Americans . . . GET A GRIP!

Frightened CoupleSince 9/11, a grand total of 45 Americans have been killed by terrorists.

45!

That’s about 3 per year.

I’m not going to callously marginalize the tragedy of 45 deaths. All these were people who had families, friends, dreams about the future. Each one is a sad example of what it means to live in a dangerous world.

But think about it . . . only 45 people have been killed by terrorists in the last 14+ years.

Last year alone, there were 16,121 HOMICIDES11,208 of those were people killed by firearms!  That more than one gun killing PER HOUR!

Every 51 minutes in America, someone is killed by drunk drivingAlmost 11,000 a year!

Last year 1,658,370 new cancer cases were diagnosed.  589,430 people died of cancer! That’s 1,615 A DAY!  67 people PER HOUR!

Over 102,000 people die EVERY YEAR from hospital associated infections — by the time you finish reading my article, two people will have died from filthy medical facilities.

Get this:  Even greater numbers, meaning in excess of 216,000, die every year because of medical error!  Yes, you read that correctly.  Almost 600 people die EVERY DAY because of misdiagnosis or error in reading medical charts. “Golly gee. I’m sorry. It said 20.00 cc. I was sure it was 2000 cc. Oops! Can you notify the family of the deceased for me?”

I could go on and on.  But this offers some perspective:  Rare as it is to be electrocuted in a storm, you are seventeen times more likely to get killed by lightning than by a terrorist.

Let’s cut to the chase . . .

Since 2001, the U.S. has spent over $3 trillion on the War on Terror.

That’s $3 trillion with a ‘t’.

For $3 trillion we could have outfitted everyone with bulletproof vests, cured cancer, put breathalyzer shut-offs on every single car to keep drunks from getting behind the wheel, disinfected every hospital in America, outfitted every single American with a lighting rod, and probably had some money left over to train nurses and doctors how to read a chart.

What’s going on in this country . . . home of the brave, land of the free?

Oh yes, indeed we are free.  Free to wake up frightened, go to bed frightened, live every moment frightened because . . . THERE ARE TERRORISTS LURKING EVERYWHERE!  They hate us, they hate our freedoms, they want to chop off our heads, rape our women!

I agree about one thing for sure . . .

We should be afraid.

We should be afraid that our priorities are completely whack and that our government is overrun by self-serving lunatics, at the beck and call of our out-of-control military!

Here are some questions we should ask ourselves . . .

How many of you have known a friend, relative or neighbor who has died of cancer?

How many of you have known someone who has a family member killed by a drunk driver?

How many of you live in a community where someone was murdered?

Contrast your answer with . . .

How many of you know someone who was attacked by a Muslim?

How many of you know someone who was killed by a terrorist?

Folks . . . the War On Terror is a fraud!

It’s just a cash cow for our bloated military-industrial complex.

All I can suggest is this:  Every time one of the fear mongers comes on TV and shows you guys in ski masks and tell you to hide under your bed . . . GET A GRIP!

You are more likely to get hit by a bus while you’re under your bed, than be attacked by a terrorist while standing at a bus stop.

Here, folks, is my prediction for each and every one of you for 2016.

Ready? 

You WILL NOT BE KILLED by ISIS or al Qaeda or al Nusra or by boko haram guerillas.

Actually, you’re much more likely to be killed by your local police.

 

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