The Supreme Court Has Set Womens' Rights Back Decades

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According to an initial draft majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, "The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision."

Justice Samuel Alito, and the other conservative Justices; Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett; are of the opinion that the issue of abortion is about states' rights, rather than women's rights.

In other words, it's more important to preserve the right of state governments police doctor/patient relationships than it is to safeguard the right of women to decide what happens to their own bodies.

According to The Guttmacher Institute, "The number of illegal procedures in the country plummeted from around 130,000 to 17,000 between 1972 and 1974. The number of deaths associated with illegal abortion decreased from 39 to 5 in that same time period; women who died as a result of illegal abortions typically were black..."

The GOP's stance on abortion isn't about states' rights, and it certainly isn't about protecting life.  Criminalizing abortion only drives desperate procedure seekers into proverbial back allies.  GOP law

makers are chomping at the bit to ban abortions, making no allowances for cases of incest and/or rape. 

A recent piece in The Huffington Post tells the story of 11-year-old "Sophia" (her real name withheld to protect her privacy) who was impregnated by a relative.  There was no question whether, or not, Sophia should carry to term.  The pregnancy was, of course, terminated.  However, if conservative law makers have their way, and it looks like they just might, victims, such as 11-year-old Sophia will be forced to see their unwanted pregnancy to its conclusion, despite the physical and mental health of the mother. 

If ultra-conservatives were truly concerned with safeguarding the sanctity of life, they would allow, and even champion, exceptions for rape, incest, and protecting think health of the health/life of the mother.  Protecting life isn't their true motivation though.  Keeping abortion illegal is a way to keep uppity women in their place by turning them into little more than baby factories.  They're literally saying, "No matter how a female (woman or girl) is impregnated, and no matter how said impregnation affects her health, she needs to shut up and pop that baby out."  When policy reflects such an attitude, women are reduced to second class citizens.

Us Vs. Them

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If one has a yearning for mythology, they needn't look to ancient Greece & Rome; the United States of America is full of it.  From young George Washington ratting himself out over a vandalized cherry tree to Betsy Ross single handedly designing our flag, our history is liberally peppered with extra-factual stories and ideas.  One such idea holds that our country was built upon the spirit of cooperation & compromise. 

|Subject: Them Vs. Us | Rights to PNG secured from FAVPNG Premium |

When I was in grade school, I was taught Americans would debate back & forth, then come together to do what was best for the greatest number of people.  I don't know, maybe it used to be like that, to some extent.  It's not like that today though. 

Today, a party will declare a filibuster to kill a Senate bill, simply because it was proposed by the opposing party.  They don't even have to execute the filibuster to kill a bill, they only have to declare their intention to do so, and the bill is dead. There's no high-minded debate or negotiation involved. American politics has solely become about us denying them a victory.  That’s it.  We HAVE to beat them.

Even more tragic is the fact that the us vs. them mentality has oozed beyond the borders of Washington, flooding everyday life.  We are always on the side of the angels (or  enlightenment if the we are atheist), and they are marching in Hell's army.  They must but given no quarter, for we are the righteous. 

OK, we've always suffered under the yokes of racial & sexual bigotry and religious intolerance.  They just seem to more visible today, and people seem less willing to tolerate people with differing points of view.  Whether, or not, people get a shot to avoid disease has become a political question. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm scared of COVID-19.  I took the vaccination.  However, I see anti-vaxxers losing jobs, and being denied entrance into; restaurants, sporting events, schools, etc...; I wonder if we're not creating another underclass, another them.  

Sure, they could take the shot to, instantly, safeguard their job and other rights. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.  Of course, all the Jewish people had to do, in the fifteenth century, was to deny their beliefs to have the hot coals removed from their balls. 

Personally, I believe that part of being a good American is doing what's good for the country.  If we all got our shots we could shed the yoke of COVID-19, and our masks, and return to business as usual.  However, if someone due to; religious belief, personal belief, medical condition, or simply fear; can’t find themselves to take the shot, I can’t ostracize them for it. 

Shiny Glitzy Things

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“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - J. R. R. Tolkien

I've been having trouble writing lately.  I typically write about issues I care about passionately, but I'm just not feeling it boys and girls.  Caring about the important things seems to be going out of style.  Think about it.

• Mitch McConnell admits, verbally, Washington needs to raise the debt ceiling to avoid economic upheaval.  Yet, he's threatening to filibuster, knowing the chaos which a federal default and shutdown will cause. 
• Even with a Democrat in the White House, we're still exporting asylum seekers by the thousands.  Yet, since it's no longer Trump's administration in charge, there's not the same outrage over the atrocities being perpetrated. 
• According to worldometers.info, as of 09/28/2021-4:39:15pm pst, 757,710 Americans have died of Covid-19.  Yet, 40% of us can't be bothered to get a shot in the arm in order to stem the tide of the pandemic. 

|Subject: Britney Spears | Rights to PNG secured from FAVPNG Premium |

Yes folks, apathy has become the in thing.  No...  Wait...  This just in; it appears to be over for "Real Housewife" Vicki Gunvalson and her long time beau, Steve Lodge.  We care about that.  Oh and, Senator Ted Cruz has dedicated his time to leading the charge to get Britney Spears out of prison.  That's important. 

Maybe we're not so much apathetic as we are immature.  Things without glitz and sparkly pieces don't hold our attention.  Hundreds of thousands of people are dying of a disease we could squelch if 70% of us became vaccinated, but let's make sure the pop star doesn't have to serve her full stint. 

The Needs Of The Many Vs The Rights Of The One

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"I don't believe in quotas. America was founded on a philosophy of individual rights, not group rights." ~ Justice Clarence Thomas

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According to the CDC and the scientific community, the pandemic won't be over until 70+% of the population is vaccinated against Covid-19.  Unfortunately, the United States of America has stagnated at 59%.

A few months ago businesses and states incentivized vaccinations by offering discounts and entrances into million dollar lotteries to people who had been vaccinated. On June 20th, Madison Square Garden reopened with a Foo Fighters concert strictly for vaccinated fans.  It didn't work. 

Now, there's talk of requiring people to get vaccinated.  Some are advocating for tax penalties for not being vaccinated.  Employers, public and private, are requiring employees to get the shots. 

I believe in science, and I understand we need to hit the 70% threshold before we can putting this nightmare behind us.  I got my shots; I get it.  That being said, I have real trouble with forcing citizens to put a substance into their bodies. 

I've been torn on this issue for quite some time.  Part of me is for doing what we need to do, by hook or by crook, in order to benefit the greater good; "needs of the many," and all that.  However, the other part of me is screaming in my head about the rights of the individual.  Damn if the screaming part of me doesn't have a point, inconvenient though it is.

As Americans, we've been taught to take pride in the fact that we live in a country which founded with the rights of the individual in mind.  We celebrate the concept with fireworks and barbecued chickens every July 4th.  It's what we say we're about.  As dire as the situation is, I'm not sure we can compel compliance without abandoning what the value which defines us as Americans. 

Touching Base With My Readers

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To My Readers:

This is a different kind of blog specifically written for my regular readers.  Many of you are aware of new posts via my newsletter.  Nothing is changing for those readers.  They'll still receive my newsletter in their inbox whenever I post an update on any of my three blogs (Blogito Ergo Sum, On My Plate, and Musings From The Christian Left).

However, some of you subscribe through through the feedburner in the navigation column.  At the end of the month, the feedburner will no longer support such subscriptions.  In order to receive future updates, simply subscribe to my newsletter. 

To receive my newsletter when new blogs are posted email me here. 

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Question:

|Subject: Covid-19 | Rights to PNG secured from FAVPNG Premium |

Now, this is a current events blog, so let me ask a question.

Science tells us we won't be out from under the menace of COVID-19 until %70 of the global population has been vaccinated, yet many people claim they have the right as an individual to refuse the vaccine. At what point do the needs of society eclipse the rights of the individual? Can we force people to be vaccinated?

Disagreement Doesn’t Necessarily Equal Stupidity

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I seem to be writing about humanity's deficits of character lately.  While I don't claim to be a moral authority, in any way, I've noticed some trends, lately, which really bother me.  Over on my Liberal Christian blog I just wrote about our willingness to hate, and this piece feels like a companion to it.  We have a bad habit, me included, which leads to division within society.  When we take a position, we tend to write off people who take the opposing viewpoint as being "stupid."

Publicly traded MEME

Perhaps the most relevant expression of this judgmental phenomenon involves COVID-19 vaccinations.

To vax, or not to vax, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of COVID-19, 

Or to take arms against possible contraction 

And by vaxing remove my mask... 

Personally, I'm tired of wearing a mask and having things closed, so I was eager to get the shot.  Some believe I'm gullible and stupid for obeying the government and medical community. 

On the flip side, my best friend, of twelve years, WILL NOT be vaccinated.  She doesn’t want to put something into her body, which she's not sure of.  Some people think that makes her stupid. 

I don't think either of us stupid. 

When I have trouble with my computer, I consult the experts at Geek Squad.  When I have a question about a recipe, I consult a cookbook written by experts.  And, when I have a question about my health I listen to medical experts, aka doctors.  It's what experts are for.   Thus, I believe a 70% vaccination rate is our best and only road back to normality, because that's what the experts are telling me.

I don't agree with my friend, but she has a point.  For obvious reasons, these vaccines were rushed to the public.   We don't know what the long term effects of these shots are.  For all we know, the "anti-vaxxers" will be laughing, in five years, when those of us who took the shots start growing third eyes and craving salt.  I don't think it'll happen, but I can’t say people are stupid for being skittish.

Writing "the other side" off as stupid, and dismissing their point of view as being stupid, it makes it easy to devalue the people with that point of view.  It's much easier to hate a person once we've devalued them. 

Acknowledging the validity of another point of view isn't the same as agreeing with it.  A person can understand another point of view while holding onto their own.  

Trump Is Flipping Democracy The Bird

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This year Joe Biden was elected President of the United States of America earning 306 electoral votes (79,699,918 individual votes) to Donald Trump's 232 electoral votes (73,668,456 individual votes)*.  We did it!  Americans banded together and ousted an ego-maniac from The White House...,

Publicly traded MEME

...or so we thought. 

Since the day of the election, Donald Trump and his army of lawyers have been trying to change the outcome of the vote.

Lets put aside the fact that his claims of voter fraud have been laughed out of court after court.  Put aside the fact that U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg, a judge appointed by President Trump, found the suit brought before him to, "...have no basis in fact and law,” after a 2.5 hour hearing. 

Forget all that.  The takeaway is that a, still sitting, POTUS is actively trying to steal an election from the American people.  He's not even being quiet about it.  Donald Trump wants four more years as president, so Donald Trump is going to try to take four more years as president.  In his mind it's just that simple. 

To be fair, he does need to stay in office.  Being president has been great for his bottom line.  Even the conservative news outlet FOX NEWS reports, "President Trump's luxury properties have charged the U.S. government more than $1.1 million since he took office – billing taxpayers for room rentals at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club this spring while it was closed due to coronavirus."

If the loss of such a cash cow wasn’t a sufficient motive for him to steal the election, there's every reason to believe that once he becomes a private citizen he'll be tried for obstruction of justice regarding The Mueller Report.  That's right, the moment Donald Trump is no longer POTUS, he's vulnerable to doing prison time.  I don't think he can get Big Macs and, "the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you've ever seen," in prison. 

One would be more than a little tempted to laugh his maneuverings off as the rantings of a spoiled child.  However, as of (11/20/2020-17:39:52pst), there have been 1,962 American deaths from Covid-19 over just the last 24 hours.  Instead of; mandating the use of life-saving face masks, putting his name behind a badly needed stimulus package, and working with the incoming administration; he's putting his energy toward holding on to power and flipping democracy the bird 🖕.

*=Individual vote totals still increasing slightly at Google.com, but electoral vote totals have been decided..

POTUS= President of The United States. 

The Blogging Blahs

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I’ve hit a dry spell blogging-wise. It’s not that I don’t have any opinions regaining current events, food, and/or spirituality. Of course, I do. Everything is simply a jumble right now, and I’m finding it hard to focus my thoughts.

Being an election year, I thought I’d be doing lots of president critiquing right about now. Yet, it seems wrong to write divisive material during a time when we need to be coming together.

My Community Circa 2015

Right now, political parties and differences in God concepts seem trivial right now. I mean, they're not, but they need to be on the proverbial back burner right now. We can blame the government and/or God for the position we’re in, but doing either would be pointless and counterproductive. What's important right now is that we come together as people and support each other.

I’m not quitting blogging. I may blog again tomorrow or two weeks from now, I simply won’t be doing it on a regular, pre-pandemic schedule. Stay healthy, safe, and sane, my friends.

There's a Light

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- In the velvet darkness,
- Of the blackest night,
- Burning bright,
- There's a guiding star.
- No matter what or who you are.
- There's a light
- Over at the Frankenstein place.
- There's a light
- Burning in the fireplace.
- There's a light, light, in the darkness of everybody's life.

I’ve had this song rolling around in my head since this viral sleigh ride began. OK, in Rocky Horror these lyrics were ironic, Brad & Janet thought the light in the house was their salvation when it was actually luring the to all kinds of trouble. Throw the context for everyone moment, and focus on the lyrics, especially the last line.

“There's a light, light, in the darkness of everybody's life.” Granted, it’s hard for many of us to see the light in the proverbial rainstorm, but it’s there. The light emanates from those around us who are going out of their way to do kind things during this difficult time.

A 4th grader girl is sewing masks for health care workers battling coronavirus pandemic in the Boston community.

From Chula Vista to Oceanside, local residents spreading gifts, food, art and good cheer

In the small town of Coos Bay, also in Oregon, coffee shop owner John Beane is hosting virtual story times for kids after shutting down his cafe.

These are just a few examples of good people making an effort to alleviate suffering. Even when certain parts of government seem to be befuddled and bewildered, everyday people are stepping up to do their part. Focusing on their example, or even pitching in, will help us hold onto ouch humanity and stay sane.

With this in mind, I've created a new Facebook group, A Light In The Darkness. I want it to be a place where people can share good news, so we can all focus on the humane as our guiding light.

Clean Hands In Hard Times

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It’s official, we’re living in a completely different world than the one we’re used to. For the time being public; gatherings, dining, worship, movies, concerts, classes, and sporting events; are things of the past. Yet, as surely as we must remain physically

Subject: Hands Washing | Date: 03/18/2020 |

| Source: Beat Ruest |

| This file is licensed under the Creative Commons 

Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International |

separated in order to avoid contamination, we must hang together as a society.

Hoarding toilet paper so you get yours, before your neighbors get any, makes matters worse. Fist fighting over the last package of hamburger in the supermarket makes matters worse.

Now is the time to make positive contributions, to help and support each other. To that end, I’ve researched recipes for homemade hand sanitizer.

The most popular version requires people to buy, if they can find it, or make their own aloe gel before making the sanitizer. Not only do most people not have their own aloe plant, but the popular formula purportedly leaves hands sticky.

From everything I’ve read, the glycerin-based formula seems preferable.

In order to make it, mix 12 fluid ounces of rubbing alcohol (which is 99% isopropyl alcohol) with 2 teaspoons of vegetable glycerol.   Then add 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide & 3 fluid ounces of distilled water. If you're working with a lower-concentration solution of rubbing alcohol, use far less water.  Keep in mind, at least 91% of your sanitizer needs to be alcohol.

Glycerol is an important ingredient because it keeps the alcohol from drying out your hands.  You can buy jugs of vegetable glycerol online.   If you can't find glycerol, proceed with the rest of the recipe anyway and just remember to moisturize your hands after applying the sanitizer.

Load the solution into spray bottles—this isn't a gel, it's a spray. You can wet a paper towel with it as well and use that as a wipe.

Above all, stay safe and stat sane.

Revising My Thoughts Regarding Corona

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Publicly traded MEME

I confess, I don’t know what to think. I admit it. When I see mass panic I automatically take the position that people are being sheep and over reacting. Nine times out of ten, the emperor IS actually naked, and I wrote my last blog from that point of view.

Boy, I don't know. Theme parks, schools, museums, sporting events, Hell whole countries are shutting down. Normally busy streets are empty. We don’t need Klaatu to make the Earth stand still, we’re scared. (Oh, see the movie if you don’t get the reference.) Seriously, I’ve never seen things shutdown like this. I know businesses don’t shut their doors, sacrificing income, without a good reason.

I can't advise anyone, or tell anyone who’s advice to listen to. Doctors on TV say we need to self-quarantine, local doctors have told my friend and me that everything is being overblown. I don't know who’s right.

It's Not The End Of The World

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In 1996 Bruce Willis starred in The 12 Monkeys. The movie revolved around a post-apocalyptic society after 5 billion people had been killed by a pandemic. As I watched the film last night, I realized that the public is frightened of a similar situation right now.

1996 movie about Earth being destroyed by a pandemic.
Photo Courtesy of Amazon's Affiliate Program.

People are all over the world living in a heightened state of fear. The French have closed the Louvre. Italy has closed Italy. The NBA h has cancelled the remainder of the basketball season. College sports, talk shows, and game shows are doing their things without live audiences. Just now, the news has reported the closer of Disneyland & Disney World. There's even talk of canceling the Olympics.

Not only are institutions pushing the panic button, one only has to see empty store shelves to know the public’s behavior and buying habits have massively changed. They're buying supplies as if we're on the eve of the apocalypse.

 Fears of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the U.S. are prompted shoppers to hoard hand sanitizer, medical masks, pain relievers, antacids, and toilet paper as if we're on the eve of an apocalypses of our own.

According to Eater.com the hysteria over corona has also changed our food buying habits.  Data from late February shows, shelf-stable and longer-lasting foods are seeing a spike in sales, while fresh produce is taking a hit.

• Fruit snack sales rose 12.6% 
• Energy drinks sales rose 10.1% 
• Dried beans sales rose 10.1% 
• Pretzel sales rose 9% 
• Frozen fruit sales rose 6.6%
• Bottled water sales rose 5.1%.

Meanwhile:

• Asparagus sales dropped 3.2% 
• Mandarin orange sales dropped 4.2% 
• Chili pepper sales dropped 4.7% 
• Celery sales dropped 15.7%

We're changing our eating habits out of the fear that society is on the verge of collapse.

It’s been said, human beings fear the unknown. OK, let's shed some light on the subject. In a world of over 7 billion people, as of 03/12/2020-15:59:00, 134,511 people have contracted covid-19. Out of those, 4,970 people have died as opposed to the 68,925 people who have fully recovered.

You can read all the applicable statistics at (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/), but in a nutshell, an overwhelming majority of people who have died, from covid-19, have been over 70 years old with some kind of respiratory ailment. NO CHILDREN 9-YEARS-OLD OR UNDER HAVE BEEN KILLED BY CORONA!

Maybe I’m the guy at the beginning of the horror movie saying, “There’s no psycho with a chainsaw in the woods.”  Yet, it seems we’re allowing fear to dictate what we do and who we are. Personally, I don’t behind we’re experiencing a “12 Monkeys” scenario.

Yes, we should wash our hands and cover our noses & mouths when we sneeze & cough. Those of us who haven't learned that by the end of kindergarten probably shouldn't be out in public anyway. But, let’s not be the kind of people who pull their kids out of school, or hoard supplies from our neighbors. Let’s be better people than that.

Mindlessly Obeying Blogs May Have Contributed To Measles Outbreak

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According to KPTV News, On Friday, February 1st, the Clark County Public Health Department confirmed 42 cases of measles. Seven other suspected cases are under investigation as the outbreak continues to grow.

Subject: This child shows a classic day-4 rash with measles. | Photographer: CDC/NIP/Barbara Rice |As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.

Measles first cropped up about 800 A.D..  Back then it killed by the thousands.  It wasn't until 1963 that mankind developed an inoculation for the virus.  By the year 2000 measles had been wiped out in America, or so we thought.

Model and actress Jenny McCarthy advocates for the benignly named Generation Rescue.  This group is dedicated to helping children with autism.  If they merely raised money to help children with autism, that would be fine.  However, once you read their literature it becomes clear that one of their goals is to discourage the parents from vaccinating their children.

Jenny McCarthy had a child who developed autism.  Because the autism manifested shortly after her child had been vaccinated, she linked the two events in her mind.  Now, she writes blogs and gives public speeches against childhood vaccinations.

It's her right to talk about whatever she wants.  The scary part is that people are listening.  As a result of the anti-vaccine movement, measles is back in America.  Like I said, anyone has a right to blog about whatever they want, but it's up to the public to know whose blog they're reading.  McCarthy has no medical education whatsoever.  She saw a correlation and assumed a cause and effect relationship.  Any college student, who has taken statistics, can tell you a correlation never implies cause and effect.  It's the number one rule of statistical analysis

If she had any scientific background at all, she would know this.  There are people out there taking health advice from an actress!  Anyone who takes advice about the health of their child from a blogger is a special kind of stupid.  Seriously, anybody can write a blog about anything.  I write four blogs myself.  As prolific as I am, you should never take life altering advice from me either.  If you want advice about the health of your child, you should be getting it from a licensed medical professional.

The first amendment gives us the right to say whatever we want.  However, we also have the right, and the responsibility, to choose who we listen to.  We don't have to obey the guy with the loudest blow horn.  We need to use common sense and listen to those who actually know what they're talking about.  
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Hazards Facing Employees: Asbestos and Exposure Concerns - Guest Post

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Preface

While "Healthy Lung Month" is almost over, the information below is immensely valuable any time of year. For more information Mesothelioma.net is a great resource for information on mesothelioma and asbestos.
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Hazards Facing Employees: Asbestos and Exposure Concerns

Subject: The Centre for Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has a guideline that all Asbestos Scrap like Broken Cement Sheets, Cement Pipes, Gaskets, Ropes, Packings, Cloth, Insulation, Millboards etc be highlighted as Hazardous and disposed under Hazardous Waste with permits provided. | Date: 02/02/2017 | Photographer: Darshap82 |This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services encourage everyone to celebrate Healthy Lung Month this October. Until the end of the 1970s, many workers in various industries didn't realize that they were endangering their lung health by just showing up to the factory, ship or other structure. Asbestos hidden within these structures was slowly breaking down and entering the breathable air. This fibrous material has been removed from most workplaces, but safety concerns still abound. Get to know more about asbestos, its link to mesothelioma and what employees can do to avoid exposure.

Diving Into the Details:

After 1971, the government passed a law stating that every worker should have the right to a healthy workplace, reports the Communication Workers of America. Obvious sources of asbestos were removed from the workplace. Employees across the nation were elated.

However, it's impossible to remove every gram of asbestos from these workplaces. There are still dangers involving asbestos, such as structural items with embedded fibers.

The government couldn't go back and change the past either. People who were exposed to asbestos were forced to deal with the consequences, including the development of mesothelioma or lung-lining cancer. This cancer is rare and serious at the same time. Prognoses aren't always encouraging for any patient.

Professions of Note:

Although structures cannot be constructed of asbestos-based materials anymore, certain professions near older designs can be at risk. These particular professionals are at risk, such as:

First responders 

Power-plant and oil-refinery employees 

Miners 

Textile workers 

Boiler employees 

Shipyard workers 

Factory employees 

Construction crews 

All of these professions either touch or work around materials that may have residual asbestos. First responders who run into older buildings with the potential for damages are a good example of people who're at risk of being exposed.

Considering Other Occupations:

Teachers and mechanics have something in common: they have the potential for asbestos exposure. All Business reports that these professions involve people who may be close to asbestos materials. This fact is true for 2018 where schools might have asbestos built into certain structural items.

Mechanics have a different exposure type. The parts that they deal with, such as brake pads, might use asbestos as an ingredient. If the material breaks apart on the job, exposure is immediate.

Protecting the Worker:

If a worker worries about exposure risks, questioning the supervisor is a must. Safety and Health Magazine suggests that workers who're concerned about exposure should wear protective gear.

Gloves, masks and other products can block asbestos fibers from being inhaled. A worker has a right to know if he or she is being put in a dangerous predicament. Err on the side of caution by wearing protective gear all the time.

Be vocal about workplace safety as it pertains to asbestos exposure and mesothelioma development. Employees have every right to know if they've been exposed to hazardous materials. By being educated about asbestos and mesothelioma, avoiding them is much easier. Every worker should feel confident about the workplace regardless of the industry.