncing Marxism County
B y JACK PHILLIPS mander of the 11th Space Audit Lacks
A U.S. Space Force com-
Warning Squadron.
“Lt. Gen. Stephen Whit-
Constitutional
manding officer was re-
moved from his post af-
ing, Space Operations
Command commander,
Authority: Expert
ter publishing a book that relieved Lt. Col. Matthew B y MARK TAPSCOTT
warned of the spread of Lt. Col. Lohmeier of command of the
Marxism and critical race Matthew 11th Space Warning Squad- A Department of Justice (DOJ) of-
Lohmeier. ron, Buckley Air Force Base,
theory in the military. ficial with a lingering ethics prob-
The Space Force confirmed Colorado, May 14, due to loss lem is on tenuous constitutional
that it relieved Lt. Col. Matthew of trust and confidence in his abil- ground in questioning the audit of
Lohmeier, a former instructor and ity to lead,” the Space Force said in 2020 presidential election returns
fighter pilot, of his role as com- Continued on A4 for Arizona’s largest county, ac-
cording to legal experts.
“Election officials targeted by the
SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES
Department of Justice need to real-
ize they are dealing with partisans
who will twist the law for the sake of
political power,” J. Christian Adams
Continued on A5
US–ISRAEL
GOP SENS. SUPPORT
ISRAEL AMID ATTACKS
Photos of people who have died due to opioid addiction.
PANDEMIC
FROM HAMAS
“As our great
ally and the
Drug Overdoses: The Epidemic Inflamed by the Pandemic
only shining
B y BOWEN XIAO tion. And, in February, he found his example of
childhood best friend dead from an democracy in
the Middle East,t,
RICHMOND, Va.—Jerry Barton lost opioid overdose. Israel deservess
everyone around him to opioids. Before the pandemic and the our full support,”
t,”
First, he lost his sister. Then, his girl- lockdowns hit, Barton had been 21 Sen. Rick Scottt said.
said
friend. Later, he lost a close friend months clean from drugs. But the Read more on A9
from suicide stemming from addic- Continued on A6
A2 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

NEWS BRIEFS
IMAGES BY SHUTTERSTOCK; PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES; AP; INSTAGRAM; THE EPOCH TIMES

Dear reader, We need to understand what

A
s states lift lock- happened if we are going
downs, their cost to have the best possible
is becoming opportunity to prevent it
clearer.
The 12-month period from happening again.
ending in May saw the highest number of drug House Intelligence Committee ranking
overdoses—81,000—ever recorded. member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), urging
Overdoses are estimated to have increased by President Joe Biden, in a letter, to order a
nearly 18 percent when comparing the weeks be- whole-of-government investigation into
fore and after the implementation of state-man- the origins of the CCP virus.
dated stay-at-home orders.
Read on A1 about a center in Richmond, Virginia,
that is trying to make a difference, and how addicts
have overcome challenges during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, in Brooks County, Texas, the dangers
of crossing the U.S. border illegally can be seen.
Epoch Times reporter Charlotte Cuthbertson 34 GOP Lawmakers Press
went along with deputy sheriff Don White as he
traveled to remote ranchlands in search of the bod- Pelosi to Lift House Mask
ies of illegal immigrants. Mandate
So far this year, the Brook’s County Sheriff’s Office Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) led a group of 34 Repub-
has recorded 33 found bodies. Read the story on A1. lican lawmakers in urging House Speaker Nancy
The Supreme Court earlier this week ruled Pelosi (D-Calif.) to end pandemic-related restric-
against the administration in a case where police tions on the House floor, including staggered voting

387
seized guns in a home without a warrant. Read the and mask-wearing.
story on Page A1. In a letter, Gibbs and his GOP
And the Chinese regime is using Twitter and colleagues called on Pelosi
Facebook to widely broadcast its propaganda CHILDREN to end COVID-19-related
restrictions on House op-
around the world. Read the story on page A10.
While Facebook allows Chinese communist pro- RESCUED erations, referencing an an-
nouncement by the Centers
paganda to be spread, it has limited the reach of The The U.S. Marshals Service has re- for Disease Control and
Epoch Times, which exposes the Chinese regime. ported that 387 missing children— Prevention saying that
a record high number—were recov- vaccinated individuals
Jasper Fakkert ered by the agency in 2020. generally no longer need
Editor-in-chief to wear masks in any set-
tings, indoor or outdoor.

ZERO Monthly Child Tax Credit

COVID-19
DEATHS
We’re not counting
on vaccine
mandates at all.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director,
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, telling NBC’s “Meet
the Press” that any vaccine
mandates will be locally, not
federally, driven.
Payments to Start for Most
Families on July 15: Biden
The state of Texas
recorded zero deaths
among people with CO-
VID-19 for the first time
since March 2020, Gov.
Greg Abbott says. Sen. Rubio: UFO Sightings Should Be
Taken Seriously
19 States Urge Biden to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said that members of Congress
Reinstate Keystone and other officials need to seriously investigate UFOs and the
XL Pipeline After potential threat they pose.
Speaking to CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” the Florida Republican The Biden administration has announced that
Colonial Pipeline American families will begin receiving monthly pay-
described a “stigma on Capitol Hill” where some lawmakers
Hack “are very interested in this topic,” but some “kind of giggle when ments from an expanded child tax credit starting
July 15.
Nineteen GOP-led you bring it up.” However, he cautioned, “I don’t think we can
President Joe Biden, in a statement, said that

223 DEATHS
Over 1,100 people in America
have been hospitalized with
COVID-19 after being fully
vaccinated against the virus
that causes it, while at least
223 have died, according to the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
states have called on
President Joe Biden to
reinstate the Keystone
XL pipeline following a
ransomware attack that shut
down the Colonial Pipeline for several
days, triggering gas shortages and a
spike in prices.
The coalition of states, led by Mon-
tana Attorney General Austin Knud-
sen, said the administration needs to
reinstate construction of the Keystone
pipeline—which would stretch from
the Gulf Coast to Canada—after Biden
issued an executive order halting the
project early on in his presidency. The
order drew considerable condemna-
tion from Republicans and industry
groups, who argued that tens of thou-
sands of jobs would be lost.
allow the stigma to keep us from having an answer to a very
fundamental question.” about 90 percent of families who have children
will get the tax relief automatically as part of the
The senator said he wants the Pentagon to come up with a
process to take UFOs, or unidentified flying objects, seriously. American Rescue Plan, which was passed by Con-
gress and signed into law by Biden earlier this year.
“I want us to have a process to analyze the data every time
it comes in,” Rubio said. “That there be a place where this is Biden, meanwhile, said Congress should pass the
American Families Plan, an infrastructure-related
cataloged and constantly analyzed, until we get some answers."
proposal worth about $2 trillion, to provide “relief
for years to come.”
Amazon Security
Guards Accessed
Mailbox During Union
Election, Worker Says
Two Amazon security guards unlocked
a mailbox that was used to hold mail-in
ballots for a unionization election, a worker
has told a hearing.
Kevin Jackson, who works at an Amazon facility in Bessemer,
Alabama, said he witnessed the guards go to the mailbox and
use keys to open one of its doors, Bloomberg reported.

800 %
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says that the
amount of fentanyl that U.S. border
agents intercepted on the southern
border increased by 800 percent in
April from the same month a year ago.
Jackson was speaking during ongoing hearings on post-
election objections. The attempt to unionize workers at the
warehouse failed last month, but the Retail, Wholesale, and
Department Store Union asked the National Labor Relations
Board to hold hearings to address what it described as a tainted
election. The union said that employees were asked if and how
they had voted, and were told to use the mailbox, which was in
front of the building, to cast their ballots.
We are very vulnerable.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), saying during an
interview with radio program “The Cats Roundtable”
that the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack has exposed
“existential”-level vulnerabilities in America’s fuel
and electrical grid, and arguing that the Democrats’
Green New Deal would make the problem worse.

GATES LEFT
MICROSOFT BOARD
BEFORE CONCLUSION OF PROBE
INTO AFFAIR WITH EMPLOYEE
Microsoft board members determined in 2020 that Bill
Gates had to step down from the company's board while
they were investigating an alleged prior relationship
the billionaire had with a female Microsoft employee
that was deemed inappropriate.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people
familiar with the subject, that the board members
hired a law firm in 2019 to investigate the relation-
ship after an engineer at the company claimed
that she'd had a sexual relationship over several
years with Gates.
Gates resigned on March 13, 2020, before
the investigation was finalized, soon after his
reelection to the board seat.
Sen. Blackburn Seeking to Reinstate
Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation that
would reinstate former President Donald Trump’s Migrant
Protection Protocols policy to curb the recent surge of illegal
immigrants at the border.
The bill, called “Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Man-
datory Act,” would require migrants who cross the southern
border without proper documentation to remain in Mexico until
their case is heard.
Portland Police Union
President Says City Is ‘On the
Precipice of a Gang War’
The president of Portland, Oregon’s police union said
in a statement that the city is on the brink of war.
“We need to talk about the elephant in the room:
gun violence. We are on the precipice of a gang war,”
said Daryl Turner, head of the Portland Police As-
sociation.
Police in the state’s largest city have responded to
357 shootings this year as of May 9, an increase of
more than 100 percent from the year-earlier period.
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
Stephen Gregory, Publisher
Jasper Fakkert, Editor-in-Chief
Channaly Philipp, Life & Tradition,
Travel Editor
Chrisy Trudeau, Mind & Body Editor
Crystal Shi, Home, Food Editor
Sharon Kilarski, Arts & Culture Editor
ABOUT US
The Epoch Times is a media
organization dedicated to seek-
ing the truth through insightful
and independent journalism.
Standing outside of politi-
cal interests and the pursuit of
profit, our starting point and our
goal is to create a media for the
public benefit, to be truly respon-
sible to society.
We endeavor to educate read-
ers about today’s most impor-
tant topics, seeking to broaden
and uplift minds. We believe that
rational, balanced debate is key
for fostering a healthy democ-
racy and a compassionate
society.
As an independent media out-
let, we use our freedom to inves-
tigate issues overlooked—or
avoided—by other media outlets.
We seek to highlight solutions
and what’s good in society rather
than what divides us.
We report respectfully, compas-
sionately, and rigorously.
We stand against the destruc-
tion wrought by communism,
including the harm done to cul-
tures around the world.
We are inspired in this by our
own experience. The Epoch
Times was founded in 2000 to
bring honest and uncensored
news to people oppressed
by the lies and violence in
communist China.
We still believe journalism is a
noble vocation, but only when it
genuinely seeks to serve its com-
munities and help them to flour-
ish. In all that we do, we will hold
ourselves to the highest stand-
ards of integrity. This is our
promise to you.
CONTACT US
The Epoch Times Association Inc.
229 W. 28th St., Fl. 7
New York, NY 10001
Advertising
advertisenow@epochtimes.com
Subscriptions
Help.TheEpochTimes.com
General Inquiries
Help.TheEpochTimes.com
Letters to the Editor
lettertoeditor@epochtimes.com
SUBSCRIBE
TODAY
Get the
independent news
you won’t find
anywhere else.
Subscribe and get the
insights only The Epoch Times
can provide, delivered to your
door every week.
ReadEpoch.com
NATION
REUTERS/SCREENSHOT VIA NTD
The Supreme Court in Washington on April 17, 2021.
GUN RIGHTS
Supreme Court Rebuffs
Biden Admin on Warrantless
Searches for Handguns
Community caretaking
doctrine doesn’t justify
warrantless searches in the
home, which may implicate
the constitutionality
of ‘red flag’ laws
CONTINUED FROM A1
affiliated Gun Owners Foundation,
praised the decision.
“The Supreme Court today smacked
down the hopes of gun-grabbers
across the nation,” he said.
“The Michael Bloombergs of the
world would have loved to see the
Supreme Court grant police the au-
thority to confiscate firearms without
a warrant. But the Supreme Court
unanimously ruled that the Fourth
Amendment protections in the Bill of
Rights protect gun owners from such
invasions into their homes.”
Bloomberg, the billionaire former
New York mayor, is an activist and
major funder of gun-control groups.
The case came before the high
court for oral argument two months
ago as President Joe Biden and con-
gressional Democrats began press-
ing for aggressive new restrictions on
Second Amendment gun ownership
rights, including controversial “red
flag” laws, which allow gun seizures
from law-abiding gun owners with
limited due process, in the wake
of highly publicized deadly mass
shootings in March at a Boulder,
Colorado, supermarket and at At-
lanta-area spas.
Police generally cannot conduct
searches of private property without
consent or a warrant.
In Cady v. Dombrowski, the Su-
preme Court held in 1973 that police
may conduct warrantless searches
related to “community caretaking
functions,” but only for “vehicle ac-
cidents.” Since then, the principle
has become “a catchall for a wide
range of responsibilities that police
officers must discharge aside from
their criminal enforcement activi-
ties,” the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals
stated in the Caniglia case.
The community caretaking doc-
trine holds that police don’t always
operate as law enforcement officials
investigating wrongdoing, but some-
times as caretakers to prevent harm
in emergency situations.
Edward Caniglia has no criminal
history and no record of violence.
He had been married to his wife
for 22 years when, on Aug. 20, 2015,
they had a disagreement inside their
Andrew Giuliani
the son of former
New York Mayor
Rudy Giuliani, says
that he’s running for
governor of New York.
The Supreme
Court today
smacked
down the
hopes of gun
grabbers
across the
nation.
Erich Pratt, senior
vice president, Gun
Owners of America
SUPREME
COURT’S OPINION
Associate Justice
Clarence Thomas.
“The question today
is whether Cady’s
acknowledgment of
these ‘caretaking’
duties creates a
standalone doctrine
that justifies
warrantless searches
and seizures in the
home,” Thomas
wrote. “It does not.”
“We need more safe and
clean energy sources.
And that includes the
Keystone XL Pipeline.”
Austin Knudsen,
attorney general, Montana
A Los Angeles Police Department officer displays guns that were turned in by
residents, in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2020.
Cranston, Rhode Island, home.
The argument escalated. He pro-
duced an unloaded gun and said,
“Why don’t you just shoot me and
get me out of my misery?”
Worried he might be suicidal, his
wife asked police to conduct a wel-
fare check. The husband went to a
local hospital briefly after police as-
sured him they wouldn’t take his two
handguns.
After he left, they seized his guns
without a warrant, telling the wife his
life and others could be in danger if
they left the guns in the home. The
police refused to return the weap-
ons and Caniglia sued, arguing the
community caretaking exception
shouldn’t apply inside “the home–the
most protected of all private spaces.”
During telephonic oral arguments
on March 24, Department of Justice
lawyer Morgan Ratner supported the
city of Cranston’s position, arguing
police have to be free to act in poten-
tial emergencies.
“Although there have been a lot of
questions this morning about wheth-
er this is emergency aid or exigent cir-
cumstances or community caretak-
ing or something else, the label you
give it is not nearly as important as the
principle. And the key principle is if
someone is at risk of serious harm and
it’s reasonable for officials to intervene
now, that is enough,” Ratner said.
Writing the Supreme Court’s four-
page opinion in the case, Justice
Clarence Thomas noted the Cady v.
Dombrowski precedent, which he
indicated applied to police “respond-
ing to disabled vehicles or investigat-
ing accidents.”
“The question today is whether
Cady’s acknowledgment of these
‘caretaking’ duties creates a stand-
alone doctrine that justifies war-
rantless searches and seizures in
A3
1000
$
Connecticut is
offering $1,000 to
people who secure
employment after
BONUS being unemployed for
at least two months.
DANIEL SLIM/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
the home,” Thomas wrote.
“It does not.”
Thomas wrote that the federal dis-
trict court ruled in favor of the po-
lice and the 1st Circuit expanded on
this, stating that police “often have
noncriminal reasons to interact with
motorists” on public highways. The
appeals court “extrapolated” from
the Cady ruling “a freestanding
community-caretaking exception
that applies to both cars and homes.”
The appeals court’s community
caretaking rule “goes beyond any-
thing this Court has recognized,”
Thomas wrote.
The acknowledgment that “police
officers perform many civic tasks in
modern society was just that—a rec-
ognition that these tasks exist, and
not an open-ended license to perform
them anywhere.”
In a separate concurring opin-
ion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that
the Supreme Court is “properly
reject[ing] the broad ‘community
caretaking’ theory.”
At the same time, he noted that the
case implicates “another body of law
that petitioner glossed over: the so-
called ‘red flag’ laws that some States
are now enacting.”
Such laws, he wrote, “enable the
police to seize guns pursuant to a
court order to prevent their use for
suicide or the infliction of harm on
innocent persons.”
Although this particular decision
doesn’t address those issues, “provi-
sions of red flag laws may be chal-
lenged under the Fourth Amend-
ment, and those cases may come
before us.”
Acting U.S. Solicitor General Eliz-
abeth Prelogar and Marc DeSisto,
attorney for Cranston, didn’t imme-
diately respond to requests by The
Epoch Times for comment.
A4 | NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON/THE EPOCH TIMES

Lt. Michael Landrum of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Houston on April 24, 2021.

In Growing Sex-Trafficking Industry, Rescuing

Victims Is ‘Worth It if We Can Save One Life’
Traffickers and predators
employ masterful
manipulation techniques to
gain physical and mental
control of their victims
CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON
HOUSTON—Sex traffickers can
be anyone, according to Lt. Mi-
chael Landrum of Texas’s Mont-
gomery County Sheriff’s Office.
“You name it. You got every-
where from billionaires to street
criminals,” he said. “We’ve seen
everything you can think of: hus-
bands, brothers, friends, grandfa-
thers, neighbors, unknowns that
they met online.”
Landrum heads up the county’s
narcotics, vice, and human traf-
ficking unit. The unit is also part
of the Houston-based Human
Trafficking Rescue Alliance.
Landrum has worked on anti-
sex trafficking operations for sev-
en years, and over that time, the
approach has changed markedly.
“There was a time years ago, where
we addressed it simply as a criminal
offense of prostitution, whether it’s
buying or selling,” he said.
“We no longer arrest people who
commit prostitution. We focus on
trying to get them into services,
and get them out of that lifestyle
so that they can be rescued and
recover.”
The definition of sex trafficking,
In Texas according to Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, is that it
alone, more involves “force, fraud, or coer-
than 79,000 cion” to induce someone into a
children commercial sex act. For minors,
force, fraud, or coercion need not
are being be proven—it’s implied.
trafficked for The domestic sex-trafficking in-
dustry is growing in the United
sex, according States. It’s well-organized and
to a study by well-networked, and predators
the University employ masterful manipulation
techniques to gain mental and
of Texas– physical control of their targets.
Austin. “What we see out of the traffick-
ers, they’re very, very sophisticat-
ed, they’re smart, and they find
victims who are in a position of
need, and exploit them to a point
where they feel like they have to
conform with their traffickers and
to please their traffickers,” Lan-
drum said. The unfulfilled needs
of those victims could include
money, friendship, or a relation-
ship, he said.
In Texas alone, more than 79,000
children are being trafficked for
sex, according to a study by the
University of Texas–Austin.
Before an operation, Landrum’s
team scours the internet for ads
and information related to pros-
titution.
“We target girls that appear to
be under age, or based on a pro-
file and what we’ve seen through
our training and experience, there
are certain clues in their postings
that lead us to believe that they’re
being trafficked,” he said. “And
then we set up operations to target
those girls, as victims.”
When the victim arrives at the
location for the supposed job,
the officers will use surveillance
to identify how they were trans-
ported there.
Once in the room, an under-
cover officer will give the woman
information about leaving their
trafficker and getting out of the
life. The officer then makes sure
any immediate medical needs
are taken care of before handing
them to a representative from an
anti-trafficking nonprofit group,
who is on site with the undercover
officer.
Twice a month during joint op-
erations with surrounding cities
and counties, the team will make
contact with at least 16 potential
victims on average.
Of those, they usually rescue
three to five victims.
The nonprofit group can help
connect the victim with hous-
ing, health care, drug addiction
services, and psychological as-
sistance.
Those who decline assistance
are still given resources they can
use in the future to leave their
trafficker.
“And if we find them again, do-
ing the same thing, still in the life,
then we will target them a second
time, in hopes that we can get
them into treatment and recov-
ery,” Landrum said. “Sometimes it
takes two, three times of rescuing
them to actually get them.”
Landrum’s team also conducts
undercover operations target-
ing buyers. In mid-April, they
arrested 27 buyers in a two-day
operation.
Staying Out
Landrum said, of the women they
rescue, some stay out of the life
and some don’t.
“It’s hard to break down those
walls. Again, we’re getting back
into psychology, physiology, and
everything else that goes along
with it,” he said. “Plus the addic-
tion side of it, that makes it really
hard, because now you have a girl
that’s got a mental, emotional at-
tachment, possibly an addiction,
[and you’re] trying to get her out
of a lifestyle that supports those
two avenues.”
But he also gets to see those who
do get out flourish.
“To see them three months lat-
er—[and see they] have a job, are
clean, not dealing with the vio-
lence, not dealing with the threats
against them—is amazing. Abso-
lutely amazing. And that’s what
makes our job fulfilling,” he said.
“It’s worth it if we can save one
life.”

CONTINUED FROM A1 ing of the American Military.” which is rooted in Marxism.”

Space Force
Officer a statement to various news outlets
over the weekend.
Relieved After “This decision was based on
public comments made by Lt.
Denouncing Col. Lohmeier in a recent pod-
cast. Lt. Gen. Whiting has initi-
Marxism, ated a Command Directed Inves-
tigation (CDI) on whether these
Critical Race comments constituted prohib-
Theory ited partisan political activity,”
according to the statement.
Lt. Col. Lohmeier’s The “public comments” that he
made in a podcast were likely in
book becomes reference to the spread of Marx-
ist ideology within the military,
No. 1 bestseller on which was detailed in Lohmeier’s
recently self-published book, “Ir-
Amazon resistible Revolution: Marxism’s
Goal of Conquest & the Unmak-
Lohmeier had appeared on Critical race theory, which
the podcast “Information Opera-
tion” to promote his book, and
draws heavily upon Marxist
and postmodernist theories,
during the show, he  criticized
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s
denounces U.S. and Western
culture as a form of oppression.
agenda. After Austin’s confirma-
tion, he ordered a “stand down”
Critics have said its proponents
apply the Marxist tactic of “class
to deal with alleged extremism struggle” to divide people along
within the ranks of the U.S. mili- lines of race, gender, and ethnic-
tary coming after the Jan. 6 Capi- ity to label them “oppressors” and
tol breach.
“I don’t demonize the man, but
the “oppressed.”
In recent days, a number of
I want to make it clear to both
him and every service member
GOP-led states have barred
schools from using curriculum
this agenda—it will divide us. It
will not unify us,” Lohmeier said,
based on critical race theory
or The New York Times’ “1619
adding that Austin is promoting Project,” which critics have de-
“diversity, inclusion, and equity,” nounced as ahistorical and in-
which he and others have said accurate. Recently, White House
are “rooted in critical race theory, press secretary Jen Psaki defend-
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 NATION | A5

DOJ Intervention in Maricopa Audit Lacks
Constitutional Authority: Expert
CONTINUED FROM A1
told The Epoch Times on May 18.
Adams, a former DOJ Civil Rights
Division attorney who is now pres-
ident of the Public Interest Legal
Foundation (PILF), was referring to
a May 5 letter from Principal Dep-
uty Assistant Attorney General Pa-
mela Karlan to Arizona state Senate
President Karen Fann.
Karlan told Fann that, based on
news reports and complaints her
department received from un-
named individuals, DOJ officials are
concerned about “at least two issues
of potential non-compliance with
federal laws” in the audit, which was
ordered earlier this year by the state
Senate and is now counting returns.
The two issues referenced in-
cluded worries about the security
of election records and potential
voter intimidation, Karlan said.
The audit was ordered due to
continuing questions raised by
Arizona supporters of former Presi-
dent Donald Trump and others on
voting processes used in Maricopa
County, the state’s largest jurisdic-
tion last November.
President Joe Biden narrowly car-
ried the county and the state with
49.4 percent of the votes, compared
to 49.1 percent for Trump. Karlan
is a former Stanford University law
professor who testified in favor of
removing Trump from office during
the 2019 House impeachment pro-
ceedings. Biden appointed Karan to
the DOJ earlier this year.
Although less than 20 percent of
the votes have been audited, audit
officials said that they have encoun-
COURTNEY PEDROZA/GETTY IMAGES
Contractors working for Cyber Ninjas, which was hired by the Arizona state Senate, examine and recount bal-
lots from the 2020 general election at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix on May 1, 2021.
ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES
“This false scholarship was even
brought to the attention of Congress
in testimony provided to the House
of Representatives. Editors of the
Duke University publication said it
was incumbent on Karlan to retract
her false scholarship, something
she has not done,” Adams told Fann.
The DOJ Office of Media Relations
didn’t respond to multiple requests
from The Epoch Times for comment
from Karlan regarding the veracity
of her 2009 claim, as well as other
issues raised by Adams regarding
the Maricopa audit.
Producer Prices
Surge to Record
Highs In New
York, Reinforcing
Consumer Inflation
Concerns
A report by the New York Federal
Reserve showed that May manu-
facturing prices in New York state
soared to record highs, providing
yet another data point in support of
the view that more consumer price
inflation may be on the horizon.
The monthly Empire State
Manufacturing Survey shows that
both input prices and selling pric-
es rose at a record-setting pace
in May. The survey’s prices paid
index hit a record 83.5 in May,
while the prices received index
rose to 37.1, also the highest level
in the history of the series.
Texas, Indiana,
Oklahoma to
End Federal
Unemployment
Benefits in June
Texas, Indiana, and Oklahoma have
announced that they will be join-
ing a growing number of GOP-led
states in ending the expanded fed-
eral unemployment benefits that
were implemented during 2020’s
pandemic relief efforts.
In a letter to the Biden adminis-
tration, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said
that the $300 weekly extra pay-
ments under the president’s new
$1.9 trillion stimulus plan will end
on June 26, ahead of its September
expiration date.
Indiana and Oklahoma announced
similar measures on May 17, and will
be ending the weekly payments on
June 19 and June 26, respectively.

607K
tered multiple problems, includ- Adams wrote that Karlan’s legal
ing “no chain of custody for ballots, basis for her questions to Fann is

ballot batch counts don’t match
with actual ballots, deleted data-
bases, cut security seals, ongoing
non-compliance with subpoenas
and more” in a May 13 tweet.
Maricopa County Board of Super-
visors Chairman Jack Sellers, a Re-
publican, called those allegations
“false and ill-informed.”
But Adams told Finn in a May 7
letter that Karlan is “an ideologi-
cal extremist with a long history
of partisan enforcement of civil
Constitutional scholar rights laws, as well as rank schol-
Pamela Karlan of Stan- arly dishonesty ... [who] wants you
ford University greets to believe the Justice Department
members of the com- is engaging in a normal exercise of
mittee during a short federal power under federal voting
break in testimony law. It is not.”
before the House Judi-
Adams was referring to a 2009
ciary Committee, on
Capitol Hill in Washing- Duke University Law School
ton on Dec. 4, 2019. journal article in which Karlan
claimed no Voting Rights Act
cases were filed by DOJ in five of
the eight years in which President
George W. Bush was in office.
$
flawed because “the Justice De-
partment has never—in the entire
history of the existence of the Civil
Rights Division—interfered in or
investigated an election audit be-
cause its past leadership has un-
derstood it has no legal authority
to do so.” INCOME
Karlan’s concerns about voter
President Joe Biden and
intimidation are also misplaced First Lady Jill Biden earned
because the relevant section of the a combined income of
law isn’t applicable to the Maricopa $607,336 in 2020, according
audit, Adams said. to their tax return.

Ohio County Sued

Delta Air Lines to Force New
Employees to Get Vaccine
ZACHARY STIEBER
Delta Air Lines is requiring all
new employees to get vaccinated
against the virus that causes CO-
VID-19, becoming one of the first
U.S. companies to mandate the
shots.
“Delta will require all new
hires in the U.S. to be vaccinated
against COVID-19, unless they
qualify for an accommodation,”
the company said in a statement.
The requirement will protect
Delta’s employees and custom-
ers, ensuring the airline can safely
operate as the number of fliers in-
creases, the company stated.
“I’m not going to mandate and
force people if they have some
ed both the 1619 Project and criti-
cal race theory.
“What you see happening in
the U.S. military at the moment
is that if you’re a conservative,
then you’re lumped into a group
of people who are labeled ex-
tremists, if you’re willing to voice
your views. And if you’re aligned
with the left, then it’s OK to be an
activist online because no one is
going to hold you accountable,”
Lohmeier said in the podcast.
After the news broke that Loh-
meijer was removed from his
command, his self-published
book reached the top of Amazon’s
bestseller list.
The Pentagon didn’t respond to
a request by The Epoch Times for
comment.
specific reason why they don’t
want to get vaccinated, but I’m
going to strongly encourage them
and make sure they understand
the risks to not getting vaccinat-
ed,” Chief Executive Ed Bastian
told CNN in a recent interview at
the Delta Flight Museum in At-
lanta, which is being used as a
vaccination center.
“One caveat to that, though.
Any person joining Delta in the
future—future employees—we’re
going to mandate they be vacci-
nated before they can sign up with
the company.”
More than 60 percent of Delta
workers have received at least
one vaccine dose, and Bastian
believes the final number will
Critical
race theory,
which draws
heavily upon
Marxist and
postmodernist
theories,
denounces U.S.
and Western
culture as
a form of
oppression.
Capt. Matthew Lohmeier, 460th Operations Group Block 10 chief of training,
stands in the Standardized Space Trainer on Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., on
July 22, 2015.
approach 80 percent.
Workers who choose not to get
a shot against the CCP virus may
need to continue getting tested
once a week for the illness and
will likely be prohibited from
working on international flights.
The Equal Employment Oppor-
tunity Commission announced
in late 2020 that mandating vac-
cinations for employees wouldn’t
violate the Americans with Dis-
abilities Act, although some em-
ployees could claim a disability
or a religious objection.
For instance, if a worker signals
they are unable to get a COVID-19
shot because of a sincerely held
religious practice or belief, an
employer “must provide a rea-
sonable accommodation for the
religious belief, practice, or ob-
servance unless it would pose an
undue hardship under Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act,” the com-
mission stated.
Over Dominion
Delta’s Voting Systems
CEO said it Purchase
wouldn’t be A group run by former Trump cam-
paign officials has sued an Ohio
fair to current county for allegedly violating state
employees law when it considered purchasing
voting equipment from Dominion
to make Voting Systems.
vaccination a The group, Look Ahead America,
requirement said that the Stark County Board of
Elections “was not transparent” in
to stay in its decision to purchase voting ma-
their job. chines made by Dominion, adding
that its process in making the deci-
sion was not “open to the public.”
“Right before voting on the con-
tract with Dominion,” Look Ahead
America’s Matt Braynard said in a
news release, “the board excluded
the public for 18 minutes from
their discussion and deliberations.
Nothing necessitated the public’s
exclusion.
Pelosi Extends
House Proxy
DARREN SCOTT/U.S. AIR FORCE
Voting for Several
More Weeks
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-
Calif.) announced that the House
of Representatives will allow mem-
bers to vote via proxy until July 3.
The current proxy voting period,
established last year during the
start of the pandemic caused by
the CCP (Chinese Communist
Party) virus, was slated to expire
this week.
In a brief note to House mem-
bers, Pelosi wrote, “In light of the
attached notification by the Acting
Sergeant-at-Arms, in consulta-
tion with the Office of Attending
Physician, that a public health
emergency is in effect due to a
novel coronavirus, I am hereby
extending the ‘covered period’
designated on January 4, 2021 ...
until July 3, 2021.
A6 | NATION
DRUG CRISIS | Addiction increases across United States during pandemic
Drug Overdoses: The Epidemic In
The stress, isolation, and lack
of human connection brought
on by the statewide lockdowns
implemented across the country
have caused a spike in drug
overdoses and addiction
CONTINUED FROM A1
isolation, stress, and lack of human
connection took a toll on him.
“It was depressing,” Barton told
The Epoch Times inside a recovery
home provided by The McShin Foun-
dation, a nonprofit recovery com-
munity organization in Virginia. “It
bothered me a lot—it actually led to
my relapse.”
There were no in-person groups for
emotional support. Barton took part
in some online meetings, but they
had a lackluster atmosphere—he hid
his true self. Being alone amid the
lockdown, he thought he could get
away with a one-time hit.
That soon led to him using heroin,
crack, and cocaine. Toward the end
of the relapse, Barton was experi-
menting with meth and acid.
Numerous studies have revealed
a spike in drug overdoses this past
year. After March 19, 2020, almost
62 percent of participating counties
experienced an increase in overdose
submissions, according to ODMAP, a
tracker that provides real-time sus-
pected overdose data.
Looking closer, there was an 18
percent increase in suspected over-
dose submissions when compar-
ing the weeks before and after the
implementation of state-mandated
stay-at-home orders. Regina LaBelle,
acting director of National Drug Con-
trol Policy, pointed out that illicitly
Chris Berry at the McShin Foundation in Richmond, Va., on May 12, 2021.
Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ Plan Could
Shrink the Economy, Say Analysts
American Jobs Plan
would discourage
investment and
reduce the GDP by
0.8 percent in 2050,
according to Penn
Wharton model
manufactured synthetic drugs were
responsible for more overdose deaths
last year than any other substance.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) found that
over 81,000 drug overdose deaths
occurred in the United States in the
12 months ending in May 2020, “the
highest number of overdose deaths
ever recorded in a 12-month pe-
riod,” according to provisional data
released in December 2020. Then-
CDC Director Robert Redfield said at
the time the pandemic “has hit those
with substance use disorder hard.”
John Shinholser,  president and
co-founder of The McShin Recovery
Resource Foundation, who says he’s
been in long-term recovery since 1982,
said he saw “an explosion” of addicts
who relapsed due to the lockdowns.
“Stress goes on steroids during CO-
VID,” he said.
“One thing I try to impress upon
people is that when you discover you
need recovery, you’ve got to get the
‘patience lecture,’ because it takes
about two to three years to repro-
gram your brain to do the right thing
on a regular basis,” he told The Epoch
Times at his office.
Most of the illicit fentanyl in the
United States “is manufactured in
clandestine labs in China and pos-
sesses strong opioid properties that
make it an attractive drug of abuse,”
SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES
CONTINUED FROM A1
On March 31, Biden announced
the American Jobs Plan, his $2.3
trillion infrastructure proposal that
dedicates the majority of spending
on progressive priorities such as
climate change. He described his
proposal as “the largest American
jobs investment since World War II”
in a speech in Pittsburgh on the day
of the announcement.
His spending plan, which in-
cludes significant tax increases
on corporations, is  unlikely to
gain bipartisan support on Capi-
tol Hill.  Republicans earlier  la-
beled  the infrastructure plan a
“Trojan horse” for progressive pri-
orities and deficit spending rather
than addressing systemic issues
with roads and bridges.
The University of Pennsylva-
nia’s Penn Wharton budget model
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
according to U.S. Customs and Bor-
der Protection.
There’s “You can’t even get a good Facebook
prosthetics post out of China, but they drive tons
when a of fentanyl to this country,” Shinhol-
limb gets ser said.
amputated. Grappling With Pain
But when Chris Berry had been battling ad-
diction since a young age. His father
your spirit is was an alcoholic, his mother a drug
assassinated, addict. During his school years, he
there’s not a played basketball competitively until
he suffered a major knee injury. He
prosthetic was put on opioid-based pain medi-
for that. cation, which served as a gateway
drug to his addiction.
Chris Berry,
Berry moved into McShin’s recov-
recovering addict
ery lodging in February after he got
jumped and beaten by two guys for
$26. They ended up breaking his
nose. Despite his tough-guy perso-
na, Berry said he actually had a lot
of fears, and he relied on chemicals
to mask them.
“In that process, I lost who I was by
becoming so many different people
and putting on so many different
masks,” he told The Epoch Times.
JIM WATSON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
projects that Biden’s infrastruc- President Joe Biden
ture plan would spend $2.7 tril- speaks in Pittsburgh on
lion over the next 10 years. This March 31, 2021.
amount is $400 billion more than
announced by the White House,
as it includes clean energy tax
credits not listed in the adminis-
13
of respondents
said they had
“started or increased
substance use to
cope with stress or
emotions related
to COVID-19,” in
an August 2020
PERCENT CDC survey.
“The authentic me was camouflaged
so well that I couldn’t find him.”
Drug addiction “has been my pan-
demic for 30 years,” he said, adding
that addiction is a hidden problem
affecting many.
“There’s prosthetics when a limb
gets amputated. But when your spirit
is assassinated, there’s not a prosthet-
ic for that,” he said. “It’s hard because
you can’t spot it as easily with the na-
ked eye from a distance.”
Berry said Zoom meetings during
the lockdowns failed to help him.
“I don’t connect that way. I need
to hug people, I need to know that
we’re reaching each other,” he said.
“I don’t know that I could have got-
ten clean as a newcomer during this
pandemic.”
tration’s original announcement.
According to the Penn Wharton
model, the spending and tax pro-
visions of the plan would end up
reducing gross domestic product
(GDP) by 0.8 percent by 2050.
While the proposal’s business tax
hikes decrease government debt
over the long term, it would “dis-
courage business investment and
thus reduce GDP,” according to a
report by Penn Wharton analysts.
Biden proposes substantial tax
increases on U.S. corporations to
pay for his ambitious spending
package. It aims to raise the cor-
porate tax rate to 28 percent from
the current rate of 21 percent, a
level that would put it above global
peers and potentially reduce U.S.
competitiveness.
The American Families Plan,
which is the second component
of Biden’s Build Back Better agen-
da, consists of about $1 trillion in
investments and $800 billion in
tax cuts and credits for families
and workers, according to the
White House. The new spending
proposal focuses on expanding
the welfare state by providing ac-
cess to good education, affordable
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
flamed by the Pandemic
Over 13 percent of respondents
in an August CDC survey said they
“started or increased substance use
to cope with stress or emotions re-
lated to COVID-19.”
And a September report published
on the JAMA Network that looked at
urine drug test results from 150,000
patients found a worrying trend:
populations diagnosed with or at
risk of substance use disorders “in-
creased significantly for illicit co-
caine, fentanyl, heroin, and meth-
amphetamine from the 4 months
before the COVID-19 emergency
declaration to the 4 months after
the COVID-19 declaration.”
Berry broke down repeatedly
throughout the interview as he
recalled recovering and relapsing
throughout his life. One of his worst
addiction spirals was when he found
his mother dead in 2017. He relapsed
within 30 minutes and took a bunch
of her pain pills as he was waiting for
the police.
Berry said faith helped him to sur-
vive to where he is now, at the age
of 46.
child care, and more. Child care
support receives the most funds
under the plan.
Biden proposes to increase taxes
on high-income households to pay
for this spending.
Penn Wharton analysts projected
that the plan would actually spend
$2.5 trillion over the next 10 years,
about $700 billion more than the
administration has announced. The
plan “would increase government
debt by almost 5 percent and de-
crease GDP by 0.4 percent” by 2050,
the analysts wrote in the report.
This analysis is contrary to what
Moody’s has projected. Moody’s
touted Biden’s spending packages,
saying that they would make the
U.S. economy’s growth prospects
“brighter” in the long term.
The Build Back Better plan “would
increase the economy’s long-run
growth by increasing productivity
growth, labor force participation,
and hours worked,” Mark Zandi,
chief economist of Moody’s Ana-
lytics, wrote in a report.
Zandi, who advised progressive
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
during her presidential campaign,
also pushed back against the con-
SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES
Photos of people who have died due to their opioid addiction, in a tree at the
McShin Foundation, a non-profit recovery community organization, in Rich-
mond, Va., on May 12, 2021.
Two days after The Epoch Times
spoke with him, staff members at
McShin said Berry was found in the
shower from a suspected overdose.
He was rushed to the hospital and put
on a ventilator. As of the morning of
May 17, he was still nonresponsive.
In a text, Shinholser said it could
take days to find out what caused the
incident. He speculated that Berry
took something spiked with fentanyl,
or that it could have been a natural
heart attack, as he was suffering from
multiple health issues. Shinholser
said if Berry passed away and it was
confirmed to be an overdose, it would
be the second overdose death that
happened in a recovery house over
the center’s 17-year history.
The economic downturn caused by
the statewide shutdowns was also a
John Shinholser, factor. During the pandemic, adults
president and in households with job loss or lower
co-founder of incomes reported “higher rates of
the McShin symptoms of mental illness than
Foundation, a those without job or income loss” (53
nonprofit recovery percent versus 32 percent), according
community
to KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation),
organization,
speaks during a nonprofit organization focusing on
a meeting in national health issues.
Richmond, Va., on Like Berry, Barton got hooked on
May 12, 2021. opioids from a young age due to
circumstances out of his control.
He had scoliosis in middle school
and was put on opioid-based pain
medication. Later, he got rid of his
addiction and became a mechanic
for 24 years until he developed a de-
generative disc disease requiring
strong pain medication, reawaken-
ing the addiction.
As lockdown measures started
loosening up this year, Barton started
seeking help more proactively. He’s
now a house leader at his recovery
residence, a place where recovering
addicts have access to the McShin
center and its activities, as well as
structure and accountability within
the house.
cerns that higher tax rates would
shrink the economic growth. He
claimed there’s “little evidence”
that President Donald Trump’s
tax cuts signed into law in 2017
meaningfully boosted business
investments.
“If the tax cuts did not lift econom-
Policies that ic growth, it is tough to argue that
increasing them will appreciably
are rammed hurt growth,” he wrote.
through by According to Moody’s, Biden’s
proposals would increase tax
one political
revenues by $3.5 trillion, about
party, without half of which would come from
any support increased taxes on corporations
from the and the other half on high-income
and wealthy individuals.
other, remain This week Republicans are ex-
in jeopardy. pected to unveil a new counter-pro-
posal to Biden’s $2.3 trillion infra-
Nick Eberstadt, structure plan. Last month, Senate
political economist, Republicans led by Sen. Shelley
American Enterprise
Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) proposed
Institute
a $568 billion infrastructure pack-
age, which Democrats criticized as
inadequate.
The White House indicated that it
would move forward with its own
spending plans if no bipartisan deal
can be reached. The two parties re-
main far apart on the priorities and
SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES
Human Connection
As Shinholser gave a tour of the
center and described the many pro-
grams it offered, some recovering
addicts came up to say hello. They
often mentioned that Shinholser’s
personal style, authenticity, and hu-
mor helped them stay.
Those interviewed by The Epoch
Times said Shinholser and other
staff members at the foundation
saved their lives by offering them a
nonjudgmental support group and
someone they could trust.
At a group session Shinholser was
leading, the atmosphere was relaxed
and the people attending were en-
gaged in discussion. According to
data from 2017 to 2020, over 68 per-
cent of McShin alumni were “still
engaged in recovery” after leaving,
and over 65 percent were employed.
“These people, they’re angels,”
Berry said, referring to McShin’s
staff members. “You have to have a
special thing inside of you to survive
addiction, and then be willing to go
back into it to help somebody else
come out of it.”
Many of McShin’s staff members
themselves are former drug addicts.
Monique Runge joined to get rid of
her addiction to alcohol, a problem
that began in high school. Runge
told The Epoch Times she was so
addicted that she had to take a shot
every few hours, even during sleep.
Otherwise, her body would shake
and she would feel sick.
Like others, her addiction got worse
during the pandemic lockdowns as
she was isolated at home. She only
ventured out to purchase alcohol,
spending about $400 per week on it.
Runge was apprehensive at first
about living at the recovery homes,
but after meeting with Shinholser
and other staff members, her fears
were assuaged. She now works the
front desk at McShin.
DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES
Construction continues near unfin-
ished Purple Line rail tracks at the
Paul Sarbanes Transit Center in Silver
Spring, Md., on April 8, 2021.
how to pay for them.
“A lot of the big of domestic politi-
cal decisions of the last generation
have all been enacted with zero
or near-zero support from the op-
position party,” according to Nick
Eberstadt, political economist at
the American Enterprise Institute,
a conservative think tank.
“Policies that are rammed through
by one political party, without any
support from the other, remain in
jeopardy,” he told The Epoch Times.
“If one wishes to have a policy with
durability and resilience, it’s much
better, if possible, to find a biparti-
san basis of support.”
NATION | A7
EDUCATION
University of
California Will
No Longer
Consider
SAT and ACT
Scores
Change in admissions procedure
the result of a settlement in
lawsuit that alleged traditional
SAT and ACT tests are racist
IVAN PENTCHOUKOV
The nine campuses of the Uni-
versity of California (UC) system
will no longer consider stan-
dardized testing scores as part
of the admission process begin-
ning this fall.
The change is the result of a
legal settlement of a lawsuit
brought by groups that claimed
that the traditional SAT and ACT
tests are racist.
Under the settlement, the
university, which enrolls some
225,000 undergraduate students,
said it won’t consider SAT or ACT
scores sent along with admissions
applications until 2025. The uni-
versity further stated that it had
no current plan
to consider the
scores after 2025.
The settlement The nine
specifies that campuses
the university will no
can still use SAT longer use
and ACT scores the test
to determine scores to
course place- determine
ment after the how to
students are ac- award
cepted. But the scholarships.
nine campuses
will no longer
use the test scores to determine
how to award scholarships.
The lawsuit was filed against
the university on Dec. 10, 2019,
by several students and groups,
including Chinese for Affirma-
tive Action, College Access Plan,
College Seekers, Community Co-
alition, Dolores Huerta Founda-
tion, and Little Manila Rising.
The  Compton Unified School
District filed a similar lawsuit on
the same day. The two cases were
subsequently merged.
The original complaints
claimed that SAT and ACT tests
serve as a metric of wealth and
race, rather than a predictor of
college success.
“The mere presence of the dis-
criminatory metric of SAT and
ACT scores in the UC admissions
process precludes admissions
officers from according proper
weight to meaningful criteria,
such as academic achievement
and personal qualities, and re-
quires them instead to consider
criteria that act as a proxy for
wealth and race and thus concen-
trate privilege on UC campuses,”
one of the two complaints stated.
On Aug. 31, 2020, the Superior
Court of the State of California,
County of Alameda, ordered the
university to stop using the test
results for admissions or scholar-
ship decisions while the lawsuit
was pending. The university ap-
pealed the decision and the ap-
peal remains unresolved.
As part of the settlement, the
University of California system
will pay $1.25 million in attor-
ney fees to the lawyers who rep-
resented the plaintiffs.
College Board, the developer of
the SAT test, and ACT both told
The Epoch Times that the racial
disparities in test scores aren’t a
function of the tests themselves,
but rather a symptom of broader
educational issues.
JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES
The Sather Gate on the University
of California–Berkeley campus on
July 22, 2020.
A8 | NATION
A Deadly Path Around a
Border Patrol Checkpoint
Deputy Sheriff Don White
volunteers his time,
equipment, and tracking
expertise to search for those
he calls ‘the lost’—illegal
immigrants who die on
remote ranchlands
CONTINUED FROM A1
else is looking for.”
Over the past six years, White has
gained permission from local ranch-
ers to search their land. The county is
944 square miles and he reckons he
now has access to about two-thirds
of it. It might be a year or two before
White covers the same ground, but
he’ll check the more popular tracts—
along pipelines and power lines—
more frequently.
The busiest months are during
summer, as most people die from
a combination of dehydration and
hyperthermia. Water is scarce, it’s
not hard to get lost, and smugglers
will leave illegal immigrants behind
I search the areas no
one else searches, to
find the ones no one
else is looking for.
Don White, deputy, Brooks County
Sheriff’s Office
if they’re slow or injured.
The ones that don’t travel with a
smuggler will usually be given a loca-
tion that they’ll try to reach by using
their phone to navigate.
But it’s not always the smuggler that
leaves someone behind.
“My first search was for a kid that
was left by his dad when [Border Pa-
trol] was closing in. Dad called the
Sheriff when he got to a safe place.
Kid was never found,” White wrote
on Facebook recently.
He’s sometimes given an area to
search after a 911 call comes in, but
the cell towers can’t always pinpoint a
location. Other times, a family mem-
ber will know the vague area the per-
son was traveling in as well as when
they were expected to be picked up.
Searching is slow work in scrubby
terrain. White walks at just over a
half-mile per hour, usually in a loose
zig-zag pattern, looking for bones,
tracks, trash, or any sign of human
presence.
“I’m looking for, ‘Is a person’s gait
normal?’ In other words, ‘Are they
feeling OK?’ They’re not dragging
their toes from injury or from being
environmentally stressed,” he said.
“Are their prints real deep, heavy
heel strike, because they’re carry-
ing a heavy backpack of drugs or
something like that? So little things
like that.”
White also has to continually check
immediately ahead for rattlesnakes,
and look still further up for wild hogs
or anyone hiding from him.
“In years past, it wasn’t that much
of an issue, they were just trying to
hide from you,” he said. “Now, some
of these people will try to take your
resources because they know you’re
going to have a vehicle somewhere.”
They’re also the ones who don’t
want to be captured—more than
42,600 in April alone along the whole
southern border.
“You have a whole group of people
that, no matter what, they wouldn’t
get an American status,” White said.
“People already had convictions for
murder, pedophilia, sexual assault,
violence—all these serious crimes—
and they’re not in the groups that are
turning themselves in.”
Getting Lost
Once someone is lost, they can eas-
ily go further off-track and be harder
to find. Then, once dehydration and
hyperthermia are mixed in, it’s com-
mon for them to act irrationally.
White pointed out a spot where he
found a man last year, next to a ranch
road less than a mile from Highway
281. He was steps from a large blue
barrel that a local humanitarian
Sheriff’s search and group periodically fills with water.
recovery deputy “He actually left his phone in the
Don White finds an middle of the road, 30 yards away,
old deodorant bot- across the fence. He’d taken off his
tle while searching shoes and T-shirt—put his shoes to-
for the dead bodies
gether and folded up his T-shirt. He
of illegal immigrants,
died ... trying to take his pants off.
in Brooks County,
Texas, on May 13, He was stressed. He was traveling
2021. by himself, because he still had his
money, IDs, and everything else,”
White said.
He said the man was from Tijuana,
Mexico; he’d been deported three
times, the last time being in 2015. It
seems he was trying his luck cross-
ing into Texas rather than into Cali-
fornia.
Much of the time, White is looking
for bones. It’s rare that he’ll find an in-
tact skeleton, as animals have usually
disarticulated a body and dragged
parts around. Once he finds a bone,
he’ll do his best to discern whether
it’s human (some deer bones can look
MORE DEATHS very human-like, he said), and then
move in ever-widening circles to lo-
LIKELY AMID cate the rest of the body.
He carries various types of body
BORDER SURGE bags in his Jeep and has a body rack
bolted onto the rear for transport-
A hot summer could ing. But if it’s small enough, or just
result in record a skeleton, it’ll ride in the back seat.
deaths in Brooks
County, Texas He can’t pinpoint why he has been
drawn to body recovery for so many
Dehydration and years, but it may have come from
hyperthermia are the
main causes.
working homicide cases with the
Bexar County criminal investigation
42,600
division—“seeing people hurting and
me being able to do something about
it,” he said.
Perhaps that also prepared him for
dealing with horrific scenes, such as
finding a woman tied to a windmill,
ILLEGAL left to die after being raped. Or an-
other young woman dead under a
ALIENS “rape tree,” with her underpants
evaded Border around her ankles. Rape trees are
Patrol at border known locations where smugglers
in April and others rape women and leave
their undergarments on the tree as
“trophies.”
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
ALL PHOTOS BY CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON
Sheriff’s search
and recovery
deputy Don
White explains
how he searches
for the dead
bodies of illegal
immigrants, in
Brooks County,
Texas, on May
13, 2021.
ceased, it is usually sent to the med-
There’s a certain level ical examiner in Laredo, who will
send a bone sample for DNA testing
of satisfaction knowing to Texas State University’s “body
that some family will farm,” a facility that researches hu-
man body decomposition.
be feeling better due to “The last recovery was last week.
my efforts. His clothing, his boots, the amount
of time he’d been out there, his loca-
Don White, deputy, Brooks County tion, that all indicated who he was,”
Sheriff’s Office White said. “So he was transported
to Texas State.”
As with other first responders and It can take up to a year and a half
law enforcement, White keeps an to process the DNA for free, so, in
emotional distance from what he some cases, the Argentinian group
encounters, and black humor is a Argentine Forensic Anthropol-
way of coping. ogy Team will assist in paying for a
“If you internalize everything, quicker DNA test and help to locate
you’re a suicide statistic, basically,” the families.
he said. “If there’s somebody we think we
His nonprofit, Remote know who it is for sure, then
Wildlands Search and they’ll step in and they’ll
Recovery, raises enough pay part of the fees or
money to cover the gas pay all of it to get it back
costs of the volunteers
who help him search one
in two months or some-
times three weeks. It just
weekend per month. depends,” White said.
White has been recov-
Identifying the Bodies
Finding a body is only the first
ering bodies for years—he
spent 21 years as a recovery
step in a long process. Deputy Don
diver, before hanging up his
A body can’t be released to White’s Jeep oxygen tank last year to focus
the family until a death cer- is laden with more fully on the ground in
tificate has been issued, and gear in prepa- Brooks County.
a death certificate can’t be ration for any It’s a thankless job in many
issued without the positive scenario as ways, but “there’s a certain
identification of the person. he searches level of satisfaction knowing
White usually finds males alone in that some family will be feel-
aged between 19 to 40 years remote Brooks ing better due to my efforts,”
from Mexico, Guatemala, County, Texas. he said.
Honduras, or El Salvador. “In the Hispanic culture, it’s
Only about 30 percent of the bodies very important that they have their
he finds have an ID. loved one’s body,” he said. “They cel-
“Most of the ones I find don’t have ebrate the Day of the Dead and if they
an ID because they’ve gone down don’t have the body back, then there’s
and somebody else will take their no place they can go to, to worship,
identification,” he said. to say their thanks, to express their
“That’s heartless, because you’ve love for the individual. It’s just awful.
just stopped some family from get- “So if I’m successful at what I do,
ting their loved one back.” then they’ll be able to settle their
If a body is fresh or recently de- world a little.”
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
WORLD
US Republicans
Condemn
Hamas Attack
on Israel
GOP Senators Announce
Resolution to Support
Israel’s Right to Defend Itself
Amid Attacks From Hamas
MIMI NGUYEN LY
A group of 19 Republican senators
unveiled a resolution on May 17 to
reaffirm the United States’ support
for Israel and its right to defend itself
against terrorist attacks, amid ongo-
ing rocket attacks from Hamas that
show few signs of abating.
The resolution, led by Sen. Rick
Scott (R-Fla.), also condemns the
current attacks against Israel by
Hamas, an Iran-backed and -funded
terrorist organization that seized po-
litical power in Gaza in 2007.
In the resolution, set to be intro-
duced in Congress this week, the
U.S. Senate “opposes the escalat-
ing and indiscriminate rocket at-
tacks by Hamas against Israel” and
“mourns the loss of innocent life
caused by Hamas’s rocket attacks.”
The chamber also “urges continued
and steadfast support for Israel” and
“reaffirms its strong support for Is-
rael’s right to peace and security.”
Scott said in a statement that the
people of Israel have for decades
endured “unyielding attacks from
terrorist groups” such as Hamas
and that the United States must be
“stronger than ever” in its resolve to
stand with Israel after Hamas and
other groups fired more than 3,000
rockets at the country.
“I want to be clear: no country, cer-
tainly not the United States, would
tolerate attacks like these and not
take whatever action is necessary
to end them,” he said. “As our great
ally and the only shining example of
democracy in the Middle East, Israel
deserves our full support.”
Scott also criticized anti-Israel at-
tacks from a few U.S. lawmakers,
calling such attacks “disgusting and
antithetical to American ideals.”
“Let’s remember what we are wit-
nessing: these are terrorists ruth-
lessly attacking an ally. Defense of
these terrorists is unthinkable. Acts
of aggression toward Israel will never
be tolerated. ... It’s time for President
Biden to stop cowering to the anti-
Israel radical left and remind these
ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES
Johnson Says ‘Nothing Conclusive’ Suggests Need to Delay Reopening
LILY ZHOU
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
says there’s “nothing conclusive” at
the moment that suggests England
needs to delay its reopening.
The prime minister said the gov-
ernment will be “letting people
know in a few days’ time.”
According to Johnson’s road map
to exit the third national CCP (Chi-
nese Communist Party) virus lock-
down in England, all legal restric-
tions will be removed from June 21,
if all goes well.
But the prospect of freedom is
overshadowed by concerns over
the Indian variant of the CCP virus,
which some experts say may be 50
French President Emmanuel
Macron said European and
African leaders have agreed
to push to redirect $100
billion in IMF funds to African
states by October.
Rockets are launched toward Israel from the southern Gaza Strip on May 17, 2021.
terrorists and the world of the United
States’ strong and unwavering sup-
port of the Israeli people,” he added.
President Joe Biden on May 17 ex-
pressed his support for a cease-fire
and discussed U.S. communications
with Egypt and other partners to-
ward that goal with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His
comments came after  28 Senate
Democrats led by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-
Ga.) issued a joint statement on May
16 urging “an immediate ceasefire
agreement.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a co-
signatory of the GOP resolution,
said in a May 17 statement: “Israel
is our strongest ally. President Biden
should unapologetically reaffirm
U.S. support of Israel and its right
to defend itself. The left’s moralistic
calls for a ceasefire are little more
than a propaganda win for Hamas.”
Biden’s statement contradicts
U.S. actions on May 16 to block a
joint statement from the 15-nation
U.N. Security Council calling for a
cease-fire and condemnation of Is-
rael’s military response to being at-
tacked—a stance backed by the Chi-
nese Communist Party. The United
States had also twice over the past
week blocked similar resolutions.
The conflict was triggered by a
riot on May 10, when Palestinian
rioters and Israeli police clashed
in and around the Masjid al-Aqsa
Mosque—a compound revered by
Jews as the Temple Mount, and by
Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The
riot also coincided with a planned
Jewish nationalist march in honor
of the annual Jerusalem Day and the
UK Prime Minister Boris
Johnson speaks at a
press conference about
the ongoing coronavirus
outbreak, at 10 Down-
ing Street in London on
May 14, 2021.
MATT DUNHAM-WPA
POOL/GETTY IMAGES
8K
left Morocco and swam “Lead countries of the
world [should] withhold
to EU soil on May 17 and
18, worsening a dip- their attendance at the
lomatic spat between [2022 Beijing] Olympics.”
MIGRANTS Spain and Morocco. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
SAID KHATIB/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Israeli police on May 10 fired tear-
As our great gas and stun grenades into the area
ally and the surrounding the mosque to disperse
only shining the unruly rioters as innocent people
example of fled the area, video showed. Hamas
that day demanded that Israel re-
democracy move its police from the area by 6
in the Middle p.m. local time. Minutes after the
deadline, the terrorist group fired
East, Israel more than 150 rockets into Israel,
deserves our triggering the Israel Defense Forces
full support. (IDF) to counter the attacks with air-
strikes toward terrorist targets in the
Sen. Rick Scott Gaza Strip.
At least 212 Palestinians have been
killed, including 61 children and 36
women, with more than 1,400 people
wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry
stated. The IDF noted that about 450
rockets launched by Hamas misfired
and exploded inside Gaza. Mean-
while, 10 people in Israel, including a
five-year-old boy and a soldier, have
also been killed by Hamas’s ongoing
rocket attacks launched toward civil-
ian areas in Israel.
In response to the rocket attacks
from Gaza, the Israeli military has
carried out more than 820 strikes
against what it identified as mili-
tary targets belonging to Hamas and
the Islamic Jihad terrorist groups,
including training facilities, tunnel
networks, weapons factories and
storage areas, intelligence headquar-
ters, offices, and homes of the ter-
ror operatives. According to the IDF,
more than 130 terrorists, including
senior terrorist commanders, have
been killed.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who
joined in the resolution on May 17,
stated: “Israel has not just the right
but the obligation to defend its citi-
zens and its territory against the
Iran-backed Palestinian terrorists
who are attacking its citizens and
using civilians in Gaza, including
journalists, as human shields.
“The United States must make
it clear that it stands shoulder-to-
shoulder with Israel, and the Biden
administration has no place pressur-
ing Israel to use restraint or equivo-
U.S. Sen. Rick
Scott (R-Fla.) cating Israel and Hamas. I am proud
speaks during a to join Sen. Scott on this resolution
news conference to ensure Congress is clear about
at the U.S. Capitol our support of the State of Israel as
in Washington on they defend their people and their
March 5, 2021. sovereignty.”
percent more transmissible than the Blackburn, Bedford, Sefton, and
UK variant. other places,” Johnson said, referring
The prime minister has previously to areas where the Indian variant is
warned the rise in cases of the Indian reportedly becoming dominant.
variant could risk the road map being “[We’re] just looking at those curves,
delayed. where they’re moving, trying to un-
If outbreaks are limited, ministers derstand whether the Indian variant
could opt instead to push ahead with is more transmissible, and if so, by
the reopening while keeping some how much more it’s transmissible,
areas under restrictions in an echo and also trying to understand to
of the controversial tiered system in- what extent our vaccine program
troduced in 2020. has already sufficiently fortified us
Asked on May 18 whether the date all against it,” he said.
will be affected, Johnson told report- “And I’m afraid we just got a few
ers the government is keeping every- more days of looking at that data.”
thing under “very, very careful, close Health Secretary Matt Hancock has
review.” said that the final decision on wheth-
“We’re looking at all the data as it er to remove all legal restrictions as
comes in from places like Bolton, scheduled will be made on June 14.
A9
India’s COVID-19
Tally Passes 25
Million; Cyclone
Hampers Response
in Western States
India’s total COVID-19 caseload
surged past 25 million as a pow-
erful cyclone complicated the
health crisis in the western states
of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
COVID-19 tests were adminis-
tered to 200,000 people evacu-
ated from coastal districts of
Gujarat before the cyclone struck.
India’s total tally of coronavirus
cases now stands at 25.23 million,
according to health ministry. The
official total death toll is 278,719.
500
$
MILLION
Egypt will allocate $500
million for rebuilding efforts
in the Gaza Strip following
Israeli airstrikes, the Egyp-
tian presidency said.
Ukraine’s
Parliament Fires
Health Minister
Over COVID
Vaccine Shortage
“Ukraine’s parliament has voted
to fire Health Minister Maksym
Stepanov, accusing him of failing to
supply adequate vaccine doses.
Ukraine is among the European
countries most affected by the
pandemic and has lagged behind
other countries in its vaccination
efforts, with only 948,330 Ukrain-
ians having received their first
vaccine dose as of May 18 out of a
population of around 41 million.
[So far,] 2.3 million doses of vac-
cine have been delivered to Ukraine,
which is hard to call the effective
work of the health minister,”” Prime
Minister Denys Shmygal said.
At Least 57
Migrants Drown
in Shipwreck
Off Tunisia
“At least 57 migrants drowned in
a shipwreck off Tunis as they tried
to cross the Mediterranean from
Libya to Italy, while 33 were res-
cued, humanitarian organization
Tunisian Red Crescent said.
In recent weeks, drowning inci-
dents have occurred off the Tuni-
sian coast, with an increase in the
frequency of trips to Europe from
Tunisia and Libya towards Italy as
the weather has improved.
“Thirty-three Bengalis were
rescued [and] 57 others drowned
in a boat carrying about 90 mi-
grants that set off from Libya
towards Europe,” Red Crescent
official Mongi Slim told Reuters.
More than 60 migrants have
died in recent weeks in similar
incidents off the Tunisian coast.”
HOW HWEE YOUNG-POOL/GETTY IMAGES
Philippines’
Duterte Issues
Gag Order Over
South China Sea
President Rodrigo Duterte said
the Philippines would not waver
in defending its interests in the
South China Sea, even though
he has barred his ministers
from talking about the situation
there in public.
China’s maritime conduct
has been a constant problem
for Duterte, who has refrained
from criticizing Beijing and
instead praised its leadership,
hoping to secure investment.
After weeks of rebukes of
China by his ministers over the
presence of hundreds of fish-
ing vessels in the Philippines’
Exclusive Economic Zone, he
ordered them to refrain from
discussing the matter publicly.
A10
Thousands March Through Manhattan, Sending
Defiant Message to the Chinese Communist Regime
New Yorkers welcome
the celebration of peace
after ‘tragic moments’
in COVID-19 pandemic
EVA FU
N
EW YORK—Around
2,500 Falun Gong prac-
titioners wearing yel-
low and blue paraded
through Manhattan on
May 13 to mark a special occasion
for their faith.
The day, known as World Falun
Dafa Day, marks the introduction
of the peaceful spiritual discipline to
the public in China on May 13, 1992.
Adherents credit the teachings of the
practice’s founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi,
whose birthday also coincides with
the occasion, for helping them to live
a better life.
Such gatherings have been a rare
sight since the pandemic hit last
year. The parade, adherents said, was
meant not only for commemoration,
but also to send a defiant message
to the Chinese communist regime,
which has sought to eradicate the
group for more than two decades.
One of the largest spiritual com-
munities in China, Falun Gong,
which is rooted in ancient Chinese
culture, garnered a following of
around 70 million to 100 million by
1999. That popularity was deemed
unacceptable to the atheist Chinese
Communist Party (CCP), which then
launched a brutal persecution that
continues to this day.
Millions have been sent to deten-
tion centers, prisons, or labor camps,
where they’ve been subjected to tor-
ture, slave labor, and even death by
forced organ harvesting.
Celebration of Peace
The group’s peaceful presence, de-
spite the ongoing abuses endured by
practitioners in China, left a mark on
the onlookers in New York.
“Truthfulness, compassion, and
tolerance—you can’t have anything
better than that,” said Anthony
Benitez, a native New Yorker who
trains construction workers at OS-
HAcademy, as he watched the pa-
rade pass. The three words, which
adorned a number of banners in
Chinese and English, are the core
principles of the practice.
Benitez, who was seeing the pa-
rade for a second time, held an ori-
gami lotus flower that he received
from a Falun Gong practitioner,
which he planned to hang in his
home.
The celebration was an especially
welcome change “after all these
tragic moments that we’ve gone
through with this virus,” he said,
adding that he had just had a vascu-
lar operation after suffering a stroke.
“I think that we all are looking for
that peacefulness in our souls, and
this is a start,” he said.
Ramzi, a designer who didn’t give
his last name, said the parade made
him think of “peace and security.”
“When I see these people, I feel
peace in my heart,” he said, add-
Fake Accounts Support Beijing’s Propaganda Campaign on Twitter
FRANK FANG
The Chinese regime is relying heavily
on Twitter and Facebook to broadcast
its state propaganda globally and its
online effort has been amplified by
fake Twitter accounts, according to
recent reports.
“We find that the PRC [People’s Re-
public of China] is increasingly seek-
ing to use its diplomats to amplify the
outward-facing propaganda dissemi-
nation of state-backed media outlets,”
Marcel Schliebs, lead author of a re-
port titled “China’s Public Diplomacy
Twenty-six members of
the Thai national women’s
volleyball team tested
positive after receiving
Chinese-made COVID-19
vaccines.
KOKI NAGAHAMA/GETTY IMAGES
ing that he regularly joined Falun
Gong meditations, which are free
and open to the public, at Bryant
Park. When he lost his job due to the
pandemic and had family issues last
year, the practice brought him peace
“because it was a connection with
the universe,” he said.
“We have to see [that] the oppo-
site of truthfulness is dishonesty,
[and the opposite of] compassion is
negativity,” he said. “We have to be
truthful to ourselves.”
He noted the mass suppression of
Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and
other religious groups.
He said that even though the rul-
ing communist regime deems Fa-
lun Gong “a threat to their security,”
the group has in fact “contributed to
the success and the economy of the
country.”
“We’re supposed to support each
other, because that’s what makes
us strong. But they [the Chinese re-
gime] want to exclude them from
the society and eliminate them,”
he said.
Standing for Justice
A number of Chinese Christians
from Flushing also joined the pa-
rade to take a stance against reli-
gious persecution in China.
“As a Christian, we are also victims
of the unlawful CCP tyrannical re-
gime,” said Yang Shisong, a member
of the Rock Church in New York.
CHUNG I HO/THE EPOCH TIMES
Operations,” said in a statement.
The report, along with a second re-
port focusing on China’s operations
in the UK, was the result of a seven-
month joint investigation by the Ox-
ford Internet Institute, a department
at the University of Oxford, and The
Associated Press.
Before 2019, there were a total of
fewer than 50 Chinese diplomatic
accounts on Twitter, but that num-
ber has since grown exponentially to
189 accounts as of March 1. As of the
same month, there were 84 Chinese
diplomatic accounts on Facebook.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
“We will continue to
struggle to defend our free
lifestyle and our freedoms.”
Emily Lau, pro-democracy advocate
TAL ATZMON/THE EPOCH TIMES
Practitioners of the “Supporting Falun Gong is sup-
spiritual discipline porting ourselves,” said another
Falun Gong hold a church member, who goes by the
parade in New York name Richy. He believes Falun Gong
to celebrate World has become a target of the abuse for
Falun Dafa Day and to “being upright.”
protest the ongoing
“The CCP ... persecutes anyone it
persecution of the
spiritual practice by the finds disagreeable,” he said.
Chinese Communist “No matter what they believe in,
Party in China, God has placed conscience in peo-
on May 13, 2021. ple’s hearts. So we all should stand
up in the face of injustice.”
James Liu, who just came to Amer-
ica from China, said the “CCP is a
regime against humanity.”
“We can’t allow it to continue to
live on like this,” he said.
Truthfulness,
Finding Life’s Purpose
compassion, Hundreds of current and former
and tolerance— officials worldwide sent letters and
you can’t proclamations in the lead-up to
World Falun Dafa Day. Despite near-
have anything ly 22 years of persecution in China,
better than the practice has quietly thrived,
that. spreading to more than 90 countries
around the world, with Falun Gong’s
Anthony Benitez, main text, “Zhuan Falun,” having
instructor, been translated into 40 languages.
OSHAcademy Nicole Fiene, a 26-year-old sales
representative at a local outsourc-
ing company, was a first-time par-
ticipant in the annual parade, after
being introduced to the practice late
last March.
Fiene at the time was at a “very,
very dark point” in her life.
“If you saw me, I was living a seem-
ingly very beautiful existence, I was
doing so many things, I was travel-
Bystanders ing to so many places, I had so many
watch a parade by friends ... but inside, it was desolate,”
practitioners of the she told The Epoch Times. “No mat-
spiritual discipline
ter what I did, I was always unsatis-
Falun Gong in New
York on May 13, 2021.
fied.”
Fiene was also struggling with
mental pains and intrusive thoughts
that made her scared to walk around
BETHANY CLARKE/GETTY IMAGES
According to the reports, these dip-
lomatic accounts were attributed to
Chinese Embassies, ambassadors,
consuls, or other embassy staff in 126
countries.
These diplomatic accounts were
highly active on Twitter. Between
June 2020 and February 2021, these
accounts tweeted 201,382 times, and
these tweets were liked nearly 7 mil-
lion times, commented on a million
times, and retweeted 1.3 million
times.
For example, China’s foreign min-
istry spokeswoman Hua Chungying,
40
About 40 percent
of teachers in
Hong Kong have
said they intend
to leave the
PERCENT education sector.
LARRY DAI/THE EPOCH TIMES
her house or go to sleep, all of which
she kept from her family.
She would often try to distract her-
self with activities such as partying
and travel to avoid feeling like she
was “drowning in fear.” But with the
pandemic, every distraction chan-
nel became inaccessible.
Three weeks into the pandemic,
sitting alone in her backyard and
feeling overwhelmed, Fiene had a
sudden desire to meditate. She re-
membered the spiritual discipline
a friend had mentioned a month
earlier and decided to give it a try.
She played the exercise music in
her dining room and did the first
exercise, which features a number
of stretching movements. “All of a
sudden, I just felt energy circling
through my body, and I remember
just thinking in that moment, I felt
that it had been so long since I felt
safe,” she said.
The principles of the practice have
provided her with a standard to dis-
tinguish right from wrong and, as a
result, “an overwhelming feeling of
clarity,” she said. She has gotten rid
of her drinking and smoking hab-
its, and she no longer suffers from
nightmares.
The practice, she said, has given
her the guidance to “be the person
I’ve always wanted to be.”
“I finally feel that I’m fulfilling my
purpose,” she said. She pressed her
palms together, a posture known as
“heshi” in Chinese, to express her
gratitude.
If everyone “knew in their hearts
that they are inherently truthful,
compassionate, and tolerant,” she
said, it would help them refrain from
committing wrongdoing, and “the
world would be a better place.”
Sarah Lu contributed to this report.
who created her Twitter account in
October 2019, tweeted 2,036 times in
the nine-month period and her posts
were retweeted 171,651 times.
Chinese netizens don’t have direct
access to either Twitter or Facebook,
since both are banned in China. They
do commonly use virtual private net-
works (VPNs) to bypass China’s in-
ternet blockade to be able to access
banned websites.
Chinese netizens don’t have direct
access to either Twitter or Facebook,
since both are banned in China.
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Communist Ideology Delivered
in China’s Christian Churches
Chinese regime’s campaign
to communize religion is
underway in churches
and schools
DOROTHY LI
Pastors in China’s Christian churches
are preaching the Chinese Communist
Party’s ideology following the removal
of Bible-related apps and major Chris-
tian social media accounts, leading some
to claim that there is an effort to com-
munize religious organizations on CCP-
controlled land.
On May 8, the two state-sanctioned
Protestant organizations in Beijing—the
Beijing Municipal Three-Self Patriotic
Movement Committee and the China
Christian Council—held a forum to cel-
ebrate the CCP’s 100th anniversary, ac-
cording to a report on the organizations’
combined official website.
Pastors and church staff are required to
study the CCP’s history, guide believers
to follow the Party, and follow the “sini-
cization of Christianity,” said Cai Kui, the
chair of the two organizations.
Two other official organizations in
Shandong Province’s Jining city held
a praise concert at Huajiajie Church in
celebration of the 100th anniversary of
the CCP, according to another report on
the website.
“The Chinese regime has tightened its
control on the official churches,” said Fa-
ther Francis Liu from the San Francisco-
based Chinese Christian Fellowship of
Righteousness, a nonprofit organization
concerned about Christianity in China.
Thoughts from Chinese leader Xi Jin-
ping, along with the CCP’s propaganda—
like claims that the pandemic originated
in the United States—are delivered in
state-approved churches, Liu told The
Epoch Times.
On May 2, Liu posted photos and vid-
eos on Twitter of a church in Wenzhou
city, Zhejiang Province, where a pastor
was teaching “the founding mission of
the CCP.”
In China, the official Christian church
is the Three-Self Patriotic Movement
Church, supervised by the United Front
Work Department.
State security police and religious af-
fairs bureau officials frequently raid unof-
ficial house churches that aren’t members
of the CCP-backed Three-Self Patriotic
Association, although member churches
have also been targeted at times.
“It is quite normal,” a human rights law-
yer in China, speaking on condition of
anonymity, told The Epoch Times.
Pastors ordained into the Three-Self Pa-
triotic Movement Church are approved
by the authorities, “so they, of course, will
study Xi’s ideology and prioritize reading
the Party’s documents,” the lawyer said
in a phone interview.
“Some pastors teach the Bible—it is no
problem—but they talk about the CCP
leaders’ thoughts first,” the lawyer said.
“They are not Christians.
“The CCP is actually sinicizing all home
churches, communizing them—in oth-
er words, turning them into Three-Self
churches. The so-called sinicization of
Christianity is communization, [because]
it must follow the leadership of the CCP.
But it won’t be a church if it does so ... it
would become a deceptive organization.”
On May 1, China’s new religious regu-
lation, Measures on the Management of
Religious Professionals, came into effect.
It requires those who hold any formal role
in a religious group to pledge allegiance
to the CCP and double down on the sini-
cization of religion.
The communization of religion was also
written into religious school administra-
tive measures, which will come into effect
on Sept. 1, 2021.
Bibles Taken Down From Shelves
On April 29, subscribers of Christian
public accounts on WeChat, such as the
Gospel Coalition and the Great Chris-
tian, were greeted with the message “The
account is suspended and blocked.”
Popular Bible apps were taken down
from the Chinese App Store, according
to the International Christian Concern.
Several websites promoting religious
thoughts were shut down or blocked in
China, including state-authorized online
bookshops that sell Buddhist sutras, ac-
GREG BAKER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
cording to Liu.
“It is not limited to mainland China,
because it is already reaching Hong Kong.
So, for example, the Taiwan-based Pres-
byterian Church’s website is blocked in
Hong Kong,” Liu said.
Following this trend, copies of the Bible
itself are rarely found for general sale in
China anymore. It was pulled from Chi-
nese online shopping platforms, includ-
ing the dominant Taobao, JD.com, and
Amazon in March 2018.
The physical versions are only available
for sale in the state-approved Three-Self
churches, along with books promoting
Xi’s ideology.
Illegal Repression
“Many people no longer believe the CCP’s
propaganda, and they hope to find solace
and support from religion. So all religions
are deemed as disadvantageous and un-
stable factors to [the control of] the CCP,”
Liu said.
The CCP embraces atheism and com-
munizing all religions using revised
religious regulations to ban anything it
deems as unauthorized religious teach-
ings in China, including Islam, Tibetan
Buddhism, and Christianity, according
to the U.S. Commission on International
Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its 2021
annual report.
However, the regulation itself violates
the Chinese Constitution, Chinese hu-
man rights lawyers point out. Article 36
of the Constitution explicitly states that
Chinese citizens enjoy “freedom of reli-
gious belief” and prevents state organs,
organizations, and individuals from com-
pelling people to believe or not believe in
any religion.
Luo Ya contributed to this report.
CHINA | A11
Back-to-Back
Tornadoes Kill 12
in China
Chinese authorities say back-to-
back tornadoes killed 12 people in
central and eastern China and left
more than 300 others injured.
Eight people reportedly died in
Wuhan and four others in the town
of Shengze, about 250 miles east,
on May 14, local governments said.
Tornadoes are rare in China. In
July 2019, a tornado killed six peo-
ple in the northeastern Liaoning
province, and another tornado the
following month killed eight on the
southern resort island of Hainan.
The actual numbers of casualties
from such events may be much
higher, but are difficult to verify, as
the Chinese regime routinely sup-
presses or alters information.
Organ Donation
Worker Exposes
China’s Money-
Driven Transplant
Industry
State-run media in China have
been promoting a job called “organ
donation coordinators,” trumpet-
ing how people in this line of work
are making a difference in society.
The pillar of Their role is to convince families
a demolished of dying patients to agree to do-
Catholic nate their loved one’s organs—to
church is seen supply China’s booming for-profit
in Puyang, transplant industry.
in China’s The families that agree, in re-
central Henan turn, are paid for their consent.
Province, on Liang Xin (a pseudonym), a for-
Aug. 13, 2018. mer organ donation coordinator
from northeast China, told The
Epoch Times that the work was
akin to being a salesperson, and
much of it involves using money
to manipulate the poor into agree-
ing to donate their dying relatives’
organs.
China’s COVID-19
Outbreaks
Worsen, Officials
Dismissed, Clinics
Lose Licenses
The Chinese Communist Party has
punished tens of its officials in the
wake of worsening COVID-19 out-
breaks across the country.
According to reports, the lat-
est outbreaks have been linked to
cases that first showed symptoms
in early May.
A clinic in Liaoning and two clin-
ics in Anhui, which treated several
COVID-19 patients during that
time, have been forced to close and
fire their doctors. They also lost
their business licenses.
Liaoning dismissed three offi-
cials, sent a warning to nine others,
and reprimanded three more. Of-
ficials who were on a Anhui district
health commission were sacked,
and the district party boss and
mayor gave confessions in front of
the city’s party boss and mayor.
A12 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

Celebrate America’s Contribution to

the Free World—in Magazine Form

T
he Epoch Times brings you American Essence, It draws from the rich history of our forefathers, as well as
a magazine for anyone who loves America and the lives of everyday Americans today, to show different
seeks to live by the founding values of this great perspectives of the values that built the American republic.
nation.
American Essence focuses on traditional American Timeless Values
values and great American stories. It recounts significant American Essence highlights the morals and traditional
historical events, from the time of the Founding Fathers, values that guided the nation’s Founding Fathers. It shares
through to the average Americans today who want to give stories embodying the ideals and virtues that formed this
back to their community and country. land of liberty.
American Essence celebrates America’s contribution to
humanity. It has been the flagship of the free world. It has Perseverance
gone through difficult times—many times—but it has The right path is often not the easy path. And history
been prosperous because it is blessed. It is a land like no shows us that it rarely was.
other to those seeking freedom of belief, staying true to the
motto “in God we Trust.” It is this enduring belief and its Content Just for You
core ideals that have carried America through and kept it American Essence covers:
strong. This, and much more, is what serves as the nation’s Entrepreneurs Family
great legacy. Small Farms Movies and TV
History Immigrant Stories
From History to Future Historic Buildings The Great Outdoors
American Essence brings you the best of America, past and Made in America Homeschooling
present, to help you create a better future for yourself and Giving Back to the Community Small Town Living
the country. Founding Fathers American Artists

I was interested in a different type [of] magazine.
A little bit of everything. I liked the fact that it has
history articles and … moral-based stories. I feel it
will be a magazine my whole family can read and
share together. Excited to read the first issue!
—Kim Mott
I’m very blessed to be born in America, and the
historical contributions of America to ideology,
technology, and opportunity are unprecedented.
There’s been an assault [on] having nationalistic
pride as an American, and I’m happy to support a
magazine that highlights what made and makes
America an amazing place with incredible people.
—Jean Christophe Buillet

Discover stories from our past and present that will shape our future.
Pre-order today at
AmericanEssence.net or Please use this form

Yes, I’d like to pre-order! PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY (INCLUDE APT., STE., OR UNIT NO.)

FIRST NAME LAST NAME PHONE

1 Yearly (12 Issues) 6 months (6 Issues)
+ 2 Free Issues* + 1 Free Issue*
ADDRESS APT. #
BEST
DEAL U $59.40 U $35.70
Save 37%** ($4.95/issue) Save 25%** ($5.95/issue) CITY STATE ZIP
* No free issue(s) upon renewal ** Based on monthly rate of $7.95
EMAIL
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE?
U PAY BY CHECK (PAYABLE TO THE EPOCH TIMES) U USE MY CREDIT CARD / DEBIT CARD
ONLINE : AmericanEssence.net
HOTLINE : 917-905-2080 CARD #
BY MAIL : The Epoch Times We use your credit card solely, and securely, for your subscription. We do not share it with any third parties. The subscription is auto-renew with credit card payment.
Attn: Accounting Department
229 w. 28th Street, Fl. 7, EXPIRATION CARD CVV# ZIP
New York, NY 10001 M M Y Y
NAME ON CARD SIGNATURE
BY SIGNING THIS SUBSCRIPTION FORM, I AFFIRM THAT I HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AT
ReadEpoch.com/Terms I ALSO AFFIRM ALL INFO ABOVE IS COMPLETE AND ACCURATE.
OPINION
Why Has ‘Global
Warming’ Disappeared?
Cheng Xiaonong
See A15
OPINION | READERS’ TURN | COMICS |PUZZLES
A statue of George Washington overlooks the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, on March 23, 2021.
Defending the Constitution:
Limits on Federal Authority
ROB NATELSON
One of the Constitu-
tion’s most important
features—limits on the
central government—
has been the target of a
propaganda campaign for
many decades.
“Progressive” commentators in politics,
academia, and the media claim these limits
impede creative and effective solutions to
social problems. Over the years, they’ve en-
listed many issues to promote their cause:
“We can end poverty only through bold
federal initiatives!”
“To save the planet, we need more fed-
eral regulation!”
“The path to college affordability is for
the federal government to pay full tuition!”
“The way to jump-start the economy
is through massive federal stimulus
spending!”
Other issues on the list have included
civil rights, consumer protection, in-
equality, K-12 education, climate change,
racism, and “crumbling infrastructure.”
Whatever the malady, the prescription—
federal action beyond what the Constitu-
tion authorizes—is always the same.
Just for once, I’d like to hear one of the
propagandists admit that, in retrospect,
too much federal intervention made a
problem worse. They would have a lot of
examples to choose from, but I don’t ever
expect to hear it.
Unfortunately, the campaign to per-
suade Americans that the federal gov-
ernment is and should be omnipotent
has enjoyed great success. One reason
is that public school civics education
often misrepresents the Constitution’s
meaning and the reasons behind that
meaning. This essay helps fill the gap by
explaining how the Constitution con-
fines federal power and why it does so.
The Constitution limits the federal gov-
ernment in four general ways:
OPINION
First: The Constitution is the legal
document by which the American people
granted authority to certain public of-
ficials, mostly (but not exclusively) federal
officials. The Constitution specifically
enumerates (lists) all powers granted. The
list is long but finite. The items enumerated
include, among others, national defense,
coining money, creating and operating
the post office, building and maintaining
post roads (intercity highways), regulating
foreign and interstate trade and some ac-
tivities associated with trade, and control
of immigration.
A longstanding legal rule tells us that
because the Constitution lists the federal
government’s powers, any power not on
the list is denied.
Second: The Constitution specifically
prohibits some federal activities. The pro-
hibitions appear mostly, but not entirely,
in the first eight amendments of the Bill
of Rights. For example, the government is
barred from discriminating among reli-
gions, restricting freedom of speech, in-
fringing the right to keep and bear arms,
or adopting those retroactive measures
called ex post facto laws. We often refer
to prohibitions on government action as
creating or recognizing “rights.”
Decentralization, not
centralization, is more consistent
with rapid human progress.
Third: The 10th Amendment reinforces
the rule that the only powers granted
to the federal government are those the
Constitution enumerates.
Fourth: The enumeration of exceptions
to federal power (“rights”) might suggest
that the government has authority over
everything outside the exceptions. So the
Ninth Amendment rules out any such
suggestion. It reinforces the rule that
ANDREW HARNIK/POOL/GETTY IMAGES
A copy of the U.S. Constitution, during a House
hearing on Dec. 17, 2019.
federal powers stop when enumerated
powers stop. As one of my law students
once remarked, the Ninth Amendment is
an exclamation point.
All these constitutional restrictions
are anathema to “progressives.” So they
alternate frontal attacks on the Consti-
tution with claims that the document
doesn’t mean what the document clearly
says. They also launched the decades-long
propaganda campaign to convince us that
all power should flow from the center.
But why shouldn’t it? Why didn’t the
Founders establish an omnipotent cen-
tral authority?
History provides part of the answer.
Before 1763, the founding generation
lived happily within the British Empire.
The empire was governed as an informal
federation, leaving individual colonies
with a great deal of local control. But when
British political functionaries decided to
centralize power in London, the founding
generation rebelled. Once independence
was achieved, Americans were disinclined
to adopt a constitution granting the na-
tional government the omnipotence they
had denied to the imperial government.
On a broader level, the Founders under-
stood that limits on the federal govern-
ment, especially when checked by potent
states, would help preserve human free-
dom. In New York v. United States (1992)
the Supreme Court explained it this way:
OPINION
The Ongoing
Politicization of the DOJ
Jeff Carlson & Hans Mahncke
See A16
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 A13
ANGELA WEISS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
“The Constitution does not protect the
sovereignty of States for the benefit of the
States or state governments as abstract
political entities, or even for the benefit
of the public officials governing the
States. To the contrary, the Constitution
divides authority between federal and
state governments for the protection of
individuals. State sovereignty is not just
an end in itself: ‘Rather, federalism se-
cures to citizens the liberties that derive
from the diffusion of sovereign power.’
... ‘Just as the separation and indepen-
dence of the coordinate branches of the
Federal Government serve to prevent the
accumulation of excessive power in any-
one branch, a healthy balance of power
between the States and the Federal Gov-
ernment will reduce the risk of tyranny
and abuse from either front.’”
Moreover, the Founders understood that
decentralization usually improves gover-
nance. A decentralized system allows states
to tailor local policies to local preferences,
local culture, and local needs. For example,
one reason the COVID-19/CCP virus re-
sponse should be executed at the state and
local levels is that health restrictions that
make sense in densely populated New York
City would be ridiculous in the wide-open
spaces of Montana or South Dakota.
A final reason for decentralization is
much less widely understood: Political de-
centralization promotes human progress.
Recall some of the greatest moments in
the advance of civilization: The awaken-
ing of human intellect in ancient Greece.
The quickening of trade and culture, rule
of law, and rise in living standards in the
early Roman Empire. The flowering of
arts and commerce in Renaissance Italy
and Germany, the beginnings of the In-
dustrial Revolution in England, and the
economic and technological takeoffs in
19th-century Europe and America.
Continued on A18
A14 | OPINION
Biden Administration
Is Mocking Ancient
Wisdom
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON
Human nature stays the same
across time and space. That is
why there used to be predict-
able political, economic, and
social behavior that all coun-
tries understood.
The supply of money governs
inflation. Print it without either greater
productivity or more goods and services,
and the currency cheapens. Yet, Amer-
ica apparently rejects that primordial
truism.
The United States is more than $28
trillion in debt—about 130 percent of
the country’s annual gross domestic
product. The government will run up a
$2.3 trillion budget deficit for 2021 after a
record $3.1 trillion deficit the year before.
The Biden administration still wants to
borrow more—another $2 trillion in new
social programs and “infrastructure.”
Pushing the Limits on Embryo Research
JENNIFER LAHL
It’s no surprise to many
of us that the “14-day
rule,” which limits
research on human
embryos to their first two
weeks of development, is
being challenged.
For those of us who were around dur-
ing the Bush presidency and the time of
the great stem cell debates, we always
knew the 14-day rule would erode. A film
I produced, “Lines That Divide,” is a great
primer or refresher for those who are
curious about that time in U.S. political
and scientific division.
Will embryonic stem cells have the po-
tential for developing cures for disease?
If so, at what expense? Some argued we
would be at risk for a new form of bio-
logical colonialism, where there would
be vats of human embryos available to
researchers.
The ethical debate during this time
was the tension between our moral duty
to pursue scientific progress to develop
cures and treatments that provide heal-
ing hope for those suffering, versus
destroying early human life to develop
treatments.
During this contentious time, celebri-
ties such as Michael J. Fox, Christopher
Reeve, and Mary Tyler Moore took to the
scene and pleaded that we needed cures,
cures, cures. Opponents of the use of
embryos in research rejected destroying
nascent human life for the benefit of oth-
ers—the ends don’t justify the means.
The 14-day rule has been around for
some 40 years now. It came to us in a
“Report of the Committee of Inquiry into
Human Fertilisation and Embryology,”
chaired by Dame Mary Warnock, hence,
it’s often referred to as the Warnock Report.
This was the height of the break-
throughs in assisted reproduction and
the birth of Louise Brown, the first “test-
tube” baby born in the UK. So, creating
embryos in the lab was very much on
OLIVER CONTRERAS/SIPA USA
President Joe Biden delivers
remarks from the South Court
Auditorium at the White
House on May 12, 2021.
When an arrogant
present dismisses
the wisdom of the
past, then an all-too-
predictable future
becomes terrifying.
people’s moral consciences.
The Warnock Report led some coun-
tries to actually put a law in place pro-
tecting the 14-day rule—countries such
as Japan, Germany, and the United
Kingdom. Other countries just adopted
it as a scientific guideline. Nonethe-
less, for some 40 years, the international
scientific community followed this limit,
because of ethics.
Now though, science has moved on. We
have millions of frozen embryos, scien-
tists have created monkey-human hybrid
embryos, which lived for 19 days in the
lab, and the 14-day rule is getting in their
way of progress.
What was magical about the 14-day
rule? The argument has always been that
after 14 days, the embryo has its plan,
cells begin to specialize for their par-
ticular mission (bone cells start to form
bones, brain cells start to form brain
tissue), and the central nervous system
begins to develop. The embryo starts to
become that which it is designed to be.
Ironically, it’s for this very reason, that
scientists are rationalizing the expansion
of the 14-day rule to 28 days (if you think
it will stop at 28 days, you really aren’t
paying attention).
The argument goes, if we can study the
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
In the crazy past 100 days, the price of rather than as magnanimity to be re-
everything from lumber, food, and gas turned in kind.
to cars and houses has soared. Yet, many The old dictum of the Roman writer
interest rates are still stuck at or below 3 Vegetius—if you want peace, prepare for
percent. war—was just too much of a downer to
Jobs are plentiful; workers are not. Is it take seriously.
a surprise when government handouts In the old days, the greater the impedi-
discourage the unemployed from taking ments to crossing a nation’s border—
a pay cut to go back to work? walls and the enforcement of laws—the
After being freed from 13 months of less likely was illegal immigration. Here
quarantine, Americans are splurging. too, the Biden administration apparently
But this huge pent-up demand is caus- rejected the ancient warnings.
ing shortages. Producers fear the Biden Stopping construction of the border
administration’s loose talk of higher wall, promising amnesties in advance,
taxes, greater regulation, and cutbacks in and damning the tough enforcement of
energy development. the previous administration has only led
Are the old principles really obsolete? to more illegal immigration.
Should we be printing money while Refusing to call the chaos at the south-
expanding government debt? Is it wise ern border a “crisis” did not mean it was
to keep interest rates close to zero and not a disaster.
to discourage employment, production, Wisdom of the ages also warned that
and thrift? This dangerous behavior used humans’ first allegiance was to their own
to ensure inflation, followed by ruinous tribe, as defined by race, ethnicity, or
stagflation. religion. That existential danger is why
After George Floyd was killed while in
police custody in Minneapolis, some U.S.
cities slashed police spending. Police
response times have slowed in many
multiracial nations always wisely sought
to tamp down tribal differences, and to
emphasize common ties of citizenship
and transcendent common interests.
places, perhaps because officers are wor-
ried about being fired for using force.
The result? In major cities such as New
York and Los Angeles, homicide and
Otherwise, a diverse country ended up
like Lebanon, Rwanda, or the former
Yugoslavia, where tribal feuding turned
bloody and barbaric.
violent crime rates have increased by
double digits.
State and local governments believed
Yet for three months, the Biden admin-
istration has emphasized racial differ-
ences rather than our melting-pot com-
they were exempt from primeval laws of monalities. It has stereotyped America’s
deterrence that warned when criminals white population—hardly uniform in
assumed they would not be caught and terms of class and ethnicity—as some-
punished, then they committed more how uniformly enjoying unearned privi-
crimes. lege and acting systemically racist.
The same dangers of ignoring unchang- Amid such talk, the danger is that racial
ing human nature apply to foreign policy. tensions will increase, hate crimes will
Aggressive opponents such as Iran, spike, racial demagogues will domi-
North Korea, China, and Russia expect nate, meritocracy will vanish, and tribal
that the Biden administration will ignore solidarity will replace it. And the ancient
their brinkmanship. They assume the idea of America will unwind.
administration will cut American de- When an arrogant present dismisses
fenses. And Biden sounds to them more the wisdom of the past, then an all-too-
critical of Trump foreign policy than of predictable future becomes terrifying.
America’s enemies. Why not take previ-
ously unwarranted risks? Victor Davis Hanson is a conservative
So, Russian troops predictably mass commentator, classicist, and military his-
on the Ukrainian border. China steps up torian. He is a professor of classics emeri-
its harassment of Taiwan. North Korea tus at California State University, a senior
launches more missiles, Iran hazes U.S. fellow in classics and military history at
ships in the Persian Gulf. And now, rock- Stanford University, a fellow of Hillsdale
ets from Gaza pour into Israel. College, and a distinguished fellow of the
Apparently, the Biden administration Center for American Greatness. Hanson
did not believe that dictatorships and has written 16 books, including “The
theocracies would interpret its virtue- Western Way of War,” “Fields Without
signaling as weakness to be exploited, Dreams,” and “The Case for Trump.”
IVAN COURONNE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
embryo longer, we can better understand
human development, both normal and
abnormal. Scientists can better under-
stand birth defects and congenital dis-
eases such as heart disease, and develop
cures and treatments sooner.
But others worry about gestating hu-
man life outside the womb, called ecto-
genesis, for longer and longer periods of
time, allowing the growth and harvest-
ing of tissue and even organs.
Some of this debate echoes what we
are seeing played out in the debate over
whether to receive the COVID-19 vac-
cine. Celebrities saying to “do your part”
and get vaccinated are coming up with
new names for “anti-vaxxers,” such as
“vaccine hesitant.”
Public service announcements, look-
ing like advertisements, are making their
An embryologist at way into our social media feeds with
the Virginia Center for wagging fingers telling people what they
Reproductive Medi- should and shouldn’t do.
cine, in Reston, Va., on The problem has always been that ethics
June 12, 2019. do matter, and the more the public senses
that research is becoming political, the
more they become skeptical of science
and public policy. There is that saying that
when you mix science with politics, you
don’t get science, you get politics.
If the 14-day rule is to stand, it needs to
be firmly rooted in ethics. If the 14-day
rule gives way to the 28-day rule, and
then to the six-week rule, and the eight-
SANDY HUFFAKER/GETTY IMAGES
week rule, there will be no bottom, and
there will be vats and vats of human
embryos at the disposal of the research
community.
Jennifer Lahl is the founder and president
of the Center for Bioethics and Culture
and producer of the documentary films,
“Eggsploitation,” “Anonymous Father’s
Day,” “Breeders: A Subclass of Women?”
A donated human embryo
is seen through a micro- “Maggie’s Story,” and “#BigFertility,”
scope at the La Jolla IVF which was an official selection in the
Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., on Silicon Valley International Film Festival.
Feb. 28, 2007. The clinic She is back behind the camera, producing
accepts donated embryos a film on the ethics of allowing children to
from around the country. medically and surgically transition.
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
Why Has ‘Global Warming’ Disappeared?
CHENG XIAONONG
After President Joe Biden
entered the White House,
he created a position
that had never existed
before in the history
of the White House—
“climate envoy”—and
climate policy was elevated to a level of
unprecedented importance by Biden and
the forces behind him.
Why is climate policy so important to
the leftist politicians? In recent years, the
climate policies of the United States and
European Union countries have all come
from the same hypothesis, commonly
known as “global warming.” Several
years ago, global warming was almost a
scientifically unquestionable conclusion.
But within the past few years, the global
warming hypothesis has quietly disap-
peared from various documents, slogans,
and propaganda associated with govern-
ment climate policies in those countries
that had previously advocated it.
What’s wrong with the global warming
hypothesis and what does its disappear-
ance mean? If you try to analyze the past
and present of the climate policies of vari-
ous countries, you’ll come to understand
why “global warming” has disappeared.
The Origin of the Global
Warming Hypothesis
What exactly is global warming?
According to U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency, greenhouse gases trap
heat and make the planet warmer. Hu-
man activities are responsible for almost
all of the increase in greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere over the past 150 years.
Such wording indicates that the term
“global warming” isn’t a definitive, scien-
tifically indisputable conclusion. There-
fore, it can only serve as a vague concept
that some people choose to believe in.
Moreover, no one can prove that it’s defi-
nitely human activities that lead to global
warming.
Now that we have noticed that this term
is disappearing from government docu-
ments, it implies that the global warming
hypothesis may not be well grounded.
Fluctuations in Surface
Temperature or Global Warming?
The Earth’s surface temperature is always
changing. The temperature change is
usually fluctuating, and there are natural
climate cycles. Each cycle may last sever-
al decades, or even millions of years. The
fluctuation of the surface temperature
may be regional or global, and the factors
causing these changes are numerous and
mostly due to natural factors, including
solar radiation, changes in the Earth’s
orbit, continental drift, changes in ocean
currents, and orogenic movements.
These natural factors are beyond
human control. Of course, changes in
surface temperature may also be related
to human activities, such as greenhouse
gas emissions.
However, if we attribute all the changes
in surface temperature to human eco-
nomic activities, exaggerate short-term
changes in temperature as permanent,
irreversible changes, or interpret tem-
perature fluctuations as a linear trend, it
would be seriously misleading.
There are several natural factors that
affect the surface temperature. First and
foremost, the drift of the continental
plates causes changes in the location
and surface area of land and ocean, thus
affecting the global atmospheric circula-
tion and resulting in global or regional
temperature changes.
Secondly, the orogenic movement of
the Earth’s crust may form mountains or
valleys, and changes in the topography
cause precipitation in the terrain and
even the formation of alpine glaciers.
Thirdly, the sun is the most important
external energy source for the Earth, and
its activities will affect the Earth’s surface
temperature. Its short-term radiation
fluctuations, such as sunspot activity
with an 11-year cycle and a radiation
change with a cycle of 20-plus years, all
have an impact on the Earth’s climate.
The changes in sunspots with an 11-year
cycle will induce a change of 1.5 de-
grees Celsius of the Earth’s stratospheric
temperature, making high latitudes
colder and low latitudes hotter. Based
on observations of temperature changes
from 1900 to 1950, this change was likely
the cause of the Little Ice Age.
Lastly, the ocean currents have a huge
impact on the Earth’s surface tempera-
ture. The stream produced by the Gulf of
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
(Top) Activists remove polar bear costumes on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House
after a protest in Washington, on Sept. 26, 2013. The polar bear has become a symbol of con-
cerns about global warming. (Above) The Khumbu Glacier, one of the longest in the world, in seen
in the Everest-Khumbu region some 87 miles northeast of Kathmandu on Dec. 4, 2009. The IPCC
has withdrawn claims the Himalayan glaciers are rapidly melting.
Mexico alone emits more heat than the with the recalculated result showing that
world’s annual coal-burning heat. The the Himalayan glacier won’t completely
cycle of ocean current climate change disappear in 2035. Instead, the disappear-
is several years or decades. Changes in ance may occur in 2350.
ocean currents can also cause climate Can the committee’s dubious math-
changes, such as the El Niño phenom- ematical model accurately predict the
enon in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Earth’s climate 300 years from now? Even
So far, the scientific community has a 30-year forecast isn’t reliable.
very limited knowledge of how these “Global warming” literally means that
natural factors affect climate change, most places on Earth will continue to
and scientists cannot describe or explain become hotter and hotter, and will never
them clearly. However, because tempera- return to the cooler temperatures in place
ture changes can be measured easily on prior to it.
the surface of the Earth, some people However, in 2009, it was unusually
focus on the study of surface temperature cold in many parts of the world. Since then,
records while ignoring the influence of more and more people began to question
all natural factors and use carbon diox- the concept of global warming. Some in
ide emissions to explain the short-term the scientific community also began to
temperature changes on the Earth, which question IPCC’s climate change report.
lead to the global warming hypothesis. For example, Michael Mann, a clima-
tologist and geophysicist at Pennsylvania
State University, has always argued in
favor of the global warming theory. After
The absurdity of the global calculating the climate for the past 1,000
warming theory lies in years, he concluded that the temperature
would reach its peak at the end of the 20th
the fact that it lacks solid century. However, an expert team from the
scientific validation, yet its Committee on National Statistics, National
advocates dare to hype it up Academies, announced that Mann’s meth-
od violated basic mathematical principles.
to the extreme in order to What’s even more shocking is that when
indoctrinate the general public. the email communications of Phil Jones,
director of the UK Climate Research Centre
and a leading advocate of global warming,
Can We Trust UN’s Climate Assessment? were hacked and leaked, it was discovered
In the course of human history, it has al- that he had asked a collaborator to cover up
ways been believed that climate change problems with the temperature data from
is caused by natural factors. the Chinese weather stations in order to
The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel validate global warming. The data manipu-
on Climate Change (IPCC) organized a lation not only exaggerated climate warm-
global climate change assessment in 1990. ing, but also deleted data regarding annual
In 1992, the agency published the first rings of ancient trees that showed tempera-
climate change assessment report, which ture changes over a long period of time.
announced that continuous greenhouse Moreover, many regions in the United
gas emissions from human activities led to States experienced frigid weather in
accumulation of greenhouse gas, which in February this year, which once again dis-
turn is expected to lead to climate change. proved the global warming assertion.
However, before the Copenhagen Cli-
mate Conference in 2009, the media in Vested Interests Behind Global Warming
some countries condemned IPCC. This was Then-U.S. President Donald Trump an-
due to the discovery that when the com- nounced the United States’ withdrawal
mittee found that the mathematical model from the Paris Agreement on climate
produced by the experts it hired showed change shortly after taking office. He be-
a tendency of temperature decline in the lieves that global warming is a hoax, and
future, those same experts had deleted all he has a good basis for this judgment, as
relevant data in the report to cover it up. discussed above.
The organization’s 2007 prediction Let’s think about this question: Does
was that the Himalayan glaciers would the United States have to abide by the
completely disappear by 2035. But in 2010, global climate policy specified by the
the IPCC committee had to admit that its United Nations and follow those “politi-
report had five errors in the calculation cally correct” people who trumpet the
of the Himalayan glacier melting rate, global warming crisis?
OPINION | A15
It seems that as long as a statement is
stamped with a United Nations seal, it
immediately carries a sense of author-
ity that leaves people in awe. In fact, the
U.N. agencies don’t represent a global
authority, because the United Nations’
reputation isn’t good at all. It has long
been reduced as a tool for develop-
ing countries to blackmail developed
countries. For instance, the U.N. Human
Rights Commission has failed to stop evil
regimes from committing human rights
abuses, such as helping the authoritarian
Chinese Communist Party evade justice.
The United Nations operates according
to the rule of “one country, one vote,” and
many developing countries support the
claim of global warming simply because
they would support any argument that
ends up granting them money.
If you try to analyze the past and
present of the climate policies
of various countries, you’ll
come to understand why ‘global
warming’ has disappeared.
The Paris Agreement—aimed to
respond to global climate change—re-
quires developed countries to contribute
money to developing countries to help
them reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
China is also one of the beneficiaries.
Not long ago, the spokesperson of the
CCP’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Zhao Li-
jian, stated that China would demand the
United States make up for the “long-over-
due payment to the Green Climate Fund”
owed to China during Trump’s term.
The CCP can basically achieve whatev-
er it wants in the United Nations because
it knows how to cater to and buy out
corrupt elites in developing countries.
Of course, there are also corrupt elites in
developed countries. The CCP is able to
manipulate the United Nations and other
international organizations, getting
whatever it demands, precisely because
it knows how to bribe influential elites of
various countries.
While those developing countries get
the money they want from developed
countries by supporting the Paris Agree-
ment, the elites in Western developed
countries may also have increased their
wealth from these climate fund projects.
Just like decades of unchanged food
development projects by the U.N. Food
and Agriculture Organization for African
countries, no matter how much money
has been injected into these projects, it’ll
never improve the backward status of
agriculture in those countries—but it can
definitely improve the family wealth of
corrupt officials in the countries involved.
Is global warming real or fake? Is the
global temperature heating up or cooling
down? It’s always a protracted debate.
It needs to be pointed out that research
on global warming has actually become
an industry and a job opportunity for a
group of people. For those people, only
by catering to the government’s attention
to the negative impacts of global warm-
ing can they obtain research funding to
support their research institute. There-
fore, they always align their research
conclusions with government directions.
As to why politicians advocate climate
policy—to the point it has become politi-
cal correctness in the United States—it’s
because this issue has a very complicat-
ed relationship with their political and
economic agenda.
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore
earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 by
advocating global warming. Two years
later, the global warming hypothesis was
challenged by the reality of global cool-
ing. The climate change report by IPCC
of the United Nations, the global warm-
ing hypothesis, and Gore’s anti-carbon
investment are regarded by some as a
typical case of conspiracy.
The absurdity of the global warming
theory lies in the fact that it lacks solid
scientific validation, yet its advocates
dare to hype it up to the extreme in order
to indoctrinate the general public.
I believe things will turn around by the
time they reach an extreme, and the truth
about global warming will soon emerge.
Cheng Xiaonong is a scholar of China’s
politics and economy based in New Jersey.
Cheng was a policy researcher and aide to
former Chinese Communist Party leader
Zhao Ziyang. He also served as chief edi-
tor of Modern China Studies.
A16 | OPINION
The Ongoing Politicization of the DOJ
JEFF CARLSON & HANS MAHNCKE
President Joe Biden over the past few
months has added to his administra-
tion multiple Obama-era officials who
had direct participation in “Russiagate.”
The latest addition is Susan Hennessey
to the Department of Justice’s National
Security Division.
Hennessey was one of the primary pro-
moters of Russia-collusion theories dur-
ing her time at Lawfare, a blog affiliated
with The Brookings Institution. Notably,
her outlandish claims of collusion be-
tween the Trump campaign and Russia
have consistently been proven wrong.
Prior to her appointment as senior
counsel for the DOJ’s national security
division, Hennessey was the executive
editor of Lawfare, where she authored
numerous anti-Trump articles. She also
served as the general counsel of the Law-
fare Institute and is a Brookings Fellow.
Lawfare, essentially a Democratic ac-
tivist group of lawyers led by Ben Wittes,
was formed precisely for the purpose of
weaponizing our laws to push the activ-
ists’ own agendas, with Trump often the
target of their efforts.
Like so many leading promoters of the
Trump-Russia collusion narrative, Hen-
nessey had worked in the intelligence
community earlier in her career. Before
joining the Brookings Institution, she
was an attorney in the Office of General
Counsel of the National Security Agency.
On July 27, 2016, at the exact time that
Christopher Steele’s dossier and informa-
tion regarding George Papadopoulos’s
conversation with Australia’s Alexander
Downer was being transmitted to the FBI,
Hennessey and Wittes co-authored an
article titled “Is Trump a Russian Agent,”
which discussed if Donald Trump could
be subjected to Foreign Intelligence Sur-
veillance Act (FISA) surveillance.
Hennessey, along with Wittes, would
remain focused on promoting allega-
tions of Trump-Russia collusion for the
next four years.
Hennessey also was routinely quoted in
articles on Russia collusion and was the
single-source quote for an early influen-
tial article in McClatchy that was used to
promote the theory that the intelligence
community had evidence of Russia collu-
sion that went beyond the Steele dossier—a
statement that was later roundly disproven.
As a CNN analyst, she regularly es-
poused conspiracy theories, such as her
claim that Trump’s son-in-law, Jared
Kushner, was seeking a covert channel to
Russia, using Russian communications
equipment.
In advance of her new DOJ position,
Hennessey deleted more than 39,000
tweets; however, many have been
archived. Her tweets showed the ongo-
ing pattern of a partisan activist, who
constantly pushed debunked Trump-
Russia narratives and attacked anyone
who disagreed.
Hennessey, along with Wittes, made
outlandish excuses for FBI Director
James Comey’s actions during the 2016
election, claiming that Comey had to
make his public exoneration statement
of Hillary Clinton to preempt Russian
disinformation.
Of course, there was never any evi-
dence for such a claim and, as we have
since found out, Comey’s first exon-
eration of Clinton was written months
before he read it out on live TV—and also
Fly your family privately
භ No hassle භ No TSA භ On your
your own sc
schedule
zŽƵŚŽŽƐĞƚŚĞĞƐƟŶĂƟŽŶ͘tĞƌŝŶŐƚŚĞWůĂŶĞ͘
877-255-2HOP
Info@FlyHopscotch.com
www.FlyHopscotch.com
The Department of Justice in Washington on Sept. 22, 2017.
before the FBI had even interviewed her.
Comey’s second exoneration concerned
Anthony Weiner’s laptop, which had
nothing to do with Russia.
Hennessey’s criticisms extended to
many of Trump’s Cabinet picks. When
Trump nominated Rex Tillerson as secre-
tary of state, Hennessey indirectly claimed
that he was effectively an agent of Russia.
After Trump became president, Hen-
nessey stated that Rep. Devin Nunes
(R-Calif.) lacked the requisite knowledge
to be House Intelligence Committee
chairman. It was Nunes, however, who
uncovered the fact that the Clinton cam-
paign had directly hired Steele and paid
for his dossier.
Nunes, who issued a formal congres-
sional memo detailing these abuses, was
proven to be accurate, while Hennessey
was proven wrong.
Hennessey also promoted other Russia-
collusion theorists and attempted to lend
them credibility. She aligned herself with
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Nunes’s
counterpart whose own Russiagate memo
was riddled with falsehoods, and referred
to him as extremely measured.
Carter Page, the Trump adviser who
had his life turned upside down based on
Steele’s lies, was a frequent focus of Hen-
nessey, who claimed as late as December
2019 that Page’s rights weren’t affected as
a result of the FISA warrants on him.
At least two of the Page FISA surveil-
lance warrant applications have since
been deemed to have been illegally ob-
tained, and Page has never been charged
with a crime.
When DOJ Inspector General Michael
Horowitz released his report on FISA
misconduct, detailing massive FBI
abuses and condemning the bureau’s
leadership, Hennessey claimed the 478-
page report was so insignificant that it
didn’t even warrant a podcast.
When it became known that Obama
officials had made hundreds of unmask-
ing requests on members of the Trump
campaign in the final months of his
presidency, Hennessey claimed there
was zero evidence of any abuses.
In some respects, Hennessey’s appoint-
ment to a senior position within the DOJ
after years of promoting now-disproven
conspiracy theories is a symptom of a
larger problem with our government.
Monaco
Top positions at Biden’s DOJ are now
staffed by the very people who spent four
years pushing Russia collusion narra-
tives that were used to hamstrung the
Fly from
New York
to Florida
SAMIRA BOUAOU/THE EPOCH TIMES
Trump administration and impaired the
effectiveness of his presidency.
Lisa Monaco, Biden’s deputy attorney
general, is now the de facto head of the
DOJ, a position previously held by Rod
Rosenstein. She somehow managed to
sail under the radar during her confir-
mation process as her nomination was
only opposed by two GOP senators, Ted
Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
But Monaco, during the final months
of the Obama administration, took the
White House lead on the Intelligence
Community Assessment, the report that
was used to both legitimize and broad-
cast Steele’s salacious lies about Trump.
The ICA was also used as the roadmap
for Russia collusion during the four years
of the Trump presidency.
Like so many other members of the
Obama administration, Monaco went on
to work for CNN, where she frequently
pushed Russia collusion narratives.
And like so many other promoters
of Russia collusion, Monaco also had
previous ties to the nation’s intelligence
community. Prior to joining the Obama
administration, she was Robert Mueller’s
chief of staff at the FBI and also worked
closely with Mueller and prosecutor An-
drew Weissmann on the Enron Task Force.
During her post-Obama years, Monaco
also contributed to Lawfare, the Brook-
ings outlet which, as the name suggests,
prides itself on weaponizing the law.
Lawfare is known not only for advanc-
ing Democratic talking points but also
for actively making legal recommenda-
tions (including to the FBI) through its
articles, which are often later picked up
by various Democratic interest groups—
apparently including a federal judge.
During the saga involving Trump’s for-
mer national security adviser, retired Lt.
Gen. Michael Flynn, many of Lawfare’s
talking points appear to have been used
by Judge Emmet Sullivan in his quest to
extend Flynn’s trial—even after the DOJ
dropped its case.
Lawfare also has served as something
of a halfway house for former FBI leader-
ship—with Comey acting as a contribu-
tor and James Baker, the former top legal
counsel for the FBI, joining both Lawfare
and the Brookings Institution. Wittes has
long held a friendship with Comey and
was the conduit for Comey’s memos to
The New York Times in 2017.
Brookings
Bill Clinton’s college roommate, Strobe
Talbott, who was the president of the
Brookings Institution from 2002 to 2017,
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
was one of the first known recipients
of the Steele dossier. Hennessey later
admitted that, while she was at Brook-
ings, she was given an advance copy of
the dossier.
Another Brookings alumni is Fiona
Hill, the Democrats’ star witness dur-
ing the first impeachment of President
Trump. Hill is an old friend of Christo-
pher Steele’s and was responsible for
introducing Igor Danchenko to Steele.
Danchenko, who served as Steele’s
primary sub-source, went from years of
working for Brookings to later becom-
ing Steele’s main source for the dossier,
feeding Steele gossip from his childhood
friends in Russia, which Steele would
then use to construct fantastical stories
used in his dossier.
While Steele’s stories have been proven
to be false—and Danchenko has dis-
avowed details in Steele’s dossier—it re-
mains remarkable that these individuals
were so deeply enmeshed with the same
Brookings Institution from where Biden
is now drawing his staff.
Brookings’s efforts didn’t end with the
dossier. Less than six months after Muel-
ler’s appointment—on Oct. 10, 2017—the
Brookings Institution published the first
of two reports titled “Presidential Ob-
struction of Justice: The Case of Don-
ald J. Trump,” which outlined, among
other things, a scenario wherein Mueller
would refer his obstruction findings to
Congress, which would then take up the
matter and continue investigating.
The Brookings report also discussed
ways in which Congress could impeach
Trump, mentioning the word “impeach-
ment” a total of 90 times.
Norman Eisen and Barry Berke, two of
the authors of the Brookings report, were
later retained by House Judiciary Commit-
tee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.)
on a consulting basis as special oversight
counsel to the Democrats’ majority staff.
As Nadler noted, the two men would
have a particular focus on reviewing
Mueller’s investigation and would be
advising the committee. It also appears
Nadler intended for the two lawyers to
question Attorney General William Barr.
Biden himself recently relied on a
Brookings study to promote his econom-
ic program, claiming that the institution
was nonpartisan.
Brookings, however, is anything but
nonpartisan. Brookings associates spent
four years pulling out all the stops to derail
Trump, most visibly by ceaselessly advo-
cating the Russia collusion narrative; now,
they appear to have been rewarded with
top positions in the Biden administration.
It’s deeply troubling that Brookings
alumni Hennessey and Brookings
contributor Monaco, both of whom were
deeply entangled in promoting the Rus-
sia collusion hoax, now have enormously
influential positions in the DOJ.
The sanctity and integrity of our Justice
Department should be one of the most
important goals of any administration—
regardless of political affiliation.
Jeff Carlson is a regular contributor to
The Epoch Times. He is a CFA Charter-
holder and worked for 20 years as an
analyst and portfolio manager in the
high-yield bond market.
Hans Mahncke, Ph.D., is a lecturer,
author, and general counsel at a global
investment advisory firm.
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 OPINION | A17
MAHMUD HAMS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

(Left) Rockets are launched toward Israel from Gaza City, controlled by the Palestinian Hamas
terrorist group, on May 11, 2021. (Above) Rioters jump on a street sign near a burning barricade,
following the death of George Floyd, near the White House on May 31, 2020.

The Way We Live Now

ROGER KIMBALL
I take my title from An-
thony Trollope’s great
1875 novel chronicling
the activities of the rapa-
cious swindler Augustus
Melmotte and his coterie
of grasping climbers and
brittle ingenues.
Trollope saw deep into the cynical en-
gine room of his society, where a deadly
brutishness panted just beneath the
painted surface of propriety.
In our story, the star is no less grasping
than Melmotte, but he’s been crossed
with Chauncey Gardiner from the movie
“Being There,” the confused puppet who,
serving the interests of the dominant
party’s power brokers, finds himself
president of the United States.
This is a story with patches of light as
well as expanses of shadow, so in ad-
dition to the exploits of a gibbering Joe
Biden, we are introduced to a number of
subplots, some cheering, at least in part.
So when we read that Lt. Col. Matthew
Lohmeier was relieved of his duties in
the Space Force because he criticized the
influence of Marxism and critical race
Warning Signs You Might Be Sharing Of-
fice Space With Terrorists.”
“You notice suicide vests hanging on
the coat rack,” “They only play CNN in the
lobby,” “You get notified by the IDF that
you are sharing office space with terror-
ists, and your building is leveled shortly
after,” and so on.
Wot larks.
Russian Collusion
And the jokes just keep on coming.
Remember the Russian Collusion
Delusion, the round-the-clock barrage of
accusations that Russia, Russia, Russia in-
terfered in the 2016 election to accomplish
the impossible and elect Donald Trump?
The New York Times and The Bezos
Washington Post were on the job, break-
ing scantily sourced tales of infamy and
treason that the rest of the press lapped
up and the Dems in Congress fulminated
over and used as an excuse to launch
the $40 million show trial known as the
Mueller investigation.
The infamous Steele dossier was at the
“fons et origo” of that farce, a scabrous
fantasy of micturating Russian prosti-
tutes and political blackmail.
Soon enough, we learned that it was
Be that as it may, Daley is surely right
that the question isn’t whether you
approve of any particular opinion but
whether you insist that orthodoxy be
accepted, indeed celebrated, without
question or examination.
“Much has been said about the ‘illib-
eralism’ of what now presents itself as
liberal opinion,” Daley notes, “but what
is happening goes way beyond simple
intolerance. It is a return of something no
thinking person expected to see again in
the rational West: the banishment, or the
hunting down, or the deliberate ruination,
not just of explicit opposition but of coinci-
dental association with a tainted position.”
Once upon a time, we trusted in vari-
ous liberal institutions—the press, the
schools, the universities—to protect the
canons of rational debate and respect for
evidence and principled disagreement.
But to an extent marvelous to behold,
those bulwarks of civilization haven’t sim-
ply failed to uphold the values for which
society created and sustained them. They
have worked overtime to destroy those
values.
Again, Daley is right, “This new Dark
Age, with its odd combination of narcis-
sism and self-loathing, is a threat nobody
saw coming.”
She ends on a note that is both admoni-
tory and hopeful.
“If the institutions that should resist—
universities, the arts, and democratic gov-
ernments—fall before it, the free society is
finished.”
The admonitory bit is patent. Unless suc-
cessfully resisted, the widespread attack
on reasoned debate will end free society.
The hopeful bit is the conditional: If
those institutions in which we have placed
our trust fail, then free society is finished.
There are those, I suspect, who would ar-
gue that those institutions—“universities,
the arts, democratic governments”—have
already, and eagerly, succumbed, so that
the “if” is out of place.
I think of a stinging observation by the
great German satirist Georg Christoph Li-
chtenberg, “Nowadays we everywhere seek
to propagate wisdom: who knows whether
in a couple of centuries there may not exist
universities for restoring the old ignorance.”
Who indeed.
Roger Kimball is the editor and publisher
of The New Criterion and publisher of
Encounter Books. His most recent book is
“Who Rules? Sovereignty, Nationalism, and
the Fate of Freedom in the 21st Century.”

theory in the U.S. military on a podcast,
it’s consoling to see that his book on the
subject—“Irresistible Revolution: Marx-
ism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking
of the American Military”—should climb
to the No. 1 spot on Amazon.
The Bee Explains
Even some of the dark spots have their
amusing sides.
We glance, appalled, at what is happen-
ing in the Middle East as Hamas terror-
ists, supported by the mullahs of Iran,
bombard Israel.
But right on cue, the geniuses at The Bab-
ylon Bee explain it all as the higher strategy
of undoing the legacy of Voldemort, i.e., the
Bad Orange Man, aka Donald J. Trump.
But amid the comedy, there
are dark and minatory signals
about the way we live now.
Among his many nefarious actions—
making the United States energy indepen-
dent, instituting economic policies that
brought minority unemployment to its
lowest level in U.S. history, slowing illegal
immigration along our southern border
to a trickle—Trump brought peace to the
Middle East with the Abraham Accords.
As the Bee explains, all that had to
be undone as “Biden Continues Rollback
of Trump Policies Like Peace in The
Middle East.”
Item: “A spokeswoman for President
Biden said Wednesday that he remains
committed to rolling back all of former
President Donald Trump’s policies,
including peace in the Middle East. Pal-
estinians in the West Bank voiced their
collective approval by launching celebra-
tory rockets into Israel.”
Yes, the Bee is once again on the case.
A few days ago, the Israelis destroyed the
building that headquartered the offices of
The Associated Press in the Gaza Strip.
Great cries of protest and moral oblo-
quy followed from the AP. The Israelis
explained that the building also houses
offices of Hamas.
“We didn’t know that,” said spokesmen
for the AP.
That objection was occasion for lots
of snickers, not least among headliners
writers at the Bee, who came with “Eight
FREE BOOK
all paid, covertly, by the Hillary Clinton
campaign, but that didn’t impede the
full-court press against Trump.
Now that he has been neutered, it’s time
to rearrange the furniture, so The New
York Times publishes a story on May 15
about “The Hidden Ties Between Private
The Great Gold Comeback
Spies and Journalists,” with the disgraced Bankruptcy of the Welfare State
Christopher Steele at the center of the
whitewash, I mean “inquiry.”
Meanwhile, economic warning signs
are flashing red as unemployment and
inflation numbers are way up and Joe
Biden blinks into the middle distance and
“There is no way I could
gibbers that April’s disastrous jobs report
shows that America is on “the right track.” ever properly express my
‘Dark Age of Unreason’ thanks to you for the Gold
But amid the comedy, there are dark
and minatory signals about the way we
live now. Comeback book and all that
The gimlet-eyed Janet Daley identified
one worrisome cluster in a column for
the London Telegraph called “Free soci-
you have written within it.
ety is finished if we fail to resist this new
Dark Age of unreason.” What a real treasure!
Daley begins by noting the irony that
the collapse of Soviet Communism, one
of the most evil tyrannies the world has - M.R.
ever seen, did not, as some observers
predicted, usher in a new age of sweet-
ness and light but rather removed one of
the supporting props of global security.
The resulting vacuum has fostered
confusion and disarray everywhere, but Best-selling author James R. Cook tells you why
mostly, Daley argues, in the West, which
has been seduced into abjuring its faith the welfare state is going broke, and the outcome
in reason and open debate. PD\EHUXQDZD\LQÁDWLRQ
“Public discourse,” she writes, “does not
consist of competing arguments anymore:
it isn’t a proper discussion at all. It is a dia-
tribe in which one side tries to destroy, or
To receive your free copy, call – 1-800-328-1860 or go to
prohibit, or totally suppress the other.” www.investmentrarities.com/free-book or send in the coupon below.
She warns that we are on the verge—or
perhaps past the verge—of “a Dark Age Name: ______________________________________________________
where reason and actual disputation are
considered dangerous: where views con- Address: _____________________________________________________
trary to those being imposed by what are
often nothing more than activist cults can City: ______________________________ State: ______ Zip: _________
be criminalized. Not only must those who
now hold opinions which breach orthodoxy Home Phone:__________________ Work Phone: ___________________
be banned but historic figures who could
not possibly have anticipated current social Email: ______________________________________________________
attitudes must be anathematized as well.”
Daley sees a parallel between our situa- Mail to: Investment Rarities, 7850 Metro Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55425
tion the age of religious absolutism in the or fax to: 952-851-8732
West, when the Church busied itself enroll-
ing books by David Hume and John Locke 1-800-328-1860
on its Index Librorum Prohibitorum.
A18 | OPINION
How to Prevent
Another Colonial Pipeline
STEPHEN BRYEN
Some small-minded sages
in America are chortling
that people with elec-
tric cars don’t have to
worry about the Colonial
Pipeline—recently shut
down due to a cyberattack—
because they can get their “gas” from the
electric company. They go on to argue for
more electric cars.
Of course, if it was the power company
that was knocked out, the electric cars
wouldn’t run. And power companies
have been knocked out. The Russians
killed one in Ukraine, putting it offline
for some time.
There is, unfortunately, a related argu-
ment in Washington, in the CIA and the
Pentagon. The idea? To put everything in
the cloud. In other words, create a single
point of failure, ripe for attack by both
state and non-state actors.
The CIA has already taken the plunge;
the Pentagon tried in a $10 billion proj-
ect, but it’s tied up in litigation.
The Department of Defense (DoD) and
CIA cloud ventures illustrate, better than
anything else, just how dumb govern-
ment officials are when it comes to secu-
rity. And those working in the Pentagon
are specialists in creating monstrosities
and single points of failure, such as the
F-35, which is supposed to replace just
about everything “tactical” in the Air
Force, even though the plane has never
been in combat. Crazy.
When it comes to cybersecurity and
dealing with cyberattacks, the U.S. gov-
ernment—even though it has spent hun-
dreds of billions of dollars since 1988—is
worse off today than ever. So is the critical
infrastructure associated with it, which
includes energy, transportation, water
supplies, food supply, communications,
chemicals, critical manufacturing—most
of which today is offshore—financial ser-
Defending the Constitution: Limits on Federal Authority
CONTINUED FROM A13
You may have been taught about these
events in school, but you almost cer-
tainly weren’t taught what they all have
in common: They all occurred in envi-
ronments of political decentralization.
Sometimes, the decentralization was so
extreme that the central authorities (if,
indeed, there were any) couldn’t even
keep the peace. Yet society leaped ahead
anyway.
Decentralization permitted the Aristo-
tles and Galileos to move to neighboring
jurisdictions more hospitable to their
work. It permitted ethnic and religious
groups, such as the Jews and Huguenots,
to escape persecution and continue
productive lives in relatively tolerant
Holland and England. It allowed the
vices—including the U.S. Treasury, banks,
stock markets—health care and more.
In the United States, most of the critical
infrastructure, other than government and
the military, is handled by private firms.
The U.S. Congress decided in 1988, when
the first Computer Security Act was passed,
not to require that the private sector meet
certain network and computer standards,
leaving it free to decide on its own what the
right amount of protection might be.
To be fair, no one knows what the right
amount of protection is in this modern
age, because no one actually knows how
to protect any computer system with any
degree of certainty.
Virtually all the computers used in the
United States are made abroad, other than
highly specialized supercomputers and
certain processors made for defense appli-
cations. This includes not only machines
that perform information processing, but
specialized controllers used in manu-
facturing and operating power grids and
pipelines.
These are known as supervisory control
and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.
The same SCADA boxes that help run
power plants and pipelines, control water
supplies, and manage transportation and
critical manufacturing are commercial
devices produced mostly abroad.
One of the most famous SCADA sys-
tems is made by Siemens in Germany. It’s
the same one that runs Iran’s uranium
centrifuges and will help assure Iran can
have nuclear weapons.
While it’s possible to build some secu-
rity “walls” around computer networks
and SCADA systems, most of them have
been penetrated in one way or another.
For example, most computer networks
are open and store data without any
protection. Operating systems, likewise,
are commercial—off the shelf—and are
not encrypted. Network protocols and
the internet all rest on standards that are
shared globally and easily hacked.
Ptolemies, Bacons, and Edisons to carry
out scientific and technological research
in comparative freedom.
Decentralization also encouraged
competition among sovereignties and
semi-sovereignties for people and for
talent. The most welcoming places were
rewarded with the most progress.
Political centralizers call themselves
“progressives.” But the name embodies a
falsehood. Decentralization, not cen-
tralization, is more consistent with rapid
human progress.
Americans built modern society in an
explosion of progress during the period
when the Constitution’s constraints on
federal authority were still honored. Dur-
ing that period, Americans, along with
those living in a politically fragmented
Europe, tamed electricity, developed
DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES
Fuel holding tanks are seen at Colonial
Pipeline’s Dorsey Junction Station in
Woodbine, Md., on May 13, 2021.
Even much of the Defense Depart-
ment’s intellectual property is stored
without encryption protection because of
the obsolete rules followed by the Penta-
gon. These rules say that if an item isn’t
classified, it isn’t supposed to be stored in
an encrypted format. The National Secu-
rity Agency (NSA) controls encryption in
the U.S. government, and the strict sepa-
ration of classified from non-classified
information is their mantra.
While the Pentagon has begun charac-
terizing some information as “sensitive,
but unclassified,” it’s not entitled to NSA-
sponsored encryption. Whether sensi-
tive, but unclassified information can be
protected by law from disclosure appears
highly questionable, because DoD says it
isn’t national security information.
If DoD is sloppy, you can imagine
what the rest of the government
is like, or just how ‘protected’
the critical infrastructure is.
Unfortunately, this is complete non-
sense. Probably 80–90 percent of DoD
information is unclassified and much of
it relates to technology and weapons sys-
tems information. It’s ridiculous to say it
isn’t vital to national security.
A key example: China stole almost all the
plans and data for the stealthy F-35 fighter
plane, most—if not all—of it unclassified
and unencrypted, thereby seriously com-
promising a front-line defense program
that will cost taxpayers in excess of $1.5
trillion over its life cycle. If this information
is not related to national security, what is?
When it comes to cyberattacks, DoD and
the FBI are on a little firmer ground in the
sense that they understand the magnitude
of the threat. But does the U.S. response re-
flect the danger to U.S. national security?
DoD, the military departments, and
modern medicine, and invented the
telegraph, telephone, radio, television,
railroad, automobile, and airplane. We
still depend heavily on basic technology
created during the era of decentralization.
Certainly, progress has continued since
that time, but the rate is slower. If you
doubt it, ask yourself this: If two bicycle
shop owners tried to invent the airplane
in the current regulatory state, how far
do you think they would get?
Or weigh the issue from another per-
spective: Automobiles, then called “road
locomotives,” were invented more than
200 years ago. They were first mass-
produced more than a century ago. Why
are we still driving them instead of using
more exotic modes of personal transpor-
tation—such as household flying vehi-
cles? Why have so many of the advances
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
other government agencies continue to
buy computer and network equipment
from China while attempting to put in
place security measures. Virtually all of
that equipment is commercial.
Despite buying billions in computers,
laptops, modems, tablets, cell phones,
routers, hard drives, and tons of other
equipment, such as GPS and internet-
enabled security cameras—with a free
backdoor to connect Beijing to U.S.
military bases—DoD has no hardware or
software vetting system. In other words,
they buy equipment without know-
ing if it’s compromised or full of malware.
If DoD is sloppy, you can imagine what
the rest of the government is like, or just
how “protected” their critical infrastruc-
ture is.
The Colonial Pipeline case raises an-
other big red flag, since “ransomware” is a
major threat in three ways. The first is that
ransomware disables computer networks,
including SCADA systems, from working
by encrypting everything with an unbreak-
able code that you have to pay to get lifted.
The second is that ransomware often
includes the theft of information before
the ransom encryption kills the network.
The stolen information is used partly as
a threat to force the network operators to
pay the bribe.
And the third matter is that even if you
pay—and Colonial has paid $5 million
in cryptocurrency that can’t be traced—
there is no assurance that the unlock key
will work or work effectively. Colonial ap-
parently paid the bribe early on—with-
out telling anybody—but the decryption
key they got was working very slowly, if at
all. In other words, Colonial got the shaft
from the ransomware perpetrators.
Suppose that next time, the U.S. Strate-
gic Air Command is shut down?
It’s clear that commercial networks in-
cluding hardware and software—much
of it from foreign sources—isn’t the right
way to protect critical infrastructure to
safeguard national security.
Adversary nations have set up elabo-
rate and well-trained teams who focus
on specific targets and work full time to
take them down. And disciplined semi-
independent teams of hackers, like the
ones who have hit Colonial, are criminal
operations. Yet we tolerate both.
Here are a few suggestions before the
next disaster happens:
1. Put in place a national program to cre-
ate secure networks that use hardware
built by secure vendors.
2. Require all critical infrastructure
networks to be vetted by in a third-
party audit for security under the aegis
of NSA or any other security agency
capable of doing it.
3. Vet all hardware before it is used by the
U.S. Government or critical infrastruc-
ture components.
4. Go after malefactors, domestic or
foreign, and impose stiff penalties on
perpetrators.
5. Make it clear to foreign governments
that if they sponsor or shelter criminal
operations they will find their net-
works destroyed.
So far, our government has always prom-
ised to make things better—though that
never seems to happen—and doesn’t act
as if our national security was at stake.
It isn’t clear if this will continue, but if it
does it’ll have a devastating impact on
the United States.
Stephen Bryen is regarded as a thought
leader on technology security policy, twice
being awarded the Defense Department’s
highest civilian honor, the Distinguished
Public Service Medal. His most recent
book is “Technology Security and Nation-
al Power: Winners and Losers.”
predicted by 20th-century science
authors failed to come true? In 1940,
speculative writers thought we’d have
colonies on the moon by now. Based on
the pace of progress over the preceding
150 years, they had every reason to think
so. But under government pressure,
progress slows.
Centralized power, not the Constitu-
tion, impedes creative and effective solu-
tions to social problems. The propagan-
dists are wrong. The Founders were right.
Robert G. Natelson is a former constitu-
tional law professor and historian who
serves as senior fellow in constitutional
jurisprudence at the Independence Insti-
tute in Denver. He is the author of “The
Original Constitution: What It Actually
Said and Meant” (3rd ed., 2014).
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
The specter of communism did not disappear with the
disintegration of the Communist Party in Eastern Europe
The Epoch Times here serializes an adaptation from the Chinese of
“How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World,” a new book by
the editorial team of the “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.”
T
hough the communist re-
gimes of Eastern Europe
have disintegrated, the spec-
ter of communism has not
disappeared. On the con-
trary, this evil specter is already rul-
ing our world, and humanity must not
harbor a mistaken sense of optimism.
Communism is neither a trend of
thought, nor a doctrine, nor a failed
attempt at a new way of ordering hu-
man affairs. Instead, it should be un-
derstood as a devil—an evil specter
forged by hate, degeneracy, and other
elemental forces in the universe.
In another dimension, not visible
to us, it took the form of a serpent,
then that of a red dragon, and it keeps
company with Satan, who hates God.
It exploits low-level beings and de-
mons to wreak havoc on humankind.
The goal of the specter is to ruin hu-
manity. While the divine offers sal-
vation, communism tells people not
to believe in the divine, attacks hu-
man morality so as to make people
abandon tradition, and causes people
to disregard the divine’s instruction
and, ultimately, to be destroyed.
The communist evil specter, with its
countless mutations, is full of guile.
Sometimes it uses slaughter and vi-
olence to destroy those who refuse
to follow it. Other times, it takes re-
course in the language of “science”
and “progress,” offering a wonderful
blueprint of the future in order to de-
ceive people. Sometimes it presents
itself as a profound field of learning
and makes people believe that it is the
future direction of mankind. Other
times, it uses the slogans of “democ-
racy,” “equality,” and “social justice”
to infiltrate the fields of education,
media, art, and law, bringing people
under its banner without their aware-
ness. At yet other times, it calls itself
“socialism,” “progressivism,” “liberal-
ism,” “neo-Marxism,” and other leftist
terms.
Sometimes it holds up seemingly
righteous banners such as pacifism,
environmentalism, globalism, and
political correctness. Other times, it
supports vanguard art, sexual libera-
tion, legalization of drugs, homosexu-
ality, and other indulgences in human
desires, giving the mistaken impres-
sion that it’s part of a popular trend.
Extremism and violence aren’t its
only expressions—sometimes it pre-
tends to care for the welfare of society.
SPECIAL SERIES
Preface
Yet its root purpose is to destroy, by
whatever means, everything that is
traditional, whether it be faith, reli-
gion, morality, culture, the institution
of the family, art, pedagogy, or law—
whatever it takes to have man fall into
a moral abyss and be damned.
Communism and its various muta-
tions are now found around the world.
China and Cuba publicly proclaim
themselves to be led by communist
regimes. Even the United States—the
leader of the free world—has fallen
prey to attacks by the evil specter.
Europe embraces socialism, and
Africa and Latin America are envel-
oped in communist influence. This is
the startling reality humankind now
faces: The evil specter’s conspiracy to
destroy humankind is on the verge
of success.
When a person’s kind
thoughts emerge, the
divine will help free
him from the devil’s
control. But the pro-
cess of seeing the devil
for what it is requires
that one think deeply
and discern clearly.
Humans instinctively desire to ben-
efit themselves and avoid danger.
Instinct urges them to escape from
suffering, to make a name for them-
selves, to establish prosperous enter-
prises, or merely to enjoy life. It is hu-
man to have these thoughts. However,
if humans distance themselves from
the divine, the evil specter can latch
onto and intensify these thoughts to
control them.
The hubris of the specter’s revolt
against divinity also makes those it
controls experience a sense of hubris.
These individuals then try to play God
through the wielding of power, capi-
tal, and knowledge, with the aim of
ruling the fates of millions and influ-
encing the course of history through
social movements.
Humans are created by the divine
and have both good and evil in their
OPINION | A19
nature. If people abandon evil and
choose compassion, they can return
to the divine. What awaits on the op-
posite side is evil personified—the
devil. The choice resides solely with
the individual.
Many fundamentally kindhearted
people have unknowingly become
the communist specter’s agents or
the targets of its manipulation—
what Vladimir Lenin called “useful
idiots.” Though society as a whole has
ended up on the verge of destruction
because of the specter’s inducements
and temptations, very few people have
willingly pledged their souls to the
devil and chosen to deliberately cor-
rupt mankind. For most, the kindness
innate in human nature remains, giv-
ing them an opportunity to rid them-
selves of the specter’s influence.
The purpose of this book is to set
out this complex and tangled issue in
plain language as truthfully as pos-
sible. Then people will be able to see
the communist specter’s tricks. More
importantly, this book seeks to pres-
ent the moral, cultural, and artistic
traditions that the divine laid down
for mankind. Individuals may then
choose between the divine and the
evil specter for themselves.
When a person’s kind thoughts
emerge, the divine will help free
him from the devil’s control. But the
process of seeing the devil for what
it is requires that one think deeply
and discern clearly. This book seeks
to reexamine the tides of history over
the last several centuries and, from a
high level and with a broad perspec-
tive, assess the multifarious masks
and forms the devil has adopted in
order to occupy and manipulate our
world.
The goal of this effort is not to simply
recount history, but to understand
how we can stop the devil from ever
ruling the world again. This relies
on each individual’s enlightenment,
proactive abandonment of evil, and
return to the traditions and way of
life that the divine laid down for man.
The divine will triumph over the
devil. Which side we stand on will
determine our eternal destiny.
This concludes the Preface.
See next edition for the next install-
ment. To purchase the books, visit
EpochShop.com
A20 | OPINION
Pushing Back Against the CCP
The Chinese Communist
Party is the biggest external
threat to the United States
and the world. They have
bought their way into our
corporations, education
system, media, sports, and
entertainment. They saber-
rattle against Taiwan and
build up their presence in
the world both militarily and
influentially. And in Alaska,
they came with an intent to
intimidate the United States.
If I had been the leader of
the U.S. contingent [at the
Alaska talks], when they be-
gan to intimidate and disre-
spect us, I would have gotten
up, told the rest of our group
we were leaving, and walked
out. They have the upper hand
in many respects because
they are so calculating, plan
very long term, and are be-
My Opinions
I read with interest the letters
in the The Readers’ Turn and
I am impressed by the good
intentions of the fair-minded
people. There are articles
covering most everything in
the government that requires
our attention:
People in the present ad-
ministration like John Kerry
consulting with enemies dur-
ing the Trump administra-
tion, Hunter Biden in business
with China while his father
was a vice president and still
doing the same today.
The southern border cri-
sis that the administration
refuses to acknowledge.
All the free spending
Democrats using our money
to further their agenda toward
communism and trying to tell
us it is good for the country.
They shut down oil pipelines
Looking Behind the Woke Curtain
My son is currently work-
ing hard to finish a 15-page
paper that is a requirement
for his high school language
arts class. Imagine if at the
end of the school year the
teacher announced that in
the coming years the 15-
page assignment will be
changed to only a 10-page
essay because they are
expecting five new black
students in the class. What
a shocking and offensive
proposal—how belittling it
would be toward the black
students. The proposed
“anti-racist” policy would
actually under the surface
be a horrendous judgment
on the black community.
Let me give you some real-
life examples of “anti-racist”
policies that under the sur-
face are really racist.
There has been a great
ruckus from the Left regard-
ing the new voting require-
ments in Georgia. Step back
and read under the surface
and see the true judgments
of those who oppose the
requirements. They are the
real racists. What they are
really saying behind their
huffs and puffs is that they
really don’t believe blacks
have the life skills to ob-
tain an ID and they are not
resourceful or responsible
enough to get IDs. Blacks
should be tremendously hurt
by these hidden accusations.
Second, public schools in
Virginia are proposing that
upper-level math courses
should be taken from school
The Readers’ Turn
yond devious. It seems they
will stop at nothing to become
the world’s greatest power,
overtaking the U.S.
Their handling of the
coronavirus to date vividly
demonstrates that although
we don’t yet know if the virus
getting out was intentional or
accidental, we do know that
the CCP hid the information
for a long time and then made
no attempt to keep it from the
world. They still have not al-
lowed transparency about the
Wuhan lab. While it is hard
to know the true numbers of
worldwide deaths due only to
coronavirus, it is still a large
number and is incredibly sad.
Additionally, the CCP has
unleashed this virus to gain
economic advantage.
Has the U.S. stopped fund-
ing work in these Chinese
and thousands of people out
of work because of it. They’re
paying people not to work
with unemployment checks.
They’re trying to pass gun
legislation to take guns away
from the honest people and
hunters. As they speak, they
cannot form a sentence with-
out the word racism.
They continue blaming the
Trump administration for the
mob violence at capitol on
Jan. 6.
The Supreme Court failed
to look at the true election
results. The FBI withholding
evidence on Hunter Biden
that could very well affect the
sitting president.
The FBI raided Rudy Gi-
uliani’s home to find more
false accusations concerning
Donald Trump.
Most people who listen to or
curriculum in the name of
equality and anti-racism.
Dig a bit under the surface
and hear what those in
liberal leadership are really
saying. “Blacks really can’t
handle upper level math”
and “blacks aren’t good at
math.” Again, how offensive!
Blacks should not tolerate
the liberal elite belittling
their race in this way.
Dig a bit under the surface
and hear what those in
liberal leadership are really
saying. ‘Blacks really can’t
handle upper level math’
and ‘blacks aren’t good
at math.’
Last, colleges and uni-
versities are giving prefer-
ential admission to those
of color not based on their
academic achievements or
community involvement or
leadership, but based solely
on the shade of their skin.
This is touted as aniti-racist
policy, but again look a bit
behind the curtain and
what it is really being said is
that blacks as a group aren’t
gifted enough to go to col-
lege, and they can’t measure
up so they have to artificially
be given admission. The
black community should be
offended at being classified
as a unqualified group that
can’t make it on their own.
These are just three ex-
amples of liberal “anti-rac-
ist” policies that are actually
tremendously racist. The
If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please contact us:
Email: lettertoeditor@epochtimes.com
Mail: The Epoch Times 229 W. 28th St., Fl. 7, New York, NY 10001
labs? If not, we should stop it
immediately.
I don’t know how the Inter-
national Olympic Commit-
tee deals with the countries
it chooses for the Olympic
Games. However, I think our
Congress and the IOC should
work together to cancel the
2022 Olympics to be held in
China. I hope there is not a
signed, unbreakable contract
that allows China to continue
to hold the Olympics. If not, I
believe the U.S. and possibly
the United Nations, if they are
strong enough to take such a
stand, should consider can-
celing it. If it can be canceled,
I think it should be, and too
bad if China loses a ton of
money.
E. WILLIS
ARIZONA
read real news know that the
2020 election was fraudulent
and with enough red states
recounting true ballots we
know beyond a shadow of a
doubt that the election should
be corrected by replacing Joe
Biden with Donald Trump.
There has to be a way
legally to do this because it
is the result of the election
by the majority of the voters.
It could be a Supreme Court
decision providing politics is
not present.
In any event, four years is
too long to put up with the go-
ings on of the present fraudu-
lent administration. I would
like to see some proper legal
action to replace this present
administration and soon.
GARY ELEY
ARIZONA
black community should be
offended by what the real
thoughts behind the poli-
cies reveal.
While in high school, I had
the pleasure of getting to
know a young man named
Quincy. Quincy was incred-
ibly smart, hard working,
and driven. During his high
school career, he aced all
the high-level math and sci-
ence courses as well as AP
classes, earning the coveted
valedictorian award. After
high school, he attended
MIT and pursued a ca-
reer in math and science.
Quincy was a son of a bus
driver and also was black.
The anti-racist policies that
are being propsed today
in our country would be
tremendously offensive to
Quincy. Just imagine liberal
elites saying: “Don’t worry,
Quincy, we won’t require
you to take upper-level math
courses, we know its too
hard for people like you.”
“Don’t worry, Quincy, we
know you aren’t resourceful
enough to get an ID so don’t
worry about it any more.”
“Quincy, we know you can
not really get into college on
your own merit. MIT will let
you in just because of the
way you look.”
Let’s wake up America and
recognize the true racists
in our country. The black
community should no longer
tolerate being belittled in
such an offensive way.
HEIDI FARLEY
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
Economy
It is important to me that all
Americans pay serious atten-
tion to a very important recent
development in the world of
politics. It appears to me that
there have been many well-
respected and well-admired
ECONOMISTS, some of whom
are conservative Republicans
and some of whom are liberal/
progressive Democrats (which
I happen to be) who have stat-
ed that our huge national debt
and huge federal government
budget deficits do NOT pose
any real danger or threat to the
current and future well-being
of our economy and our coun-
try. However, not all respected
economists are saying this.
Obviously, conservative
Republicans are going to
instinctively insist that they
Good News Section
Thank you for putting the
good news section [“Inspiring
News”] summary at the top
of the home page. It is nice to
value good role models over
bad, and to set the tone for what
is normal, or at least should be,
in our lives.
But may I make a small
suggestion for making it even
better yet?
The good news often involves
people who are especially
burdened in life due to illness
or tragedy, and then some good
Samaritan helps them out.
Hence, the good news often
has a component of bad news
(that a person was burdened
by something bad). How about
reporting on good news?
As some generic examples ...
my hometown paper used to
report when someone got a big
promotion. So some already
Jean Chen’s Article
The article “A Mom’s Research:
Why Are Many Elites Leftists?”
published in the May 5–11, 2021,
edition of The Epoch Times is
excellent and well-worth read-
ing, and should be read by every
American. Thank you, Jean, for
your honest research and bring-
ing this information to light. I
have sent your article to many
people hoping our country
‘A Mom’s Research’
In her well-researched opinion
[“A Mom’s Research: Why Are
Many Elites Leftists?” in the
May 5–11 edition], Jean Chen
spotlights much of the corrup-
tion extant in American politics
circa 2021, and historically,
what was directly responsible
for the plight of what remains of
the American Republic—from
the radical Woodrow Wilson
“Progressive” era that foisted
the bogus Federal Reserve act
on sovereign American citi-
zens; made individual income
tax the law of the land; and
destroyed states’ (legislatures’)
rights by enacting direct elec-
tions of federal senators. Wood-
row Wilson made no bones
about his intense dislike of the
U.S. Constitution.
And as Chen relates, “Ameri-
can” so-called “elites’’ have
been providing ongoing (gen-
erational) largesse (MUCH of it
via rank-and-file U.S. TAXPAY-
ERS) directly to communist/
socialist/Bolshevik totalitarian
regimes. For example, the FDR
administration was infested
with outright Soviet “players”
such as Harry Hopkins, whom
Franklin D. Roosevelt made
“lend-lease czar’’ as WWII
erupted. Hopkins (darling of
Joseph Stalin) actually took up
are “wrong,” and liberal/pro-
gressive Democrats are going
to instinctively insist that they
are “right.” I want to urge “both
sides” to take a long, hard
look at this and to try to be as
objective as possible about
how “true” that it is or is not.
Personally, I would love it if
our federal government could
safely spend more on federal
government social programs
that would help everyone in
the middle and lower classes
who are trying hard to lead
responsible and productive
lives. However, I would not love
it if doing so would hurt and
bankrupt our country.
SINCERELY,
STEWART B. EPSTEIN
NEW YORK
clever man or woman did hard
work and managed to reach
even further. Oftentimes, we
would know the person or their
family. As another example,
the paper would report when
someone invented something
new and useful. In general, the
paper celebrated the building
of a better future.
Good news can even happen
to people who are just living
regular lives. Good news can
speak to us personally. People
are always looking for role mod-
els, and those role models apply
even in our daily lives when
nothing bad has happened.
One more example of some-
thing good happening for all
of us: The Epoch Times.
Good work.
SINCERELY YOURS
THOMAS WALKER LYNCH
can wake up and we can come
together for the cause of saving
our country. It is only through
prayer and getting back to the
Bible that by God’s grace, He
can save us from the evil that
encroaches on our freedoms
everyday. God bless you, Jean.
God bless America!
JANE BUELL
residence IN the White House,
where he slept and conducted
the distribution of U.S. indus-
try-produced war materials to
U.S. “Allies”—including com-
munist Russia. This while U.S.
forces in the Pacific theatre
were starved of (and dying)
because of shortages of ALL
war materials, while Hopkins
saw to it that communist Russia
was inundated with U.S. made
guns, ammo, tanks, trucks,
planes, food, et al.
The so-called “elites” Chen
calls out were and still are a
tiny minority of the U.S. popu-
lation (in 2021, just over 5,000
members—this in a nation of
some 328 million). A so-called
“NGO” (nongovernmental
organization) whose members
have literally infested EVERY
agency, bureau, and depart-
ment of the U.S. federal govern-
ment since 1921 when it was
founded goes by the oh-so-
innocuous name of the Council
on Foreign Relations (CFR).
Hopefully, Jean Chen will re-
search and zero-in on the per-
nicious end-game of the CFR
and expose it thoroughly in the
pages of The Epoch Times.
E. T. DANIEL
UTAH
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 | A21

COMICS

DILBERT GARFIELD

PEANUTS GINGER MEGGS

RED AND ROVER

BIG NATE

GRAND AVENUE
DRABBLE

MUTT & JEFF FRANK AND ERNEST

A22 | PUZZLES WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

CROSSWORD CONSTRUCTED BY TOM HOUSTON

EPOCH TIMES STAFF 12. Beth’s preceder CHESS CHALLENGE DAILY BRIDGE CLUB
13. Keep going Don’t quote me
BY MICHAEL GIBBS
14. Corrode BY FRANK STEWART, TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY
Keres – Petrosian (1959),  Black to
15. Simple fastener play & mate.  Petrosian known as a ©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
20. “Oxford Blues” star, very solid & cautious player finds a
1984 beautiful sacrifice! “All the ‘fake news’ and false quotes are
going to ruin the internet,” Cy the Cynic
24. “Don’t ___” (“Hitch- complained to me in the club lounge.
hiker’s Guide” motto) “Who is saying that?” I asked.
26. Botanical seed cover “According to Wikipedia,” Cy shrugged,
“Thomas Edison said it.”
27. “... and they were ___ You can’t believe everything you read
afraid” about certain bridge “rules.” In today’s deal,
28. Letter-shaped girder West led a spade against 3NT, and declarer
won and led a club from dummy. East
29. Air Force domain followed with the nine, thereby allowing
30. “Velvet” attachment South to make his game. When South’s
queen won, he led another club and played
31. “Chiquitita” quartet low from dummy, bringing down the ace.
32. Entre ___ He won the spade return and had 11 tricks:
33. Aide: Abbr. five clubs and two of everything else.
WORK SPACE
38. Other: Fr. SUSPICION
39. Iran’s ___ Shah Defenders often play “second hand low,”
but any so-called rule must be viewed
Pahlavi with suspicion. East won’t beat 3NT if
40. Buzzing pest South’s clubs are Q-x-x, so East should
42. Chemistry Nobelist assume they are Q-x.
Then East prevails by putting up the
Otto
4NUMBERS
ace on the first club and returning a spade.
43. Plum variety CONSTRUCTED BY C. CHANG
AT 4NUMS.COM
The clubs are blocked, and dummy’s only
entry is removed. South wins only seven
47. Words of dismay Use the four numbers in the corners, and tricks.
49. Emphatic type: Abbr. the operands (+, - X, and ÷) to build an
50. Italian painter Guido equation to get the solution in the middle. DAILY QUESTION
There may be more than one “unique” so- You hold: k 9 7 6 3 j A K 4
51. Shore soarer lution but, there may also be “equivalent” i A K 7 4 h Q 8. Your partner opens
53. Scraps solutions. For example: 6 + (7 X 3) +1 = 28 one spade, and you respond 2NT, a
and 1+ (7 X 3) + 6 = 28 conventional forcing raise. Partner next
54. Brown coat bids three hearts. What do you say?
Across 38. JFK’s final resting 83. Inched 56. “Bloom County” ANSWER: As most pairs agree, your
1. Tre + tre place 84. Undying character partner’s three hearts shows a singleton
4. Arrests 41. Amateurish 85. Haul heart. The idea is to let you judge
57. Censorship-fighting whether you have a slam-friendly holding
11. Adam’s-apples’ op- 44. Long time: Abbr. 86. Wedding wear org. opposite his singleton. You should be
posites 45. “The Thin Man” dog 87. Adam Sandler’s 58. “Bean limousine” encouraged. Cue-bid four diamonds, but
don’t plan to commit to slam; your trump
16. Mil. training site 46. Ball material Zohan 59. Galena support is weak.
17. “On the ___” (Danny 48. Suffix with conces- 88. Get it wrong 60. Up for grabs South dealer
sion 61. Sought office N-S vulnerable
Kaye movie) Down
18. City on the Allegheny 52. 12 A.M. and 12 P.M. 66. ___ rasa (clean slate) NORTH
55. Brains 1. Scattered 67. Rat tail? kA K
19. Distributors 2. Repeat j7 6 2
21. Sealy rival 58. Sycamore 69. Not suitable Hard 1 - 1 Solution i8 2
62. London’s Old ___ 3. “The heat ___!” 70. Grounds hK 7 6 5 3 2
22. Faux pas 4. Charlemagne’s do-
63. ___ Arbor 71. Con artist WEST EAST
23. Tell it like it isn’t main: Abbr. kQ 10 8 4 kJ 5 2
64. Wine: Prefix 75. Irritate jQ 9 5 jJ 10 8 3
24. Coke competitor 65. 500-pound bird 5. “___ for apple...” (ce- 76. Hit the road iJ 9 5 iQ 10 6 3
25. It may be coin-oper- hunted to extinction real jingle line) 77. M.I.T. grad: Abbr. hJ 10 4 hA 9
ated 66. Fib 6. Charlottesville sch. 78. XLI quintupled SOUTH
31. Septic tank worker 68. Nonstop 7. Bea of stage fame 79. Thor Heyerdahl’s first k9 7 6 3
jA K 4
34. Daughter of Cadmus 72. Filmdom’s Mr. Chips 8. Greet and seat ill-fated papyrus craft iA K 7 4
35. Jeanne d’Arc, e.g.: 73. Obstacle 9. Like some vbs. 80. Wallace of “E.T.” hQ 8
Abbr. 74. “Vissi d’___” 10. TV’s “Emerald Point 81. Archipelago unit: South West North East
36. Cattle genus 78. ___ the Barbarian ___” Abbr. 1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
37. “Seeing red” feeling 79. Rejection 11. Rocket top 82. “___ recall ...” Easy 1 - 1 Solution Opening lead —k4

WORDSEARCH CONSTRUCTED BY TOM HOUSTON

EPOCH TIMES STAFF SUPER KAKURO CONSTRUCTED
BY EPOCH TIMES STAFF

Help with Today’s Crossword Puzzle? Kakuro puzzles are like crosswords that use numbers instead of words. The goal is to fill the blank squares associated with a clue (called a “run”) with the numbers 1-9
so that the numbers add up to the corresponding clues. Like Sudoku, digits in a run cannot repeat. When the grid is filled, the puzzle is complete.

AGELESS DONAT LILLIE SEE IN

ALEPH DREGS MATZO SERTA
ANAEROBE DUPER NAPES STOAT
ANYONE’S EAT INTO OLEAN TABULA
ARLINGTON GRAY MATTER OY VEY TELL A LIE
AUTRE HAULS IN PANIC VESTS
BUSH-LEAGUE H-BEAM PEPSI WASHING
CONAN INAPT PERSIST MACHINE WORK SPACE
CREPT IRREG REMNANTS
DAY IN AND ISRAELI REPUDIATION
DAY OUT LEAD ORE RIVIERA

SOLUTIONS
CROSSWORD SUPER KAKURO 4NUMBERS

HARD 1

EASY 1

CHESS CHALLENGE
6. Qxf4  Rh1#
5. Kf1  Qxf4+
4. Be2  Rh7
3. Rfc2  Qh4
2. hxg3  hxg3
1…Rg3
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 PUZZLES | A23

SUDOKU CONSTRUCTED
BY KANNAN SANKARAN SUPERSUDOKU CONSTRUCTED
BY KANNAN SANKARAN

Fill in the boxes using numbers between 1 and 9 so that each column, each Fill in the boxes using numbers from 0 to 9 and letters from A to F so that each column, each row, and
row, and each 3x3 square contain all nine numbers only once. each 4x4 square contain all ten numbers and six letters only once.
Hard

Easy

CRYPTIC QUOTE
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

EPOCH DOKU CONSTRUCTED

BY EPOCH TIMES STAFF

KAKURO CONSTRUCTED
BY EPOCH TIMES STAFF JUMBLE BY DAVID L. HOYT
& JEFF KNUREK

Kakuro puzzles are like crosswords that use numbers instead of words. The goal THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME
is to fill the blank squares associated with a clue (called a “run”) with the numbers By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek
1-9 so that the numbers add up to the corresponding clues. Like Sudoku, digits Unscramble these Jumbles,
in a run cannot repeat. When the grid is filled, the puzzle is complete. one letter to each square,
Get the free JUST JUMBLE app • Follow us on Twitter @PlayJumble

to form four ordinary words.

Easy
DBYUD
EPOCH ESCAPE MAZE
FNOTE

UGATOE

SBPHIO
Now arrange the circled letters
©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC to form the surprise answer, as
All Rights Reserved. suggested by the above cartoon.

WORK SPACE

SOLUTIONS
SUPERSUDOKU SUDOKU: EASY JUMBLE EASY KAKURO
TO DO IT WORK SPACE
the creek was — BOUND
finally able to jump over
The baby bunny that was
Answers:

BISHOP
OUTAGE
OFTEN
SUDOKU: HARD EPOCH DOKU
BUDDY
Jumbles:

CRYPTIC QUOTE
speech, the better.
would have said the more
I think Thomas Jefferson

Contact the Puzzle Master @: Feedback@EpochTimes.com

A24 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

TRUTH and TRADITION

Don’t Miss Out on the Rest

of Your Subscription
Did you know that your print subscription gives you full access to EpochTV.com?

Epoch TV is a streaming platform for our exclusive programs. You’ll get news analysis, in-depth
interviews, investigative reporting, inspiring stories, and award-winning documentaries.

Your subscription also gives you full access to our premium

magazines—Mind & Body, Life & Tradition, Arts & Culture, and China
Insider—as well as our infographics. Just visit
TheEpochTimes.com/editions
Thank you for your support!
When the going gets tough, we take encouragement from readers like
you who choose to support us through your subscription.
What Readers Like You Are Saying
“The Epoch Times is a beacon of light in the ‘news’ darkness
that pretty much covers the country.” — JONNE ROSENAU
“Epoch is a mixture of true, cold hard facts pertaining to our
time … and hope plus inspiration.” — CHRISTINA TORKAY

Take full advantage of your subscription. Please visit today:

EpochTV.com TheEpochTimes.com/editions

What Our
Readers A great newspaper -
perhaps the greatest!
Say (32)

The Epoch Times is a breath of fresh
air after years of swamp spin from
major media.
JOSHUA BLUNCK
I am very thankful for The Epoch
Times!!! It is my primary source for
news. Please keep up the good work!
KIM ALEXANDER
The Epoch Times is a light in the
darkness that has come following
the full, year-long 2020 descent
into a seemingly Orwellian
nightmare. We need a voice for
rationality, and the founding
principles enshrined within the
declaration of independence and
the constitution.
LAWRENCE BLACKMAN
A cut above all others! Thoughtful
presentation and great opinion pieces.
MAUNA OH
I do something with your paper
I have never done with any other
paper I have read: I read every
article from beginning to end and
I have shared The Epoch Times with
many folks.
WILLIAM KEELER
A very welcome source of “real”
news, with a core of our traditional
American values. We look forward
to each edition and it stays with
us until the next edition arrives!
A unique publication in today’s
journalistic morass!
JOHN ZORIO
A giant THANK YOU for not covering
up what is going on here in U.S. and
the world.
LYNN WETERRINGS
Learn more at EpochSubscription.com
A friend loaned me her copy of
The Epoch Times about a year
ago. That’s when I first was able to
appreciate all that you do. In-depth,
and honest. I have no idea how
I even ended up receiving your online
version, but I absolutely love it!
CAROL RICHES
A friend recommended your paper,
and I love it. It is hard news, I don’t feel
that you avoid anything, or any subject.
Please keep doing what you do...
RICHARD FISHER
It is refreshing to have an actual
news outlet telling the truth instead
of propaganda and political theater
and lies. Please continue to spread
the TRUTH! Truth is light and light
will always dispel darkness.
ADAM SHROYER
A great newspaper - perhaps the
greatest!
WILLIAM SMITH
A great way to find out the truth of
the corruption and hypocrisy going
on within the elites.
JAN FOUTZ
[I’m] a new subscriber that likes the
news not the narrative. Keep doing that.
TOM CARR
A daughter use to bring us her
copies and we enjoyed reading a
newspaper again! We have become
subscribers now and we tell all our
friends they should too. The variety
of articles makes The Epoch Times
America’s Newspaper!
EUGENE HAYES

TRUTH AND TRADITION

 ARCHIVE PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES
FILM LITERATURE

Audrey Hepburn’s The Last Bard: G.K. Chesterton

Oscar-Winning Fashion
Some stars, like Audrey Hepburn, had such timeless Chesterton’s poetry—though less known than his
styles that their iconic looks have endured decades fiction or his journalism—especially his bardic epics,
after their death. speak most boldly to us today.
See B9 See B8

TRADITION|VALUES|FAMILY WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 B1

LIFE & TRADITION

PUBLIC DOMAIN

TIMELESS WISDOM Portrait of Thomas Jefferson Onward and

by Rembrandt Peale, 1800.
Upward:
Some Advice
for Graduates
JEFF MINICK

Congratulations! The big day is here!

You’re receiving your high school
diploma and are now off to college,
to enter the workforce or military
service, or to learn a trade such as
welding or auto repair. For at least 13
years, you’ve advanced from kinder-
garten to cap-and-gown, learning the
language arts, mathematics, history,
and science.
Diploma in hand, you now find
yourself ready to take a big step into
adulthood.

Make appreciation
No. 1 on your post-
graduation checklist.
Or maybe you’re graduating from
college. You’ve spent four years or
more going to classes, taking tests
and writing papers, and acquiring
new knowledge and skills. You stand
on the threshold of a world outside
the cloistered halls and classrooms of
your universities, hoping your degree
will act as your passport to this new
land.
Whether you’re primed and eager
to embrace this major change in your
life, or whether you’re shy and a little
fearful of what awaits you, here are
some tips to help you succeed, to ease
your passage on this grand journey.

Practice Gratitude
Make appreciation No. 1 on your
post-graduation checklist.
Did Aunt Cecily send you a check
for commencement? Write her a
thank you note. Did Mom and Dad
have your back, attend your soccer
games and school plays, talk you up
when you were down, and have your
back when you got into a jam? Sit
them down some evening and tell
them face-to-face how grateful you

Rules for Life

are for their love and concern. Did

Thomas a teacher, a Scout leader, or a coach

inspire you to become a better person

Jefferson’s
than you ever thought possible? Go to
those people and tell them what they
meant to you, how they helped you
pursue your dreams.
Make this spoken acclamation of
In 1825, about a year before he passed away, Jefferson offered life advice gratitude a lifelong habit, even in
in ‘A Decalogue of Canons for Observation in Practical Life’ times of horrible distress. For the
past six months or so, I wake each
morning, pour my first cup of coffee,
and thank God for another day, for
my children, grandchildren, family,
and friends, and then throw in a few
prayers for others I know who have
JOSHUA CHARLES be the portal to one of eternal and inef- either requested them or who are fac-

T
fable bliss.” ing trials and troubles.
oward the end of his life, Thomas Adore God.
Jefferson wrote several letters of In short: Honor God and your parents, Continued on B3
advice to young people, several Reverence follow the Golden Rule, love your country
of whom had been named after more than yourself, and don’t complain
him by admiring parents. and cherish about the misfortunes of life. This is the
One was a young man named Thomas your parents. path to eternal life.
Jefferson Smith, whose father had written In the same letter, Jefferson provided the
the aged former president in the hope he’d Love your young boy with a more practical set of ad-
RYAN HOFFMAN/UNSPLASH

offer his young son some life advice. His vice worth pondering. He called it “A Deca-
words were powerful:
neighbor as logue of Canons for observation in practical
yourself, life,” playing off the Ten Commandments
“Your affectionate and excellent father of the Bible (the “Decalogue”). The rules
has requested that I would address to you and your (with some commentary) were as follows.
something which might possibly have a country more
favorable influence on the course of life 1. ‘Never put off till to-morrow what
you have to run, and I too, as a namesake, than yourself. you can do to-day’
feel an interest in that course … Adore God. No doubt this is a vice many of us struggle
Reverence and cherish your parents. Love Thomas Jefferson, with—traditionally it was associated with
your neighbor as yourself, and your coun- to Thomas Jefferson things such as sloth (at worst), or procras- During their 20s, young people
try more than yourself. Be just. Be true. Smith tination (at best). may work a variety of jobs. No
Murmur not at the ways of Providence. So matter the work, diligence and
shall the life into which you have entered, Continued on B2 excellence will pay off.
B2 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

TIMELESS WISDOM

Thomas Jefferson’s In 1825, about a year before he passed away,

Rules for Life

Jefferson offered life advice in ‘A Decalogue of
Canons for Observation in Practical Life’

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, MANUSCRIPT DIVISION

Continued from B1

Jefferson makes clear that whatever it is we Accepting the

know needs to be done, to the extent we can reality of a
do it today, we should do so. Staying on top
of our daily tasks is one of the best ways of situation, no
avoiding the long-term stress caused by
procrastination. matter how
unpleasant,
2. ‘Never trouble another for what you
can do yourself’ is one of the
To many modern people, this may sound a bit
harsh, as if Jefferson is suggesting we should
first steps to
never reach out for help. But that would be dealing with
a misreading. In fact, Jefferson suggests we
first take stock of what we can do ourselves, it rationally.
do it, and to the extent that falls short, then
ask for help. In my own life, and observing the
lives of many others, the sense of “earned ac-
complishment” is crucial to a healthy sense
of identity. We’re more capable of tackling the
challenges of life after developing a healthy
confidence in ourselves—a confidence that is
secure enough to ask for help when needed.

3. ‘Never spend your money

before you have it’
My, this is timely! Americans are famously
debt-ridden, as is our government. In fact,
no entity in the history of the world has
accumulated as much debt as the United
States federal government. Likewise,
kewise, Ameri-
cans tend to save at a far lowerr rate than (for
example) Germans, Chinese,, and Koreans.
Not only does such a habit prevent
revent us from
enjoying things we may occasionally
sionally want,
but it means we have less maneuverability
aneuverability
in a crisis. Many of us spend d more money
than we have to, and do not fully appreci-
ate the extent to which we can moderate
our desires, and find great wealth
ealth in being
content. For those who need to work on this
vice, a good first step is Jefferson’s
erson’s advice:
only spend what you alreadyy have.

4. ‘Never buy what you do not want,

because it is cheap; it will bee dear to you’
By “want,” Jefferson doesn’t mean “desire,”
but “lack.” So his advice is that
at if we don’t
lack something, we shouldn’t ’t buy more
of it just because it’s cheap.

5. ‘Pride costs us more than n hunger,

thirst and cold’
The third and final page of Jefferson’s inscriptions contained “A Decalogue of Canons for
There’s a famous saying from m the Bible, observation in practical life.”
“Pride goes before the fall.” In Scrip-
ture, pride preceded the falll of God’s LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, MANUSCRIPT DIVISION PUBLIC DOMAIN
greatest angel, Lucifer (“Light Bearer”),
who afterward was known as Satan
(“Adversary”). It also preceded
eded the
fall of Adam and Eve, which inflicted
calamity on the human race. e. That’ss
why in Christianity, and many any other
otheer
religious traditions, humility ility is so
so
important.
Humility is not thinking of ourselves
as less than we are, but thinking
ng of our-
r
selves as we are—understandingding both
our strengths, but our limitations
ations as
well. Recognizing we are creatures,
reatures,
not the Creator. Acknowledgingging tha
that
at
there is much more we don’t know
now than
we do know. Humility opens us up to
a world of enlightenment and d growth
in virtue—pride makes everythingything in
our life depend exclusively onn one of the
smallest of things: ourselves.

6. ‘We never repent of having

ng Page 2 of Jefferson’s inscriptions featured Mather Brown’s portrait of Thomas Jefferson,
a poem. 1786.
eaten too little’
Have you seen America’s waistline
istline lately? LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, MANUSCRIPT DIVISION

Enough said. 9. ‘Take things always by

their smooth handle’
7. ‘Nothing is troublesome For any objective, there are easy and hard
that we do willingly’ ways to achieve it. Choose the easy way—
GE TT Y IMAGES

I think this rule goes well with ith Jefferson’s which doesn’t mean no effort. It means
earlier advice to “Murmur nott at the ways of minimal wasted effort.
Providence.” Accepting the reality
ality of a situa- A bronze statue
of Jefferson,
NOV/AFP VIA

tion, no matter how unpleasant, nt, is one of the 10. ‘When angry, count ten, before you
first steps to dealing with it rationally.
ationally. If we measuring nearly speak; if very angry, a hundred’
see every circumstance—especially
pecially our tri- 6 feet 3 inches, at All of us know what it feels like to be angry,
ML ADEN ANTO

als—as an opportunity for growth,

wth, then truly Monticello. but then recognizing when we calm down,
nothing can stop us from growing,
wing, and even things are often not as bad as they seem.
our troubles become a pathwayy to excellence. But even if they are as bad as they seem (or
worse), getting our emotions under control
8. ‘How much pain have cost st us the evils is a necessary first step in being able to ap-
which have never happened’ d’ proach the problem rationally.
This is for the worrywarts outt there (myself
included). Every so often it’s good to re- Joshua Charles is a former White House
flect on all the things we weree wor- r speechwriter for Vice President Mike
ried would happen, and didn’t. n’t. Or Pence, a No. 1 New York Times best-selling Thomas Jefferson inscribed flyleaves in
in the alternative, reflect on thee bad author, historian, columnist, writer/ Cicero’s De Re Publica, published in 1823, with
things that happened, but how ow we ghostwriter, and public speaker. Follow advice to Thomas Jefferson Smith, the son
overcame them. Then the truth th of Jefferson’s him on Twitter @JoshuaTCharles or see of Samuel Harrison Smith, an old friend and
advice will sink in. JoshuaTCharles.com political ally.
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 B3
SINCERELY MEDIA/UNSPLASH

Onward and
Upward:
Some Advice
for Graduates
Continued from B1

This thanksgiving kick-starts the day in a

positive direction.
Don’t wait, as I did, for decades to prac-
tice daily gratitude. Try it now, and you
may find this appreciation of people,
events, and life becomes a shield against
despair and fear of failure.

Strive for Excellence

You attended a prestigious college and ma-
jored in English literature. For two sum-
mers, you interned at publishing houses
and hoped to find a position in that in-
dustry. During the spring of your senior
year, you submitted a dozen applications
to places such as Simon & Schuster and
Random House, but no one was hiring. So
instead you end up as a barista in a coffee
shop, taking orders day after day for mocha
lattes and cold brews. You’re wondering if
you’re a failure, if your expensive degree
has any worth or meaning, if your future
is over before it’s even begun.
Stop right there.
Besides looking at the positives—you’re
working, you’re paying your way—don’t
try to second-guess your future. You’re 23
years old, and life with all its surprises is
still unfolding before you, though you may
not comprehend it.
During our 20s, many people, includ-
ing me, work a variety of jobs. From the
time I left graduate school at age 24 until
I turned 30, I worked as a clerk in three
bookstores, a painter in an apartment
complex, an apartment manager, a dish-
washer, a house parent along with my wife
in a sorority, and a waiter. Some of these
jobs I liked—as a waiter, I loved carrying
my tips home every night—and some were
less than satisfactory.
But my wife and I scrimped and saved,
and soon had enough money in the bank
to buy a business.
My point: Push to excel at whatever job
you do. Always. Your diligence and hard
work will pay off in unexpected ways. If
nothing else, you can go home at night,
look in the mirror, and take pride in the day.
Accept the Normality of Fatigue
Being an adult means being tired a lot of
the time. Very tired.
You’re a mom with a toddler and a
6-month-old baby, and all you want to do
is collapse into bed at night. You’re a car-
penter working 10-hour shifts four days a
week who’s married to that mom, and all
you want to do is crash into sleep beside her.
All sorts of books and articles emphasize
the importance of sleep for our health, but
here’s the truth: for most adults, that com-
modity is as hard to come by as a pot of
gold. Adults are the providers, the ones
responsible for paying the mortgage, cloth-
ing and feeding the children, and making
the tough decisions. Long hours of sleep
are rarely on the agenda.
Accept being tired as a given for grownups.
Push to excel
at whatever
job you do.
Always. Your
diligence and
hard work
will pay off in
unexpected
ways.
PD-US
“Character is destiny,”
said ancient Greek
philosopher Heraclitus.
Jeff Minick has four
children and a grow-
ing platoon of grand-
children. For 20 years,
he taught history,
literature, and Latin
to seminars of home-
schooling students
in Asheville, N.C. He
is the author of two
novels, “Amanda Bell”
and “Dust on Their
Wings,” and two works
of non-fiction, “Learn-
ing as I Go” and “Mov-
ies Make the Man.”
Today, he lives and
writes in Front Royal,
Va. See JeffMinick.
com to follow his blog.
Take Charge of Your Self
It’s easy to foist off our failures on others,
pointing a finger at a supervisor or a parent
and blaming them for our shortcomings.
I’ve known men and women, old as well as
young, who complain of losing the game
of life because a father deserted the family
when they were 12 years old or who talk
constantly of promotions lost because the
boss simply didn’t like them.
But I’ve also known many other people
who overcame the obstacles of their past: a
woman who had a terrible mother but who
early in adulthood consciously decided to
live her own life with joy as her foundation
stone; a man imprisoned for burglary who
on his release trained as a welder, recon-
nected with his family, and led an entirely
different life; a drunk who lost a great job,
gave up the bottle, and found less lucrative
work but made peace with himself.
So don’t play the “blame game.” Legally,
you are an adult, and the first mark of that
stage in life is responsibility. Many of your
contemporaries may spurn duty and re-
sponsibility, but you have the option of
taking on this mantle while still young.
Command yourself, and you’ve taken a
giant step forward toward success.
Achievements and Reputation
We live in a place and a time where we
associate success and prestige with
money and fame. The wealthy among us,
our sports and movie stars, and some of
our politicians receive acclaim for their
wealth, power, and fame.
Far more rarely do we applaud people
for the content of their character. We may
recognize hypocrisy in a senator caught
stealing from his campaign fund or moral
failing in a movie producer mistreating
women, but those who practice the virtues
rarely make the evening news.
Nevertheless, I urge you to construct a
moral code and refuse to violate it. Build a
reputation for honesty, goodwill, and clean
living. Those of us who have violated such
a code, including me, know well the cost
this failure exacts. Guard your reputation
as you would defend a loved one.
“Character is destiny,” said the Greek
philosopher Heraclitus. Notice that he
doesn’t distinguish between a bad and a
good character. If you want the respect of
others, and especially if you want the re-
spect of what writer Peter Dale Wimbrow Look at life as
calls “the man in the glass,” put character an adventure,
ahead of fame and riches, and see where and it will
destiny leads you. be one.
Joy and Happiness: The Difference
We often confuse these two terms.
We’ll hear people say “I just want to be
happy,” but those who utter these words
are confused. Happiness is transitory, a
fleeting byproduct of some event, a house
built on sand. It depends for its existence
on external circumstances—a promotion
at work, a surprise birthday party, the un-
expected visit of a friend—and then van-
ishes.
Joy rests on a more solid foundation. It is
an internal state of emotional well-being
that can bring us peace and deep pleasure,
that is lasting, and that we can experience
on a daily basis. Some find this joy in their
religious beliefs, some in the work they do,
and some by force of will. Whatever the
case, a deep, interior sense of joy will help
you celebrate your victories and carry you
through your defeats.
Make Your Life an Adventure
By this piece of advice, I don’t mean you
need to climb Mount Everest, join a rodeo,
or parachute from an airplane.
What I do mean is that if we look at life as
an adventure, we make it so. The mundane
tasks of life take on a new and different
meaning if we remember we are part of
an incredible world. We look at our loved
ones with new eyes; we experience minor
disasters like a car failing to start with a
jaunty insouciance, rather than filling the
front yard with blue language; we look for
ways around obstacles, rather than letting
them stop us.
Commencement is often regarded as an
ending, but the word itself means begin-
ning. You are at the beginning of the great-
est adventures, a path filled with comedy
and some tragedy, a path only you will ever
travel.
Writing these recommendations re-
minds me to live them more fully myself.
So keep in mind that though we are all on
our own individual journey, we have com-
mon tools at hand that make that journey
more pleasurable and more meaningful.
May your futures be bright—and filled
with adventures!

Don’t We All?
ALLEN STARK
One day, a few years ago, after a hard day’s
work, I had taken the family car to the car
wash and had gone to pick up my wife
from work. I was sitting in the car with the
window rolled down when I saw, coming
across the parking lot, what society would
consider a bum. He was wearing dirty
clothes and a dirty ball cap, and had just
come from the direction of the dumpster.
There are times when you feel generous,
but then there are other times when you
are just too tired and don’t want to be both-
ered. This was one of those “don’t want to
be bothered” times.
I began thinking: “I hope he doesn’t ask
me for money. We are going out for dinner
and I have just enough money.”
He didn’t ask. He came over next to where
I was parked and sat on the steps leading up
to the second level of the building. Looking
over and seeing that my car window was
down, he spoke. “That’s a nice car.”
Although his clothes were torn and dirty,
he had a polite way about him.
I said thanks, stepped out of the car,
and walked around to the opposite side,
pretending to inspect it—for what, I don’t
know. While I did so, he just sat there qui-
etly. I kept expecting a plea for money, but
it never came.
As the silence continued, something inside
of me said, “Ask him if he needs any help.”
I was sure that he would say yes, but I
obeyed the inner voice. “Do you need any
help?” I finally asked.
He rose and turned toward me. It was
then I noticed a large abscess on the side
of his face, somewhat obscured by the
baseball cap. He answered my question
with three simple but profound words that
I will never forget. We are prone to look for
wisdom from those who have higher learn-
ing and have accomplished great things. I
expected nothing except an outstretched
grimy hand. The three simple words he
spoke left me momentarily speechless.
“Don’t we all?” he said.
I was feeling high and mighty, at least
more successful than this “bum,” until
those three words hit me like a ton of bricks.
“Don’t we all.”
Yes, I needed help. Maybe not for mon-
etary or health reasons, but I needed help.
I reached in my wallet and gave him the
money I was going to use for dinner. But
those three little words kept repeating in
my mind.
No matter how much you have, no matter
how much you have accomplished, you
need help, too. And no matter how little you
have, or how loaded you are with problems,
even without, or very little to share, you can
give help. Even if it’s just a kind word, you
can give that.
You never know when you may see some-
one who appears to have it all. They may be
waiting on you to give them what you don’t
have—a different perspective in life, a word
of hope, a change that only you, through
loving eyes, can see.
As the silence continued,
something inside of me
said, ‘Ask him if he needs
any help.’
A short time later, I learned from my wife
that the man wasn’t a homeless stranger
wandering the streets. He was, in fact,
Kenny, the janitor who worked for the of-
fice complex where my wife’s address was.
He was given a small room by management
for his work. As I came to know Kenny, I
learned that he had gone through some
very troubling times. I was able to bring
him food and clothing from time to time
and share conversations with him.
After receiving his social security check
one month, about a year after our first
encounter, Kenny walked into my wife’s
nonprofit organization’s office and handed
her $50, because he wanted to show his
appreciation for all we had done for him.
Shortly thereafter, he was placed in a
nursing home after having received treat-
ment for his cancer. Within the next year,
Kenny slowly began to lose his battle with
cancer and asked me to become his execu-
tor, making all the decisions for his care
and final days, during which time he reaf-
firmed his faith and made peace with his
family, whom he had become estranged
from over the years due to past drinking
problems.
Had I been sent to minister to Kenny, or
was Kenny sent to minister to a soul who
had grown too comfortable in himself?
Maybe God spoke to Kenny’s spirit that day
and said: “Go minister to that man sitting
in the car. That man needs help.”
Don’t we all?
A special note: Next time the Relay/Walk
for Life comes around, put on your walking
tennis shoes and join the survivors who’ve
made it through their cancer treatment.
Cancer survivors will make the first lap.
I used to watch episodes of the “Survivor”
television show, but when I watched my
wife and other cancer survivors take that
first lap, I was there cheering them on. It
was the greatest survivor episode I’ve ever
watched.
B4 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

The Academic Abuse of Quantity Over

SEAN FITZPATRICK

O
ne of the most profound problems
in the field of education is that it has
become too superficial.
With efficiency preoccupations to “cover”
as many “core” subjects as possible and
equip young minds with the data of a rapidly-
changing, money-driven world, skimming
the surface of things through fast-moving
textbooks, condensed texts, abridged works,
PowerPoints interfaces, and soundbites has
become something of an epidemic. The
mentality has become more about sailing
through the mandated material, checking
the boxes, imparting the facts, and getting
the grade to make the grade—teaching pri-
marily to the test, rather than to the truth.
Gone are the attitudes of the philosophical
Athenian Academy, where learning was lei-
surely and lingered over to allow the mind to
steep in goodness, truth, and beauty.

Rushing through a work

doesn’t impart a sense
of that work. It’s the
difference between the
experience of a footpath
and an interstate
highway.

This fast-food, career-oriented approach is

often packaged as striving for a more tradi-
tional model of learning, often called clas-
sical education, even though this approach
is far from classical. Such schools pack a
catalog of very grand material into a very
narrow calendar, applying these courses to
students who are unprepared to appreciate
them—especially in the time period allotted.
Though always well-intentioned, it’s rarely
effective to foist too much on too young of a
mind too quickly. Not only is it ineffective: It’s
inappropriate. One might even call it, to put
it in strong terms, a type of academic abuse
that might destroy the appetite and aptitude
for study.

The Leisure of Learning

I have had the privilege of teaching classical
literature for 20 years. Despite what might be
imagined, I don’t move through the material
more quickly with each passing year because
I know it so well and am, therefore, able to PUBLIC DOMAIN
cover more and more ground and more and
more works. It’s quite the opposite—I move group of minds and hearts. And a proper all, is rooted etymologically in the word for a sense of that work. It’s the difference be-
more slowly. Every year I find that I have introduction takes time. and the idea of leisure. Reading and study tween the experience of a footpath and an
more to say, more to teach, and more to share I also become a better teacher every year, that is rigorous doesn’t have the same life interstate highway. It’s better to arrange for
about these texts so dear to me now—these and I have come to believe that reading and or foster the same love as reading and study the intimate, positive, and even powerful
old friends I have made—and every year I teaching a great work is an art best taught that’s leisurely. experience of a single great text rather than a
relish introducing them properly to a new at a natural, comfortable pace. School, after Rushing through a work doesn’t impart passing, lukewarm, and rushed overview of

Rediscovering a Lost Tradition: Male Rites of Passage

JEFF MINICK
During his high school years, my youngest
son played point guard on a homeschool
basketball team in Asheville, North Caro-
lina. His coach, Tom, was a physician and a
father of four boys, two of whom were also
on my son’s team. He was a great coach who
took no guff from the boys, ran disciplined
practices, and knew the game well enough
to produce winning teams during the entire
time my son played for him.
Throughout human
history, young males
underwent various tests
marking their entry
into manhood.
For away games, Tom, as well as several
other parents, would drive the team to
cities like Winston-Salem and Greenville.
Unlike those other moms and dads, how-
ever, he would spend his hours in the car
talking to the boys about a variety of sub-
jects: world politics, moral rectitude, and
saving money, to name a few. He became
well known among both parents and play-
ers for these conversations, or, as some
players called them, classes. One “class”
in particular that impressed my son was
a discussion of the qualities they should
look for in a wife. Another involved court-
ship and how to treat a woman.
Coach Tom became a major figure in my
son’s life, so much so that my son invited
Tom and his wife to his wedding.
Looking back at those days, I realize today
even more than I did then the gifts Tom was
giving to his players. He was not only teach-
ing high school students how to play bas-
ketball: He was helping boys become men.
Initiation Rites
Throughout human history, young males
underwent various tests marking their en-
try into manhood. Once they had passed
these tests, which often involved proving
their prowess as hunters and warriors, the
other men of their tribe or community wel-
comed them into their ranks. In the Maasai
tribe of Kenya, for example, a young male
was welcomed to full manhood once he had
killed a lion with a spear. A warrior in the
Middle Ages was first a page, then a squire,
and—once he had earned his spurs—was
ultimately dubbed a knight. Both Native
Americans and pioneers often earned their
claim to manhood by the skills they demon-
strated in hunting. Later, many male teenag-
ers marked their entrance into adulthood
by working and providing for their families.
Though today we have no universal rite
of passage into manhood, some rituals still
mark this event. Earning a driver’s license
at age 16, becoming a legal adult and able to
vote at 18, and being able to buy a beer in a
bar at age 21 are all steps taken on the road
to manhood. Of course, these same land-
marks are rites of passage for girls, losing
any meaning they might possess as being
PUBLIC DOMAIN
In “Meditations,” Roman emperor Marcus
Aurelius thanks not only his father and grand-
father for the life lessons they taught him, but
also many other teachers and guides.
specifically male steps toward maturity.
The 3 Stages of Change
In “Coming of Age: The Importance of Male
Rites of Passage,” husband-and-wife team
Brett and Kate McKay discuss the meaning
of this marker of manhood, its near-total
absence from today’s culture, and ways
for fathers and mentors to revive such rec-
ognition of this transformation of boys to
men. They write that traditional rites of pas-
sage include three distinct phases for this
change: separation from a tribe or group,
transition through a series of ordeals, and
reincorporation into the group.
As the McKays point out, today’s military
can serve as a springboard into manhood.
A young male out of high school leaves his
family and friends (separation), enters boot
camp (transition), and after completing a
serious of rigorous tests, graduates and
becomes a full member of the group—the
Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy, or Coast
Guard—with the rights and privileges that
come with that distinction (reincorporation).
And this military training does work in
precisely this manner. A nephew of mine,
a mediocre student who spent a good deal
of time in his teenage years playing video
games, joined the Army shortly after high
school. Now, just a few years later, he is, by
any definition of the word, a man. He is a
trained medic and a parachutist, as well as
an infantryman; pays his own way; and is
recently married and now has a child.
On the other hand, some of our young
males appear lost, muddled as to the mean-
ing of manhood and unsure when that tran-
sition occurs. Does manliness come with
graduation from high school or college?
With a job or profession? With marriage?
The birth of a child?
Creating a Way
The McKays give their readers—particular-
ly fathers—some excellent suggestions for
creating rituals celebrating the attainment
of manhood. Various religious faiths offer
confirmations or bar mitzvahs as entryways
into adulthood, and the McKays point out
that these ceremonies become even more
significant when the parents help make
them so through discussions of manliness
and maturity.
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 B5

John Senior wrote in his book “The Death Some things are simply not measurable,

Quality “The School of

Athens” by Raph-
ael, 1510–1511.
of Christian Culture”:
“You do not improve or advance a child
intellectually or morally by force-feeding ma-
ture and ... decadent ‘adult’ fare. You do not
improve or advance a high school curricu-
lum by running trial heats of college courses
over it. ... In an age so concerned with civil
rights, we should not overlook the rights of
childhood.”
In this passage, Senior applies a sharp cri-
tique against those educational models that
launch into the deep waters of academia be-
fore their students are equipped to do so with
any efficiency, let alone enjoyment. They’re
not hard to find: reading lists, curricula, and
AP courses that take on timeless works in less
time than they warrant in order to cover as
much ground as possible.
Classical education, on the other hand,
should never be about cramming. An in-
troduction to the great works at a young age
is one thing, but well-meaning classical in-
culcation is quite another. Classical educa-
tion goes beyond curriculum. It also implies
a traditional approach in education that’s
proportionate and appropriate to the age-old
human realities of teaching and learning.
Attempting to do too much in too short a
time fails to take that proportion and that
propriety into account. It’s a pedagogy that
conflates quantity with quality, which isn’t a
sound pedagogical principle simply because
it can’t help but do injustice to works—and
students—that deserve better. The rigors
required in flying through works of great
length and substance can never be calcu-
lated to provide a meaningful experience
from studying those texts so hastily.
The Wrong Measuring Stick
A large part of the current problem obtrud-
ing into classical education is the prevalent
desire, even pressure, to make education
a measurable quantity, with the mentality
that more is better. One of the signs of this
in mainstream educational models is the
exaggerated importance given to the arts of
mathematics over the arts of the muses. The
prevalent emphasis laid on mathematics and
empirical sciences in many curricula is curi-
ous, however, since there is no essential
reason for its preference over more
philosophic or poetic disciplines— Classical
subjects that call for meditation education
rather than mechanical problem should never
solving, which is precisely the be about
rub when the modern concern cramming.
for measurable goals is applied to
the traditional humanities.
Is a school’s merit ever judged ac-
cording to its literature program instead
of its STEM program? Generally speaking,
no—but why not? There are some soci-
etal trends that dictate the preoccupation
with measurable and manipulative objec-
tives, given that many fortunes are earned
through engineering and technical fields.
several. Taking the time required to do some- Because of this, the precise and material
thing well is well worth it, and it’s the classical have overridden the imprecise and imma-
mode of education. terial in a battle that should be balanced in
education, with each side given the space
Quantity Versus Quality and time to settle into minds and imagina-
As the late University of Kansas professor tions awakening to formation.
What lies in
the balance
and those things are often of immeasurable
value. Though reactions to the utilitarian in-
sipidity that dominates modern curricula are
important, it’s equally important not to over-
of teaching react. A return to the classics is necessary. A
revival of studying the great works is needed.
the classical But when the strategy for that return and
works of revival is interpreted as pounding through
as much excellent material as is possible—or
Western impossible, in some cases—there’s a pendu-
lum swing into an opposite extreme of error.
Civilization
is whether More or Less?
Less can be more, if done well, and “cover-all-
their the-bases” learning can very quickly become
experience is the opposite of learning if done poorly. Again
from Senior: “At Princeton ... the students
a slog or a joy. in the four-year college normally took five
courses per year; the exceptionally bright
ones were permitted to take four, on the
grounds that for them it was really worth-
while to go slow.” Though not keeping with
the current “fast-track” mentality, doesn’t
this notion ring true on a human level?
Who actually reads “The Iliad,” “The Odys-
sey,” “The Oresteia,” and “The Aeneid,” as well
as a little Sophocles, Plato,
DEAN DROBOT/SHUTTERSTOCK
and Dante on the side in the
span of a few short weeks?
Or, if they do—unless they
are of remarkable intelli-
gence and discipline—who
is able to read them mean-
ingfully? These are works
to be meditated over, to be
studied and savored–not
stuffed. They need space and
time to proclaim themselves
and sink into the mind, es-
Reading a pecially upon first contact. Flying pell-mell
great work through the best that has been thought and
is best said can be damaging and runs the terrible
done at a risk of making the experience burdensome
slow, com- or irksome to a young mind.
fortable
pace.
What lies in the balance of teaching the
classical works of Western Civilization is
whether their experience is a slog or a joy.
Any undertaking that’s challenging and
hurried tends to be overbearing and un-
pleasant. The great books are great because
they are challenging and, in approaching
them, students must be given time to en-
counter and engage them: to enter into
their world, to learn their language, and
to discover their secrets. Education that
moves through a classical curriculum as
though it were crossing items off a list isn’t
allowing the curriculum to form and inform
students. Such overfilled, marathonic edu-
cational programs are too aggressive—even
abusive—for they make reading difficult
material simply difficult instead of diffi-
cult yet delightful, and rattle young learners
away from the love of learning.
Sean Fitzpatrick serves on the faculty
of Gregory the Great Academy, a boarding
school in Elmhurst, Pa., where he teaches
humanities. His writings on education,
literature, and culture have appeared in a
number of journals, including Crisis Maga-
zine, Catholic Exchange, and the Imagina-
tive Conservative.

SPENCER FLING/U.S. NAVY

The McKays also recommend we invent
private ceremonies that celebrate this pas-
sage, occasions preceded by a time of train-
ing, increased responsibilities, and a bond-
ing of father and son. These might range
from an 18th birthday party of special rec-
ognition to a father-and-son camping trip. If
the father is absent from the child’s life, they
offer a number of alternative suggestions for
“personal rites of passage,” such as joining
the military or Peace Corps, taking a mission
trip, or undertaking other endeavors to help
with a transition to manhood.
When I was living in Asheville, I knew a
dad who devised a special manhood cer-
emony for each of his sons. He assembled
their friends and their mentors, like coaches,
teachers, pastors, or Scout leaders around a
bonfire at his church, and there those who
had influenced his son’s life would speak
in praise of his accomplishments and offer
advice on the responsibilities and duties that
now awaited him as a man. I attended two of
these ceremonies and spoke at one of them,
and both times the words of the older men
and the shining, proud face of the young
man deeply moved me.
Others of the Tribe
Notice that in this celebration the father
alone did not initiate his son into manhood.
He asked other adult male mentors to take
part in this ceremony of transition.
In another article, “Why Fathers Shouldn’t
Initiate Their Sons Into Manhood,” the McK-
ays recommend this course of action. They
point out that throughout Western literature
and the films of the last century, men other
than their fathers acted as guides for young
males. They note, for example, the absent
Odysseus didn’t teach his son Telemachus
the meaning and ways of manhood. Instead,
For some who join the armed forces, military boot camp serves as a transition to manhood. Above,
recruits run sprints during a U.S. Navy boot camp session in Great Lakes, Ill., on Oct. 24, 2018.
his friend Mentor took the boy under his
wing and instructed him, which is of course
where we get the word “mentor.”
Again and again in movies, we see this
same phenomenon. “Secondhand Lions”
tells the story of two crusty old uncles who
take in their nephew, Walter—who has no fa-
ther and a negligent mother—and raise him
to be a man. In “Hoosiers,” a movie about a
small-town basketball team in Indiana that
goes on to win the state championship, we
meet newly arrived coach Norman Dale,
played by Gene Hackman, who drills the
team in fundamentals, disciplines them
for misbehavior, and teaches them the val-
ue of hard work and team play. “We Were
Soldiers” gives us Lieutenant Colonel Hal
Moore, played by Mel Gibson, and Sergeant
Major Plumley, played by Sam Elliott—two
experienced warriors who provide the much
younger men in their command with sage
advice and set an example in courage for
them on the battlefield.
In the opening pages of “Meditations,”
Marcus Aurelius thanks his father and
grandfather for the life lessons they taught
him, but also includes a number of other
teachers and guides to whom he’s indebted
for his training and education. Here is yet
another sterling example of the importance
of other men in the life of a boy on his journey
to manhood.
Making Men in Confusing Times
The general absence of some ritual signaling
the beginning of manhood comes at a time
when young men are also awash in confu-
sion about the meaning of manhood itself.
Our culture frequently delivers contradic-
tory messages to them. On one hand, we
want them to display what were once con-
sidered feminine virtues: to become more
caring, more open with their emotions, and
to be more tender and kind. Yet we also want
them to be tough, to carry the weights given
them by duty and life without complaint,
and to step up and defend others weaker
than themselves.
As a result, many men in their 20s and
even their 30s may not think of themselves
as “real men.”
We can change this situation. If we train up
our sons and grandsons to practice the vir-
tues, to accept responsibility for their lives,
and to work hard, we are giving them the
compass and map that will help them find
their way through a broken culture.
And if we then provide those same young
men with some specific time and occasion
when we declare them members of the
manhood tribe—a road trip, a festive and
meaningful party, a bonfire where they are
surrounded by mentors and male friends—
they will leave home and enter the world
knowing they are men.
To act like men, our sons need to hear the
words, “Today, you are a man.”
Jeff Minick has four children and a growing
platoon of grandchildren. For 20 years, he
taught history, literature, and Latin to semi-
nars of homeschooling students in Ashe-
ville, N.C. He is the author of two novels,
“Amanda Bell” and “Dust on Their Wings,”
and two works of non-fiction, “Learning as
I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” Today,
he lives and writes in Front Royal, Va.
See JeffMinick.com to follow his blog.
B6 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

COURTESY OF HUGH BRITTAIN COURTESY OF AUSTIN HUTTON COURTESY OF AUSTIN HUTTON

Austin Hutton's diary from sixth grade.

COURTESY OF AUSTIN HUTTON

(Left) Former teacher Hugh Brittain, 78. (Middle) Some pages from Austin Hutton’s diary, which dates back to sixth grade. (Right) Hutton with his youngest son, AJ.

Blast From the Past

After 33 years, man is reunited with his 6th-grade diary
LOUISE BEVAN grade, AJ, Hutton was curious to see wheth- “It’s like putting a puzzle together,”

A
retired Canadian teacher, who
couldn’t bear to throw away
unclaimed diaries from his
classes’ creative writing proj-
ects in the 1980s, has tracked
down many of his former students.
With the help of social media, Hugh Brit-
tain, 78, sent the time capsules, replete with
preteen secrets, opinions, and ambitions,
back to their original owners.
One of them was Austin Hutton, 45, who
now lives in Fort St. John, British Colum-
bia. Brittain was his sixth-grade teacher
at Havelock Elementary School in New
Brunswick.
Receiving his diary back from Brittain in
the mail, according to Hutton, was both
exciting and emotional.
“I had no idea what I’d written, what mat-
tered to me back then,” Hutton, who wrote
his diary back in 1988, told CBC. “It was
like getting a window on your childhood.”
His diary, which bore a stark warning on
the front cover with green ink—“My diary.
Top secret. Keep out!”—contained fascinat-
ing snapshots of life. Hutton was mowing
lawns and saving his hard-earned dollars
to buy a bicycle. He even documented an
early crush, writing a girl’s phone number
between the pages of the memoir.
The diary also reminded Hutton of a self-
given nickname: “Honky Tonk Hutton,”
reports Alaska Highway News.
Now a father of four with a son in sixth
er there were many similarities between his
son’s life and the life of his sixth-grade self.
“I was girl crazy,” Hutton recalled. “I don’t
know if [writing the diary] changed me, but
it did give me a chance to see I’m still the
person I was then.
“I still like my outdoors, I still think wom-
en are wonderful, but I love my wife.”
Brittain had made a habit of keeping all
creative writing projects not collected by
students at graduation. Staying true to his
word that the diaries were private, he never
once read them. Likewise, he never threw
them out.
A respected and admired teacher, Brit-
tain retired in 1995. He managed to return
a number of diaries at a school reunion,
reports KCTV5, but was left with 26.
The school was closed and demolished
in 2016.
In early 2021, the retired teacher decided
to try again. Though not very social media
savvy, by his own admission, he posted a
shout-out on a Beaconsfield School Days
Facebook page, sharing photos of the dia-
ries in their sealed, named manila enve-
lopes, representing his classes of 1978, ’82,
’83, and ’88.
Among many delighted responses, the
friend of a former Havelock student reached
out. Cher Raynes of Saskatchewan turned
detective, contacting former students, their
friends, and their relatives, amassing email
addresses for a nationwide trail of Havelock
graduates.
she told CBC.
Brittain, paying the postage fees him-
self, sent manila envelopes to destinations
across Canada, making the days of many
of his former students.
Receiving his creative writing assignment
from Brittain, a letter to his grown-up self,
former Havelock student Ted Dakin mar-
veled at the “simpler life” of his childhood
I had no years. “Your biggest concerns were getting
idea what I’d to school on time, going to baseball practice,
lots of chaos among the kids,” he reflected.
written, what In his letter, Dakin described his future
mattered wedding in great detail and his future wife
as a “dirty blond with sparkling blue eyes.”
to me back Dakin admitted this description had been
based upon a girl in his class at the time.
then. It was Dakin plans to stop by and see his former
like getting teacher on his next visit home. “I’m blown
away that he would keep these all these
a window years,” he said.
Likewise, for Hutton, Brittain’s impulse
on your to keep and eventually return the diaries
childhood. was as moving as the diary itself.
“I get goosebumpy thinking how he held
Austin Hutton onto them all these years, looked us up
across the country, and sent them out,” he
said. “The joy and the love that he put into
this ... the kindness. It’s just unbelievable.”
Share your stories with us at emg.
inspired@epochtimes.com, and get
your daily dose of inspiration by signing
up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter
at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter

tually made their way to the United States.

DEAR NEXT GENERATION The point I’m trying to make is for all of
us—no matter how young or old we are,

Be Curious, Get to Know People

« Advice from our readers
to our young people
Dear next generation,
Born in 1957, and raised in a divided Ger-
many, I was fortunate to have lived in West
Germany where the historic processing of
what had happened under the Nazi regime
was part of my high school curriculum. We
were taught about the war, what led up to
it, and the atrocities that were commit-
ted. One of the things I remember vividly
to this day were the films taken by Allied
soldiers during the liberation of the con-
centration camps. We were shown this
original footage in school.
During a couple of trips to other Euro-
pean countries as a teenager, I ran into
people who wanted nothing to do with
me because I was German. While I rec-
ognized as a teenager the inhumaneness
of what the Nazis had engaged in, it took
me many years and conversations with
my American husband to come to grips
with my homeland’s history and not feel
ashamed of being German.
I grew up in a seaport where interna-
tional merchant and naval ships docked
on a regular basis. You always knew there
was an international ship in the port just
by observing shoppers and listening to
them talk in a different language. Our
parents raised my sister and me to be
tolerant of other people (culture, race,
religion, etc.), and school and church re-
iterated that as well.
At an early age, I became interested in
other countries and cultures, and soaked
up everything that was “different” and
new. Together with family and friends,
I took trips to other European countries
as well as to the former Soviet Union and
a couple of Asian countries. This was, of
course, prior to cellphones and social
media; and I still cherish those personal
experiences.
Every person is unique and
every person has a story.
I got my library card when I was in sixth
grade. One of our teachers had arranged
with the head of a nearby library for a
“training session” on how to access the
catalog with index cards and where to
find individual books on the shelf. I think
our entire class signed up for a library
card that day. Anyway, I would visit my
library several times a week. I checked
out books on different topics—geography,
psychology, history, etc.
Talking about naval ships in the port,
I remember an evening with friends
downtown when we met a couple of
sailors from the British Royal Navy. Our
group soon expanded to also include an
American soldier who was stationed in
my hometown. We spent hours talking
about our countries, sharing what life
was like for us on a daily basis, and so
much more.
During my work life, I met so many dif-
ferent people from other backgrounds
and countries. One former colleague was
one of the Vietnamese boat people; his
parents had fled an oppressive Vietnam
and made a new life for themselves in
a free country. One lady I worked with
together with her family had fled the for-
mer Yugoslavia after the collapse of the
Soviet Union.
During a trip here in the United States,
my husband and I met an older woman
who, growing up in Poland, watched with
her family, from a forest, while Nazi sol-
diers burned down their small village. She
and her family hid in the woods and even-
or where we come from—to get to know
people on a personal level. Be curious, ask
questions to understand viewpoints, lis-
ten, and agree to disagree. Every person is
unique and every person has a story.
One organization I worked for encour-
aged employees during in-house training
to sit with people from other departments
to get to know them as well as the chal-
lenges they faced in their role at work.
Every once in a while, I still think about
the two British sailors. Not too long after
we met in my hometown, their ship was
part of the fleet deployed to the Falkland
Islands during the brief war. I often wonder
if they ever made it home.
—Sigrid Alexander, Colorado
What advice would you like to
give to the younger generations?
We call on all of our readers to share the
timeless values that define right and
wrong, and pass the torch, if you will,
through your wisdom and hard-earned
experience. We feel that the passing down
of this wisdom has diminished over time,
and that only with a strong moral founda-
tion can future generations thrive.
Send your advice, along with your full name,
state, and contact information to NextGen-
eration@epochtimes.com or mail it to:
Next Generation, The Epoch Times, 229
W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021   B7
PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN/GETTY IMAGES CHRISTIAN MILET/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES

DIDIER SAULNIER/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES

(Left) Inside the newly restored Royal Chapel at the Château de Versailles on
April 20, 2021. The restoration started in Autumn 2017. (Top right) The newly
restored Royal Chapel at Versailles. The chapel is taller than the surrounding
buildings to highlight the importance of the church and the divine rule of the king.
Indeed, the gold-trimmed roof shimmers as if it were the crown of Versailles and
of France. (Above right) The Royal Chapel before its three-year restoration.

LARGER THAN LIFE: ART THAT INSPIRES US THROUGH THE AGES

The Royal Chapel at Château de Versailles:

A Divine Beacon Fit for a Sun King
THOMAS GARNIER/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES

A renewed sense of grandeur has returned
to the Royal Chapel at Versailles, after a
three-year restoration project.
In the 17th century, the Sun King, Louis
XIV, personally directed the creation of this
grand chapel. In doing so, he established a
conduit between the heavens, the French
monarchy, and hence the people of France
for generations to come.
In 1687, the king’s architect Jules Hardou-
in-Mansart began work on the chapel, and
after he died, the building was completed
in 1710 by his brother-in-law, the architect
Robert de Cotte.
The chapel stands taller than the surround-
1. DIDIER SAULNIER/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES
ing palace buildings, reminding everyone
that the divine rules even the king.
The main walls, ornamented with Corin-
thian pilasters (architectural façade features
that give the appearance of columns), form
the body of the building and support the
upper level, which is lined by a balustrade
and 30 statues. Sixteen different sculptors
carved these statues, depicting Christian
figures or allegories of Christian virtues—
all to inspire man.
Behind the statues, Gothic-style buttresses,
topped with eternal torches, arch upward to
the heavens. The buttresses support the steep,
hipped slate roof typically seen in French ar-
2. DIDIER SAULNIER/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES
chitecture. And touches of gold leaf highlight
the ornate leadwork on the chapel roof.
Sunlight pours into the chapel through
large Gothic-style windows that are a com-
bination of clear and stained glass.
Inside the chapel, the soft vertical lines of
the arches and columns gently allure the eye,
leading one’s attention from the chapel floor
through the mid-level columns, before settling
on the spectacular vaulted ceiling covered
with paintings portraying the Holy Trinity.
To find out more about the restoration
of the Royal Chapel at the Château de
Versailles, visit ChateauVersailles.fr
3. THOMAS GARNIER/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES

The south side of the restored chapel. Eternal

torches can be seen at the top, and beneath
them are statues depicting Christian figures
and allegories of Christian virtues.
4. DIDIER SAULNIER/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES 5. DIDIER SAULNIER/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES THOMAS GARNIER/CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES

6. PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN/GETTY IMAGES

1. A stone carver restores the stonework

to its former glory.
2. Craftsmen gilded the ornate leadwork
back to its original state.
3. An artist attentively gilds the lead sculptures
as part of the Royal Chapel restoration project.
4. A detail of one of the elegant stained
glass windows, surrounded by splendid
golden frescoes.
5. The dove representing the Holy Trinity
and the golden fleur-de-lis of the French
monarchy are some of the rich motifs seen
throughout the stained glass windows of the
Royal Chapel as a reminder that the right to
rule is a gift bestowed by God. Colonnades of Corinthian columns stretch up to the incredible painted ceiling that portrays the Holy Trinity. In the
6. A detail of the ornate gilding inside center is “God the Father in His Glory” by Antoine Coypel, in the apse is “The Resurrection” by Charles de La Fosse,
the Royal Chapel. and above the Royal Gallery is “The Descent of the Holy Ghost” by Jean Jouvenet.
B8 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

REACHING WITHIN: WHAT TRADITIONAL ART OFFERS THE HEART

The True Victory of Holy Devotion

‘The Martyrdom of St. Denis’ PUBLIC DOMAIN

ERIC BESS

I
came across a painting by the 19-cen-
tury French academic painter Léon
Bonnat titled “The Martyrdom of St.
Denis.” At my first glance, this paint-
ing was a gruesome representation of
a beheading. As I looked longer, however,
I became morally inspired.

Who Was Saint Denis?

As legend has it, Saint Denis (Dionysius)
was converted to Christianity under the
Apostle Paul. After Paul’s death, Pope
Clement I sent Dionysius with several other
bishops to Gaul to convert pagans to Chris-
tianity. However, the bishops were arrested
in France by the Roman emperor, who was
set on persecuting Christians.
Soldiers were instructed to take the
captured bishops and behead them on
the slopes of Montmartre. The soldiers
followed the orders and decapitated the
prisoners in their custody.

The angel carries a

palm branch and laurel
crown, which represent
Saint Denis’s victory
over death.

When they got to Dionysius, however,

his faith was so great and so deep that he
stayed alive after he was beheaded. Dio-
nysius picked up his severed head, which
continued to recite psalms, and walked for
two miles to his final resting place.
‘The Martyrdom of St. Denis’
Saint Denis is shown in the middle of the
lower half of the composition. He has just
been beheaded. But instead of lying on the
ground lifeless, he bends over to pick his
head up from the ground. A halo surrounds
his head, and light shines where his head
used to be.
The executioner is shown to the right of
Saint Denis. He has dropped his bloodied
ax and leans back in surprise. Another fig-
ure behind Saint Denis throws his hands
up in disbelief.
The executioner has had a busy day: On
the bloodied steps lie two decapitated bod-
ies at the right and left edges of the com-
position. A second decapitated head, at
the bottom right of the design, has a halo
around it, suggesting that it most likely be-
longed to one of the bishops.
An angel coming down on a cloud can
be seen at the top right. The angel carries
a palm branch and laurel crown, which
represent Saint Denis’s victory over death.
The True Victory of Holy Devotion
First, I find it necessary to ask, What does
the head represent? The head can represent
consciousness, wisdom, ego, intelligence,
rationality, and so on. Having the saint’s
head separated from his body suggests
that the things his head represents are also
separated from his body.
What, then, does the body represent? The
body is often associated with carnal desires
and pleasures. The mind tries to control the
body, but often the body distracts the mind.
Is it the case that this depiction of Saint
Denis may provide us with the moral lesson
that the mind must separate itself from the
carnal distractions of the body? Is this what
is necessary to lead a holy life?
Let’s take a closer look at the head itself.
There are two decapitated heads: Saint-
Denis’s and another’s at the bottom right.
The head at the bottom right is grayer in
color, making it look more lifeless, and it
has a thin halo. In contrast, Saint-Denis’s
head has more color and even looks at his
body, and the halo around his head is com-
pletely filled with golden light.
The fullness of the halo likely represents
a greater dedication to the holy life; other-
wise, why paint the two halos and heads
differently? If this is the case, then a greater
commitment to the holy life provides life
where there would otherwise be death.
As the legend says, even after decapi-
tation Saint Denis’s head recited divine
words. His devotion completely influenced
his consciousness, wisdom, ego, intelli-
gence, rationality, and so on. He was so
committed to holiness while alive that his
dedication continued after his head was
separated from his body.
Interestingly enough, his dedication to
the holy life also seems to influence his
body. Bonnat depicts the moment that
Saint Denis’s body reaches down to pick
up his head. A light shines where his head
once was. How does his body know where
his head is?
Is it his devotion to the divine that har-
monizes and somehow connects his body
and mind, the two things that, above, we
suggest are separate? And does the light
that shines where his head used to be rep-
resent his devotion? Does this light guide
his spirit, his soul?
Is it this type of devotion that brings true
victory, represented by the angel? Saint De-
nis could have fought back, argued, and
pleaded for his life. None of these would
have guaranteed him success.
“The Martyrdom
of Saint Denis,”
circa 1880, by Léon
Bonnat. Panthéon,
Paris, France.
In reciting the psalms, he is genuinely fo-
cused on God, and death doesn’t concern
him. He is unafraid of death, and this fearless-
ness in God is what brings him true victory.
The result of Saint Denis’s holy devotion
astonishes his executioner. How might we
use our faith to astonish those who wish
us harm?
The traditional arts often contain spiritual
representations and symbols the mean-
ings of which can be lost to our modern
minds. In our series “Reaching Within:
What Traditional Art Offers the Heart,”
we interpret visual arts in ways that may
be morally insightful for us today. We do
not assume to provide absolute answers to
questions generations have wrestled with,
but hope that our questions will inspire
a reflective journey toward our becom-
ing more authentic, compassionate, and
courageous human beings.
Eric Bess is a practicing representational
artist and is a doctoral candidate at the
Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual
Arts (IDSVA).

LITERATURE

The Last Bard: G.K. Chesterton

KENNETH LAFAVE
A “bard,” goes the standard definition, is a
“declaimer of heroic or epic verse.” Once a
tradition in every culture (think Homer),
the bard has all but disappeared. The last
to write in English was a rotund, bespec-
tacled Londoner, widely known in his time
and deserving of greater recognition today.
G.K. Chesterton (1874–1936) enjoyed
a fabled career in journalism. It was for
witty and incisive columns in the Illus-
trated London News that he was primarily
known, along with some fiction, in par-
ticular the Father Brown detective stories.
Along the way, Chesterton also managed to
pen several volumes of Catholic apologet-
ics, including an urgent plea for religious
conservatism in his book-length essay,
“Orthodoxy,” and perhaps the finest lay
consideration of Saint Thomas Aquinas
ever written in English.
Insights and Legends
He also wrote verse. Chesterton’s poetry
is today less known than his fiction or his
journalism, and yet it is his poems, and in
Chesterton’s particular the bardic epics, that speak most
boldly to us today. The shorter poems ad-
poetry is today dress a variety of subjects, from the nature
less known of the devil (“The Aristocrat”) to the mean-
ing of vanity (“Ecclesiastes”) to the modesty
than his of Jesus’s birth (“A Christmas Carol”).
fiction or his The language is clear and direct, though
it sometimes surprises. For example, “Ec-
journalism, clesiastes” concludes with: “One thing is
needful everything/ The rest is vanity of
and yet it is his vanities.” Thus in 11 words, Chesterton
poems, and in summarizes the Old Testament preacher
with a philosophical insight that suggests
particular the Parmenides.
By contrast, the longer bardic poems, es-
bardic epics, pecially “The Ballad of the White Horse”
that speak and “Lepanto,” demand a sacrifice of lei-
sure, the willingness to exchange one’s
most boldly to need to understand for a mighty view of
us today. history. A bard sings that strand of tradi-
tion known as legend. “It is the chief value
of legend,” Chesterton wrote, “to mix up
the centuries while preserving the senti-
ment, to see all ages in a sort of splendid
foreshortening. …[I]t telescopes history.”
The importance of Chesterton as bard
is precisely this: that he links the modern
world to the Christendom that preceded
it. He will not let the past go, because he
knows that the present is its issue. “Honor
thy father and thy mother” is for him a cul-
tural admonition as well as a filial one.
The Magic of Being Unforgettable
“The Ballad of the White Horse” was Chester-
ton’s bardic masterpiece, nearly 2,700 lines of
verse arranged in 4- to 6-line rhyming stan-
zas, recounting the battle fought by King
Alfred the Great against Danish invaders.
Novelist and screenwriter Graham Greene
(“The Third Man”) compared it favorably to
T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” and it moved
even the anti-Catholic journalist Christo-
pher Hitchens to recognize Chesterton’s
“magic faculty of being unforgettable.”
The shorter, more circumspect “Lepanto”
seems almost written for our current con-
dition. Its subject is the 1571 naval battle
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 B9
PUBLIC DOMAIN

FILM

Audrey Hepburn’s Oscar-Winning Fashion:

Audrey Hepburn with her 1954 Oscar for
Best Actress in “Roman Holiday.”
HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
American costume designer Edith Head (R)
holds her Oscar as actor Marla English models
the ballgown that Head designed for Audrey
Hepburn to wear in “Roman Holiday.”
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in 1953’s
“Roman Holiday.” Hepburn is in the simple outfit
that she wears three different ways in the film.
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Audrey Hepburn as the princess in her most
royal costume of “Roman Holiday.”
‘Roman Holiday’ and ‘Sabrina’
TIFFANY BRANNAN
Some stars had such timeless styles that
their iconic looks have endured decades
after their death. One such star is Audrey
Hepburn, whose admired and imitated
style began on the silver screen.
Hepburn’s first two American films were
“Roman Holiday” (1953) and “Sabrina”
(1954). These movies were successful on
all levels, becoming box office hits, earning
critics’ acclaim, and garnering recogni-
tion at major awards ceremonies. “Roman
Holiday” was nominated for ten Academy
Awards, including Best Picture, and it won
three. One of its wins was Best Actress for
newcomer Audrey.
“Sabrina” was nominated for six Oscars,
including a second Best Actress nod for
Audrey Hepburn, and it won one award.
For both films, the Academy recognized
not only Miss Hepburn’s great acting talent
but also her influential, unique style. Both
films won Best Costume Design, Black-
and-White, which was an obvious tribute
to Audrey’s gowns.
Fashion at the Oscars
The Best Costume Design category was
created in 1948, 20 years into the Acad-
emy Awards’ existence. It was originally
divided into two subcategories: Color Films
and Black-and-White Films. The award
was reduced to one category in 1957 and
1958 before being split again for the next
several years, combining for good in 1967.
When these two Paramount productions
won Best Costume Design, they were in
the black-and-white subcategory of the still
separated award.
Period pieces often win Oscars for Best
Costume Design because their historical
settings provide the opportunity for elabo-
rate and unusual attire. However, when the
Best Costume Design awards were sepa-
rated into two categories based on color
versus black-and-white, costumes from
films with modern settings could better
compete.
Since Technicolor film was still more ex-
pensive in the 1950s, studios often opted
to save it for lavish musicals and dramatic
historical pieces, in which vibrant colors
would be more effective. Thus, most con-
temporary stories were filmed in black-
and-white and dominated that subcategory
of the Best Costume Design award.
Edith Head was credited as the costume
designer for both “Roman Holiday” and
“Sabrina.” However, it has since been
revealed that she doesn’t deserve all the
credit for Audrey Hepburn’s costumes in
“Sabrina.”
Hubert de Givenchy, who became Hep-
burn’s personal designer and friend, cre-
ated her three most iconic outfits in this
movie. She visited his Parisian atelier be-
fore filming began. When young Givenchy
heard that Miss Hepburn was coming to
see him, he assumed it was Katharine Hep-
burn. Although he was too busy to design
original costumes for the then-unknown
Audrey, she chose three items from his new
collection for the film.
Miss Head later said that Givenchy con-
tributed some design ideas, which she per-
PUBLIC DOMAIN
fected. However, after her death, Givenchy
clarified that he created the famous black
cocktail dress.
At the Oscars
“Roman Holiday” competed at the 1954
Academy Awards ceremony, which was
the second time the Oscars were nation-
ally televised. Gene Tierney presented the
awards for Best Costume Design. Instead
of just listing the nominees, that category
was presented as a mini fashion show to
the strains of Jerome Kern’s “Lovely to
Look At.” A different up-and-coming ac-
tress, including the then-unknown Kim
Novak, modeled a dress from each of the
nominated films.
This charming idea was not repeated
the next year, when Bob Hope and Jane
Wyman presented the Black-and-White
award from Hollywood and Nina Foch
announced the Color award in New York.
At both ceremonies, Edith Head strode up
to the stage in her ballgown and signature
blue-tinted glasses, which enabled cos-
tumers to discern how colors would look
in black-and-white.
Refreshingly, fashions
from the late 1930s
through the mid-1950s
focused on modest and
traditional beauty, which
was attractive while
remaining wholesome.
The Costumes
In films with current settings, Costume
Design awards were usually based on
women’s fashion, since male costumes
rarely deviated from standard suits.
In “Roman Holiday,” Audrey Hepburn
wears six outfits plus a nightgown, robe,
and oversized pajamas. However, three
outfits are seen only for a few seconds dur-
ing the opening montage of Princess Ann’s
European travels. Her most memorable
costume is a ballgown that she wears at
the embassy, looking very royal indeed.
She wears a lovely white ensemble in the
final scene.
Surprisingly, she wears her simplest outfit
for most of the film but styles it in different
ways. It comprises a long-sleeved white
blouse with a tie at the neck and a full skirt
with a wide belt. When exploring Rome
the next day, she cuffs up the sleeves to
her elbows and doffs the white tie, leav-
ing the collar open. She eventually cuffs
the sleeves up to her shoulders and adds
a colorful neck scarf. She also trades her Tiffany Brannan is a 19-year-old opera
formal black shoes for Roman sandals. Add singer, Hollywood history/vintage beau-
the famous pixie cut that she gets at the be- ty copywriter, travel writer, film blogger,
ginning of her day in Rome, and you have and ballet writer. In 2016, she and her
the perfect ensemble for a Roman holiday sister founded the Pure Entertainment
à la Audrey Hepburn!
In “Sabrina,” Audrey’s char-
acter again undergoes an ap-
pearance transformation,
For more
arts and culture
articles, visit
TheEpochTimes.
com
complete with a short but still feminine
haircut. At the film’s beginning, Sabrina
Fairchild wears simple clothes and a po-
nytail, as a chauffeur’s (John Williams)
daughter.
However, she comes back from cook-
ing school in Paris with not only recipes
but also a glamorous new look, including
Givenchy’s three designs. When she re-
turns from Paris, she is wearing a dark gray
suit with a pencil skirt, a white turban hat,
and her signature kitten heels. The French
poodle is an optional accessory!
When the man she secretly loves, David
Larrabee (William Holden), invites her to
his parents’ party, she wears a stunning
white strapless gown with a train like a
peacock’s tail.
The most popular style from this film
was the black cocktail dress Sabrina wears
when going out with Linus Larrabee (Hum-
phrey Bogart), David’s older brother. It has
a full skirt and a fitted, sleeveless bodice;
she wears it with a crown-like cap and
black shoes. This dress’s high neckline
became so iconic that the style was called
a Sabrina neckline after this film.
Full-figured actresses were popular in the
1950s, but petite starlet Audrey Hepburn
demonstrated that the feminine fashions
of the era were flattering on slender forms,
too. Most importantly, 1950s styles comple-
mented the female form without exploiting
it. Full skirts and wide belts accentuated a
feminine figure without being revealing.
Refreshingly, fashions from the late 1930s
through the mid-1950s focused on modest
and traditional beauty, which was attrac-
tive while remaining wholesome.
‘Seal of Approval’ Glamour
American films released during 1934–
1954, when the Motion Picture Produc-
tion Code operated, ensured that all films
were acceptable for everyone, and one of
the standards was for decent costumes.
Outfits from movies with a Production
Code Administration Seal of Approval
were guaranteed to be decent as well as
glamorous.
No one is a better example of modesty’s
attractiveness than Audrey Hepburn. She
never wore low necklines, yet she is consid-
ered one of the most beautiful, fashionable
women of all time. Instead, elegant styles
complemented her lithe figure.
Beautiful, modest costumes are just one
of the reasons why Code films are so uplift-
ing and inspiring. However, their contribu-
tion was more than aesthetic. By highlight-
ing traditional femininity and masculinity,
costumes from the Joseph Breen Era of
Hollywood added to the positive depic-
tion of traditional societal, romantic, and
marital roles, which are so endearing in
these movies. Here’s to “sealed” glamour!
Preservation Society, an organization
dedicated to reforming the arts by rein-
stating the Motion Picture Produc-
tion Code.

in their palaces. Chesterton introduces with a wreath.)

off the coast of Greece that saw a Turkish
fleet defeated by a tactically inferior force
of Spaniards, Genoese, and Venetians.
The hero, minor nobleman Don John of
Austria, comes forward to lead the battle
when kings and queens choose to stay safe
him with a riot of color and sound:
“Torchlight crimson on the copper kettle-
drums,
Then the tuckets, then the trumpets, then
the cannon, and he comes.
Don John laughing in the brave beard
curled,
Spurning of his stirrups like the thrones
of all the world,
Holding his head up for a flag of all the
free.”
Victory and Loss … and Victory
While the poem, like the battle, concludes
in victory, there is an underlying sense of
loss. The majority of Christian leaders have
not even bothered to fight, as if they are in-
different to what belief they serve, provided
their wealth goes untouched. The West may
have repelled an invader, but the fabric of
its culture is unraveling. And then … hope
appears in the most unlikely form. It is an
oddity of history that Miguel de Cervantes
G.K. Chesteron fought in the battle of Lepanto. Chesterton
at work at Crisis gives him the last verse:
Magazine.
“Cervantes on his galley sets the sword
back in the sheath
(Don John of Austria rides homeward
And he sees across a
weary land a straggling
road in Spain,
Up which a lean and foolish knight for-
ever rides in vain,
And he smiles, but not as Sultans smile,
and settles back the blade....
(But Don John of Austria rides home from
the Crusade.)”
The “lean and foolish knight” is Don John
transformed into Don Quixote. The West
may wane, yet it lives on in the story of
its struggle, even when disguised as the
bardic satire of tilting at windmills. While
the story lives, the West owns a heartbeat.
The only remaining threat would be the
erasure of that story, via the banning of
books, the toppling of statues, and the cen-
sorship of ideas.
And surely, no one would do that.
Former music critic for the Arizona Re-
public and The Kansas City Star, Kenneth
LaFave recently earned a doctorate in
philosophy, art, and critical thought from
the European Graduate School. He is the
author of three books, including “Expe-
riencing Film Music” (2017, Rowman &
Littlefield). 
B10
Moving Forward: 7 Tips for Parents
Out of Hibernation
BARBARA DANZA
As states lift emergency restrictions put
in place over a year ago, and we begin to
emerge from this hibernation and get back
to “normal,” we may want to recognize that
a period of transition, for ourselves and our
family members, may be needed. Here are
some ideas that may be helpful for parents
to consider.
Take Your Time
It’s just about summertime. Take advantage
of the opportune timing by embracing a
simple, old-fashioned summer complete
with cookouts, running through the sprin-
kler, time at the pool or beach, trips to the
library, copious amounts of ice cream,
backyard campouts, and whatever else
makes summer a joy to you and your family.
Allow your kids time to detox from what
was likely way too much time in front of
computer screens this school year and the
pressures of masks, fear, isolation, and a
learning environment that may not have
been ideal.
Teen, 16, Goes Into Tree-Tapping Business,
Gets Own Brand of Maple Syrup in 100 Stores
LOUISE BEVAN
An entrepreneurial teen with a soft spot for
maple syrup is inspiring others by running
a thriving company at the age of 16.
High school junior Will Wanish started
out tapping maple trees in his own back-
yard in Colfax, Wisconsin. In 2019, he used
money earned working at a neighbor’s dairy
farm to build his first steel sugar shed.
Securing a microloan from a regional
business fund, he furnished the shed with
$30,000 worth of specialized equipment,
allowing him to collect sap from around
3,000 taps on 1,000 trees on land owned by
his grandparents and neighbors.
This is how his company, Wanish Sugar
Bush, was born. “This is all I think about,”
Will told Kare 11.
It was Will’s uncle who first ignited his
nephew’s passion for maple syrup in 2017,
tending 800 trees. Will’s father, Todd, was
91-Year-Old
Police Officer
Inspires
Arkansas
Community
JENNI JULANDER
A 91-year-old Arkansas police officer
is inspiring those around him with his
upbeat work ethic and attitude of loving
others.
After having served in law enforce-
ment for nearly five decades, police
officer L.C. “Buckshot” Smith plans to
keep on working.
Despite his age, Buckshot is still on duty
with the Camden Police Department, in
the city where he was born and raised,
reported THV-11 News.
Buckshot told the TV station that when
people ask him when he is going to re-
tire, he tells them, “When the good Lord
says so.”
After 46 years with the Ouachita County
Sheriff’s Office, Buckshot retired. Howev-
er, it didn’t last long, as four months later,
he was back at work to join the Camden
police, the report stated.
“I feel like, I live longer at my age to keep
on working,” Buckshot told the outlet.
The elderly hero isn’t only motivated to
work to stay active. Rather, he says it is his
passion to serve people.
“I love people. I love to help people,”
he said.
The nonagenarian officer is a bit of a
community grandfather, the kind of
man who knows everyone, and every-
one knows him.
Mike Sherman, a Camden resident and
a good friend of Buckshot, according
to THV-11 News, said: “The thing with
Buckshot is he’s been around so long,
Be Kind to Yourself
Speaking of pressure, you may be surprised
after all this time, how challenging social-
izing and a more hectic day-to-day life seem
to be after “staying home” so much. Just
like atrophied muscles need to be gradually
worked back to full strength, so too do your
socializing muscles need time to get back in
shape. So, have patience with yourself, give
yourself grace, and take baby steps back to
being the social butterfly you once were.
Take Lessons With You
There are certainly lessons to be gleaned
from what we’ve all been through. Take
time to process what they are for you and
take them with you into the future. Per-
haps your priorities in life have become
clearer to you, or your career aspirations
have changed, or you’ve been thinking
about where you should raise your family.
Maybe your understanding of your chil-
dren’s educational needs has improved.
Challenging times like these can provide
valuable lessons you’ll want to reflect on
and take with you.
Practice Gratitude
The perspective gained after this time may
initially skeptical, claiming, “You can go
to Walmart and buy a gallon of Mrs. But-
terworth’s for seven bucks,” but he came
around when his son branched off on his
own solo venture, which soon turned into
a fruitful business model.
Will’s taps siphon maple sap into 300-gal-
lon tanks, where the 100 percent pure syrup
is heated, collected, and bottled after school
hours. Todd and Heather, Will’s parents,
joke that they are the “unpaid interns.” The
teen’s grandfather also lends a hand; friends
and neighbors pitch in when production
gets busy.
“No, he’s not your normal 16-year-old,”
local dairy farmer Dane Suvada said.
Describing her son as “full speed all day,”
Heather recalled Will never taking naps,
even as a young boy. Todd added, “The blan-
kets would fly off the bed and the feet were
spinning before they even hit the ground.”
Today, Will thinks nothing of working into
COURTESY OF ELAINE THOMAS
Smith turns 92 this month.
when someone says I know everybody,
Buckshot knows everybody.”
Buckshot, who turns 92 this month, at-
tributes his health and longevity to stay-
ing active and eating well.
“I eat a lot of vegetables,” he said. “I don’t
eat too much fast food.”
Buckshot’s work ethic is also an inspira-
tion to the other police officers, particu-
larly the young recruits at the Camden
Police Department.
“This gun and this badge don’t make
a police officer. You got to want to do it,”
Buckshot told THV-11 News.
According to the report, Lt. Jamario
Bush, who has been with the Camden
Police Department for eight years, him-
self “looks up to” Buckshot.
Bush said Buckshot actively talks to the
new recruits, giving them a “life lesson
on how to get into police work and how
to stay in police work.”
Share your stories with us at emg.
inspired@epochtimes.com, and get
your daily dose of inspiration by signing
up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at
TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
also leave you with a deeper
sense of gratitude, or a
need to reignite your
sense of gratitude.
Journaling about
the things you’re
grateful for each
morning or just
before you go
to bed can have
a surprisingly
positive impact
on your outlook
on life.
Refresh Life
Any time life takes a
turn, it’s an opportunity
to view it as a refresh. See MO
MA _
PRODU
C T I O N /S H U T T E
this new chapter as a fresh start.
When you make a fresh start, you usually
want to keep what’s good, clear out what’s Finally, recognize how precious the time
not, and step off on the right foot. Let go of you have is and seize the day. Make the
whatever weighs you down and enjoy life best of your children’s childhood, your
refreshed.
Reconsider Judgment
As the world intermingles more and more, Aim for the highest possible vision you
maintain empathy for others and compas- can conjure.
the small hours, often staying in the sugar
shed until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning on a
school night. “This is what I want to do for the
rest of my career,” he said. “I don’t even eat
breakfast in the morning—get up and go.”
From Milwaukee to the Twin Cities of
Minnesota, Will’s syrup and related prod-
ucts have earned themselves spots on the
shelves of 100 grocery stores with the help
of Heather’s amazing marketing skills.
Wanish Sugar Bush also sells stock
through its website.
For the ambitious teen, the only way is
up. Will, who is keen to work on his wood
management and stay on top of advances
in tapping technology, is aiming for 20,000
maple taps within 15 years.
“I want to become more known and have
it become as big as possible,” he told The
Chippewa Herald. “People will tell you that
you work too much, but you need to start
young.”
A Job, a Fresh Start—and Hope
A Texas community pulls through for a man who
was homeless for four years
LOUISE BEVAN
A Texas community came through for a
homeless man in need after a social media
post shared his story.
Kenneth Smith went from sitting outside
an Outback Steakhouse to busing tables
for the same restaurant—but most impor-
tantly, he found hope.
It all started with a gift card.
A concerned customer saw Smith dozing
in a chair outside the eatery, approached
him, and asked if he was OK. Smith admit-
ted he wasn’t.
“I’ve been homeless for a good four years,”
he later told NBC. He’d been left wondering,
“How am I going to get a meal? Who am I
going to turn to? Who can I ask?”
The sympathetic customer handed him a
$100 gift card for the restaurant.
Thus, swapping his chair outside for a
booth inside, Smith got to chatting with the
venue’s partner, Laura Hodges, a mother of
three, who was moved by his story. She said
she didn’t want him to go hungry.
Hodges gave him continued sustenance
COURTESY OF LAURA HODGES
Kenneth Smith.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
A simple, old-fashioned summer provides
an opportunity to detox from too much
screen time and the pressures of a less
than ideal learning environment.
sion in your heart. Everyone
has been through this
in their own way and
will have different
understandings
about the best
way to move
forward, dif-
ferent outlooks
on what the
future holds,
and different
senses of fear
and hope. Think
twice before you
pass judgment on
others and do your
best to be the kind per-
son you want others to be.
OCK
RS T
Seize the Day
time together as a family, and the oppor-
tunity to do what you’ve always felt com-
pelled to do. Make the most of each day.
COURTESY OF WANISH SUGAR BUSH
Will Wanish got started tapping trees in his
own backyard.
“We are excited for this adventure,” said
Todd and Heather, both of whom look for-
ward to many seasons of making, bottling,
and selling the fruits of their son’s hard labor.
Share your stories with us at emg.in-
spired@epochtimes.com, and get your
daily dose of inspiration by signing up for
the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEp-
ochTimes.com/newsletter
for close to five months—until he got an
idea and asked Hodges for a job. When one
became available, she didn’t hesitate.
Since early March, Smith has been busing
tables six days a week.
It’s a chance, he said, to change his life for
the better. “This is a whole new beginning
that God has blessed me with,” he told ABC,
“so I’m trying to get on this right good track
that He wants me to stay on.”
Knowing Smith’s need to be still greater,
Hodges took to social media and posted
on the Fort Worth Foodies Facebook page,
querying about affordable lodging.
“I’ve recently employed a homeless gen-
tleman,” she posted. “He is wonderful and
works very hard ... He is just trying to get a
fresh start.”
Netizens responded and surpassed her
expectations, donating cash, a bicycle, and
clothes for Smith. They even paid for six
weeks at an extended-stay hotel close to
the steakhouse, along with groceries and
kitchen supplies.
“All they wanted to do was throw assis-
tance out there and resources in any way
that they possibly could,” Hodges said. “I’m
blown away by the generosity of people. It’s
absolutely amazing.”
Smith’s new job has since sparked a
dream: He hopes to run his own food ser-
vice one day. For now, though, he is saving
for a car and, eventually, a home.
“I sometimes walk out them doors and
glance at the chairs,” said Smith. “I be like,
‘Man, I used to sit in those chairs.’
“God is good. If He can do it for me, He
can do it for anybody else.”
Share your stories with us at emg.in-
spired@epochtimes.com, and continue to
get your daily dose of inspiration by sign-
ing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at
TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
 FOR KIDS ONLY
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

This
Week in
History
Sunshine WHAT
by Thomas Hall Shastid
THE
FALLS
HOMESTEAD ACT
Thou dancing sunbeams through the happy day
Dost cheer me on my onward path through life,
You show to me more clear my stumbling way
BUT NEVER
O
And lighter make my almost ceaseless strife.
Thou art to me a greater friend indeed, n May 20, 1862, President Abraham
Than others I have loved up to this hour;—
They are oft but a wildly growing weed— HITS THE Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law.
This consequential legislation led to the
But thou art like a shining summer flow’r.
The world could not exist if not for thee,
The Ice-King would possession then obtain;
GROUND? THE TEMPERATURE.
expansion of the American West and allowed
all citizens, including former slaves, women, and
The light and beauty from all things would flee, immigrants, to become landowners. Under this
And naught but lasting, dark’ning chaos reighn. Act, Americans were granted 160-acre plots of
But now we have the cheerful, glittering light TORYCHEMISTRY/SHUTTERSTOCK
land for a very small fee.
That keeps the universe alive and bright. Lincoln explained the purpose of the
Homestead Act in a speech on July 4, 1861,
saying it was “to elevate the condition of men,
to lift artificial burdens from all shoulders and
to give everyone an unfettered start and a fair
Conversation chance in the race of life.”

about the
weather A family

is the last
poses with
their wagon
refuge of the in Loup Val-
ley, Neb., on
unimaginative. their way to
their new
OSCAR WILDE (1854–1900), homestead,
IRISH WRITER in this file
photo.
VVVITA/SHUTTERSTOCK ARCHIVE PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES (PHOTO) MPI/GETTY IMAGES, (ILLUSTRATION) ARTMARI/SHUTTERSTOCK

By Aidan Danza, age 14

CLOUD WATCHING TO PREDICT THE WEATHER

ALL PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK

W
HIGH CLOUDS (45,000–16,500 feet)
CIRRUS CIRROSTRATUS CIRROCUMULUS
Cirrus clouds are very high clouds that are thin Cirrostratus are also thin and wispy, but in a Cirrocumulus clouds cover most of the sky and
and wispy. When they are scattered about the different way. While cirrus clouds are often are usually patchy. They look like small grains or
ho needs sky, they signal good weather, but when there are separated from each other, cirrostratus clouds ripples. These clouds mean fair weather in most
a modern, weather more of them, this denotes that warmer, stickier often blanket the sky. Often, they indicate that of the world, but in the tropics, they signal an
app when you can weather is coming. rain or snow will come between 12 and 24 hours. approaching hurricane.
just peek at the
sky to predict the MIDDLE CLOUDS (20,000–6,500 feet)
weather. The key is ALTOCUMULUS ALTOSTRATUS NIMBOSTRATUS
in the clouds. Altocumulus clouds are whiteish to gray in color Altostratus clouds are grayish-blue clouds that Nimbostratus clouds are dark gray clouds that
and dot the sky. One part of the cloud is often cover the whole sky with no gaps. The sunlight are very thick and cover the whole sky. Usually,
darker than the other. They signal fair weather emitted through the clouds isn’t sufficient to they are so thick that sunlight doesn’t filter
but, if they are observed on a particularly humid cast shadows. Altostratus clouds are a sign of through. They are one of the rain clouds, and
day, they could mean a thunderstorm will come rain coming. when you see them, rain is falling or will fall
later in the afternoon. very soon.

LOW CLOUDS (below 6,500 feet)

STRATOCUMULUS
Stratocumulus clouds are low, puffy,
patchy clouds that are gray to white in
color. They forecast fair weather for the
moment, but may signal a storm might be
on the way.
STRATUS
Stratus clouds are very plain clouds that have no
features, no patchy parts, and no gaps. They are
present on overcast days but only ever produce
mist or drizzle. They can signal a coming storm,
though.
CUMULONIMBUS CUMULUS
Cumulonimbus clouds are towering, dark gray Cumulus clouds look like cotton balls in the sky.
clouds. They are formed when warm and wet air They are often the clouds we look for shapes in.
rises very high into the atmosphere. They build Cumulus clouds forecast a fair, sunny, nice day.
for a while, and finally, all the energy contained
in these clouds is released in the form of a short
period of very heavy rain and thunderstorms.

1 2 3
Down
1 Rainy season (7)

AMAZING
4 5 6
2 Battering wind (4)
3 Source of a tornado (11)
7 8

ESCAPES!
5 Temperature-related (7)
START
6 Dirty whirlwind (4,5)
9 10 7 Weather change line (5)
13 Almost rain (7)

11 12 13 15 May kill spring veggies (5)

14
17 Frost (4)
19 Morning moisture (3)
15 16

USE THE FOUR NUMBERS IN THE CORNERS, AND THE OPERANDS 17

(+, - AND X) to build an equation to get the solution in the middle. There may be
more than one “unique” solution but, there may also be “equivalent” solutions. 18 19
For example: 6 + (7 X 3) +1 = 28 and 1+ (7 X 3) + 6 = 28

Easy puzzle 1 Medium puzzle 1 Hard puzzle 1 20

2 7 15 18 2 35
12 78 14 R E
L
W
E
T E M P E R A T U
S M Across
2 5 11 15 2 25
Z Z A R D O I B L I
Z R R 1 Hot and damp (5) 11 Really cold rain (5)
I L F A I R W I N D
R A I N U 3 Makes it hard to see (3) 12 Some springtime mornings (4)
+ − × ÷ + − × ÷ + − × ÷ L D V
E
L O U D Y
L E E T
N
L
A
S T O R M
C O
L
C
S

N
4 Fast as _____! (9) 14 Spring plantings need this! (4)
T R R L O 7 Will still harm spring plantings (6) 15 Not cloudy, but not sunny either (4)
Solution For Easy 1 Solution for Medium 1 Solution for Hard 1 M I S T F R E E Z E O
8 Not quite rain (4) 16 Air force (4)
U E H N S
(15 − 11) × 15 + 18 2 × 2 + 35 − 25
9 Springtime weather event (5) 18 Winter storm (8)
7+5+2−2 G D L I G H T N I N N
(15 + 11) × (18 − 15) 35 + 2 + 2 − 25 A U O

10 Not sunny (6) 20 It goes up and down (11)

O G U G G Y F M
B12 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

Behind the
Subscription
Your subscription will not only provide you with
accurate news and features, but also contribute
to the revival of American journalism and help
safeguard our freedoms for future generations.

We aim to tell you what we see, not how to think; we

strive to deliver you a factual picture of reality that
lets you form your own opinions.

We believe that we live in truly epochal times, where

the faithful representation of our current events
won’t just be important for the people of today, but
also for the generations to come. The records we
keep now will directly inform the foundations of the

Men’s Versatile Polo

history they’ll learn and the values they’ll cherish—
and this knowledge is what drives us.

Learn more at
EpochSubscription.com Sign up to our newsletter and
save 10% off your first order.
TRUTH AND TRADITION
www.ShenYunDancer.com

Made from Purslane

NATURE’S
Natural Purity for All

OMEGA-3 GOLD
3XULWDQJSODQWEDVHG2PHJDLVPDGHIURPSXUVODQHDQGSHULOODbVHHGV,W
contains overb61%bFRQFHQWUDWLRQRIRPHJDbŋbWKHKLJKHVWSRVVLEOHZLWKRXW
FKHPLFDODGGLWLYHVQRWSRVVLEOHWRGHULYHQDWXUDOO\IURPƓVKRURWKHUSODQWV
DQGWKLVbFRPELQHGZLWKRPHJDDFFRXQWVIRUPRUH
WKDQb90%bof product content!
Purslane is nature’s gold mine of omega-3,
Order
FRQWDLQLQJWKHKLJKHVWOHYHORIDQ\JUHHQ
Online!!
SODQW%HVLGHVWUDQVIDWDQGKRUPRQHV
WKLVSURGXFWLVRUJDQLFDQGQDWXUDO
,WKDVQRƓVK\DIWHUWDVWHRUULVNRIRFHDQERUQH
FRQWDPLQDQWV,WLVDOVRQRQ*020DGHLQ.RUHD

Puritang Green Vegetable Omega 3, 6, 7, 9 Inspired by Nature. Made from the Heart. www.Puritang.com

DONATE YOUR CAR WHY DONATE TO US?

To a media that stands for TRUTH and TRADITION z Vehicles accepted as-is
z Free vehicle pick-up
Your old vehicle can support The Epoch Times’ truthful journalism
and help us get factual news in front of more readers.
z Maximum tax deduction
z Support our journalists

Donate Now: www.epochcar.org 1-800-822-3828 cars@epochtimes.com

Our independence from any corporation or holding company is what ensures that we’re free to report according
to our values of Truth and Tradition. We’re primarily funded through subscriptions from our readers—the stake-
holders that we answer to, who keep us on the right track.
 FIZKES/SHUTTERSTOCK YIORGOS GR/SHUTTERSTOCK
STRONG BODY TECHNOLOGY

The Why and How ‘Different’ Is Needed

of Core Strength When ‘Normal’ Is Broken
Muscles that surround our spine play How we helped our children
many essential roles in our everyday resist the allure of screens in a
movement. screen-addicted world.
See C5 See C7

WELL-BEING|DIET|FITNESS WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 C1

Ginger has high

Natural Immunity
levels of anti-
inflamma-
tory phyto-
TETIANA
chemicals.
ROSTOPIRA/
SHUTTERSTOCK

PUBLIC HEALTH’S FORGOTTEN ALLY Foods to

Researchers continue to grapple with questions Help Face
over value of vaccines versus natural immunity Seasonal
Allergies
Inflammation
Much of our triggered by allergies
multi-layered
immune response
can be unpleasant,
still remains a but there are
mystery to
modern pleasant ways
science. to relax it

JOSEPH MERCOLA

As the weather warms and trees

and grasses bloom, the challenges
Vaccine’s can offer of seasonal allergies rise. The con-
specific protection but dition is called allergic rhinitis or
studies suggest there hay fever and affects 19.2 million
may be unintended U.S. adults and 5.2 million chil-
consequences to our dren. Many doctors lean heavily
immune system.
s on prescription drugs to alleviate
symptoms.
If you suffer from allergies, it’s
important to understand what is
happening inside you. Once you do,
you can see why it’s a good idea to
eat foods that trigger metabolic and
immune actions that can reduce
your dependence on medication.
To give an example, consider one
of the less acknowledged symp-
toms. You’re likely familiar with the
common symptoms of sneezing,
stuffy or runny nose, watery and
itchy eyes. However, a sizable num-
ber of people with allergies also ex-
perience noticeable brain fog.

Allergy-linked
inflammation may
impede learning in
school-age children.
This is because the inflammatory
response triggered by an allergic
reaction can affect your brain. It
can interfere with sleep and cause
CONAN MILNER stuffiness in your middle ear. This

I
n the United States, everyone, 16
years of age and older, is now eligible
for the COVID-19 vaccine.
HealthCare.gov, the agency behind
the Affordable Care Act, recently sent out
Both vaccines an email announcing the “good news.”
and infection They said the new shot was “an impor-
trigger the body tant tool to help end the pandemic, and
it’s your best protection from getting CO-
to develop
VID-19.”
antibodies,
But is it really the best?
which special
Y-shaped An alternative form of immune secu-
rity hardly gets any attention, but it may
proteins.
have benefits that any one of the COVID
shots now available under emergency
use authorization do not. And many of
us may already carry this protection, no
shot required.
Natural immunity (the inborn process
of catching a virus and recovering from
it) has been common knowledge for
many years. The process has also shown
to produce significant antibody protec-
tion against COVID-19. According to re-
search funded by the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) and published in January
in the journal Science, the immune sys-
tems of “more than 95 percent of people
Continued on C2
inflammation can lead to feelings
of dizziness or brain fog. Data also
suggests that allergies have a signif-
icant effect on cognitive function.
For example, research has found
that allergy-linked inflammation
may impede learning in school-age
children, cause disturbed cogni-
tive function in areas requiring sus-
tained attention, affect short- and
long-term memory and informa-
tion processing, and may cause sig-
nificant fatigue and mood changes.
One study found evidence to sup-
port a close relationship between
an allergic response, inflammatory
cytokines, and sleep as potential
mediators. There are several natu-
ral options available for people who
experience seasonal allergic reac-
tions. The following five foods are
among those that help reduce the
symptoms and inflammation as-
sociated with allergies.
Can Reduce Seasonal Allergies
Ginger has a long history of me-
dicinal use, including as a natural
remedy for digestive and respira-
tory conditions. High levels of an-
ti-inflammatory phytochemicals

Continued on C4
ALL IMAGES BY SHUTTERSTOCK
C2 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

Natural Immunity:
Planned Giving Consultant Needed
The Epoch Times is hiring planned giving consultant/firm.
If interested, please contact Lisa at Lisaw@epochtimes.com
Public Health’s
TRUTH AND TRADITION
Forgotten Ally
Researchers continue to grapple
with questions over value of
vaccines versus natural immunity

LIES KILL, TRUTH SAVES

We ask you to share RejectCCP.org with at least 5 friends.
212-244-3395 Ext 1067
The Underground Church in America
The Underground Church in America is available
in print or eBook at freshjoymedia.com.
Priced at just $9 USD.
Spectacular Private Island, Bahamas
Spectacular BAHAMAS Private Island-120 Acres $9.5M
Blank Canvass to Create Ultimate Life You Really Want.
Coves, Bluffs and 7488 Ft. of Beachfront
20 minute flight to Nassau & 45 minutes to Florida
Best Priced Private Island in The Bahamas!
$9.5M   Call: Marilyn 321-256-0426
Marilyn.ayearst@Bahamaislandsrealty.com
Video: bit.ly/3f3ds2J
Attention NY Probate Attorneys
Urgent! Seeking New York lawyer who assisted
Mrs. Joyce Crystal (now deceased) from Seaford,
Delaware in 2003 with an important matter
regarding her will and the Crystal building or
property at 47 West Street and/or 2nd Avenue and
East 43rd Street in Manhattan. Please contact Dawn
Waehler at 302-249-6904 (cell), or email
Charlotte Scott at cscott@eastcoast-consulting.com
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, SERIAL # 1335396, for
Liquor, Wine & Beer has been applied
for by the undersigned to sell Liquor,
Wine & Beer at retail under the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Law at 233 Smith St.,
Brooklyn, NY 11201. Kings County, for
on premise consumption. Smith Street
Food & Beverage Inc.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, SERIAL # 1335363, for Wine
& Beer has been applied for by the under-
signed to sell Wine & Beer at retail under
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at
611 Bergen St., Brooklyn, NY 11238.
Kings County, for on premise consump-
tion. House of Solomon LLC.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER “PENDING” for
liquor, beer, wine and Cider has been
applied for by the undersigned* to sell
liquor, beer, wine and cider at retail in
a Seasonal Tavern under the Alcohol
Beverage Control Law at 68 E Bayview
Ave., Ocean Bay Park, NY 11770, Suf-
folk County for on premises consump-
tion. *The Corner FI Inc, DBA: The Corner
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER PENDING, for liquor,
wine and beer has been applied for by the
undersigned* to sell liquor, wine and beer
at retail in a bowling establishment under
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at
11249 maple ridge rd., medina, NY
14103 in Orleans County for on prem-
ises consumption. *CHRAME INC. DBA
PENDING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER PENDING, for liquor,
wine and beer has been applied for by the
undersigned* to sell liquor, wine and beer
at retail in a bar/tavern under the Alco-
holic Beverage Control Law at 13 river
st., Oneonta, NY 13820 in Otsego County
for on premises consumption. *AUGUST
A. JOHNSON DBA PENDING
Continued from C1 of serious illness, hospitalization, and
potentially death.
who recovered from COVID-19 had du- “The high price of natural immunity,
rable memories of the virus up to eight that is, occasionally severe and fatal dis-
months after infection.” ease, is a risk not worth taking,” Offit said.
Symptoms don’t have to be severe The better question, says Offit, is wheth-
for protection to be strong. One study er vaccines are good enough. Can this
screened individuals who had recovered medical intervention provide an immune
from a mild case of COVID-19 and found response that can eliminate disease,
that immune “cells not only persist but without subjecting the population to the
continuously differentiate in a coordi- risks associated with acquiring natural
Classifieds nated fashion well into convalescence, immunity?
into a state characteristic of long-lived, “Well, we have the answer for measles.
advertisenow@epochtimes.com self-renewing memory.” When we added a second dose measles
vaccination recommendation in 1991
Graphic Designer for American Health ... we eliminated measles in the United
Formulations Inc. States by the year 2000. The only reason
F/T in Hauppauge, NY. Design or create graphics
to meet specific commercial or promotional needs,
Rhinovirus triggers that it has come back recently is because
of the critical number of parents who
such as packaging, displays, or logos; Design and
create marketing and personalized brochure, leaflet,
an interferon response have chosen not to vaccinate their chil-
dren,” Offit said.
using InDesign, Photoshop, and Corel. Bachelor’s
degree in Design & 6 month’ working experience
that blocks SARS- But a 1984 study adds a crucial detail
required. Email resumes hr@ahfvitamins.com
CoV-2 replication. missing from Offit’s story. Published
in the American Journal of Epidemiol-
ogy, researchers found that the natural
Spacious 1st Floor Garden Apt!
67-78 223rd Pl Oakland Gardens But is it better than a vaccination? One immunity of the baby boomers plays a
3 bedrooms 1 bath. No flip tax. Sublet allowed study from Denmark doesn’t think so. It substantial role in the elimination of U.S.
after 2 years. Pet friendly. Washer/Dryer in the unit. suggests that vaccine-induced immunity measles cases.
Joosoo Kim for COVID-19 may perform slightly better In a 2019 interview, Barbara Loe Fisher,
Licensed Salesperson
HomeSmart Premier Living Realty than natural immunity, which was found co-founder and president of the National
(347)898-0304 to prevent reinfection about 80 percent of Vaccine Information Center, says this
the time (compare that to the 95 percent stronger, longer-lasting natural immu-
Outside Sales - Protected Territory Opportunity effectiveness that vaccine makers claim). nity protection that our elder generation
Competitive compensation opportunities furnishing However, researchers admit that big un- carries can’t necessarily be replaced by
traditional values material to families via local business knowns still remain. For example, the more vaccines.
owners. Great training with established 80-year-old study did not look att the sever- “We never were vaccinated,
company. Travel three nights. Let your work and your ity of reinfections from
om either but we a are contributing to
family values join forces! Apply today tiny.cc/easterncsa immunity method. It may the conc
concept of what looks
still be too soon to tell
ell how like vaccine-acquired
vac herd
natural immunity stacks immunity. When we die,
immun
tective
up next to the protective you won’t
wo have that bar-
Legal Notice promises of Pfizer’s,, Mod-
erna’s, or Johnson andnd John-
rier any
anymore,” Fisher said.
“Vaccine-acquired immuni-
“Vaccine
son’s jabs, because the
he disease ty is not the
th same as naturally
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A they guard against is still so new. acquired im immunity. That has
LICENSE, NUMBER TO BE DETER- LICENSE, SERIAL # 1332199, for
MINED, for On Premise Liquor has been Liquor, Wine & Beer has been applied for Meanwhile, strong comparative Human been the problem from the very
applied for by the undersigned to sell by the undersigned to sell Liquor, Wine
Liquor, Wine, Beer & Cider at retail in & Beer at retail under the Alcoholic Bev- data is lacking. immunity has beginning with the creation of
a Tavern under the Alcoholic Beverage erage Control Law at 153 155 Amster-
Control Law at 2222-2224 8th Ave., dam Ave., New York, NY 10023. New
But when it comes to vaccina- developed these vaccines. They have never
New York, NY. New York County, for on
premises consumption. Fox Harlem, LLC
York County, for on premise consump-
tion. 153 Amsterdam Rest LLC
tion protection for viruses we’ve alongside many understood how to make vac-
d/b/a The Fox. known about for generations, different viruses. cines mimic naturally acquired
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, NUMBER PENDING, for On natural immunity is typically CARINA METZGER/
SHUTTERSTOCK
immunity exactly.”
LICENSE, NUMBER TO BE DETER- Premise Liquor has been applied for by superior.
MINED, for On Premise Liquor has the undersigned to sell Liquor, Wine, Beer
been applied for by the undersigned to & Cider at retail in a Restaurant under In a March 2020 video, Dr. Paul Offit, Eroding Trust in Natural Immunity
sell Liquor, Wine, Beer & Cider at retail the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at
in a Tavern under the Alcoholic Bever- 275 Mulberry St., New York, NY 10012. director of the Vaccine Education Center Vaccines allow an avenue for immunity
age Control Law at 43 Clinton St., New New York County, for on premises con-
York, NY. New York County, for on prem- sumption. 275 Mulberry Restaurant LLC
and professor of pediatrics at Children’s without the risks that come with catch-
ises consumption. The Crossett Group, and Major Management TCZ LLC as Mgr. Hospital of Philadelphia, addressed the ing the wild disease. But, to be fair, the
LLC d/b/a Cafe Skye.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A potency difference between natural im- treatment comes with its own set of risks.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, NUMBER PENDING, for On
LICENSE SERIAL # PENDING, for On Premise Liquor has been applied for by munity and vaccine protection using One problem is that vaccines may ac-
Premise Liquor has been applied for by
the undersigned to sell Liquor, Wine, Beer
the undersigned to sell Liquor, Wine, Beer
& Cider at retail in a Restaurant under
himself as an example. Offit explained tually spread disease. In 2019, The As-
& Cider at retail at a Art Exhibition/Tav- the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at that the measles antibodies he developed sociated Press reported that more polio
ern under the Alcoholic Beverage Con- 150 W. 10th St., New York, NY 10012.
trol Law at 299 South St., Pier 36, New New York County, for on premises con- when he caught the disease as a child in cases in four African countries were now
York NY 10002. New York County, for sumption. 150 West Tenth Street LLC
on premises consumption. Lighthouse and Major Management TCZ LLC as Mgr.
the 1950s are “probably threefold greater caused by vaccine than by the wild virus.
Immersive USA Inc. d/b/a Immersive Van d/b/a ZZ’s. than what children will get if they get a Another concern is that vaccines may
Gogh Exhibit New York
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A vaccine.” leave us more vulnerable to diseases
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1335649, for
LICENSE, NUMBER 1333980, for Liquor, Wine & Beer has been applied for But acquiring this top-grade protection other than the ones we get vaccinated
Restaurant Wine has been applied for
by the undersigned to sell Beer, Wine
by the undersigned to sell Liquor, Wine &
Beer at retail under the Alcoholic Bever-
comes with a big catch: an increased risk against. The phenomenon is known as
& Cider at retail in a Restaurant under age Control Law at 1479 York Ave., New
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at York, NY 10075. New York County, for on
1472 York Ave., New York, NY 10075. premise consumption. Copri Corp.
New York County, for on premises con-
sumption. Kobe Sushi Japanese Cui- NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
sine 88 Inc. LICENSE, NUMBER PENDING, for Tavern
Wine has been applied for by the under-
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER 1334586, for
signed to sell Wine, Beer & Cider at retail
in a Tavern under the Alcoholic Bever-
CHINESE WISDOM FOR SEASONAL LIVING
Restaurant Wine has been applied for age Control Law, at 97 W. 32nd St., New
by the undersigned to sell Wine, Beer & York, NY 10001. New York County, for

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A

LICENSE, NUMBER PENDING, for liquor,
Cider at retail in a Restaurant under the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 2199
Broadway, New York, NY 10024. New
York County, for on premises consump-
on premises consumption. Takumi Taco
LLC d/b/a TBD.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A

wine and beer has been applied for by
the undersigned* to sell liquor, wine and
beer at retail in a restaurant under the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 214
Bouchard Dr, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
in Clinton County for on premises con-
sumption. *DOCS ON THE WATER INC
. DBA PENDING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER 1334271, for On
Premise Liquor has been applied for by
the undersigned to sell Liquor, Wine, Beer
& Cider at retail in a Bar/Tavern under
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at
88-06 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Hgts., NY
11372 Queens County, for on premises
consumption. Roca Bar Corp.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER 1334813 for On
Premise Liquor has been applied for by
the undersigned to sell Liquor, Wine, Beer
& Cider at retail in a Restaurant under
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at
161-21 Crocheron Ave., Flushing, NY
11358. Queens County, for on prem-
ises consumption. Bluemoon Queen Inc.
d/b/a Bloomy 7
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER TO BE DETER-
MINED, for On Premise Liquor has been
applied for by the undersigned to sell
Liquor, Wine, Beer & Cider at retail in
a Tavern under the Alcoholic Beverage
Control Law at 155 2nd Ave., New York,
NY. New York County, for on premises
consumption. 949 Grand Bar, LLC d/b/a
The Long Pour.
tion. 2199 Restaurant Corp.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER 1335317, for On
Premises Liquor has been applied for by
the undersigned to sell Liquor, Beer, Wine
& Cider at retail in a Restaurant under the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 99-12
Alstyne Ave., Corona, NY 11368. Queens
County, for on premises consumption. El
Cuencanito Deli & Pizza Rest Inc.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER 1335436, for On
Premises Liquor has been applied for by
the undersigned to sell Liquor, Beer, Wine
& Cider at retail in a Restaurant under
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at
11 Doyers St., New York, NY 10013. New
York County, for on premises consump-
tion. Blue Agave NY Inc. d/b/a Pulqueria.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER 1335319, for
Restaurant has been applied for by the
undersigned to sell Beer, Wine & Cider at
retail in a Restaurant under the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Law at 832 Clarkson
Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203. Kings County,
for on premises consumption. Silver
Chicken & Seafood Restaurant LLC.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, SERIAL # 1335588, for Wine
& Beer has been applied for by the under-
signed to sell Wine & Beer at retail under
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at
413 E. 12th St., New York, NY 10009.
New York County, for on premise con-
sumption. Woman In Wine LLC.
Humility and Modesty Help
LICENSE, NUMBER 1335602, for
Restaurant Wine has been applied for
by the undersigned to sell Beer, Wine &
Cider at retail in a Restaurant under the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 1571
the Body Adjust to Heat
Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11207. Kings
County, for on premises consumption.
Marthita’s Kitchen 2 Corporation Solar Term: ‘Grain Buds’ (May 21 to June 4)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER PENDING, for Tav-
ern Wine has been applied for by the MOREEN LIAO becoming plump but are not yet ripe.
undersigned to sell Wine, Beer & Cider
at retail in a Bar/Tavern, under the Alco-
As we prepare to enjoy the fruits of
holic Beverage Control Law at 300 E.
5th St aka 86 2nd Ave., New York, NY
A solar term is a period of about two our labor, yang is at the extreme on
10003. New York County, for on prem- weeks and is based on the sun’s position earth and in our bodies, so we must
ises consumption. Sushibym2 LLC d/b/a
Sushi by M. in the zodiac. Solar terms form the tra- also take care to protect ourselves from
ditional Chinese calendar system. The the potential negative impacts of this
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A
LICENSE, NUMBER PENDING, for Tavern calendar follows the ancient Chinese extreme state.
Wine has been applied for by the under-
signed to sell Wine, Beer & Cider at retail belief that living in accordance with na- This solar term’s name, “Grain Buds,”
in a Bar/Tavern, under the Alcoholic Bev-
erage Control Law at 57 7th Ave.South,
ture will enable one to live a harmoni- is xiao man in Chinese. The meaning
New York, NY 10014. New York County,
for on premises consumption. Sabor
ous life. This article series explores each of “xiao” is a little bit, while “man” can
Argentino Corp. d/b/a Sabor Argentino. solar term, offering guidance on how to mean replenishing, full, or content-
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A best navigate the season. ed. Contented can refer to the feeling
LICENSE, NUMBER 1304061, for On farmers have when seeing their hard
Premises Liquor has been applied for by
the undersigned to sell Liquor, Wine, Beer Solar Term: ‘Grain Buds’ work about to come to fruition. An-
& Cider at retail in a Restaurant under
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at other meaning is fullness, which refers
69 New St., New York, NY 10004. New
York County, for on premises consump-
2021 Dates: May 21 to June 4 more directly to the crop.
tion. Brooklyn Beef Inc. d/b/a El Toro
Mexican Grill.
Looking at the natural world, we see Shennong, one of the three sage rul-
that the grains of summer crops are ers of ancient China, was born during
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
RIDO/SHUTTERSTOCK
“virus interference,” and it was demon-
strated in a study published in a January
2020 issue of the journal Vaccine. The
study explored virus interference by com-
paring cases of viral respiratory infections
among Department of Defense personnel
based on whether or not individuals got
an influenza vaccine.
The flu shot didn’t raise the risk of all
respiratory infections but it was “signifi-
cantly associated with unspecified coro-
navirus.” In other words, those getting the
flu shot were more likely to get sick with a
coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the natural immunity we
develop from some diseases may give us
protection from new diseases. A recent
study published in the Journal of Infec-
tious Diseases shows that human rhinovi-
ruses, the cause of the common cold, “trig-
gers an interferon response that blocks
SARS-CoV-2 replication.
“Mathematical simulations show that
this virus–virus interaction is likely to
have a population-wide effect as an in-
creasing prevalence of rhinovirus will re-
duce the number of new COVID-19 cases,”
researchers reported.
Although the media likes to portray vac-
cination as a black-and-white issue, char-
acterizing people as either for or against
the treatment, individual examples are
usually more complex. Health experts in
particular often favor some vaccines over
others.
And much of the public health com-
munity have more faith in the power of
natural immunity than officials would
like to acknowledge. One example is the
Great Barrington Declaration, a docu-
ment written by infectious disease epi-
demiologists and public health scientists.
Last year, before any vaccine was avail-
able, this declaration proposed an end
to the devastating lockdown measures
that characterized the official COVID-19
response by giving natural immunity a
chance to flourish. The proposal called
for more protective measures among the
vulnerable, while the vast majority could
live as normal, developing the antibodies
Grain Buds, which this year falls on
May 21 through June 4.
Shennong was believed to be an over-
seer of harvests and medicinal herbs. In
fact, he left to history the first medici-
nal herb book, “Shennong’s Root and
Herbal Classic.”
From this book, we learn that the
best time to pick and process herbs is
Grain Buds. The ancient Chinese used
to make herbal teas and ointments dur-
ing this time of year.
Watch That Yang Heat
In the Chinese spiritual “Grain Buds”
text “Bagua” (“The Eight is the best time
Trigrams”), Grain Buds is to pick herbs
purely yang in all six of its for teas and
trigrams. This reflects that ointments.
yang is at its zenith and yin is
extinguished.
For our health, we are reminded to be
careful with our heart, blood vessels, the body. When yang is far stronger
and skin, as they can easily be damaged than yin, one is said to have “fire” in
at this time.
In the Taoist system, it is believed
that there is both yin and yang in our common during this solar term, leading
bodies, regardless of whether we are to skin problems such as dryness and
male or female. Good health is said to skin irritation.
C3
(WHO) changed its definition of herd
immunity. The term describes a point at
which enough people become immune
to a disease to erase its risk, and it previ-
ously included those who had acquired
their antibodies through natural infection
along with vaccinated individuals. But
the WHO’s new definition now says herd
immunity happens exclusively through
vaccination.
Part of the reason officials may dismiss
natural immunity’s influence is that, un-
like a vaccine, natural immunity devel-
opment can vary from one individual to
the next. That’s why the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
says people who have tested positive for
COVID and recovered are still urged to
get the shot.
“At this time, experts do not know how
long someone is protected from getting
sick again after recovering from COV-
ID-19. The immunity someone gains from
having an infection, called natural immu-
nity, varies from person to person. Some
early evidence suggests natural immunity
may not last very long,” the CDC states.
But the agency
gency is also known to inflate
the vaccine’s
e’s virtues. In
Decemberr 2020, the
CDC stated ed that the
Pfizer vaccine
cine demon-
strated benefit
nefit for those
with evidence
ence of prior
COVID infection,
fection, but
the health agency was
Different later forced
d to admit the
people face claim was made in error
different when a U.S. S. congress-
risks from man pointed ted out that
COVID-19 the study demonstrated
emonstrated
and other no such benefit.
nefit.
viruses due sug- Vaccine-
There is reason to sug
to ailments
gest that natural immu- induced
like diabe-
tes that are nity to COVID-19 may immunity for
COVID-19
linked to have some unique merit, may perform
more severe just as the immune sys- slightly
infections. tem demonstrates with better than
similar diseases. Like natural
the vaccine (which ex- immunity.
perts already expect to RAUL VALCARCEL
ROMERO/
require booster shots in SHUTTERSTOCK
the near future) no one
knows how long natural immunity may
YURCHANKA SIARHEI/SHUTTERSTOCK last for SARS-CoV-2, the virus said to cause
COVID-19. But a study published last year
Antibodies are that could protect the population. in the journal Nature showed that patients
Y-shaped proteins “The most compassionate approach that who recovered from the first SARS out-
the body uses to iden- balances the risks and benefits of reaching break in 2003 still possessed long-lasting
tify and neutralize for- herd immunity, is to allow those who are memory T-cells for the virus 17 years later.
eign objects, including at minimal risk of death to live their lives Those T-cells, developed naturally sev-
viruses like COVID-19.
normally to build up immunity to the vi- eral years ago, may still contribute to pub-
rus through natural infection, while better lic health. Researchers detected SARS-
protecting those who are at highest risk. CoV-2-specific T cells in individuals with
We call this Focused Protection,” states no history of SARS, COVID-19, or contact
An increasing the declaration, signed by more than with individuals who had SARS and/or
43,000 medical practitioners and more COVID-19.
prevalence than 14,000 public health scientists. But officials say even those who have
of rhinovirus More than 99 percent of people who test- developed their own immune protection
ed positive for COVID-19 have survived, against COVID-19 still need a drug indus-
will reduce suggesting that the natural protection try intervention. Everyone is encouraged
built against this virus could be enormous. to get the shot, but pushing naturally im-
the number For these individuals, the risk of disease mune individuals toward this treatment
of new may have already been conquered. But may actually push them toward greater
officials don’t seem very interested in ex- risk with no benefit to public health. One
COVID-19 amining this influence, or rewarding the survey study found that people with prior
antibodies that have been earned the old- COVID-19 illness experience significantly
cases. fashioned way. increased incidence and severity of side
Journal of For example, Canada’s Federal COVID effects after receiving the COVID-19 vac-
Infectious Diseases Immunity Taskforce believes the use of cine compared to those who did not have
passports “will be restricted to immunity the disease beforehand.
conferred by vaccines, as there is more Researchers found that the mRNA
scientific evidence for immunity from vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) caused
vaccines than from natural immunity.” milder, less-frequent systemic side ef-
It’s as if natural immunity has been fects, compared to viral vector vaccines
removed from the conversation. In June (Johnson and Johnson), which resulted
2020, the World Health Organization in more local reactions.
SVRID79/SHUTTERSTOCK
ingredients and place it in a sealed con-
tainer in the freezer. Whenever you feel
itchy skin, use the cold cloth to cool and
cleanse it.
Those who are in their first three
months of pregnancy need to be care-
ful of getting skin diseases, as these may
weaken the immune system for both
mom and baby.
Seasonal Foods
Artichoke, broccoli, celery, tomato, wa-
ter chestnut, yam, and all bitter veg-
etables are good to eat, to bring balance.
Starfruit, lemon, lime, melons, and all
citrus fruits are also good for this time.
come from the balance of Living in Harmony With Those suffering from skin prob-
yin and yang. ‘Grain Buds’ lems should avoid seafood, especially
W hen yang becomes Going to bed late and getting up early shellfish.
stronger than yin, traditional help our body to adjust to the temper-
Chinese medicine doctors re- ature more easily during this season. Epoch Times contributor Moreen Liao
gard this person as having “heat” in Humility and modesty in temperament; is a descendant of four generations of
meditation and gentle exercise; and a traditional Chinese medicine doctors.
lot of herbal tea can also help. She is also a certified aromatherapist,
the body. For those who have skin irritation, one former dean of the New Directions In-
These heat-related conditions are very can make an herbal tea with chamo- stitute of Natural Therapies in Sydney,
mile, peppermint, comfrey, witch ha- Australia, and the founder of Ausgani-
zel, melon, or peppermint. Soak a clean ca, a certified organic cosmetic brand.
hand towel in a tea made from these Visit Ausganica.com
C4
Foods to
Help Face
Seasonal
Allergies
Inflammation triggered
by allergies can be
unpleasant, but there
are pleasant ways to
relax it
Continued from C1
may have contributed to the positive ef-
fects ginger had in an animal study to
suppress proinflammatory cytokines and
mast cell activation, which reduces the
symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
Another lab and human study dem-
onstrated that a special variety of Japa-
nese green tea (Benifuuki green tea) and
ginger extract had a significant effect on
suppressing cytokines and delayed-type
allergies that come on one to three
days after exposure. Eleven
weeks after starting the study,
those taking Benifuuki tea
had a reduced incidence of
itchy eyes, runny nose, and
throat pain.
The results suggested a
consecutive month of drink-
ing green tea with ginger ex-
tract could reduce the symptoms
of seasonal rhinitis without affecting the
normal immune response. Ginger holds
several other benefits, including protect-
ing against DNA damage after exposure
to free radicals. In one landmark study
published in the Journal
J of the Ameri-
can College of Nutrition in 2012, ginger
demonstrated d the ability to reduce
several inflammatory
mmatory markers.
Of course, ginger has other
studied therapeutic
apeutic effects
unrelated to allergies as well.
The most common
omm
m on use for
ginger is in alleviating
lleviating
ng symp-
symp-
toms of nausea sea and vomiting.
One study from om the University of Miami
showed that ginger has the potential to
replace nonsteroidal
teroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs in patients
ents with knee osteoarthri-
tis. It was also as effective as pain medi-
cation in helping women with primary
dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) and
was effective against exercise-induced
muscle pain.
Benefits of Bee-Made Superfoods
The honeybee produces valuable
natural foods that some have
called “superfoods.” These
include royal jelly, propolis,
and bee pollen. Bee pollen is
the pollen honeybees collect
from plants and bring back to
the hive.
Analysis has shown bee pollen con-
tains eight of the nine essential amino
acids and these may be up to seven times
higher than found in an equal weight of
other high protein foods. Bee pollen is also
high in bioflavonoids, vitamin B complex,
and vitamins A, C, D, E, and K. It has tradi-
tionally been used for increasing energy,
including by some Olympic athletes.
Analysis of the compounds nds found in
bee pollen reveals they havee anti-
inflammatory, antimicrobial, al,
and antifungal properties es
in the body and free radical al
scavenging potential. Bee e nese medicine. The main active ingredient
pollen mediates wound
healing, has anti-cancer
properties, and can stimu-
late the immune system. Further
urther evalu-
ation shows it can inhibit the mast cell
activation that triggers seasonal allergic
reactions.
Bee pollen can also be used to help
desensitize your body to your seasonal
allergies. For maximum effectiveness,
begin taking bee pollen each day at least
six weeks before you commonly begin
showing allergy symptoms. Continue
taking it throughout the season. The bee
pollen helps to stimulate the production of
antibodies, which in turn helps eliminate
your allergic reaction.
Bee pollen
is an anti-
inflammatory.
INNAKREATIV/
SHUTTERSTOCK
Antioxidant Power of Vitamin C One
Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. consequence
When you think of foods high in vitamin C of allergies
yyou might first think of citrus fruits like or- is brain fog
anges and grapefruit. However, other good caused by
sources include bell peppers, strawberries, the way
allergy-
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and black cur- induced
rants. inflammation
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that’s affects the
an essential cofactor in several enzymatic brain.
reactions and has been linked with a low-
ered risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and
coronary heart disease. Further evidence
Vitamin C
suggests it may be an adjunctive therapy
is a natural
antihistamine. to reduce heart injury after heart attack or
NIKCOA/
a cardiac procedure.
SHUTTERSTOCK You may be familiar with studies that show
that regular use can modestly shorten how
long you have the common cold. But did you
know that vitamin C may also help reduce
your symptoms of seasonal allergies?
One study published in 2018 used intrave-
nous vitamin C on patients
with allergy-related respi-
ratory symptoms. Over 50
percent of the study partici- Nature has
pants only used vitamin C. several
The researchers found that
the observations suggested compounds that
that “intravenous high dose
vitamin C reduces allergy- help offer relief
Turmeric can related symptoms.” Vita- from allergies.
open up your min C is a natural antihis-
sinuses. tamine and antioxidant. Histamine is one
NUM LPPHOTO/
SHUTTERSTOCK
of the inflammatory mediators that trigger
symptoms common in a seasonal allergic
response. Some people find relief from their
allergic symptoms when taking over-the-
counter antihistamine drugs.
Treat Allergic Rhinitis With Turmeric
Turmeric, which is from the ginger family,
is a common spice that’s also used in tra-
ditional medicine. Historically, it was used
in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chi-
in turmeric is curcumin, which gives this
rootstalk its yellow color.
Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, anti-
Omega-3 ffats septic, antitumor, and antioxidant prop-
are an anti- erties. When used in an animal model,
inflammatory. curcumin inhibited the release of hista-
SEA WAVE/ mine from mast cells and demonstrated a
SHUTTERSTOCK
“marked inhibition of allergic response in
animals treated with curcumin, suggesting
a major role for curcumin in reducing the
allergic response,” according to the study
published in Molecular Nutrition and Food
Research.
A more recent human study published
in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunol-
ogy engaged 241 patients with symptoms
of allergic rhinitis (AR) to test the efficacy
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
MIKAEL BLOMKVIST/PEXELS
of curcumin. The researchers measured na-
sal airflow resistance and found curcumin
alleviated nasal congestion, sneezing and
rhinorrhea. Past laboratory study suggested
curcumin may have a significant effect on
symptoms of seasonal allergies.
Researchers from this human study con-
cluded, “This pilot study provides the first
evidence of the capability of curcumin of
improving nasal airflow and modulating
immune response in patients with AR.”
Salmon May Lower Allergic Sensitivity
Wild-caught Alaskan salmon is high in
omega-3 fatty acids. There are three iden-
tified forms of omega-3 fats: alpha-linolenic
acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is found
mostly in plants, while DHA and EPA are
found in fatty fish and seafood.
Your body typically converts ALA to DHA
at levels not nearly enough for brain and
heart health. Some studies have found the
conversion rate is less than 0.5 percent. In
other words, to get enough EPA and DHA to
have an anti-inflammatory effect on diseas-
es such as asthma and allergies, you need
to eat foods rich in EPA and DHA.
Studies have also suggested a higher in-
take of omega-6 fatty acids is linked to an
increased incidence of seasonal allergic
responses. Omega-6 fats can be found in
processed seed or “vegetable” oils such as
safflower, corn, soy, and sesame oils. In oth-
er words, most—if not all—processed foods.
There is also an association between tak-
ing omega-3 fats during pregnancy and a
reduced incidence of seasonal allergies in
infants and children, suggesting there is
a protective association. A cross section-
al, population-based study of 568 adults
showed that those with a higher omega-3
index had a decreased risk of allergic rhi-
nitis.
Interestingly, they also found those with
a higher dietary intake of ALA experienced
some of the same reductions. A more recent
study analyzed the association between the
Mediterranean diet, high in omega-3 fatty
acids, and chronic inflammatory diseases
such as seasonal allergies.
They postulate that the solubility and
uptake of certain phytochemicals may im-
prove when consumed with omega-3 rich
foods. This may explain the mechanism of
action behind omega-3 fats’ and fat-soluble
micronutrients’ role in the development of
allergic inflammation.
More Ways to Ease Seasonal Allergies
Seasonal allergies affect several body sys-
tems, so using a multifaceted approach
increases the potential that you’ll reduce
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 C5
GOODLUZ/SHUTTERSTOCK

Core Strength:
Why It’s Important
and How to Maintain It
The muscles that surround our spine play wide-
ranging, essential roles in our everyday movement
ANDREW LAVENDER athletic activities like running, jumping,
tackling, and lifting weights.
Many people have become more sedentary
in recent times with lockdowns and work- Some Signs That Your Core 
ing from home because of the COVID-19 Might Need Help
pandemic. As with other muscles, if we don’t use our
If you’re moving less, this may have af- core muscles enough, they become weak.
fected your core strength. Or, When our core becomes weak, Exercising on a Swiss ball is a great way to improve core strength.
you may just be thinking you our movements are less sup-
need to improve it. ported, which can put pressure core muscles to some degree, to really core muscles at the side of the torso,
So, what exactly is the core? on other parts of our bodies. target the core, we can look to some spe- called the obliques, even further with
And why is it important to have
The core Weakness in the core mus- cific exercises such as traditional sit-ups a side plank.
good core strength? muscles play a cles can be associated with or abdominal crunches. These exercises You can also try getting into a push-up
lower back pain, particularly work well to strengthen the muscles on position and raising one leg at a time
What Is the Core? fundamental among older people. the front of the torso and carry a very low from the hip while keeping the knee
The core consists of the mus- role in Knee pain is another pos- risk of injury. straight.
cles in your midsection, or sible sign that core muscles Modified versions can enhance the You can make this more challenging
torso, surrounding the spine stabilizing are too weak. Research has effects. For example, exercising on an by raising the opposite arm at the same
and pelvis. This includes the shown a core strength training unstable surface such as a Swiss ball can time, so your only points of contact are
abdominal muscles at the the spine program with physiotherapy increase the demands on the muscles. the ball of one foot and the other hand.
front, but also muscles within and pelvis. has a greater effect on reduc- Think of how much your ankle moves This is a good workout for your core,
the lower back, and around ing knee pain than standard when you stand on one leg, for example. which is working hard to keep you in
your sides. physiotherapy alone. Being in this unstable position forces the position. You can make it easier by doing
The core muscles aren’t considered pow- If you haven’t been exercising for a while, muscles of your lower leg to work harder this on hands and knees.
erful, but they play a fundamental role in and you’re experiencing lower back pain or to keep your balance. It’s similar to the Any exercise that activates the core
stabilizing the spine and pelvis. They’re also knee pain, it may be a sign your core muscles way your muscles tighten when you’re muscles more than usual will help im-
key to maintaining good posture. have become too weak and it’s time to do walking on a slippery surface. prove core strength. Sit-ups, crunches,
These functions are important to ensure some work on strengthening them. So, when you do sit-ups while sitting on and planks will target these muscles di-
you can move your limbs easily. Your core The good news is, we can improve core a Swiss ball or a BOSU ball, you find you rectly, and adding unstable surfaces like
also protects you against injury. People with strength with exercise. And there’s no one must engage your core muscles to stay on Swiss balls can enhance the activation.
a weaker core are more likely to sustain a exercise that is best; you can choose what- the device. This increases the intensity But remember, other types of physi-
back injury, and core muscle strengthening ever approach works best for you. of the exercise. cal activity, like going for a jog or doing
is often an important part of rehabilitation If you do have back or knee pain, or have The traditional crunch or sit-up pre- squats, can help your core strength too.
after a back injury. recently had a baby, consult your doctor or dominantly works the muscles at the
We use our core muscles while perform- physiotherapist before getting started. front of the torso, the rectus abdominis, Andrew Lavender is a senior lecturer
ing daily tasks like getting up from a chair, commonly known as the abs. at the school of science, psychology
standing, walking, vacuuming, and lifting How to Strengthen Your Core: Some A standard plank is also good for your and sport at Federation University
things. Exercises to Do at Home abs, and engages other muscles of the Australia. This article was first
The core muscles are also important for While walking and running do activate the torso as well. And you can engage the published on The Conversation.

AMINA FILKINS/PEXELS

COVID During Pregnancy Poses Little

Risk to Newborns, Research Shows
New data out of Sweden
reveals no justification
to separate newborns
from mothers infected
with COVID-19
MIKAEL NORMAN
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,
there has been great concern about how to
protect the most vulnerable—particularly
newborns. In past pandemics, newborn
babies and young people have been at an
increased risk of disease and death.
This has probably influenced COVID-19
guidelines in hospitals and health care
systems.
A recently published global survey found
that newborns were being separated from
their mothers in half the world’s countries
last year as a precautionary measure if the
mother had tested positive for COVID-19.
Separating a baby from its mother at birth
can have negative consequences for the
health of both the mother and baby. This
must be weighed against the possible ben-
efits of keeping them apart.
Yet more than a year into the pandemic,
the outcomes for babies born to mothers
who have had COVID-19 remain largely
unknown and unreported, putting great
stress on families and healthcare providers.
With this in mind, my colleagues and I—
working with the Public Health Agency of
Sweden—tried to gain a better understand-
ing of the potential risks to babies whose
mothers tested positive for this coronavirus However, babies born to mothers who had
during pregnancy or childbirth. had COVID-19 were more likely to be ad-
We were able to do this because, during
the pandemic in Sweden, the separation of
mitted to neonatal care and to experience
respiratory problems. This, though, can be
mothers and infants at birth has only been explained by the higher number of preterm
practiced if either was unwell, with breast- births in the COVID-19 group than in the
feeding allowed if following strict hygiene comparison group. We found no direct link
procedures. between maternal infection and neonatal
respiratory infection or pneumonia.
Analyzing a Year’s Data That said, our study adds to the evidence
Our study looked at daily reports made to that women testing positive for COVID-19
three Swedish registries: the National Qual- are at increased risk of preterm birth. In our
ity Register for Pregnancy, the National study, 8.8 percent of women who were
Quality Register for Neonatal Care, COVID-positive during pregnan-
and the Communicable Diseases cy delivered preterm, compared
Register. By cross-referencing Separating with 5.5 percent of those who
these, it was possible to monitor babies from were COVID-negative.
and report outcomes for babies their mothers We also found that CO-
during both the first and second at birth poses VID-19 in the mother wasn’t
waves of COVID-19. other risks. associated with the death of Babies born to women who’ve had COVID-19
Altogether, we captured the out- the child. Seven infants born to don’t need to be separated from their mothers.
comes of 92 percent of all babies born mothers who had had COVID-19
in Sweden between March 11, 2020, and died, all from causes unrelated to CO- in the COVID-19 group were breastfeeding
Jan. 31. This accounted for almost 90,000 VID-19, with none of these infants testing their babies at hospital discharge, with 99
births, making this one of the largest data- positive for the disease. There was also no percent of their infants testing negative. The
sets on this subject to date. We found that difference in the mortality rate of those ba- small number of infants that were infected
2,323 babies were born during this period bies born to mothers who were COVID-posi- showed no signs of infection.
to mothers who had tested positive for CO- tive and COVID-negative during pregnancy. Although not all countries are like Swe-
VID-19 during pregnancy, with 642 mothers den—there are population differences
(28 percent) testing positive at the time of No Need to Separate as well as country-specific differences in
delivery. Our study, therefore, supports a recommen- health care and COVID-19 levels—our
All babies born to mothers who had tested dation that babies born to women who have work should reassure pregnant women in
positive were themselves tested between tested positive for COVID-19 while preg- other countries (and their families) that a
12 and 24 hours after birth. For babies ad- nant or during delivery do not need to be COVID infection during pregnancy poses
mitted to a neonatal unit, COVID-19 tests routinely separated from their mothers at a low risk.
were repeated at 48 and 96 hours after birth. birth. Babies are very unlikely to be infect-
Only 21 babies (0.9 percent) tested positive ed or to suffer ill health as a result of their Mikael Norman is a professor of pediat-
for COVID-19, most without displaying any mother having or having had COVID-19. rics and neonatal medicine at Karolinska
symptoms. A few babies were treated for Our research also showed that breastfeed- Institutet in Sweden. This article was first
reasons other than COVID-19. ing seems to be safe: 94 percent of women published on The Conversation.

symptoms and reactions. As with most
health conditions that affect your im-
mune system, it’s crucial to start with a
healthy gut.
Allergic reactions begin in the immune
system when a relatively harmless pro-
tein triggers an overreaction, producing
antibodies to attack the allergen. Your
diet and gut health play crucial roles in
optimizing your immune function.
Of course, a strategy that helps reduce
symptoms is to reduce your exposure
to the triggers. There are several ways
to help, including limiting outdoor ac-
tivities to times when pollen counts are
lowest. This is usually in the late after-
noon, since on an average day pollen
counts peak beginning midmorning.
Limit outdoor time when the weather is
warm, dry, and windy, as pollen counts
may be higher.
Wear gloves while gardening and avoid
touching your eyes. When you’re finished
outdoors, take a shower and wash your
clothes. Vacuum your home, including
the furniture, regularly. Ideally, you’ll
want to use a HEPA filter vacuum clean-
er, leave your shoes at the door to avoid
bringing pollen into your home, and use
a HEPA air filter to reduce your exposure
to allergens.
Nature has also provided several com-
pounds that help offer relief from allergic
rhinitis and seasonal allergies by sup-
porting your immune system and block-
ing allergic symptoms, many of which
are triggered from the histamine release.
Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder of
Mercola.com. An osteopathic physician,
best-selling author, and recipient of
multiple awards in the field of natural
health, his primary vision is to change
the modern health paradigm by provid-
ing people with a valuable resource to
help them take control of their health.
This article was originally published
on Mercola.com
C6
Lessons From Our
Minimizing Journey
Here are 10 things we learned when identity
theft forced us to reset our lifestyle
CHERYL SMITH
F
or years, my family and I strug-
gled with overloaded sched-
ules, overwhelming debt, and
feeling enslaved to our four-
bedroom, three-bath home
with an excess of possessions. The things
we thought we owned really “owned” us,
and living in bondage to them rendered
us ill, exhausted, and miserable.
To be honest, we didn’t even know what
all we owned or how severely our lives
were affected by these things until an
unexpected identity theft crisis forced us
to face reality.
Since then, we’ve sold our home,
released about 90 percent of our physi-
cal possessions, eliminated 100 percent
of our debt, and discovered a new and
profound peace.
We are now a few years into this jour-
ney and have learned a few things. Here
are 10 lessons our minimizing quest has
taught me.
Fear of knowing
where we stood
kept us from asking
the hard questions
and facing the facts.
1. The hardest trials can pro-
duce the most desperately
needed change. When
we found out some-
one had stolen our
identity, we felt
blindsided and vio-
lated. This tribula-
tion was alarming
and long-lasting.
But despite the
suffering—or
more accurately,
because of it—we
had the very catalyst
we needed to propel
ourselves from a life of ma-
terial abundance to a truly
abundant life.
2. Embracing real-
ity is the first step
toward changing your
life. Coming face-to-
face with identity theft
forced us to examine
each one of our debts,
develop a stark picture of
where we stood overall,
and acknowledge the sever-
ity of how much we owed.
Even though nothing had
changed—and our debt still
remained—knowing the
specific reality of our situation
gave us a sense of control and
helped us find the fortitude to sell
what we had to and pay what we
owed. Fear of knowing where we
stood kept us from asking hard
questions and facing the facts
regarding our financial situation.
Once we owned up to what was
real, the truth set us free and
gave us the necessary courage
to take the next step.
3. No one can change your
life except you. Change is
hard. Sometimes it seems
easier to perpetuate what
is familiar and feels safe,
despite the misery it inflicts
on our lives. As much as we
would all love to have some-
one come in and do the heavy
lifting—pun intended—of mini-
mizing for us, we’re the only ones
who can make those decisions
and let go of what’s burdening
our lives.
4. ‘The American dream’ doesn’t
have to be your dream. Just
because the world around us
Buying a home
may be part of the
so-called American
dream, but you can
find your
own path.
dictates its definition of “normal” doesn’t
mean we have to conform to its de-
mands. When pursuing the prescribed
ideal of expected behavior requires us to
go deep into debt, overburden our lives
with excess, and keep our noses to the
grindstone, that dream can become a
nightmare. We no longer own a home but
rent instead, and that’s OK. Being debt-
free means far more to us than knowing
we’re meeting someone else’s ideal.
5. Hoarding is not necessary. Both my
husband and I come from parents who
were born in the 1920s and early 1930s.
They grew up in an entirely different
time, when supplies and money were
scarce. They were well-meaning in rais-
KOSTIKOVA NATALIA/SHUTTERSTOCK
Sometimes the
things we buy end
up owning us.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK
ing us with the mentality of “you better
hold onto it in case you need it someday.”
What we have learned is that there is no
need to hold onto things we don’t need
today. With each new day comes new
provision, and our faith has taught us
that we’ll always have what we need.
6. The freedom of owning less quickly
eases the pain of letting go. As difficult
as it is to release certain things, the sting
only lasts a short time. The dread and
separation anxiety ahead of time is the
most vexing part, and we’ve found that
once it’s out of sight, we don’t even miss it.
The relief of being rid of emotionally and
physically heavy baggage is liberating.
7. Peace is a trustworthy guide. The
process of minimizing generates many
conflicting emotions. Making the right
decisions often requires careful con-
sideration and soul-searching. Take
your time to identify choices that calm
your spirit and always follow the path to
peace.
8. You only need to see the next
step. When it became clear that we
would need to sell our home to get out
of debt, the only thing we knew for sure
is that we needed to get in touch with a
realtor and list our house on the market.
What we were going to do next or where
we were going to go afterward was a
complete mystery.
But by the time the house sold a few
months later, these questions were an-
swered, and our next step had come into
view. When we started out, I wanted a
flashlight to illuminate the whole road
ahead of us. What I found is that I can’t
take step two before step one anyhow,
and the only thing I need to see is the
next step in front of me. When it’s time
to know more, the guidance will be
there. Leaps, when taken in faith, will
land you where you need to be.
9. There is a huge difference between a
want and a need. On our journey, it be-
came necessary for us to live in tight quar-
ters for a span of time after we sold our
home and were waiting for our rental to
become available. We learned quickly that
we only needed a small handful of items
to survive each day. Most of what we had
surrounded ourselves with was entirely
unnecessary to have a meaningful life.
10. Physical possessions are not the
only things that need to be mini-
mized. Unhealthy relationships, exces-
sive obligations and commitments, a
cluttered mind, and emotional toxins
are equally detrimental to our lives, and
they need to be pruned until balance
and wellness are achieved.
The process of
minimizing generates
many conflicting
emotions.
You can read our story and find an
in-depth dive into the lessons we have
learned in our book, “Biblical Minimal-
ism: Following Jesus from a Life of Abun-
dance to a More Abundant Life.”
Though we’re all different and our
paths are diverse, I believe the desire
for peace is common to us all. Wherever
you’re on your journey, I wish you well.
Cheryl Smith blogs at Biblical Minimal-
ism, where she shares her family’s journey
to relinquish excess and deepen their
connection to Christ. Her book, “Bibli-
cal Minimalism,” is now available for
purchase.
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
‘Different’ Is Needed When ‘Normal’ Is Broken
How we learned to be a ‘ScreenStrong Family’ in a screen addicted world
JULIE CHRISTIAN
“I don’t want to go to school today,”
my 10-year-old son whined. Jacob was
the most naturally curious of my three
children. He loved going to school. His
words were a warning that something
was amiss.
“Why don’t you want to go to school?” I
asked. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have any friends.” His face
remained downcast as he picked at his
fingers.
“What about Peter?” Peter had come
over to our house for a few days over the
summer when his mother had to work.
Back then they were best friends.
“Peter is a popular boy now. He plays
Fortnite. So do all the other kids. They
don’t want to be friends with me because
I don’t play it.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Just a year
before, Peter had been the new boy at
school who moved from another school
because he had been bullied. And now,
he was accepted into a group of boys who kids will always be the “odd” kids in the
spent most of their free time out-
side of school gaming, and
their free time in school
making fun of my non-
gaming child.
It was early in our
screen-free journey,
and I was tempted to
acquiesce.
But I was com-
mitted, even if it
meant my son lost
friends faster than his
ex-friends could press
the fire button on a game
controller. I had removed
screens near the end of his
third-grade year. There
were so many positive ben- Taking devices away childhood. Had I been one of
efits from the change that I from children cre- those “cool kids?” In hindsight,
ates more space for
couldn’t fathom going back to them to be children. I think my friends and I were
the way things were. In only a
SV SVETLANA/SHUTTERSTOCK
few months without screens,
Jacob’s reading skills in-
creased by more than a grade
level. His brother’s tantrums diminished
and then disappeared. Our lives became
almost normal, and more peaceful. If my
son was unpopular, I thought, so be it.
Then, the other parents began treating
Feeling Young Can Reduce the
Aging Effects of Stress, Research Suggests
SARAH COWNLEY
New research shows how feeling young
can protect people from the physiological
ravages of stress. People who feel younger
have a greater sense of well-being, less in-
flammation, and better cognitive function,
according to research. They also have a
lower risk of hospitalization.
According to a study published by the
American Psychological Association, feel-
ing younger may help adults handle stress
as they age. Researchers analyzed three
years of data from 5,039 participants in the
German Ageing Survey who were aged 40
and older.
The survey included questions about the
stress in people’s lives and their functional
health. This included how much they were
limited in daily activities such as walking,
bathing, and dressing.
Participants were also asked, “How old
do you feel?”
There are a few ways researchers and oth-
ers look at age. There is chronological age,
which is the age we refer to when asked
how old we are. And then there is biological
age, which is how old our body is in terms
of its overall condition. And then there is
subjective age, which is how old we feel.
It was found that, on average, participants
who recorded more stress in their lives had
a steeper decline in functional health over
three years. The link between stress and
health decline was also found to be stron-
ger for chronologically older participants.
Since there is a relatively large volume
of research that links the biochemical ef-
fects of stress to an overall acceleration of
biological age, this part of the study is fairly
well established. The interesting part of
the study showed that participants who
“felt” younger seemed to have a protective
buffer. Among those who felt younger than
their chronological age, the link between
stress and health decline was weaker. This
C7
me with the same skepticism. Even my We are a different family. What matters little boys were. My oldest son started
mother and father were critical of my to us is different than what matters to coming home with cards and letters from
choices. It was difficult for my husband other families. And because of that, my his teachers thanking him for his hard
and me to stand firm in our commit- kids are always going to be different from work and pleasant attitude in school.
ment, but we had seen the difference in other kids. And because we keep them My boys are in middle school now,
our children and our family. My hus- away from screens and fill their lives and sometimes it is difficult for them to
band, a juvenile probation officer, had with other, more beneficial activities to begin friendships when they don’t have
seen the impact of years of gaming and replace that time, they are always going the common ground of a smartphone or
screen use in his caseload of juveniles. to stand out. video games. But they’ve learned a valu-
We had been given a glimpse of the fu- I am more than three years into this able lesson.
ture, and we chose not to allow our sons journey, and it’s true. Being a Screen-
to go down that path. Strong family has closed some doors, but
After much thought and quite a bit of opened many others. Our kids don’t par-
prayer, I realized that we live in a soci- ticipate in popular “gaming” clubs, and
ety in which social media, video games, they aren’t in on the conversations with My children are
movies, and other screen-based enter- their peers on social media. But what
tainment penetrate every aspect of our they are doing is inviting their friends different in a
lives. Adults and kids share lives that over to celebrate their birthday in their
revolve around the consumption of mas- cool new treehouse that they built them- good way. They
sive amounts of screen-based entertain- selves. They are lending out books to are becoming the
ment. Most of our social engagements neighborhood kids and sharing sidewalk
begin and end with discussions about chalk with the girls across the street. thinkers and leaders
social media, movies, and what we’ve Over time, my children stopped wor-
watched or plan to watch. rying about their popularity. They were
of tomorrow.
If I continue to eschew these things, my so busy doing the things that kids are
supposed to do, they forgot to care. They
class at school who don’t know came home exhausted, with scuffed It’s OK to be different.
the latest Fornite dances, or knees, dirty clothes, and lots of stories to Life isn’t a popularity contest, and
who don’t watch the most share with us. someday how many friends come to their
popular YouTube chan- In the beginning of this journey, there birthday party on a Saturday afternoon
nels. My kids won’t were parents who smiled to our faces won’t matter. What will matter is what
know about the latest and then criticized us behind our backs. they stand for and what they work hard
TikTok trends, and But those same parents began to ex- to accomplish. And the interesting thing
they won’t be noti- perience the negative consequences of is, that when they stand for and accom-
fied of social gather- screen time and excessive gaming in plish positive things, more and more
ings via Snapchat. their own homes. Family members who people want to be their friends.
They will not be told us we’d taken things too far began My children are different in a good
popular. And I had to to witness an appreciable difference way. They are becoming the thinkers
force myself to be OK between our children and the children of and leaders of tomorrow. And eventually,
with that. With no access our relatives who hadn’t made the same when the kids busy playing with their
to screens, they most likely changes. screens want to be friends with my kids,
will never be the “cool kids” at Over time, the same parents who “tsk- there’s plenty of room in our treehouse.
their school. tsked” at our extreme choice secretly
I thought back to my own came to us with their embarrassing Julie Christian is a ScreenStrong Ambas-
stories. One mom’s 11-year-old daughter sador and mom of four children. Screen-
posted provocative dances on TikTok. Strong is an organization that helps
One relative’s son dropped out of college parents empower their children to gain the
pretty cool, and we all turned out after losing his scholarship because he benefits of screen media without the toxic
to be cool adults for sure, but we stayed up all night gaming. consequences of overuse that threaten
certainly were not part of the in The same people who complained healthy mental and physical develop-
crowd. But being in the popu- about how different I was forcing my ment. The ScreenStrong solution promotes
lar crowd isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. children to be were now complimenting a strong parenting style that proactively
I realized I didn’t need to take steps to us on our children’s behavior and wish- replaces harmful screen use with healthy
make my kids cooler, I needed to begin ing their kids were a little less like every- activities, life skills development, and
educating my kids on why being uncool one else’s. People in church came up to family connection. This article was repub-
in today’s society is better. us to tell us how kind and respectful our lished from ScreenStrong.com
protective effect was strongest among the and improve health, including lowering
oldest participants. the risk of cognitive decline in older adults.
Participants “Generally, we know that functional Further studies are needed to help deter-
who recorded health declines with advancing age, but we mine what kind of interventions would
also know that these age-related functional work best, but health care providers are
more stress health trajectories are remarkably varied. encouraged to help promote positive views
As a result, some individuals enter old age on aging.
in their lives and very old age with quite good and intact These types of interventions, combined
had a steeper health resources, whereas others experi- with stress management training, could
ence a pronounced decline in functional improve both physical and mental health,
decline in health, which might even result in need and reduce the risk of illness and disease.
for long-term care,” said study lead author So, if you are middle-aged or older, don’t
functional Markus Wettstein. dwell on your age. Focus on the age you
health. “Our findings support the role of stress as feel, and start doing activities that can help
a risk factor for functional health decline, you feel younger!
particularly among older individuals, as
well as the health-supporting and stress- Sarah Cownley earned a diploma in
buffering role of a younger subjective age.” nutritional therapy from Health Sciences
In other words, those with a younger Academy in London, and she enjoys help-
subjective age seemed better protected ing others by teaching healthy lifestyle
against the toll stress normally inflicts on changes through her personal consulta-
People who feel biological aging. tions and with her regular contributions
younger have a greater to the Doctors Health
sense of well-being, Health Interventions Press. This article
less inflammation, The results of this study suggest that in- was originally pub-
and better cognitive terventions aimed at helping people feel lished on Bel Marra
function. younger could reduce stress Health.
ROMAN SAMBORSKYI/SHUTTERSTOCK
C8 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

ZHUKOVVVLAD/SHUTTERSTOCK

We have all
experienced the
rejuvenating effect
of being near water.
Now researchers have
begun to study it.

Blue Is the You may have heard about the healing plug in a recording of a gentle rainstorm,
potential of green spaces. In the past 20 waves on a beach, or a mountain stream.
years, a great deal of research has dis- I never get to the end of any of them be-

New Green
covered the benefits of spending time in cause I’ve drifted off to sleep. And I’m
natural green spaces, such as the woods sure I’m not alone—these recordings
and parks. Scientists have discovered work because the sound of water is
that spending time outdoors in green soothing and produces a sense of calm.
landscapes, called forest bathing, can Also, people tend to be more active
help lower your blood pressure, decrease when they’re around water, and that’s a
Research has affirmed stress, boost your immune re-
sponse, and help ease feelings
good thing. Walking along a
lakeshore or strolling along
the psychological of depression.
Now, scientists are begin- There are
a beach, kayaking, swim-
ming, and paddling are all
benefits of green ning to examine the effects
of water-based environments a number examples of ways that wa-
ter inspires people to move
on your health. One study of intuitive their bodies. And water
spaces, but what surveyed 18,000 people in 18 activity can be emotion-
reasons that ally healing, too, as in the
countries. The results, while
about blue spaces? self-reported, found that be-
ing near the water helps to
being near case of surf therapy or scuba
programs that help veterans
promote mental and physi- water is so with post-traumatic stress.
LYNN JAFFEE cal well-being. Other research Water is also restorative
has documented that people beneficial. when it’s an intentional
When I need to relax, I think about a par- who live near the water have a component of a landscape,
ticular beach in the Caribbean. I’ve only lower risk of premature death and expe- especially in urban areas. A water fea-
been there once, but it’s so profoundly rience a decreased risk of being obese, as ture is relaxing, visually pleasing, pro-
beautiful that I go back to it time and well as reporting being in better mental motes activity, and can actually help to
again in my mind. health than people who don’t live near cut the heat. When you think about it,
The lush hillside above gives way to water. the fountains in Rome, the River Walk
over a half-mile of clean white sand. The There are a few reasons why being near in San Antonio, the canals of Venice
beach is punctuated with just enough blue space is so therapeutic. One of the or Amsterdam, or the Tidal Basin in
palm and sea grape trees to give you best-known books on this phenomenon Washington all enhance not only the
some shade from the Caribbean sun. is “Blue Mind: The Surprising Science landscape, but also the quality of life
And the fineness of the sand extends far That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or for the people in those cities.
into the water, turning it into a turquoise Under Water Can Make You Happier, And finally, the beauty of water is that
blue that looks like it’s lit from beneath. Healthier, More Connected, and Better it doesn’t matter what shape it takes
Why am I telling you this? Well, be- at What You Do,” by Wallace J. Nichols. in order to be therapeutic. It can be a
cause this beach is my happy place. If you really want to dive into the topic, pond, river, waterfall, ocean, or a foun-
Even though I can’t go there every day, I Nichols will give you an ocean of infor- tain—all of these water features are
can conjure it up in my mind. My body mation about the therapeutic benefits attractive and make you feel better. I
doesn’t know the difference between real of being near water. instinctively know how healing water
and imagined, so it reacts as though I’m While the research is early, there are a can be when I walk along the creek that
lying on a blanket on the sand, listening number of intuitive reasons that being runs by my house.
to the waves gently lapping at the shore. near water is so beneficial, and one is
And there’s more. My beach is just one that the sound of moving water is re- Lynn Jaffee is a licensed acupuncturist
of the countless bodies of water through- laxing. Listening to the rain, a babbling and the author of “Simple Steps: The
out the world that are considered to be brook, or waves splashing against the Chinese Way to Better Health.” This
blue spaces. But before talking about the shore is peaceful. I know firsthand that article was originally published on
blue, let’s talk about the green. when I have a hard time falling asleep, I AcupunctureTwinCities.com

Your subscription will not only provide you with accurate news and features, but also contribute to the revival of
American journalism and help safeguard our freedoms for future generations. Learn more at EpochSubscription.com

3 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE:

PLEASE PRINT LEGIBLY (INCLUDE APT., STE., OR UNIT NO.)

Yes, I’d like to subscribe for: 3 Months for $49 12 Months for $159

F. NAME L. NAME PHONE

ONLINE ReadEpoch.com
ADDRESS APT. #
HELP CENTER* Help.TheEpochTimes.com
CITY STATE ZIP
BY MAIL The Epoch Times
EMAIL
229 W. 28th St., Fl. 7 We strongly suggest that you provide us your email to access our self-service customer portal, our digital content, as well as our apps on
iPhone and Android.
New York, NY 10001
UPAY BY CHECK (PAYABLE TO THE EPOCH TIMES) UUSE MY CREDIT CARD
EVERY WEEK, WE’LL SEND YOU:
EVER CARD #
•• ONE
ONE PRINT
P PAPER**
•• UNLIMITED
UNLIM DIGITAL ACCESS EXPIRATION M Y Y CARD CVV# ZIP

* For more inquiries call: (917) 905-2080 ** The weekly paper is mailed out every Wednesday. Your first issue should NAME ON CARD SIGNATURE
arrive within 14 days of us receiving your subscription order form.
We use your credit card solely, and securely, for your subscription. We do not share it with any third parties. BY SIGNING THIS SUBSCRIPTION FORM, I AFFIRM THAT I HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The subscription is auto-renew with credit card payment. AT ReadEpoch.com/Terms I ALSO AFFIRM ALL INFO ABOVE IS COMPLETE AND ACCURATE.
 EMILIO TAKAS/UNSPLASH SCOTT BARBOUR/GETTY IMAGES
ASK CARRIE EVERYDAY CHEAPSK ATE

Tips for Teaching Your Kids To Save Money on Gas,

About Money Drive Smarter
No matter your kids’ age, setting a good example is While the price of gasoline remains out of our control,
probably the most important thing you can do. we can control how often we visit the filling station.

See D7 See D7

HOME IMPROVEMENT|FOOD|MONEY WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 D1

HOME
ALL IMAGES BY SHUTTERSTOCK

Hundreds of
varieties of
horta, edible
wild greens,
grow
throughout
Greece.

The most typical preparation of horta is also the simplest: boiled until tender, seasoned with salt, and served with generous drizzles of olive oil and lemon juice.

Eat Your Greens, the Greek Way

MIHAELA LICA-BUTLER Passing down ages-old knowledge, Passing down

I
n Greece, eating horta is a way of
life. Though their name may liter-
ally translate to “weeds,” these wild
edibles are considered far from that—
they’re valuable delicacies.
Horta is a generic name given to a vast
variety of wild greens; some 300 edible
species grow here, according to Greek
and Mediterranean cuisine expert Diane
Kochilas. Each season has its own. Spring
brings the greatest abundance of young
greens, among them dandelion, grass lily,
borage, and wild garlic and leeks. In the
summer, you will find plenty of amaranth
leaves and purslane; while fall and winter
are the seasons for reichardia and wild
chicories. You’ll never go hungry feeding
off the land.
grandmothers teach their grandchildren ages-old
how to forage for horta in the wild, because knowledge,
they know the best grow along mountain grandmothers
slopes and hillsides, in olive groves, and on teach their
grandchildren
fertile plateaus. Armed with pocket knives
how to forage
and baskets or tote bags, they hunt for just for horta in the
the right patch of young leaves, teaching wild.
the little ones how to discern the edible
from the inedible. They cut the greens just
above the soil, leaving the roots to allow the
plant to regrow, then carry their harvest
back home for a feast.
Greeks have been eating horta since an-
cient times. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and
myriad other nutritional benefits, these
gifts of the land provided crucial suste-
nance during the lean, hard years of war.
Continued on D2

EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE

How to Rise Above Your Circumstances

PATRICK MCGREGOR/UNSPLASH
MARY HUNT
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot circled over
the Great Salt Lake, tipping the wings ever
so slightly so we could witness the un-
usual reddish-purple color of the water—a
phenomenon, he explained, that occurs
when a particular species of algae meets
up with a certain bacteria. It was quite
fascinating.
Just as he was bringing the plane level so
we could be on our way, CRACK! A loud
kind of popping noise sent a chill up my
spine.
“I believe we’ve hit something, so we
You can default to live under your circumstances, or you can will be returning to the gate,” an audibly
choose to do whatever it takes to rise above them, where the
shaken pilot reported.
skies are calm and clear.
But it wasn’t quite that easy. First, we
needed to get rid of a lot of weight so we
could make a much-needed course cor-
rection (like picking up a different plane,
Your perhaps?). So, back to the lake we flew,
where the captain dumped nearly an en-
greatness tire flight’s worth of fuel.
will never As we deplaned, the problem became
evident. We’d hit a duck, or some kind of
be measured fowl, whose remains were splattered all
by wealth or over the windshield—a collision so mighty
that it cracked the windshield. Poor pilot.
position, but So, have you been whacked lately? Not
by a duck, necessarily, but by another
by what it of life’s surprises? Perhaps the virus or
takes to make higher prices have your already-stretched
financial situation screaming for mercy.
you quit. Maybe it’s an accumulation of bad finan-
cial decisions threatening your joy.
Continued on D3
D2 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021

COURTESY OF SNAIL FARM AND FUN

HORTA VRASTA
(GREEK BOILED GREENS)
You can prepare this dish with any type of seasonal
wild greens: dandelion greens, shepherd’s purse,
purslane, mustard greens, spiny chicory, amaranth
leaves, and the list goes on. If you cannot find wild
greens, you can use cultivated varieties such as kale,
spinach, frisée, or collard greens.
Serve the boiled and dressed greens as is, or for a
boost, add a topping of feta or tomato-feta sauce.
SERVES 4
1 pound wild greens (horta)
Salt to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Wash the horta thoroughly in plenty of water,
repeating several times, to remove any impurities.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then blanch the
horta briefly. Drain through a colander, discarding the
liquid. Cool the horta in ice-cold water, which will help
maintain its vibrant green color.
Repeat this blanch-drain-cool process two more
times, using a fresh pot of water each time. This will
reduce the bitterness of the horta.
Bring another pot of water to a boil, and cook the
horta for about 10 minutes, or until soft, if you don’t
like it a bit crunchy. Remove from heat, drain through
a colander (if you want, keep the broth to drink), and
cool in ice-cold water.
Drain again, then plate and serve seasoned with salt
to taste and generous drizzles of olive oil and freshly-
squeezed lemon juice.

Eat Your Greens, the Greek Way MIHAELA LICA-BUTLER

Continued from D1 As simple as the preparation is, there are

Horta are
a staple Now, even supermarkets sell them, along-
in Greek side cultivated varieties like chard and mus-
households tard greens. Still, cultivated horta doesn’t
and on
taverna
taste like “the real thing”—the wild greens
that take their nutrients naturally from the
menus.
land, rain, wind, and sunshine, without hu-
man intervention.
Horta are a staple in Greek households and
on taverna menus, with the varieties chang-
ing by the season. Whenever I dine out with
friends here in Crete, they’ll invariably order
a plate—among many others to share.
The most typical preparation is also the
simplest, the same regardless of the variety:
boiled until tender or still slightly crunchy,
then chilled in icy water, drained, and sea-
soned with salt, good olive oil, and fresh
lemon juice. Slightly bitter, with earthy
notes, they’re served as is, or with a combo of
boiled zucchini, potatoes, and half a lemon.
It’s unpretentious, honest food, light and
nourishing.
How to Prepare Horta at Home
There are no set-in-stone recipes for horta,
nor rules for the varieties you can use. Fol-
low your heart—and whatever seasonal
leafy greens are available near you, whether
foraged yourself or purchased from your
local farmers market.
Spiny chicory. 
Even here in Heraklion, on Crete, I don’t
forage for my own greens. I go to mom-and-
pop mini markets whose owners are more
than happy to recommend their freshly
foraged finds, and repeat over and over how
to cook them: wash thoroughly, discarding
the water several times, then boil, drain,
let it cool. Season with salt, drizzle with a
generous amount of olive oil and freshly
squeezed lemon juice, and serve.
The most challenging part of the process
is the cleaning. It may take up to half an
hour to pick out the dead leaves, grass,
twigs, and dirt from the horta. As Nefte-
ria, the owner of a mini-market across the
road, always tells me, “Wash, wash, wash!”
It’s sweet how she repeats it every time,
although I know it; it feels maternal.
some tricks to making horta enjoyable, to
As simple tame their bitter taste.
At the family-owned taverna To Mourelo
as the tou Ladomenou in Galatas, a small inland
preparation village in Heraklion, chef Grigoris Koudou-
nas always has seasonal horta on the menu.
is, there are It is never bitter.
some tricks to “Change the water a couple of times when
you boil them,” he told me. “You must cool
making horta the horta in ice-cold water every time you
change the boiling water, to maintain the
enjoyable, to vibrant green of the plants.” I know his trick
tame their now—I’ll cook better.
There’s also more to horta than boiling:
bitter taste. The greens can instead be sautéed in olive
oil, as in horta tsigarista, or baked into a
phyllo-crusted pie, called hortopita. Still,
I prefer boiled horta, the easiest and sim-
plest way to prepare them. If you are fully
committed to the horta lifestyle, and the
traditional resourceful, no-waste spirit it
embodies, don’t discard the broth from the
last boil. I dare you to drink it—it’s like an
earthy-bitter, medicinal, herbal tea.
A former military journalist, Mihaela
Lica-Butler is a senior partner at Argo-
philia Travel News. Besides her work as a
PR pro and travel journalist, she spends
her time writing children’s fairy tales and
cookbooks.

EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE
HOMEMADE PIZZA

Better—and Faster— MAKES ONE 14-INCH PIZZA

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons cornmeal
although a food processor is ideal). Turn on
machine. Pour yeast mixture through feed
tube. Process until dough cleans inside of

Than Delivery
MARY HUNT
There are some who consider pizza the
perfect food. It has complex carbohy-
drates, vegetables, dairy, and protein. OK,
maybe “perfect” is stretching it a bit, but I
remember when pizza was something you
shouldn’t eat too much of because it might
spoil your dinner. Now it is dinner.
Millions of families rely on pizza because
it is quick and convenient. But is it? To find
out, I conducted a less-than-scientific test
earlier this week.
My homemade gourmet-
My homemade gourmet-style pizza was
out of the oven, sliced, and partially con-
sumed before the doorbell rang. It’s dif-
ficult to give an unbiased opinion on the
homemade versus the commercial product
because, well, I am anything but impar-
tial. Just let me say that there’s nothing like
the taste of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and
freshly grated Parmesan cheese on this
freshly baked no-rise homemade dough.
As for the time factor, I beat Domino’s
by a full 20 minutes. And the cost? Mine:
less than $4. Domino’s: $26, including tip.
Homemade for the win!
Mary Hunt is the founder of Everyday-
Cheapskate.com, a frugal living blog
1 package dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Salt
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3/4 pound Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Rub 1
teaspoon olive oil over a 14-inch pizza pan,
and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Stir yeast and sugar into warm water, and let
stand until foamy (2 to 3 minutes).
Combine flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon olive
oil in food processor bowl fitted with
metal blade (this dough can be made with
an electric mixer or in a bread machine,
work bowl. If dough sticks, add more flour,
a tablespoon at a time. If dough is crumbly,
add water a teaspoon at a time. When you
reach desired consistency, process dough
until uniformly supple and elastic, about 40
seconds.
Roll dough immediately on heavily floured
board into a 14-inch circle. If dough resists,
let rest 5 minutes to relax gluten, and then
try again.
Transfer dough to pizza pan. Work the
edge to form rim. Brush with remaining oil.
Sprinkle on minced garlic, and cover with
an even layer of tomato slices. Sprinkle with
Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until crust is crisp
and golden-brown. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
NOTE:
You could use a bottled sauce, your
favorite toppings, and mozzarella cheese
to customize to your taste and available
ingredients.

style pizza was out of the and the author of the book “Debt-Proof There’s
nothing like the
Living.” Mary invites you to visit her at
oven, sliced, and partially her website, where this column is archived taste of fresh
complete with links and resources for all tomatoes,
consumed before the recommended products and services. fresh basil, and
freshly grated
doorbell rang. Mary invites questions and comments at Parmesan
EverydayCheapskate.com/contact, “Ask cheese on
I ordered a large 14-inch thin-crust to- Mary.” Tips can be submitted at Tips.Ev- this freshly
mato and cheese pizza from Domino’s for erydayCheapskate.com. This column will baked no-rise
delivery. As soon as I hung up the phone, I answer questions of general interest, but homemade
went to work on my homemade pizza with letters cannot be answered individually. dough.
a no-rise crust. Copyright 2021 Creators.com
SEA SALT/SHUTTERSTOCK
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
GROWING GARDENERS
It’s Moving Day!
MATT FOWLER
When it comes to transplanting your seed-
lings to the garden or an outdoor container
from indoor pots, there isn’t a definitive an-
swer on the best timing.
It’s not how tall the plant is that determines
its readiness for transplanting. The general
rule of thumb is that your seedling should
have four or more complete leaves, which
the plant can use to sustain itself. The leaves
that were the first to appear and have the
shape of the seed itself are not considered
complete leaves, nor are leaves that are
curled or still holding onto the seed coat.
You won’t want to rush moving your plants
outside. Keep an eye on your weather fore-
cast, making sure the outside temperature
is going to stay above freezing and that no
monsoons are coming to drown your plants.
If the forecast looks clear and your seed-
lings have their complete leaves, then it’s
time to get ready for the big move.
Harden Off Your Seedlings
Since your seedlings have lived their entire
lives indoors, they need to be acclimated to
the harsh realities of living outside, or they
will go into shock.
For the next five days, set your tray of seed-
lings outside in partial sun for a few hours
each day. On the first day, I recommend
starting by placing your plants outside in
partial sun for two hours and then bringing
them back inside. Give them plenty of water
and let them rest until the next day. On day
two, put them in partial sun for four hours,
and then bring them back inside, give them
plenty to drink, and let them rest. Follow
this pattern, adding two hours each day,
until day five, when the seedlings will be
outside for 10 hours.
This process, called hardening off, will get
your seedlings ready to fully live outside.
Loosen the Soil and Plant Your
Seedlings
If you have been following along in our
Growing Gardeners series, you should re-
member from last week’s article how im-
portant it is that your seedlings have the
food necessary to grow strong and healthy.
That means that before transplanting them,
you should have first prepared your soil by
amending it with compost.
The amending process also loosens the
soil, and is a better alternative to the extreme
option of tilling. Tilling does loosen the soil,
but it also destroys the homes of all the life
within it, and dries it out.
Once your soil has been amended, have
your little helper take a small shovel to the
amended area and dig a hole the same size
EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE
How to Rise Above
Your Circumstances
Continued from D1
Whatever your circumstances, you have a
choice: You can default to live under them, or
you can choose to do whatever it takes to rise
above them, where the skies are calm and clear.
Some people allow problems and pressures
to control their lives. Their problems have
nothing to do with the troubles themselves,
but with how they view those circumstances.
Want to climb up on top of your situation
rather than allow it to crush you? Here are
some practical ways to do it:
Anticipate
Think about what’s coming up. Plan ahead.
Don’t get financially blindsided. Figure out
when your car registration is due, when you
need to pay your property taxes, or when you
need to buy new tires. Stop being surprised by
the inevitable.
Become Self-Reliant
Our modern society has made us dependent
on others for almost everything. Learn how
to grow a garden, cook from scratch, and per-
form repairs and maintenance on your own
cars and home. Now, you’ll be able to do for
yourself what you’ve been paying others to
do, should you need to make a quick course
correction.
Shed the Debt
There is no doubt that debt can weigh you
down. Start with your smallest debt, and get
D3
as your newspaper seed pots. Then, place
Since your
a seed pot directly into the hole. This is the
real benefit of these biodegradable pots: We
Transplanting
seedlings have don’t have to worry about disturbing the root Your Seedlings
system of our plants.
lived their entire Make sure the base of the seedling is
MATT FOWLER
even with or higher than the level of the
lives indoors, soil around the pot, so that the next rain
they need to be doesn’t drown it. Use the soil from the hole
you dug to fill around the edges of your pot
acclimated to the so it fits snugly in the hole. Water the plant
and all the soil you loosened around it to
harsh realities of help it settle. That’s it—you have the start
living outside, of a garden!
Continue planting the rest of your seed-
or they will go lings, paying attention to the spacing in-
into shock. structions on your seed packet. You don’t
have to do it all in one day: Spread out the
messy fun of working in the soil with your
budding gardener.
Keep your plants watered, as the wind
and the sun will dry out the surrounding
soil faster than you think possible. Consider Place a newspaper seed pot
directly in the hole.
covering the soil with a 2-inch-thick layer
of mulch, to provide a buffer against the
MATT FOWLER
sun’s hot rays and help protect all the liv-
ing organisms in your garden. Simply cover
SKY VECTORS/SHUTTERSTOCK
the soil with leaves, grass clippings, or even
entire sheets of newspaper, surrounding
your seedlings all the way to the base of
their stems.
Looking Ahead
This is an exciting time in the life of a garden,
but the work of caring for it has only just
begun. So make it fun: The excitement of a
garden will last throughout the season if you
find creative ways to involve your budding
gardeners. How about painting large rocks
to place as a label for each type of plant? Or
adding something pretty to your garden, Use the soil from the hole you dug
such as a hummingbird feeder or some to fill around the edges of your
flowers? pot so it fits snugly in the hole.
Have them make a special note on the cal-
MATT FOWLER
endar to mark when the plants went into
the garden. Encourage them to measure
the plants the same day each week, or even
Keep your plants watered,
as the wind and the sun will
take pictures of them, to track just how much
dry out the surrounding they grow.
soil faster than you think Gardening can put sweat on your brow,
possible. dirt under your fingernails, and an ache
in your back, but the pure joy in seeing the
fruits of your labor growing before your eyes
is immeasurable.
Matt Fowler, MBA, Ph.D., enjoys writing
about his experiences at The Abundant
Farm, an intentional farming operation
in southeastern Illinois on the Crawfish
Creek. The farm challenges the family in the
building of a homestead by growing food, Cover the soil with a 2-inch-thick
products, and character while teaching layer of mulch.
health and bounty to others.
decide if you like the picture you see. If not,
create a plan to change it.
Your troubles
Pare Down
It’s difficult to fly high when you are weighed
are brilliant
opportunities
down with heavy debt and other obligations.
Maybe maintaining too many cars or having
too much stuff in your life is holding you back. disguised as
Take stock, and then unload some weight. impossible
NATHAN DUMLAO/UNSPLASH
Smile on Purpose situations.
Regardless of how you are feeling, greet the
next person you see with a smile and sincere
pleasantry. Force it, if you must. Soon, it will
become heartfelt.
Do Not Dwell on Problems
Refuse to worry unless you have a pencil and
paper in hand. With those tools, worrying
automatically becomes a planning session.
Write down positive ideas.
Mary Hunt is the found-
Don’t Be Fooled by Disguises er of EverydayCheap-
Your troubles are brilliant opportunities dis- skate.com, a frugal liv-
guised as impossible situations. Those who ing blog, and the author
recognize this truth are experts at living of the book “Debt-Proof
above their circumstances. Living.” Mary invites you
to visit her at her web-
Choose Joy site, where this column
One thing that distinguishes you from the is archived complete
Learn how to grow a garden, cook from scratch, animal kingdom: You can control your atti- with links and resources
and perform repairs and maintenance on your tude. You choose your thoughts. So, for today, for all recommended
own cars and home.
choose joy. products and services.
What you can do matters much more than Mary invites questions
it to $0 as quickly as possible. Then add its what you can’t. Focus on getting through the and comments at Every-
payment to the regular payment of the next mess—or if it’s not going away, find a way to dayCheapskate.com/
debt in line. Repeat until all are paid. Then joyfully persevere. Your greatness will never contact, “Ask Mary.”
tackle your mortgage. be measured by wealth or position, but by Tips can be submitted
what it takes to make you quit. at Tips.EverydayCheap-
Educate Yourself As for that duck’s unfortunate encounter skate.com. This column
Most people don’t know enough about their with the plane, once we dumped the fuel, de- will answer questions of
own financial reality—what they earn, what planed, and re-planed, we were back in the general interest, but let-
it takes to live, or how much, if any, is left once air flying full-speed ahead above the circum- ters cannot be answered
the bills are paid. Write down your monthly stances, achieving an on-time arrival. individually. Copyright
bills. Compare them to your income. Then, That was one determined pilot! 2021 Creators.com
D4
It’s OK to
Slurp Your
Vegetables
LYNDA BALSLEV
W
hen spring and sum-
mer bring warm days,
I keep our meals light
and garden-fresh with a
minimum of cooking. Cold
soups, abundant salads, tapas, and anti-
pasti are elevated to dinner course level,
providing simple and refreshing nourish-
ment, while greedily taking advantage of
the farmers market bounty.
The trick to eating this fresh is to provide
enough substance to call these dishes a
main course—and for this, I often turn to
shrimp. Shrimp are versatile and packed
with protein, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids,
adding the necessary nutritional oomph
to top off a light meal. They require mere
minutes to cook in a pan or on the grill,
which is ideal for busy schedules and keep-
ing the heat out of the kitchen. They can
also be poached ahead of time and served
chilled, such as in this gazpacho soup.
SKETCH MASTER/ SHUTTERSTOCK
The trick to eating this
fresh is to provide enough
substance to call these
dishes a main course—
and for this, I often turn
to shrimp.
Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup of Span-
ish origin that is traditionally blended
with an arm’s-length list of vegetables.
Despite the abundance of produce, gaz-
pacho is unfailingly filling and satisfy-
PROTEIN,IRON,
ing—even for meat-eaters—and a perfect
antidote to a warm day.
This version takes inspiration from a
shrimp cocktail, with the tomato juice
FATTY ACIDS.
base infused with cocktail sauce ingre-
A GREENER VIEW
Do Trees Need to Be Painted?
JEFF RUGG
Q: I am planting some 6- to 10-foot-tall
fruit trees and a couple of small shade
trees. Is there really a benefit to painting
the tree trunks or wrapping them in that
spiral wrap stuff?
A: How many trees do you see in nature
that are painted or wrapped? Tree trunks
don’t normally need to be painted or
wrapped in plastic pipe, wire, or cloth.
However, there are times when tree wrap
can help protect the tree.
Trees have bark to protect the live cam-
bium tissue growing right under the bark.
This cambium tissue needs protection
from mammals eating it, from insects bor-
ing through it, and from sunlight heating
it or sunburning it with ultraviolet light.
When a tree grows from a seed in a sunny
location, it produces thicker bark on the
sunny side of the tree. When we buy a tree
that was growing in a field, we rarely plant
it facing the same direction it was growing
in the field. The small trees you are planting
are probably growing in pots and have been
moved so many times no one can know
which way they were oriented in the past.
Sunlight can damage the cambium layer
if a tree is planted so the thin side of bark
is oriented toward the sun. The damage
is called sunscald. Trees growing close
together in a field shade each other, but
when they are planted by themselves in
a landscape, the trunk may be exposed
to the sun. Sunscald can also happen if a
lot of low branches are pruned off a tree.
Ultraviolet light can damage the tree in
the spring and summer. During the winter,
the sun warms the south- or southwest-
facing side of the trunk during cold winter
days. The cells begin to grow as they warm
up in the sunshine, and they start consum-
ing their antifreeze sugars. Within hours,
water in the cells freezes at night as the
temperature drops below freezing and the
cells have less sugar to use as antifreeze.
Ice in the cells and between the cells rup-
LYNDA BALSLEV FOR TASTEFOOD
Drape freshly
poached and
chilled shrimp over
a shrimp cocktail-
inspired gazpacho
for a light spring or
summer meal.
dients, such as horseradish, lemon, and
Worcestershire sauce. Freshly poached
and chilled shrimp are draped over the
rim of the glass to top this soup off and
provide protein. You can serve this as a
main course or divvy it up between small
glasses for a light appetizer. I can’t think
of a better way to slurp my vegetables,
can you?
Lynda Balslev is a cookbook author,
food and travel writer, and recipe
Shrimp are developer based in the San Francisco
Bay Area, where she lives with her
packed with
Danish husband, two children, a cat,
and a dog. Lynda studied cooking at
Le Cordon Bleu Ecole de Cuisine in
OMEGA-3 Paris and worked as a personal chef,
culinary instructor, and food writer in
Switzerland and Denmark. Copyright
2021 Lynda Balslev. Distributed by
Andrew McMeel Syndication.
The warmer and sunnier the
climate, the more likely the trees
will need protection from sunscald
from painting or wrapping.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
SHRIMP COCKTAIL
GAZPACHO
PREP & COOKING TIME
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time
SERVES 4 TO 6
FOR THE SOUP
4 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 English cucumber with skin, seeded,
diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed and
seeded, diced
1 small jalapeño pepper, stemmed and
seeded, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons drained prepared horseradish,
or to taste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Italian parsley or cilantro leaves,
chopped
FOR THE SHRIMP
1 pound jumbo (16/20) shrimp, peeled and
deveined, tails intact
1 lemon, quartered
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
Combine all of the soup ingredients except
the parsley in a large bowl. Mix to blend and
then taste for seasoning. Cover the soup and
refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours to
chill and allow the flavors to develop.
While the soup is chilling, poach the shrimp. Fill
a large saucepan with water. Add the lemon,
bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil over high
heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add
the shrimp. Cover the pot and let stand until the
shrimp turn pink and are opaque through the
center, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the shrimp and rinse
under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Refrigerate until use.
Remove the gazpacho from the refrigerator 15
minutes before serving. Stir in the parsley and
taste again for seasoning. Ladle the soup into
glasses or small bowls, and drape the shrimp over
the edges. Garnish with a celery stalk if desired.
tures the cells, and that area of cambium
cells dies. That side of the trunk may de-
velop a large crack called a frost crack.
Sunscald and frost cracks are more likely
to develop on thin, barked trees such as
beech, birch, cherry, maple, and small
fruit trees. The problem with painting or
wrapping newly planted trees is that they
may not grow their own protective layer of
thicker bark very quickly. The warmer and
sunnier the climate, the more likely the
trees will need protection from sunscald
from painting or wrapping. And the colder
the climate, the more likely the trees will
need protection from sunscald and frost
cracks. Wrap young and newly planted
trees each fall and unwrap them each
spring until the bark develops a thick layer.
Trees with thin bark may be nibbled
on by rodents, especially in regions with
heavy snow cover. Each fall, thin-barked
trees and fruit trees can be wrapped in
wire mesh, cloth, or paper tree wraps to
prevent rodent damage. The wraps should
be removed in the spring to prevent insects
and disease organisms from hiding behind
the wrap and damaging the tree.
Thin-barked trees can be protected from
rabbits and some boring insects by paint-
ing the trunks. Use a latex paint. Oil paints
can be toxic to trees. You can use the paint
right out of the can, or you can dilute the
paint up to 1 part paint and 4 parts water.
The thicker the paint, the more protection
there is. There are companies that make
tree trunk paint that you can find online.
When a tree has thick bark, it does not
need to be protected by paint. Rows of
large street trees are painted because
someone thinks they look pretty.
Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@
greenerview.com. To find out more about
Jeff Rugg and read features by other
Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists,
visit the Creators Syndicate website at
Creators.com. Copyright 2021 Jeff Rugg.
Distributed by Creators Syndicate.
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 D5
ALEX ZOTOV/ SHUTTERSTOCK

light off and on. A vibrating collar is also a

good way to get her attention.
For additional training suggestions, visit
DeafDogs.org/training.

Dogs communicate with

one another primarily
through body language,
so many trainers feel it’s

Q: Mulan, my 2-year-old Siamese mix, re-

cently started sucking my clothing, though
she doesn’t chew holes. She’s especially
drawn to my wool sweaters. Why does she
do this?
A: Wool sucking is common among Sia-
mese, Burmese, and related breeds and
mixes, so it’s probably an inherited be-
havior. Cats that suck fabric most often
choose wool, followed by cotton and then
synthetics.
It may be that the lanolin in wool reminds
Mulan of her mother’s nursing her, or that
With kind, consistent training, deaf dogs can learn hand signals and become wonderful family pets. the soft texture induces her to knead the
ASK THE VET fabric, which leads to sucking. Another
theory is that stress may play a role.

Use Hand Signals to Train a Deaf Dog
LEE PICKETT
Q: We’re enchanted by Eva, a sweet, young
Dalmatian available for adoption through
the nearby Dalmatian rescue. Our only
concern is that she is deaf. If we adopt her,
how will we train her?
A: Deafness is inherited in some breeds,
including Dalmatians, especially those
that are mostly white and have blue eyes.
Fortunately, with kind, consistent train-
ing, deaf dogs can learn hand signals and
become wonderful family pets.
Dogs communicate with one another
primarily through body language, so many
trainers feel it’s actually easier for them to
learn hand signals than spoken words. I’ve
found hand signals help me silently com-
municate with my own hearing dogs while
I’m talking with someone in the room or
on the phone. So, I recommend all dogs
learn hand signals.
To teach Eva, take her to a group obe-
dience training class taught by someone
experienced with deaf dogs. You’ll learn
the standard hand signals for come, sit,
stay, lie down, and other actions.
I think you’ll be happiest if you join a
small group where you’ll receive individ-
ual attention when you need it. Be sure,
however, that there are several other dogs
and people in the group so Eva learns to
ignore distractions and focus on you.
Supplement Eva’s standard dog training
with American Sign Language, or ASL,
which consists of hand motions, facial
expressions, and body movements. Be
sure everyone in the family uses the same
signs so Eva can master “walk,” “go potty,”
“car,” “mealtime,” and other common
concepts.
Positive reinforcement using praise, food
treats, and other rewards will be your most
effective training tool. Praise Eva by smil-
ing and either clapping or using the ASL
sign for “good.”
To gain Eva’s attention indoors, tap your
foot on the floor and give her a hand signal.
When she’s sleeping, awaken her gently
by holding a treat in front of her nose and
lightly petting her.
When she’s outdoors, she should be
leashed or within a fenced yard. Her iden-
tification tag should say, “Eva is DEAF” and
provide your phone number and address.
To call her when she’s outside, use a
flashlight or laser pointer, or turn the porch
You can interrupt Mulan’s wool sucking
by distracting her with an interactive toy,
such as a laser pointer, Mylar cat teaser, or
feather on a fishing pole. Offer alternative
oral stimulation, such as a dog chew toy.
Make feeding sessions more fun by let-
ting Mulan hunt for her food. Hide small
meals throughout your home, or put some
kibble inside a food puzzle or feeder that
opens when she manipulates it.
When Mulan cuddles in your wool-clad
arms without sucking your sweater, reward
her with a cat treat. Gradually lengthen the
time until she receives the treat.
If Mulan chews holes in your sweaters and
these recommendations don’t help, make
an appointment with her veterinarian.
Lee Pickett, VMD, practices companion
animal medicine in North Carolina.
Contact her at AskTheVet.pet. Copyright
2021 Lee Pickett, VMD. Distributed by
Creators.com

HERE’S HOW

Add a Walk-In Closet to Your Master Bedroom

JAMES DULLEY
Dear James: We created a master bedroom
from two smaller bedrooms. Now, we want
to build a walk-in closet into a corner. How
big should one be, and how should we build
it? —Aaron M.
Dear Aaron: A walk-in closet is found in
almost every master bedroom these days.
This is a pretty simple do-it-yourself project
because you just have to build a framed
shell, cover it with drywall, and hang a
decorative pre-hung interior door.
Because it is such a popular feature, some
builders and remodelers try to fit a walk-in
closet into a bedroom or house that is too
small for it. This not only looks odd but
also isn’t very functional. By taking space
away from the rest of a small bedroom, the
functionality of the entire bedroom can be
compromised.
After combining two bedrooms, you
should have plenty of room for a decent-
sized walk-in closet. It should have a mini-
mum depth of 4 feet from the door. It should
be the full height of the bedroom to pro-
vide room for shelves. The minimum width
depends on the type of storage (shelves,
cabinets, built-in drawers, etc.) you choose.
It should provide enough space to turn
around once you are in there.
Before proceeding with your walk-in closet
design, do some preliminary planning for
the master bedroom layout. Plan to have the
bedroom, closet, and bathroom doors open
up in an area along a wall or in a corner. This
creates a traffic zone that will be somewhat
separate from the rest of the bedroom, where
the furniture and bed are located.
You should not put the walk-in closet door
across from the bedroom entrance door if
they cannot be on the same wall. Walk-in
closets tend to get a bit messy at times, and
it’s best not to have a mess on the floor of the
closet be the first thing someone sees when
they enter the bedroom.
The closet door should open outward
into the room so it does not block access
to items in the closet. Keep this in mind
when you decide which way you want the
closet door to swing. If it’s near the room
entrance or the bathroom door and swings
the wrong way, it can be in the way and
become an annoyance.
Once you have the location and size of the
walk-in closet determined, plan on the type
of storage you desire inside the closet. A shelf
is often located above a closet rod and is typi-
cally 14 inches deep for larger items.
Closet rods for hanging long dresses should
be about 70 inches from the floor and 12
inches from the closet wall.
There should be about 5 inches of clearance
above the rod to a shelf to make it easy to
hang clothes. For hanging shirts, jackets, and
pants, one rod can be located above another.
Leave about 44 inches between them.
Plan for adequate lighting in the closet. A
built-in switch in the door jamb is best so
the light goes out automatically when the
door is closed and cannot accidentally be
left on. Also install override switches on
the outside and inside of the closet. Install
full-spectrum compact fluorescent bulbs
for efficiency and for the truest colors.
Send your questions to Here’s How, 6906
Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244, or
visit Dulley.com. To find out more about
James Dulley and read features by other
Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists,
visit the Creators Syndicate website at
Creators.com. Copyright 2021 Creators.com

CALLING Dear Readers,

Did you build, fix, design, or craft something that you’re especially proud of?
Whether it’s a small decoration or an ambitious renovation, we’d love to hear about it!

ALL
We’re looking to spotlight inspiring home projects from our readers that showcase
valuable do-it-yourself skills and spirit. Tell us about yours—the product, process,
challenges, and rewards.
Send your story, a photo of yourself, and at least one photo of your project, along with

DIYERS your full name, state, and contact information, to home@epochtimes.com, or mail it to:
Home, The Epoch Times, 229 W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001.
D6
Before you pack your bags and head to some foreign land to live, read up on the relevant Social Security rules.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND YOU
What Happens to Your
Social Security Check
If You Live Abroad?
TOM MARGENAU
Maybe it’s because COVID-19 restrictions
are easing up a bit. And some people prob-
ably have a bad case of wanderlust. I’m
sure others are just thinking about retir-
ing and returning to their homeland. Or
perhaps still others see some of the same
websites I do that entice you with head-
lines similar to this one I recently read:
“Live like royalty on your Social Security
check in Belize!”
Anyway, I’ve received more than a few
emails lately from folks who want to know
what happens with their Social Security
benefits once they pack their bags and
head to some foreign land to live.
Anyone planning to do that needs to
read a booklet that the Social Security
Administration produces called “Social
Security—Your Payments While You Are
Outside the United States.” You can find it
online at the SSA’s website, SocialSecurity.
gov. Just click the “Publications” link near
the bottom of the homepage.
Once there, pull down the “Topics” menu
and you’ll find the booklet under the “Gen-
eral Information” section.
By reading that publication, you will
learn that if you are a U.S. citizen, the rules
are pretty simple. You can get your Social
Security benefits almost anywhere in the
world. However, the Treasury Department
doesn’t allow any federal government
checks to be sent to North Korea or Cuba.
And there are Social Security restrictions
PERSONAL FINANCE
Help Her
Get Back
Out There
DAVE RAMSEY
Dear Dave,
Our daughter recently moved back in
with us after she lost her job and her
apartment. She hasn’t been able to find
full-time work yet, and she had nowhere
else to go. My husband and I are nearing
retirement age, so we want to do the best
and smartest thing to help her get back
on her feet. What do you suggest?
—Joan
Dear Joan,
First, you need to define what helping
your daughter really means. What does
it look like? In my mind, you haven’t
helped her if she’s still living at home two
or three years from now. Going to those
lengths is called being an enabler. At the
same time, you shouldn’t just show her
the door and wish her good luck. You
and your husband together should come
RAWPIXEL.COM/SHUTTERSTOCK
that prevent benefits from being sent to
Vietnam and most of the republics that
formerly made up the Soviet Union (places
such as Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, etc.).
There are some exceptions to those Social
Security restrictions, if any of those remote
places are beckoning you in retirement.
If you are not a U.S. citizen but you have
lived in this country legally and worked
and earned Social Security benefits, then
the rules get a little more complicated. I
will briefly explain some of them.
If you are a citizen of one of the 23 coun-
tries that have Social Security treaty agree-
ments with the U.S. (they are listed in the
aforementioned booklet), then you also
can get your benefits anywhere in the
world—with the same restrictions that ap-
ply to U.S. citizens outlined above. You’ll
find the list of countries on page 5 of the
booklet. The list includes most European
countries as well as places such as Israel,
Australia, Japan, and South Korea.
Page 6 of the booklet has another list
of countries. If you are a citizen of one of
The Treasury
those countries, you can get your Social
Department doesn’t
allow any federal Security benefits while living outside the
government checks U.S., but only if you are receiving Social
to be sent to North Security retirement or disability benefits.
Korea or Cuba. If you get Social Security dependent or sur-
vivors benefits, then the rules really get
messy—way too complicated to explain
in the short space of this column. Please
refer to the booklet for more information.
If you aren’t a citizen of one of the coun-
You will learn tries listed on pages 5 and 6 of the booklet
but you are receiving U.S. Social Security
that if you are benefits, then as a general rule, those ben-
a U.S. citizen, efits will stop once you have been outside
the country for more than six months.
the rules are If you are getting Social Security benefits
while living overseas, you are generally sub-
pretty simple. ject to the same rules and regulations that
apply to Social Security beneficiaries in the
United States. And some of the rules are
even more restrictive. For example, there
is an earnings penalty that applies to So-
cial Security beneficiaries in this country
SAM WORDLEY/SHUTTERSTOCK
Come up with an approach that allows your daughter a little time to heal and
regain her dignity, but also includes a plan, expectations, and a move-out date.
to an agreement on a forward-thinking
plan that falls somewhere in the middle.
I’m talking about something that allows She should be
your daughter a little time to heal and re- thinking about
gain her dignity, but also includes a plan,
expectations, and a move-out date. and working on
If I were in your shoes, there would
be requirements attached to her living tangible career
at home again. One is that she would steps every
respect and abide by your household
rules. If she’s going to live in your home, single day.
she should be expected to respect her
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
who are under their full retirement age and
making more than about $19,000 per year.
But if you are under your full retirement
age and living overseas, you won’t get your
Social Security check for any month you
work over 45 hours, no matter how much
money you make. There are exceptions
to this rule. The most common is this: If
you work for a U.S. corporation overseas,
then you are subject to the more lenient
earnings penalty rules that apply to U.S.
residents.
If you are getting Social Security disabil-
ity benefits while living overseas, the same
rules apply to you as to people living in
this country. That means, for example, that
your claim will be periodically reviewed
to make sure you are still disabled.
If you are a U.S. citizen living overseas,
the benefits you receive are subject to the
same income tax payments that apply to
U.S. residents. If you aren’t a U.S. citizen,
the SSA will automatically withhold a por-
tion of your benefits to cover possible tax
obligations—although there are some ex-
ceptions to that rule.
Most people living overseas have their
benefits sent by direct deposit to a bank
in the country where they are living. On
page 27 of the booklet mentioned earlier in
this column, there is a long list of countries
that have an international direct deposit
treaty agreement with the United States.
Assuming you have moved to one of those
countries, you will have no problem get-
ting your benefits electronically.
If you need to conduct some kind of So-
cial Security business once you are living
overseas, you obviously can’t just drive
across town and visit your local Social Se-
curity office. But every U.S. embassy and
consulate has a person on staff who is
trained to handle Social Security business.
So, they are a good source of information
and help. Or, assuming you have internet
access, you can use the SSA’s website.
One final point. Your Medicare cover-
age only works while you are living in the
United States. So, if you move to a foreign
country and think you will be there for
good, you might as well cancel the parts of
Medicare for which you pay a monthly pre-
mium. These are usually Part B (medical
insurance) and Part D (drug insurance).
The key to understanding all of this is
reading that booklet I mentioned. I will
warn you that it can be a little daunting at
first, just because there are so many rules
and so many potential variables to those
rules depending on your citizenship sta-
tus, the kind of benefit you are getting, and
where you plan to live. Just be patient, and
I think it will all sink in eventually.
Other than that, bon voyage! And send
me a postcard from one of those pretty
golden beaches in Belize.
Tom Margenau worked for
32 years in a variety of positions for the
Social Security Administration before
retiring in 2005. He has served as the
director of SSA’s public information
office, the chief editor of more than 100
SSA publications, a deputy press officer
and spokesman, and a speechwriter for
the commissioner of Social Security. For
12 years, he also wrote Social Security
columns for local newspapers, and
recently published the book “Social
Security: Simple and Smart.” If you have
a Social Security question, contact him at
thomas.margenau@comcast.net
parents and their wishes.
No. 2, she should be thinking about
and working on tangible career steps ev-
ery single day. I’m pretty sure she could
find a part-time job out there to put a
little extra money in her pocket. When
she’s not earning some cash, she should
be focusing on long-term career goals.
Sending out resumés and filling out
applications for full-time employment
needs to be a priority.
The last thing I’ll suggest may sound a
little strange, but trust me on this one.
Right now, your daughter also needs
some kind of physical activity on a regu-
lar basis. Exercise stimulates the mind,
and she really needs that right now. It’ll
also be great for her body.
This young lady has been through a
stressful experience. She needs some
understanding and support right now.
At the same time, you don’t want to let
her slide into bad habits and participate
in promoting negative behavior. Step in,
help her get her life back on track, and
get her out in the world again. All three of
you will be glad you did!
—Dave
Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions,
host of The Dave Ramsey Show, and
a best-selling author, including
“The Total Money Makeover.”
Follow Dave at DaveRamsey.com
 WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 D7

EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE

To Save Money on Gas, Drive Smarter

MARIA SBYTOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK

MARY HUNT

Yesterday, I filled up at the gas station,

and I was shocked. Shocked! Cost to fill
up? $64.12. I really haven’t been hiding
under a rock. It’s just that I don’t often fill
the one vehicle I share with my husband,
so it wasn’t until I handed over $64.12 that
the runaway cost of gasoline got personal.
Have you noticed? At the time of writing,
gas prices jumped more than 9 percent in
the past month and 22.5 percent above last
year at this time, and they’re not expected
to slow down anytime soon.
Believe me, as I pulled away, I renewed
my resolve to employ every gasoline-con-
servation technique and tip known to hu-
mankind. I thought perhaps you could use
a reminder as well.

Combine Errands
Instead of running to the dry cleaners to-
night, the drugstore tomorrow, the post
office the next day, and the doctor next
Tuesday, combine those errands into one
trip. Plan ahead because it’s all those short
trips that can really whack the gas mileage.

Get Technical
Learn to drive as if there’s an egg in be-
tween the gas pedal and the floor. Break it
and you die. This means gentle and gradual
pressure on the gas—no sudden accelera-
tion or “floor boarding.”
Carpool and Other Alternatives
Whenever possible, walk or ride a bike.
Most of your trips are within just a few
miles of your home anyway, so cut down
your car mileage and get some exercise
at the same time. Can’t avoid a car trip?
Whenever possible, share a ride with a co-
worker, neighbor, or family member.
Pass on Premium
High-octane fuels aren’t necessarily bet-
ter for your car. In fact, unless your car’s
manual specifically calls for premium fuel,
your car might not be benefitting from it at
all. Read that manual. Chances are good
you can skip the premium and pocket the
difference.
Slow Down While the price of gasoline remains out of Employ
Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 our control, we can control how often we visit as many
miles per hour. If you drive 70 mph instead Each 5 mph the filling station. So, how low can you go? of these
of 55 mph, experts say you could be burning Could you cut one complete fill-up during gasoline-
up to 17 percent of your fuel just to get there a
you drive over the coming month? That’s my goal. I’ll keep conserving
tips as you
few minutes sooner. In fact, each 5 mph you 60 mph is you posted. can, to limit
drive over 60 mph is likely equal to paying
an additional 20 cents per gallon of gas. likely equal Mary Hunt is the founder of Everyday-
your trips
to the gas
to paying an Cheapskate.com, a frugal living blog and station.
Tire Care the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”
Bald tires are not only a driving hazard, additional Mary invites you to visit her at her website,
but they also burn more fuel. Keeping your where this column is archived complete with
tires properly inflated is an easy way to im-
20 cents per links and resources for all recommended
prove your gas mileage by up to 3 percent, gallon of gas. products and services. Mary invites ques-
which could save 5 cents per gallon. tions and comments at EverydayCheap-
skate.com/contact, “Ask Mary.” Tips can
Trunk Lite be submitted at Tips.EverydayCheapskate.
For every 100 pounds of excess weight in com. This column will answer questions
your trunk, your car loses about 2 percent of general interest, but letters cannot be
of its fuel economy. Empty everything but answered individually. Copyright 2021
the required safety equipment. Creators.com

ASK CARRIE

Tips for Teaching Your Kids About Money

CARRIE SCHWAB-POMERANTZ
Dear Readers: Moms these days can fill
a lot of roles—from nutritionist to chauf-
feur to nurse to counselor. We’re called
on to be experts in everything from
caring for physical wounds to healing
broken hearts. On top of that, many of us
hold down full-time jobs! Now I’m going
to add one more responsibility to the list:
financial coach. Think you don’t have
time to add one more thing to your busy
schedule?
Actually, you might be surprised at how
much financial knowledge you already
impart to your kids just in the everyday
things you do. After all, kids are always
watching and learning from us—even
when we’re unaware of it. So my thought
is that when it comes to money, a little
conscious awareness on the parts of
moms—and dads—can make the finan-
cial lessons we teach our kids that much
more effective.
Still skeptical? Here are some practical
ways you can increase your kids’ finan-
cial knowledge from the early years until
they’re ready to set off on their own.
Early Years
I’m all for starting to teach kids about
money at an early age. I believe even
children as young as 3 to 5 can begin to
learn a bit about saving and spending—
and have fun doing it. As your kids get
older, you can involve them in budget-
ing, smart credit management, even
investing. And it doesn’t have to take a lot
of time.
Instilling the savings habit in kids
from a young age is a great start to their
financial education. Add to that a begin-
or gift, say 10 percent, toward their
savings goal. That’s a good start. (You
You might be can always match their savings to help
surprised at them along!)
E Make saving tangible for even the
how much youngest children by decorating
separate jars for each savings goal and
financial helping them track their progress.
knowledge E Teach the value of money by giving a
young child a dollar to buy a snack,
you already pay for it, get a receipt, keep the change
and put it toward a savings goal.
impart to
your kids Middle Schoolers
By middle school, kids are ready to han-
just in the dle some money of their own. Whether
everyday it comes from an allowance, gifts, or
eventually a part-time job, it’s only by
things you do. managing their own money—and mak-
ing their own mistakes—that kids will
learn to make good saving, spending and
budgeting decisions. Here are some easy
ways to give them real-world experience:
E Help your preteen open a savings ac-
count. (You’ll need their Social Security
Instilling the savings
habit in kids from
number.) Shop for one with no fees—
a young age is a another good lesson. Talk about interest
great start to their and explain how compound interest
financial education. works. Your bank manager might be
willing to help out. That might get the
kids to listen more closely. Again, en-
courage them to save at least 10 percent
of any money they receive.
E Decide together what your kids will be
responsible for paying for—whether
something essential like school lunch-
es or extras like a movie with friends.
It will be up to them to make sure they
have the money when they need it.
E Let kids plan a trip or night out. Give
them a budget, something like $1,000
MARYNA KULCHYTSKA/SHUTTERSTOCK
but they don’t always equate that with
being financially responsible. If you
started their money lessons early, hope-
fully they’ve already established some
good habits. Now is the time to prepare
them for the upcoming transition to the
real world of saving, budgeting, credit—
even investing. Use this list as a starting
point:
E Savings: Help working teens set up
direct deposit to put part of every pay-
check into a savings account.
E Budgeting: Whether with an online
tracker or on paper, have your teens
record every purchase they make for a
week or two. Then take it a step further
by having them complete a monthly
budget planner to really see where
their money is going.
E Credit management: Once you explain
the pluses and minuses of credit cards,
give your older teen some hands-on
experience.
E Investing: There’s a lot to talk about
here, but experience is the best teacher.
Introduce some basic concepts about
long-term investing, risk, and not bet-
ting everything on a single stock.
No matter your kids’ age, setting a good
example is probably the most important
thing you can do. If you’re open about
your own financial challenges and make
money conversations a part of everyday
life, your kids will be more comfortable
and confident when dealing with money.
And the lessons won’t stop when
they’re off on their own. Your good ex-
ample will continue on, and chances are
they’ll be coming back to discuss their
own money issues with you—as well as

ning awareness of spending, and you’ll for a family vacation or $75 for a special
really give them a boost. Try these simple dinner. Have them research and esti-
activities to get started: mate expenses. Help them be creative
and make trade-offs to stay within
E Have your kids choose something they budget.
really want. Put a price tag on it, and
help them set aside a portion of any T
Teenagers
money they get from an allowance Teens want freedom and independence,
T After Fifty.”
other of life’s challenges—knowing they
can rely on Mom’s good counsel.
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, a certified
financial planner, is president of the
Charles Schwab Foundation and author
of “The Charles Schwab Guide to Finances
D8
PERSONAL FINANCE
1/3 of Americans Are Losing Sleep Over Money
JOHN DELONY
Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Or do
you bolt awake at 2 a.m. every morning with
a racing heart? According to a recent survey
from our research team at Ramsey Solutions,
you’re probably worried about money. In the
first quarter of 2021, Americans listed “per-
sonal finances” as their top stressor. In fact,
one in three of us loses sleep over it.
That’s millions of hours of lost sleep across
our neighborhoods, our cities, and our
country.
But stress itself isn’t the enemy. Anxiety
is like an alarm: It alerts you to something
in your environment that makes you feel
unsafe, disconnected, or out of control. It’s
your brain and your body’s way of protect-
ing you (even though it doesn’t necessarily
feel that way).
The good news is that by getting connected
with people and changing your thoughts
and actions, you can begin to transform
your bank account and your mental health.
Here are a few practices that will help you
get started.
Take Responsibility for
Your Personal Finances
One of the most painful data points that
emerged from the state of personal finances
study is that a third of Americans believe
they won’t ever recover from the financial
setbacks of the pandemic. I know that the
horrors of the past year have been devastat-
ing. I’ve personally talked to thousands of
you on the radio. If you’re scared or hurting,
my heart goes out to you.
But here’s the reality: You cannot edit the
past. The only question that matters is what
you will do next. Change begins when you
look in the mirror, own your grief, and de-
cide to do things differently. Don’t sweep
your money stress under the rug, or wait
for some government official to come to
the rescue. Starting today, chart a different
path for your future.
Never Take On Debt
Going (further) into debt when you’re in a
bad financial situation is like drinking salt
water to quench your thirst. It looks good
at first, but it will kill you. Of the people we
surveyed, we found that Americans with
consumer debt are twice as unhappy with
Going their lives as people who are debt-free.
(further) into If you owe money to anyone for any rea-
son, get out of debt as quickly as possible. Do
debt when whatever it takes. Get a second or a third job,
and work extra until you can say goodbye to
you’re in a debt forever.
bad financial
Save an Emergency Fund
situation is Hard times will come, so instead of worry-
ing about them, we must do our best to be
like drinking prepared. This is where an emergency fund
salt water comes in. An emergency fund doesn’t com-
pound your money, and it doesn’t get you
to quench more shiny toys in your garage. But it does
your thirst. help you sleep. It does help you laugh a little
bit easier and breathe a bit deeper.
Once you’re debt-free except for your
home, save enough money to cover three
to six months of expenses. That way, when
you lose your job or your HVAC unit is on
the fritz, you’ll be faced with an inconve-
nience—not a crisis.
Invest In People
In addition to a financial disaster, we are
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021
CHRIS AINSWORTH/UNSPLASH
Money is just
a resource
that allows
you to live a
meaningful
life—and
relationships
are the
foundation of
that life.
living in a loneliness epidemic. People are
your emergency fund for life, both the good
and the bad times. If you’re stressed about
money, grab a cup of coffee with an old
friend. Go for a walk with your spouse. Go
back to church. After all, money is just a re-
source that allows you to live a meaningful
life—and relationships are the foundation
of that life.
Take responsibility, don’t take on debt,
build an emergency fund, and connect with
real people in real life. You are worth being
well in every area of your life, including your
finances. Don’t put this off any longer!
Dr. John Delony is a mental health expert
with doctorates in counselor education and
supervision and higher education admin-
istration from Texas Tech University. Prior
to joining Ramsey Solutions in 2020, John
worked as a senior leader, professor, and
researcher at multiple universities. He also
spent two decades in crisis response, walk-
ing with people through severe trauma.
Now as a Ramsey Personality, he teaches
on relationships and emotional wellness.
Follow Delony at JohnDelony.com
Unmoved
Oil on canvas
Size: 29 1/2 x 39 1/2 in
Original artworks, canvas wraps,
art posters, and framed prints of
Award-winninvg oil paintings
now available for purchase at
I ns piredOrigina l.Org