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Ron Paul On Mental Health Screening

Ron Paul On Mental Health Screening

In 2011, Congressman Ron Paul recognized the dangers of mental health screening for schoolchildren and introduced the Parental Consent Act to block federal funding for such programs, warning they would label kids based on vague criteria and funnel them into pharmaceutical pipelines. He was right. Although the bill did not pass, in 2012 the notorious TeenScreen program—once implemented across 47 U.S. states—was finally abolished after it was revealed that the program had an 84% false positive rate, leading countless students to be misidentified and pushed onto drugs with serious side effects, including suicidal ideation. With a new Illinois law recently enacted to implement “mental health screening” for students in grades 3 through 12, it is time to revisit the abject failures of such screening programs and the never-ending targeting of schoolchildren by the mental health industry.

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The Mind Thieves: How 6 Common Medications Are Stealing Our Humanity

Reaching For Pills

(Tom: This is an article well worth reading before you reach for the pill bottle.)

Every day, millions of Americans reach for medications they believe are harmless – a Tylenol for a headache, Benadryl for allergies, Prilosec for heartburn. What they don’t know is that with each dose, they may be systematically dismantling the neurobiological substrate that make us human.

Common over-the-counter and prescription medications that millions take daily are silently rewiring our brains, with acetaminophen (Tylenol) measurably blunting empathy¹, antihistamines increasing dementia risk by 54%², and proton pump inhibitors doubling depression rates³ – yet most users and even many doctors remain unaware of these profound neurological effects. Research involving millions of patients reveals that 10% of dementia cases may be directly attributable to anticholinergic medications like Benadryl⁴, while 52 million Americans taking weekly acetaminophen experience measurable reductions in their ability to feel others’ pain⁵. These findings expose a massive gap between public perception of medication safety and the mounting scientific evidence of harm, particularly as 54% of elderly Americans now take four or more medications simultaneously (aka poly-pharmacy)⁶, creating dangerous cumulative effects on brain function. The magnitude of this hidden epidemic is staggering: medications marketed as harmless are fundamentally altering how we think, feel, and connect with others.

Finish reading: https://open.substack.com/pub/sayerji/p/the-mind-thieves-how-6-common-medications

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I’ve Got You

My Dog
Every afternoon, without fail, Winston, my brindle Great Dane, performs his daily ritual. He goes to the toy basket, sifts through a dozen perfectly good toys, and pulls out one specific, old, worn-out tennis ball. He doesn’t chew it or play with it. He simply carries it in his mouth with the utmost care, finds a spot on the living room rug, and lies down, resting his big chin on it.
At first, I thought it was just a strange habit. A running joke in the family was that it was his “emotional support ball.” But the more I watched him, the more I realized it was so much more. He just cherishes it, holding onto it as if it’s the most valuable thing he owns.
A few weeks ago, I was sitting on the floor, feeling completely overwhelmed by a big project at work. I was stressed and anxious, just staring into space. I didn’t say a word, but Winston must have felt my energy. He quietly walked over to me with his tennis ball, gently nudged my hand, and nudged the ball into my palm. He looked at me with his soft, knowing eyes, and for a moment, the world felt still. He was offering me his most prized possession, a silent gesture of comfort that said, “I’ve got you.”
Some people might not believe it, but in that moment, I knew. Dogs have a way of seeing straight into your soul and offering exactly what you need, without ever having to say a single word.
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Vitamin D and Pregnancy

Pregnant and Worried

Have you – or someone you love – faced pregnancy loss, early labor, or complications like preeclampsia or gestational diabetes? I have, and I endured months of fear, anxiety, and worry for myself and my baby because of it. I know many others who have, and I can almost guarantee that you do as well.

Much of this could be very easily avoided – and the change is urgently needed now. In fact, it was needed years ago when we already had the clinical evidence, but inaction and blind eyes kept this knowledge out of the hands of our care providers – as it still does for most women.

I don’t like to say “I wish I knew then what I know now” – but in this case, it’s most definitely true. It wasn’t until I began working for GrassrootsHealth that my eyes were opened to the world of evidence surrounding vitamin D, especially for prenatal health. I had been a health practitioner and nutritionist for years already, helping other women as a fertility and prenatal health specialist.  During my own pregnancy, I ate incredibly healthy and took prenatal vitamins along with other supplements I knew would support a healthy pregnancy and baby.  Never once did concern for vitamin D for myself or my patients cross my radar.

https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/this-is-personal

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THIS Is How You Change The World. Doing Your Best To Improve Things. Daniel and Daughters.

Daniel and Daughters

In 1985, in a quiet village in East Africa, a man named Daniel stood barefoot with his three daughters. His wife had passed during childbirth the year before. He never remarried. He didn’t have the time-or the heart. He was a farmer, a builder, a father, and a dreamer all in one.

Their home had no electricity. Some nights, dinner was just boiled roots and water. But what they had—what Daniel made sure they always had—was dignity.

Every morning before sunrise, he woke his girls and walked them two miles to the schoolhouse. He couldn’t read or write himself, but he sat outside the classroom every day, waiting in the shade, just so they wouldn’t have to walk home alone.
Sometimes he went without food so they could buy a pencil.

He sold his wedding ring to afford exam fees.

He worked three jobs during harvest season just to buy secondhand textbooks—many missing pages.

People laughed.

“They are girls,” they said.

“What future do they have?”

Daniel didn’t answer.

He just kept walking beside them.

Years passed. One by one, they graduated.

One by one, they earned scholarships.

And one by one… they crossed oceans.

In 2025, 40 years after that photo was taken, the world saw something no one expected:

A new image of the same man, standing proudly-this time in front of a hospital-with his three daughters, all wearing white coats.

Doctors.

All of them.

When asked how he felt, Daniel cried softly and whispered,

“I never gave them the world. I just never let the world take their #hope away.”

He grew crops with his hands, but he raised doctors with his heart.

And in the quiet shadow of a man the world never knew, three girls rose… and changed it.

By Harper Lily

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Wise Words From Hopi Indian Chief White Eagle

Hopi Indian Chief White Eagle

Hopi Indian Chief White Eagle commented a few days ago on the current situation:

“This moment humanity is experiencing can be seen as a door or a hole. The decision to fall in the hole or walk through the door is up to you. If you consume the news 24 hours a day, with negative energy, constantly nervous, with pessimism, you will fall into this hole.

But if you take the opportunity to look at yourself, to rethink life and death, to take care of yourself and others, then you will walk through the portal.

Take care of your home, take care of your body. Connect with your spiritual home. When you take care of yourself, you take care of everyone at the same time.

Do not underestimate the spiritual dimension of this crisis. Take the perspective of an eagle that sees everything from above with a broader view. There is a social question in this crisis, but also a spiritual question. The two go hand in hand.

Without the social dimension we fall into fanaticism.

Without the spiritual dimension, we fall into pessimism and futility.

Are you ready to face this crisis? Grab your toolbox and use all the tools at your disposal.

Learn resistance from the example of Indian and African peoples: we have been and are exterminated. But we never stopped singing, dancing, lighting a fire and rejoicing.

Don’t feel guilty for feeling blessed in these troubled times.

Being sad or angry doesn’t help at all. Resistance is resistance through joy!

You have the right to be strong and positive. And there’s no other way to do it than to maintain a beautiful, happy, bright posture.

Has nothing to do with alienation (ignorance of the world).

It’s a resistance strategy.

When we cross the threshold, we have a new worldview because we faced our fears and difficulties. This is all you can do now:
– Serenity in the storm
– Keep calm, pray everyday
– Make a habit of meeting the sacred everyday.

Show resistance through art, joy, trust and love.”

Hopi Indian Chief White Eagle

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Montefortino Helmet

Montefortino Helmet

One of the most critical pieces of Roman armor, the Montefortino helmet used around the 4th century BC, was actually a design borrowed from Celtic warriors.

This helmet featured a simple but life-saving innovation: a small, protruding neck guard at the back.

In the chaos of close-quarters combat, this small flap of metal was designed to deflect downward sword or axe blows aimed at the back of a soldier’s neck.

It was a practical and efficient addition that didn’t add much complexity or cost to the helmet’s production.

The design proved so effective that the Roman Republic adopted it widely, and it became a common sight on the battlefield during major conflicts like the Punic Wars against Carthage.

Initially, soldiers often had to provide their own equipment, but the clear advantages of helmets like the Montefortino led to greater standardization.

This shows the Roman genius for recognizing, adopting, and perfecting effective military technology, regardless of its origin.

The legacy of this simple neck guard can be seen in the design of military helmets for centuries to come, a testament to a feature that saved countless lives.

What’s fascinating is that the Montefortino was not the end of the story for Roman head protection.
It was a starting point that the Romans continuously improved upon.
Later helmets, like the Coolus and the iconic Imperial Gallic types, featured even larger and more refined neck guards.
Roman armorers also added other improvements, such as reinforced brow ridges and more substantial cheek pieces, based on battlefield experience.
This practical approach to military gear, constantly adapting and improving, was a key reason for Rome’s long-standing military dominance.
It shows a deep understanding that protecting the individual soldier was essential for the success of the entire army.
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Potentially The Most Important Food Article You Will Ever Read

Wheat Gut

Was agriculture “the worst mistake in the history of the human race”? Skeletal analysis shows that early farming communities were shorter-lived and sicker than their hunter-gatherer predecessors – height dropped by 5-6 inches, life expectancy fell by seven years. Studies of prehistoric skeletons reveal a nearly 50% increase in signs of malnutrition (like enamel defects in teeth) and a fourfold rise in iron-deficiency anemia when agriculture took over.

The dark side of wheat is a story about listening – listening to our bodies, to the lessons of history, and to the emerging science that challenges nutritional orthodoxies. It urges us to reconsider the comforting narrative that has placed wheat on a pedestal. Yes, wheat nurtured civilizations and fills bellies in a hungry world. But it may also underlie a great deal of the chronic illness that plagues those very civilizations in the modern era.

https://open.substack.com/pub/sayerji/p/beyond-the-gluten-free-fad-the-unchanged