Historical Myths - Debunked

Recently, I saw a rather interesting conversation, open up on a Facebook page I like. It was in meme form, and it said “name a historical myth you wish people would stop spreading as fact”; some of the comments were golden!!

Here’s a list of some of those myths

• We are a Christian Nation
• Abortion is murder (my answer)
• One political party is dishonest and the other is not
• Trickle down economics is a good thing
• The poor need to work harder to get ahead in life
• America is the “greatest country” in the world

Ok, now....time to debunk these myths!



Myth - We are a Christian Nation
Truth - We the People are not now, nor have we ever been, a Christian Nation!

The Founding Fathers created a secular government; going so far as to state in the Constitution that the government is prohibited from creating a State Religion. They’ve even been quoted as to saying that we are not founded on Christian beliefs.

The fact is, the government has been falsely claiming “We are a Christian Nation”, for several decades, and openly regurgitating the mantra “God bless America” (or putting “One nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, and "In God We Trust" on our money), as part of an agenda; and they're always telling us how much they feel blessed by God for this or that. Not that that's a bad thing; but, in doing so, they are deliberately attempting to establish Christianity as the State Religion (that's the agenda). That is a blatant violation of the First Amendment!

Thomas Jefferson said the Constitution was created, to be the wall that separates religion and politics, when he wrote this letter to the Danbury Baptists, on January 1, 1802.

If you still don’t believe me, just read these documents; and you will see the proof of our secular origins:

The Declaration of Independence
The Articles of Confederation
The Federalist Papers
The Constitution

This brings me to the current wave of abortion bans, and my comment to the myth busting conversation.



Myth - Abortion is murder.

Truth - You can't murder something that is not aware of its own existence.


You cannot murder something that is not sentient. The movements that a pregnant woman feels, while nurturing her unborn child, are involuntary spasms; they are common in developing fetuses. However, the rash of abortion bans is not at all about the sanctity of life. That’s what they want you to believe, but it simply isn’t the truth.

Here’s a little biology, for those who are seeking the truth. The embryo/fetus is not a sentient being, until the sixth month (24 weeks) of gestation; that’s when the baby begins to feel things, and develop a sense of understanding. It becomes conscious of its own existence. Prior to that moment, it is simply developing; yes the heart and brain are forming, but that does not mean it can feel, or understand, what it even is. It does not become a human being, until the moment of consciousness.

Did you know a woman’s right to get an abortion is protected by the Constitution? It’s an implied right, highlighted in the 14th Amendment. A woman’s body is her own property; not her husband’s, her boyfriend’s, her parents’, or the government’s. The 14th Amendment states that no state can take away anyone's right to life, liberty or property, without due process of law.

The truth is, these abortion bans aren't about protecting unborn children; they're a calculated attempt at oppressing women's rights, and robbing We the Women of bodily autonomy. First, the government needs to get enough states to agree that abortion is murder, and should be against the law; then the Federal Government can overturn Roe v Wade. And there, you have the nullification of the 14th Amendment, for We the Women.

Their angle, is that we are a Christian nation (debunked); and having an abortion is a sin against God. Evangelicals believe that God is anti-abortion, because of the verse in Jeremiah 1:5, which says “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” and the Seventh Commandment (Exodus 20:13).

The United States government has no business using religious dogma to create secular laws!

Myth - One political party is dishonest, and the other is not.
Truth - Depending on who’s getting the spotlight, members from either party will be as dishonest and deceitful as they need to be, when they need to be, in order to gain power and influence. It’s a game they’ve been playing with us, for decades!

Political propaganda is used to push party agendas, on We the People; both major parties want to keep themselves in office for as long as possible; especially when they're the majority. In order to do that, they have to spin narratives that keep us at odds with each other.

FactCheck.org is a site I use, when I need to know what’s really going on; they are a “nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics”. And they have a great article on how to spot fake news; I encourage you to read it.

Politifact.com is another non-partisan fact checking site. They have an article on how President Trump lied, when he said his Administration was the most transparent one, in history. You can check that out, for yourself, here. Another article on that site, brings light to the fact that Obama said the vast majority of his his campaign was financed by We the People; that’s not true, at all.

Every politician we’ve come to know has lied to us, on one occasion or another; it’s what they do. That’s why I always fact check what I’m being told, by the news media. I hate being lied to!

Myth - Trickle down economics is a good thing
Truth - the only group of people who enjoy any benefit from Trickle Down Economics are the wealthy.

Trickle Down is political, not scientific; it’s policies transfer wealth, and advantages, to the already wealthy few; so, it’s more of a “trickle up” than down. When President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, and Corporate America got their latest wave of tax breaks, they re-invested in the stock market (stock buybacks), and laid off thousands of workers. The economy is doing great...for Corporate America, and the Billionaire Class. We the People still struggle, financially.

Myth - The poor need to work harder to get ahead in life

Truth - as long as Corporate America and the Billionaire Class have all the advantages (like Trickle Down) the poor will constantly struggle, and never get ahead

Inflation continues to increase the prices of goods and services; however, wages have been stagnant since the 1990’s. According to Pew Research, "The disconnect between the job market and workers’ paychecks has fueled much of the recent activism in states and cities around raising minimum wages, and it also has become a factor in at least some of this year’s congressional campaigns."

Food insecurity is a major issue among the poor; there are roughly 95 million people, in the United States, who are living at (or below) the poverty line. While 1 in 3 Americans collect a paycheck, 92% of Food Stamp recipients have jobs; but not enough income to make ends meet, properly. And no one should need to work three jobs, just to make one income!

Myth - America is the greatest country in the world
Truth - Great countries help all of their citizens thrive; America doesn't do that

From the time of the first settlers on American soil, to present day, the government of United States of America has been divisive. The Pilgrims committed genocide, but we were taught that Thanksgiving was a day of celebration and that the Pilgrims and Native Americans all got along. History says minority groups, and folks from other nations, have been marginalized and discriminated against, since the early 19th century; honestly, it probably goes further back than that.

In the 21st century, we still have racism, classism, sexism, ageism; discrimination against the disabled, and folks who think they're better than everyone else, simply because of their political affiliation. We have a corrupt political system, bent on staying in power over We the People. We continue to allow the powers that be to tell us what to think, how to feel, who to like/dislike, etc. so they can keep us divided. That's not what I'd call a great nation!

This is my idea of a great country (short list)...

• Everybody pays taxes on their income, no exceptions (no loopholes)
• Law enforcement does their job, objectively; keeping the streets safe from violent criminals
• Laws apply to everyone; and punishments are full term sentences, regardless of who you are
• All citizens are treated equally; with respect, dignity, and a fair chance
• All citizens have the opportunity to get a college degree
• Everyone who can work, has a decent paying job; nobody struggles, financially
• Every citizen has high quality health insurance
• All infrastructure is adequately maintained