Vegas_Millennial

Because they can't afford to buy/consume the drugs themselves. That's the problem/blessing of money. It magnifies what someone already has/wants. If someone has a great idea, money helps them perfect it and produce it for the rest of the world. If someone is charitable, then money allows them to be even more giving and generous to others. If someone has an alcohol or drug addiction, then the money will cause on early death because it allows that person access to kill themselves with more alcohol or drugs.

And, while bullying was always present in school in some form, you used to be able to go home and forget about the bully until the next day. Or, you could learn how to avoid that bully in the school hallways. Now, that bully exists online 24/7, and there's no avoiding him or her no matter where you are.

Actually, the rate of childhood homicide is about the same now as it was in 2000. The rate of childhood suicide, on the other hand, has nearly doubled since 2000. In the late 2010s, childhood homicide deaths were lower than childhood suicide deaths. But both are tragic.

SAY NO TO DRUGS

Because this topic is about health declines in the US the last 3 years. I am sure there are other threads to discuss people fleeing California. 😜

I was surprised to read a few weeks ago that childhood (under 18) deaths have soard since 2020, primarily due to suicide. While homicide rates for children are up slightly the past few years, they are about the same rates as 20 years ago. Childhood suicide rates, on the other hand, have nearly doubled in the past 20 years. And to reiterate the point made by @augustus, a life lost at that young age will greatly reduce total live expectancy numbers more than a life lost at a greater age.

I'm sure @SouthOfTheBordercan't be blamed for bringing all the drugs! 😂

Could be true. During that period of school shutdowns and virtual learning, the education level went down and will have likely affected an entire generation.

Yes, the covid shutdowns probably caused more long term health problems than the number of deaths they reduced from slowing the spread until a vaccination was ready. Now we know better for next time.

The US continues to have more immigrants than most other rich developed countries. It's much easier to keep a stable happy, healthy, population if you restrict who can enter based on a merits-based system of income, education, and age.

Let's please not discuss politics. Anything to add about San Francisco would be welcome. If San Francisco were to have gay strip clubs, I would go visit. The last time I was there in 2018 I only found one bar with go-go boys, but no strippers.

I was at SFO airport last week. I was flying Alaskan airlines first class and had a four hour layover which I spent at the airport in the Alaska first class lounge. While I felt no desire to venture into the city, I must say the airport was one of the more pleasant airports to layover in.

That makes sense. Even they're attitude towards the shared electric scooters left all over the sidewalks is sort of live and let live.

Actually, we were discussing San Francisco. But that's good advice for everyone to follow anyway: to please try to stay on topic.

I also visited on a week the sun was out. So yes, it was very much an anomaly that week 😆

I would say the decay of San Francisco could be the Internet. Now that is so easy to find guys online, there is less demand for gay bars and theaters.

I am thankful that San Francisco has a large swath of gay escorts and massuers available. During my last visit in 2018, prices and availability for their services were better than New York, and almost as good as Los Angeles.

You, like most others, call it an outrage because you worked hard to provide for yourself and your community. Unfortunately there's a growing vocal mindset who believe they and others are pre-destined to fail, that life is rigged against them, and they're owed three square meals a day and shelter without contributing back what they can to society.

Oops, I think now you forgot to say "when parents are estranged." Nope, it's there. I added bold for emphasis

#MeToo

That's good to know. I'll be on my first trip to Europe, including Germany, in a few weeks. I am planning to have enough cash on me before I leave, in case I have trouble with foreign ATMs. I much prefer to be prepared with cash.

I just had my first 3 way sex of the year. Nothing planned, it just happened. We met at a park during a gay picnic, and shared an Uber to my hotel for some 3 way fun afterwards. It was great! No plans, no discussions. Just fun 😊

Women's sports was already destroyed before transexuals participated. It's boring!

I mean about a dozen states. Washington is the only one that I know of that passed based on a Google search today. California's AB665 hasn't passed yet, but is similar to Washington's based on what I read on the California legislature's most recent version of the bill. I have not kept track of the status of other bills in other states related to this issue. Before I read Washington's law and California's bill today, my understanding was about a dozen states were proposing changes to allow minors to elect gender reassignment without parental consent. I now know from reading these two bills (one of passed, one proposed) is for children estranged and/or physically abused by their parents. I am not aware of the conditions of language proposed in the other states' bills. But I now know with confidence the language these two states have approved and proposed, because I read them.

I thought sharing facts would help (help the both of us). The Washington Bill which passed does indeed approve gender treatment and surgery without parental consent, provided the parents are estranged. I was unaware of this last requirement. In the event the parents are estranged, then the medical facility must notify the State who then may or may not try to contact the parents. I personally see no reason why an estranged parent should allow to make any decisions over their estranged children, if the parent is the one causing the estrangement by kicking the minor out of the house. So now we both know that some states do allow surgery for minors without parental consent if those parents are estranged. We should both be in a better position to discuss this with others in the future.