Progressive Thinking

Don't let baseless fear and lies stand between us and our new neighbors and friends.

HOWARD - These days there are so many “alternative facts” being generated for the sole purpose of making people afraid. Especially troubling to me is the fear of foreigners. The belief that refugees and immigrants are dangerous. Although fears are not new, they are based on misinformation and lies. It’s untrue that refugees are not screened before entering the country, and that banning them will keep the U.S. safe from terror. Refugees undergo more rigorous screenings than any other individuals the government allows in the U.S. As a matter of fact, we know that in the past 30 years not a single death in the U.S. has been attributed to people from the countries covered by Trump’s unconstitutional executive orders banning Muslims.

It’s untrue that immigrants are violent or criminal. In actuality, immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens. Research shows higher levels of immigration may even have contributed to the historic drop in crime rates. It’s untrue that immigrants don’t want to learn English. Over 50 percent of first-generation immigrants speak English “well” or “very well,” and more immigrants want to learn English than classes can accommodate.

It’s untrue immigrants and refugees are somehow not like us. They’re students in search of an education. They’re families trying to make ends meet. They’re our neighbors, our friends.

They’re Americans.

Decorated Disabled American Navy Veteran was robbed of $13,000 of cash and travelor's cheques, and another $2,500 from his debit card, while he waits in Jamaica for emergency evacuation that never came. Owner of EMed Jamaica "air ambulance service" misrepresents himself as Florida Doctor to extort $17,000 more from Wisconsin family.

GREEN BAY, WI - Black lives matter. But then, all lives should matter, especially to those who claim the trust we give to people identified as part of the medical community, here and overseas.

I want to bring public awareness to the tragedy that our family has been forced to deal with and to find justice for our brother David N. Thompson, Sr.  of  Madison , Wisconsin. He was in Jamaica, visiting friends and recuperating from a toe amputation when he became ill. Doctors at Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, Jamaica MISDIAGOSED his condition, and referred his family to EMed Jamaica, an air fight ambulance company who charged his family $17,000 and assured us our brother would immediately be transported to the U.S.

However, they delayed transporting Dave for nearly NINE hours.

Our brother died before being flown to the U.S. for treatment that the Jamaican Medical Examiner later said would have saved his life had be been transported in a timely fashion.  My family and I believe the delay was intentional in order for EMed Jamaica to make the most profit. 

During what was a painful, helpless, and terrifying ordeal for him, Dave, who was a decorated Disabled American Navy Veteran was robbed of $13,000 of cash and travelor's cheques, and another $2,500 was fraudulently withdrawn from his debit card.

Duane Boise, the owner of EMed Jamaica, was the person who showed up at the hospital to attend to Dave, but he fraudulently represented himself as Dr. Garth George, an Emergenccy Physician with over 20 years experience in saving Americans with health emergencies in the Carribean. Our Investigation has revealed Boise is is a felon convicted in Florida of Criminal Use of ID. In a effort to substantiate the company's charges for a service they failed to perform , Emed Jamaica then produced documents with forged signatures.

Dave deserved better.

The US Embassy in Jamaica has told us it is beyond the realm their responsibilities to assist in the criminal investigation of the wrongdoing involved in his death. We, Dave's family, have  hired an attorney in Montego Bay to help bring civil charges against those responsible for letting our brother lay in pain, strapped to his bed, while allowing him to die, all in order for someone to profit.

We hope this true story of Dave's ordeal will convince you that his life mattered too.

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For more information on how to help, go to our goFundme page here.

Why are military style assault weapons like those used in San Bernardino County Wednesday so easily and legally available? While it is obvious that a ban on assault weapon sales would not stop all types of gun crimes, we can certainly stop handing these murderers the weapon of their choice to kill us.

GREEN BAY – This week's murder of 14 people in San Bernardino County, and the wounding of 17 others by self styled terrorists at a holiday gathering of public service workers has many implications for all thinking Americans, but one question immediately jumps to mind. Why are military style assault weapons like those used Wednesday so easily available to any murderer, terrorist, or nut case who wants one?

Assault weapons are a class of semi-automatic firearms that are designed to kill humans quickly and efficiently. Assault weapons have been used in many high-profile shooting incidents, including Wednesday's massacre in California, the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the 2012 Aurora, Colorado movie theater, and many others.

A review of 62 mass shootings between 1982 and 2012 by Mother Jones found that assault weapons were recovered in almost a quarter of them. A review of mass shootings between January 2009 and January 2013 by Mayors Against Illegal Guns found that incidents where assault weapons or large capacity ammunition magazines were used resulted in 135% more people shot and 57% more killed, compared to other mass shootings.

A joint report by scholars in Mexico and the United States found that semi-automatic assault rifles sold in the U.S. are the most sought after and widely used weapons by Mexican drug trafficking organizations.

A study analyzing FBI data shows that 20% of the law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty from 1998 to 2001 were killed with assault weapons. Evidence from law enforcement leaders suggests that military-style assault weapons are increasingly being used against law enforcement by drug dealers and gang members.

A report by the International Association of Chiefs of Police recommended that Congress enact an effective ban on military-style assault weapons in order to curb the ability of criminals to “outgun” law enforcement officers.

A strong majority of Americans, including gun owners, consistently support laws prohibiting assault weapons. In a recent survey, 67% of Field & Stream readers polled did not consider assault weapons to be legitimate sporting guns.

In 1994, Congress adopted the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which made it “unlawful for a person to manufacture, transfer, or possess” a semiautomatic assault weapon. However, the law expired in 2004, despite overwhelming public support for its renewal and semi-automatic, military style weapons banned under the federal law are now legal unless banned by state or local law.

Gun manufacturers, their lobbyists, gun merchants, and the NRA spend millions of dollars each year fighting legislation to reenact the Assault Weapon Ban. We let them put their financial interest to sell guns and ammunition above the safety of our families by buying their bogus claim that somehow they are protecting our “rights”.

Assault weapons allow criminals and terrorists to fire more shots, wound and kill more individuals and inflict greater damage in the most deadly mass shootings. While it is obvious that a ban on assault weapon sales would not stop all types of gun crimes, we can certainly stop handing these murderers the weapon of their choice to kill us.

And if there is no political will to do something in Washington, we can certainly demand action from our political leaders right here in Wisconsin.

It is time for everybody to do something to stop the slaughter. Wake up and smell the bodies!