Franklin Forks – The ladies of this place and vicinity will hold a church rally at the Alliance hall, Feb. 9th.  Dinner will be served and a free-will offering received.  Proceeds to apply on pastor’s salary.  All come and have a good time and help a good cause along.  (Signed) Mrs. Chas. Palmer, Sec’y.

Dimock – A. H. Button, who has been sick a long time with stomach trouble, is now better and drives the milk wagon from Parkvale to the Dimock milk station daily, as in times of the past.

ALSO The roads are in a bad shape for travel, as the frost is coming out of the ground, which makes the mud deep and heavy hauling of lumber and logs is suspended for the present.

Forest City – The burning of a note of $600, the last evidence of debt against the Northeastern Pennsylvania Telephone company, marked the morning session of the fifteenth annual meeting of the stockholders.

Auburn Corners – It is persistently rumored that Clark Voss, of this place, will succeed to the interest of the late J. L. Kent in the coal, express and dray business in Montrose. He will become associated with his son-in-law, Frank Pepper, the deceased’s partner, although this report cannot be confirmed.  Mr. Voss has until recently conducted a general store at Auburn Corners.

East Rush – We sure have been having some great weather the past week.  It makes one think that spring is about here.

Uniondale – The store room and garage being built by Douglas & Yale, Ford agents, is nearly completed and will afford more room in which to conduct their automobile business.  They are hustlers. ALSO  The Erie Flyer and the passenger train coming north were held up Thursday morning between here and Forest City.  A freight train was wrecked causing a delay of several hours.  W. T. Churchill, Leon H. Reynolds, W. E. Gibson and L. A. Smith were aboard the Flyer.  They walked from the wreck to Forest City and boarded the street car for Scranton, where they attended the automobile show.

Silver Lake – “The Don’t Worry Club” was pleasantly entertained at Jeremiah Mahoney’s on Tuesday evening. ALSO William Donovan had a large wood-bee on Wednesday.  They cut and piled fifty cords of wood. ALSO Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ward celebrated the 60th year of their marriage on January 26th, 1916.  Mr. Ward, who is 85 years old and Mrs. Ward, who is 82, were both born in the locality in which they now reside.  They are both members of St. Augustine’s church. 

Middletown Twp. – William Edward Fitzgerald, 14 years of age, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fitzgerald, died at the home of his parents on Tuesday night, Jan. 25.  Anna Fitzgerald 9 years of age, sister of the above, died Friday evening, Jan. 28.  Death in both cases was due to spinal meningitis.  Both were buried within a day of their death, with a private funeral, in St. Francis Xavier’s cemetery.

Great Bend – The general store of Charles M. Hamlin was entered by thieves on Friday evening late, and robbed of twelve suits of clothes.  The burglars entered through a rear window, and, finding no money or articles of much value, contented themselves by taking the clothing, leaving behind them articles of much larger value.  This is the second time Mr. Hamlin’s store has been robbed.

Montrose – The Daughters of Veterans are already making great preparations for their annual Lincoln Tea, which will be held in Village Hall on Saturday evening, Feb. 12th.  Go and help the Daughters, who named their Tent in memory of that remarkable missionary, Dr. Ellen E. Mitchell, a native of Montrose. [Before becoming a doctor, Ellen Mitchell was a nurse during the Civil War.]

Susquehanna – Harry G. Pride was serving as juror in the county courts this week.  Mr. Pride has, for some years, been in the Erie job printing plant and is a printer of exceptional ability.  He was at one time employed in the government printing office at Washington.

Springville – The new milk station is a sure thing.  The new company opened for business on Tuesday, getting 129 cans of milk.  For the present, or until a new building can be completed, they will receive milk in a box car located near the depot.  It will be a decided advantage to the farmers here if the two companies can be retained, as it will tend to balance things.

Harford – A goodly number of men turned out last Tuesday and assisted in putting the [horse] sheds back of the Methodist Episcopal church in good repair.

Dimock – W. J. Cronk has had new lights placed in his store and postoffice, which are far ahead of the old gas lamps which have been in use there for several years.

New Milford – The O. C. Whitney crate factory opened for business on Feb. 2, with a force of 25 men, this number to be doubled soon.  Mr. Whitney has a contract with the government to furnish crates for the shipment of 200,000 bushels of potatoes to South America.  Until this last year, the South American countries have been getting their potatoes from England, Ireland and Germany.  Owing to war conditions in those countries, they are now buying from the United States. ALSO Rev. I. D. Mallery has resigned his pastorate of the Baptist church here and will take charge of a church at Washington, N. J.  It is with much regret the people of New Milford see Rev. Mallery leave, regardless of denomination.  He commenced preaching here in 1886, was ordained in the Moxley church and was the first pastor of the church at New Milford.  Before the building of the church, Rev. Mallery was holding services in the A. B. Smith store in what was known as the Post rooms.  Friday evening, Jan. 28, the people of New Milford held a reception for Rev. Mallery and family at the Baptist church.

News Briefs: Figures announced by the health department of New York city, of the number of persons arrested for spitting on sidewalks and in public places last week, show that members of the health department, police and sanitary squads served 1,097 summonses.  Of this number 976 were convicted and $1,631 was paid in fines.  One man served a day in prison in default of payment. ALSO In a sermon in which he said not enough young men are being married and that it is not the fault of most “old maids” that they are single, Rev. P. J. Murphy, pastor of St. Patrick’s church, at Olyphant, also came out in favor of a financial as well as physical examination for all prospective bridegrooms.  He said that “it was almost as important that a young man about to be wed should be financially able to support a wife and family as it was that he should be in good physical condition. Both are essential elements to a happy married life.”  He is a brother of Mrs. McCabe, of Franklin Forks, this county.

On April 6, 2011, a preliminary hearing occurred in Philadelphia Municipal Court in connection with a double homicide case.  The defendant appeared without legal counsel, but told the Judge that his mother had hired him an attorney and requested a continuance.  The Judge called the mother to the witness stand to verify that an attorney had been hired and to get the attorney’s name.  As the mother was approaching the stand, she was attacked by several members of the gallery – and a brawl ensured.  The courtroom had to be locked down for 3 hours and additional deputy sheriffs and police had to respond to regain control of the courtroom.

When the Judge took the bench again, he held three members of the gallery in contempt of court, noting that the conduct was “about as direct of a contempt as you can ever get.”  The Judge sentenced each person to a period of incarceration of 5 to 10 days for the contemptuous behavior.  The matter was appealed – and the issue became the extent to which the Judge did not conduct a hearing/trial on what the court saw or allow the accused to present any witnesses or evidence before finding them guilty of contempt.  The Judge simply noted that court saw what it saw – and no witnesses or cross-examination was going to change those facts.

The case made its way to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court with an interesting question: Can a judge hold someone in contempt for conduct observed in the judge’s presence without a full hearing on the merits of what the judge observed?  The Supreme Court noted that there was a long history of allowing judges to punish contemptuous conduct that occurred in open court and disrupted the proceedings.  A judge must have the power to control the litigants, attorneys, witnesses, and spectators in a court proceeding.  This power includes the ability to impose a criminal sanction where willful misconduct occurs in the judge’s presence and “obstructs the fair and orderly process.”

Even if a judge has such power, the question still arises as to the procedures that must be followed prior to imposing a criminal sanction.  Does a person accused of contemptuous conduct have the right to cross-examine witnesses?  What about the right to legal counsel?  Can the accused present witnesses?  In this case, the three persons accused of the contempt argued that their due process rights were violated by not being permitted a chance to challenge the contempt finding or present their own evidence.

In response, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected this argument: “Certainly, when three individuals incite or engage in the physical assault of a defendant’s mother in open court, setting off a brawl in the courtroom and injuring a court officer in the process, those individuals cannot avoid summary contempt convictions simply by insisting that the trial court itself did not observe the contemptuous conduct that occurred in front of its face.”  The Supreme Court went further in noting that it “would be hard-pressed to construct a scenario better exemplifying the definition of misbehavior occurring in the presence of the court, obstructing the administration of justice, and therefore warranting immediate imprisonment.”

This is perhaps the only example in American jurisprudence where the same person occupies the role of witness, prosecutor, factfinder and sentencing judge.  There is no trial except to the extent that the judge places on the record the nature of the contemptuous conduct that occurred in his or her presence.  Any appellate review focuses on the judge’s account – without any other evidence – as to what occurred in the courtroom based upon what the judge indicated he or she saw. 

Justice Saylor (now Chief Justice) dissented (joined by Justice Todd) and argued that due process requires that the accused have the chance to “say something in their own defense – even in a summary proceeding – before a final determination of guilt.”  Justice Saylor admitted that direct criminal contempt powers were essential, but advocated the need for “clearer constraints” on the use of such judicial power, and noting that “the power is an extraordinary one which is to be exercised with great caution and prudence.”  Justice Saylor advocated more procedural safeguards for a person accused of contemptuous conduct – even if it occurred in the presence of the judge.

“The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.” ~Gertrude Smith Wister (1905–1999)

With February’s arrival, comes a time to re-evaluate your New Year’s resolutions. Sure, we all really want to start eating healthy, maybe start a new fitness program, or begin to tackle a new hobby—but, what about your reading resolutions for 2016? We do hope that on the top of your list will be “Making family outings to go to your local Library Location”. There is so much to explore, and programs and activities to join in and enjoy. We couldn’t do what we do without Y-O-U!

At the Montrose Main Library Branch, some “Library-Cleaning” is underway to clear out the old and make room for new magazine issues. The offered back issues, mostly from the years of 2012 and 2013, are on sale for the affordable price of 10 cents each. We all know how expensive a magazine subscription is and buying an issue from a newsstand is more costly yet! If you want to catch up on an old favorite while the weather outside is brisk, or need some for crafting ideas, the Montrose Library is the place to go. There are enjoyable and educational magazines for children as well as adults available. You can check out the list of sale magazines on our website: http://www.susqcolibrary.org/#!magazine-sale/cn9t

While you’re browsing through the website, please take a moment and fill out the survey, as we are looking to revamp our “Susquehanna County Reads” Program and we’d like to hear from you, our Patrons and Friends.

Many beloved book characters are having birthdays this year. That youthful, super-sleuth Nancy Drew will turn 85 years forever young in 2016. Raggedy Anne, favorite snuggler of so many youngsters, will hit the Golden Mark of 100 years this year. She’s still the red-haired confidante of children young and young-at-heart. That feisty “Forever 6” young lady, “Eloise” will be hitting the 68 year old mark on her candle—still entertaining children with her antics today. Eloise’s Creator and Author is the late Kay Thompson, who was also a dancer, singer, pianist, composer and choreographer before bringing Eloise to life on paper. How Eloise was “born”, is a story in itself. It seems that while Ms. Thompson was on a night-club tour, one day she was late for a rehearsal. As she breathlessly arrived, she was asked, “Who do you think you are, coming here five minutes late?” Thompson replied, “I am Eloise, I am six,” in a high childish voice. Kay began entertaining her fellow performers in the guise of a little girl. It was so well-received that six years later, Ms. Thompson was encouraged to put her beloved Character “Eloise” into book form and she is introduced to Illustrator Hilary Knight who brought Eloise to life on the page and her first book, “A Book for Precocious Grownups” was published on November 28th, 1955. We have followed and continue to follow Eloise’s adventures, along with her British Nanny, her dog, Weenie, and sneakered turtle, Skipperdee. Books about all three of these beloved characters are available at any of your four Library Locations.

The Susquehanna Library Location Reader’s Group will be meeting on Thursday, February 11th, 2016 to discuss this month’s selection, “Benediction” by Kent Haruf, who is a beloved and best-selling Author of “Plainsong” and Eventide”. This novel is once again set on the High Plains of Holt, Colorado and captures every stage of human life, including its demise, while portraying the compassion, suffering, hopes and dreams of those who inhabit this small town and, ultimately reveals the humanity of its inhabitants.

If you have not joined the Reader’s Group, but would like to, please stop by the Susquehanna Library Branch and speak with Laura, Pam, Deb, or Elizabeth, and they will be more than happy to sign you up.

Please, also remember about the Susquehanna Library Location’s new Saturday hours, which are 10:00 am to 1:00pm.

As I brew yet another cup of herbal tea, I leave you with this thought:

“Even winter — the hardest season, the most implacable — dreams, as February creeps on, of the flame that will presently melt it away. Everything tires with time, and starts to seek some opposition, to save it from itself.” ~Clive Barker, The Hellbound Heart, 1986

A Handmade Valentine—Amaryllis Blossoms —Winter’s Grasp

ENJOY!!

The process of collapse keeps rolling on. During this process deterioration and degradation proceeds at a pace so gradual it is nearly imperceptible to those experiencing it.  The person turning 30, 40, or 50 often jokes that she doesn’t feel any older; that age is just a number.  But change IS happening, and with each passing day entropy is taking its toll.

The entropy of our constitutional republicanism is different in one key aspect.  Instead of a natural aging process that results in deterioration and death, constitutional republicanism suffers death by a thousand cuts.  Crucial power grabs or surrenders of constitutional authority, if left unchallenged at inflection points, render meaningless the system of checks and balances so carefully devised and integral to constitutionalism. 

One such surrender of constitutional authority is now lying at the door ready to pounce.  That a mentality of “welfarism” has captured the uniparty running the federal government should be news to no one. But now a “warfarism” mentality is taking center-stage.  The completed Welfare/Warfare State is rising to vanquish the last vestiges of voluntary-exchange capitalism and constitutional government. What follows is a narrative of how a Republic is murdered by the cunning devices of men.

Late into Wednesday night--January 20, 2016--with news coverage focused on a blizzard closing in on the nation’s capital, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fast-tracked SJ Resolution 29 (Authorization for Use of Military Force/AUMF), a bill authored by Senator Lindsay Graham. In doing so, Majority Leader McConnell bypassed the appropriate committee (Foreign Relations) which would normally call witnesses, take testimony, and provide committee members with time for debate, discussion, and an amendment process.

Majority Leader McConnell’s attack on liberty was followed with blitzkrieg action on January 21st, when the bill was read for the second time, and then placed on the Senate’s Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Defense industry publications were quick to pick up on the bill’s movement, but most mainstream media outlets ignored the news or gave it short shrift.

One lonely voice, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, sized up the bill correctly and laid out the case against it.  As Senator Murphy explained it in a six-minute speech on the Senate floor, “This resolution is a total rewrite of the War Powers Clause of the Constitution. Let’s be clear about that. . . It is essentially a declaration of international martial law.” The bill, as Senator Murphy explained it, would PERMANENTLY hand over war-making authority to the office of the president. “A sweeping transfer of military power to the president . . . will allow him or her to send U.S. troops almost anywhere in the world for any reason with absolutely no limitations.”  Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution “vests in Congress the responsibility to declare war.”

So, one might ask, why are Senators McConnell and Graham so hell-bent on unconstitutionally transferring the war-making powers of the Congress to the Executive Branch, all under the cover of night and with a blizzard headed toward the capital--in other words, when no one in the media or public was watching?  A bit of history is in order.

Senator McConnell has been the Majority Leader since January 2015 when the Republicans took control of the body. Senate Republicans had a year to move an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to deal with the ISIS crisis, but they did not.  Why?  Because the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) was reputedly so deeply divided over the President’s AUMF proposal that no consensus could be reached and the issue was dropped entirely.

Senator Corker expressed then, and now, that the President needed no new authorization to act. Notably, President Obama has been (unconstitutionally) using the 2001 AUMF passed in the wake of 9/11 to attack ISIS, despite language in that AUMF which restricts the use of force to only those who planned the 9/11 terrorist attack. 

The AUMF proposal put forth by the Obama Administration (and dropped in February 2015) would have authorized “enduring offensive ground operations” and would have been sun-setted three years after passage. It also would have restricted the use of ground troops in the Middle East AOR (Area of Operations).  

So what changed? How did a closely circumscribed AUMF get dropped and reappear 11 months later as “a declaration of international martial law” vesting all war-making power in the office of the president?  Well, you remember President Obama’s highly touted and celebrated State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 12?  You don’t? Let me refresh your memory.  Included in the President’s speech that night was a chiding of Congress for criticizing his response to the Islamic State radicals while not authorizing his use of force against them; the Senate, he complained, “should step up to the plate.”

So perhaps that was what prompted Senate Majority Leader McConnell’s smooth-move in the middle of the night to deliver to the President unlimited war-making powers, including within the United States.  Maybe not; readers may surmise other motives.

The short title of the AUMF for citation is “Authorization for Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and its Associated Forces”. The key authorization of force reads, “(a) IN GENERAL.--The President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force in order to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, its associated forces, organizations, and persons, and any successor organizations.”

Notice, Gentle Readers, that there is no limitation on time (no sun-setting); no geographic limitation, since theoretically these forces, organizations, persons, and successors could be located anywhere in the world.  Notice too, that the President has within his powers to define “the enemy” and use “all necessary and appropriate force” in the name of national security . . . whatever that means! 

At this juncture Gentle Readers should ask themselves a few questions. If this Resolution is ultimately passed and signed into law, do you feel safer, knowing that President Obama wields unlimited military force for your protection?  If you do, will you likewise feel as safe, if say, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders next wields that same power?  Do you feel safer knowing that the same American government that will be wielding unlimited power to defeat ISIS is the same government that was busily creating and empowering ISIS affiliates (since at least 2012) as a proxy army to take down President Assad of Syria, and to keep Russia tied up supporting its ally?

Oh yes, Rand Paul revealed in an interview with Candy Crowley on CNN last year that the CIA was funding Islamic radicals. Also last year, former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) chief, retired General Michael Flynn, made serious and in-depth admissions of the U.S. government’s role in empowering ISIS radicals and completely unserious interest in defeating them.

If statements by those two officials are insufficient to convince Gentle Readers of the U.S. government’s complicity and duplicity in this sordid affair, the recent posting of a seven-page formerly SECRET//NOFORN document (now declassified) should be the nail in the coffin. Judicial Watch, a government watchdog group posted the now declassified document online where it is available for anyone to read. For those interested in reading this formerly “Secret, Not For Foreign Release“ document, key excerpts immediately follow this article.

Readers may judge for themselves, but it would not be unreasonable to conclude that the Obama Administration in concert with Turkey, Western, and Gulf Allies acted with fore-thought to empower, fund, train, and harness (temporarily) Muslim Sunni radicals. The DIA also projected the logical outcome of these actions--five weeks before the terrorist attack which was to take place in Benghazi, Libya (Yes, there is a connection, but that story is for another day.). The Islamicist radicals were meant to bring down Assad; Russia intervened to stop the operation; the assorted Islamicist radicals morphed into what we now know as ISIS, and then they unleashed their terror on civilian Iraqis and Syrians civilians, thereby leaving millions homeless, or worse, dead.

The U.S. government still wants to play in the Syrian sandbox because Syrian President Assad has not yet been toppled. (Russia is committed to doing whatever it takes to keep Assad in power.) At the same time, our government finds it politically convenient to brush back ISIS from time to time, though every attempt is made to not injure anyone (seriously). So there you have it: the American government set the stage for the empowerment and rise of ISIS, and now, in the name of national security seeks to normalize the exercise of unlimited war “to protect us.”  We have before us the insanity of a government which creates problems where they formerly did not exist. It then offers up solutions which disempower constitutional liberties while concentrating power in a defacto dictatorship. This is the welfare/warfare state in full bloom! 

America may still be asleep, but the haze is lifting for many. Next week, we look at the interplay of Syria and our government’s strategies to rot America from within by bringing in those from without.

P.S. to Leader McConnell, Lindsay Graham, and President Obama: if you really want to defeat ISIS just withhold their funding and materiel support; seal American borders to prevent illegal alien entry, and finally STOP importing more Jihadi terrorists from every country around the world. America does not need a “declaration of international martial law” that concentrates war-making power into the office of the presidency.

Excerpts from DIA Seven-Page SECRET Report

[Emphasis mine through capitalization.]

 DIA assessment of Syria situation on August 6, 2012:

- “Internally, events are taking a clear sectarian direction.”

- “The Salafist, the Muslim Brotherhood, and AQI are the major forces driving the insurgency in Syria.”

- “The West, Gulf countries, and Turkey support the opposition; while Russia, China, and Iran support the [Assad] regime.”

- “Al Qaeda - Iraq (AQI): (a.) AQI is familiar with Syria. AQI trained in Syria and then infiltrated into Iraq. (b.) AQI supported the Syrian opposition from the beginning, both ideologically and through the media. AQI declared its opposition of Assad’s government because it considered it a sectarian regime targeting Sunnis. (c.) AQI conducted a number of operations in several Syrian cities under the name of Jaish Al Nusra (Victorious Army), one of its affiliates.”

- “The future assumptions of the crisis: (a.) The regime [Assad] will survive and have control over Syrian territory. (b.) Development of . . . current events into proxy war [with lengthy description of proxy war strongholds and maneuvering of fighting forces] . . .”

- “The effects on Iraq: (a.) Syrian regime border forces retreated from the border and the opposition forces (Syrian Free Army) took over the posts and raised their flag. The Iraqi border guard forces are facing a border with Syria that is NOT guarded by official elements which presents a dangerous and serious threat. (b.) The opposition forces will try to use the Iraqi territory as a safe haven for its forces taking advantage of the sympathy of the Iraqi border population, meanwhile trying to recruit fighters and train them on the Iraqi side, in addition to harboring refugees (Syria). (c.) IF THE SITUATION UNRAVELS THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A DECLARED OR UNDECLARED SALAFIST PRINCIPALITY IN EASTERN SYRIA, and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime, which is considered the strategic depth of the Shia expansion (Iraq and Iran).”

- “The deterioration of the situation has DIRE CONSEQUENCES on the Iraqi situation and are as follows: (a.) This creates the ideal atmosphere for AQI to return to its old pockets in Mosul and Ramadi, and will provide a renewed momentum under the presumption of unifying the Jihad among the Sunni Iraq and Syria, and the rest of the Sunnis in the Arab world against what it considers one enemy, the dissenters. ISI [Islamic State of Iraq] could also declare an Islamic state through its union with other terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria, which WILL CREATE GRAVE DANGER in regards to unifying Iraq and the protection of its territory. (b.) [Redacted]. (c.) THE RENEWING FACILITATION OF TERRORIST ELEMENTS FROM ALL OVER THE ARAB WORLD ENTERING INTO IRAQI ARENA.”

A chance to live longer

Bob came into the pharmacy for his usual lineup of refills.  “Hey doc,” Bob called out to the pharmacist. “Do I have to take all these pills forever?” Replied the pharmacist, “The purpose of pills is to give you a chance to live longer and, at the same time, a chance to live better.” This pharmacist works in a supermarket pharmacy and sees first-hand how people substitute healthy eating for pill taking. Diabetic? Why not load up on candy, cookies and pop? The pills you take for your diabetes can do it alone, right? Wrong. Your chance to live longer with the pills is erased by high blood sugar levels and organ damage. Blindness, amputations and kidney failure are your future. The same with hypertension. Sure, most people cannot feel their blood pressure – which is why it is called the “silent killer” – yet many people think the medications they are taking for high blood pressure can do all the work for them. Why bother to stop smoking, to not exercise, to not lose weight, and to not factor in a family history of heart attack when you have your life-saving pills in your pocket? Meanwhile, your kidneys, heart, arteries and other organs are slowly becoming diseased. So the pills alone did not give you that much of a chance to live longer.  

Chronic pain? OK, so you are 30 and have “back pain” or “headaches” or something wrong with your foot. Why bother getting to the correct diagnosis when you can get a doctor to prescribe you narcotics. Yes, they work and they feel good – at first. And your insurance pays for most of the total cost. But after a while, the pills do not really work anymore and your doctor has given you the maximum dose. You now need the pills because you get jittery and agitated when you do not have them. The next step is to combine them with alcohol. Or you can sell your pills to kids or whoever which would give you enough cash to get cheaper heroin or crack cocaine. In these cases, the pills do not give you a chance to live longer. But they certainly carry the risk of a quick dead end.  

There are other times when the pills you are taking are not necessary to prolong your life. We are often told that statin (cholesterol-reducing) drugs are effective for preventing heart disease and stroke. Whether you buy into this statement or not depends, to a degree, on how you look at the data. It is true that statins reduce the risk of heart attack by about a third. However, this risk reduction needs to be taken into the context of overall risk to begin with. For example, if the risk of dying from a heart attack is, for example, 50% over the next 5 years, then a third reduction in risk (about 17% risk reduction) is clinically meaningful. But if the underlying risk was, say, 3%, then the overall risk reduction is only 1%. The bottom line: if your risk of heart disease is under 3%, then the statin is probably doing nothing for you at a paltry 1%. As it turns out, many individuals on statins have low base risk and are therefore unlikely to see very significant benefits in terms of disease prevention as a result. Cut down your cheeseburger intake to 2 a month and eat more fish. But ask your doctor first about your statin.

There is an endpoint to most things. But the most significant end is death. We all want to prolong our lives but we must take an interest in doing so. The passive patient is the one who passes away first. Have frank discussions about your meds with your pharmacist or doctor and get on the treadmill now and then. Your chance to live longer are increased if you get involved in your own health.

Ron Gasbarro, PharmD is a registered pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Write him with any ideas or comments at ron@rx-press.com.