Category Archives: Politics

September 20, 2026 · 1:00 am

Gaming the System, Part 2

Broken Family, Image courtesy of Cap and Share https://capandshare.org

We continue our examination of the impact of government aid programs and fraud on the breakdown of the family.

Government Aid Programs and Taxes

There are sharp differences of opinion as to whether the tax system has become increasingly progressive or less so [1][2].  Certainly, the perceived burden of taxes on the working class has increased [3].  

At the same time, a growing number advocate for a “universal basic income” from the government, not recognizing that the government must be funded by some means [4][5][6].

Whatever the truth, without question fraud is driving up the cost of government aid programs [7].  Politicians are not likely to resolve the problem soon, since they carefully avoid sacred cows to assure that they, themselves, remain in office [8].

The Family, the Church, and Government

The Bible views the family, the church, and government as three distinct but interrelated spheres of influence [9]. 

God established the family as the first and basic unit of society (Gen. 2: 24) [10A].  The family is a model of God’s own love (Eph. 5: 25, 28, 33), designed to meet essential human needs (1 Tim. 5: 8) and raise children in His love, instruction, and discipline (Deut. 6: 6-7; Matt. 19: 14; Eph. 6: 1-4).

The church is the Body of Christ, a spiritual family and community of believers that transcends biological ties (1 Cor. 12: 27).  The role of the church is to provide moral guidance, fellowship, and service to others, equipping believers to live as God intended [11A].  

Government is the civil authority instituted by God to maintain order and justice [10B].  As reflected in the Preamble to the US Constitution, the role of government is to provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, collect taxes, enforce laws and judge evildoers, while protecting good conduct (Rom. 13: 1-7)[16]. 

Government cannot function well when – as today – there is serious disagreement about what constitutes the general welfare and good conduct; and many simply ignore what once were societal norms.

Clearly, government cannot substitute for the family, though we are trending in that direction [12][13][14].  When the family fails, the church, government, and society at large suffer [11B][15]. 

Those gaming the system are harming us all.

—

[1]  University of Chicago Law School, “How Progressive Is the US Tax System?” by Thomas Coleman and David Weisbach, 2023, https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/law_and_economics_wp/119/.

[2]  GovFacts, “The Tax Revolution that Created Today’s Inequality Crisis”, 6/24/25 (Updated 12/5/25), https://govfacts.org/long-term-challenges-future/economic-transformation/economic-inequality-trends/how-80-years-of-changing-us-tax-policy-have-reshaped-american-wealth/.

[3]  YouTube, “High Taxes Are Hitting the Working Class Harder than Ever”, https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=has+tax+burden+on+working+class+increased+in+uSA+during+past+25+years&mid=F7F839FA19D8863644DAF7F839FA19D8863644DA&churl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fchannel%2fUCmXyOLGT5U3XGc3txarblKA&FORM=VIRE.

[4]  Wikipedia, “Universal basic income”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_basic_income.

[5]  Income Movement, “Fighting for Basic Income”, https://www.incomemovement.org/about.

[6]  US Congress, “Universal Basic Income Proposals for the United States”, 4/3/18, https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF10865/IF10865.3.pdf.

[7]  US Government Accountability Office (GAO), “Fraud and Improper Payments”, https://www.gao.gov/fraud-improper-payments#:~:text=In%20FY%202025%2C%2015%20federal%20agencies%20reported%20a,these%20improper%20payments%20were%20a%20result%20of%20overpayments.

[8]  Bryan E. Hall, “Sacred Cows —  Eleven Political Positions that Are Patently Wrong But Untouchable”, 3/15/26, https://bryanehall.substack.com/p/sacred-cows.

[9]  Think Institute, “Church, State, and Family:  A Biblical Framework” by Joseph Settecase,  https://thethink.institute/articles/church-state-and-family-a-biblical-framework.

[10A and 10B]  BibleHub, “Church and Family Dynamics”, https://biblehub.com/topical/c/church_and_family_dynamics.htm.

[11A and 11B]  Watermark Community Church, “Politically Correct:  The Roles of Family, Government, and the Church” by Campus Pastor Blake Holmes, 10/18/20, https://www.watermark.org/message/7810-politically-correct-the-roles-of-family-government-and-the-church.

[12] National Affairs, “The Future of Family Policy” by Abby McCloskey, Winter 2022, https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-future-of-family-policy.

[13] National Affairs, “The Limits of Parents’ Rights” by Naomi Schaefer Riley, Summer 2024, https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-limits-of-parents-rights.

[14] CalMatters, “A Trump order targets gender-affirming care for youth. California is suing to block it” by Ana Ibarra, 8/1/25, https://calmatters.org/health/2025/08/gender-affirming-care-lawsuit/.

[15] Cap and Share (CAS), “The Ripple Effect:  How Broken Families Affect Your Community” by Jonathan Anderson, 8/3/23, https://capandshare.org/broken-families-affect-community/.

[16] Constitution Annotated, “Preamble to US Constitution”, https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/preamble/.

Part 1 in this series was posted 9/13/26.

FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com

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September 13, 2026 · 1:00 am

Gaming the System, Part 1

Creative Commons Licensed Clipboard Fraud Image, Source Picpedia.org, Authors Nick Youngson http://www.nyphotographic.com/ and Alpha Stock Images https://alphastockimages.com/, (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)

As we watch the family break down, government is both accelerating the process and attempting to take up the slack, albeit stumbling under the load [1][2].  On top of this, there are many whose aim in life is to “game the system” for their own benefit.  That has not helped.

The impact on children is particularly devastating.

Government Aid Programs

With charitable support by churches having weakened over the years, the need for government funding of poverty housing, nutritional assistance for the poor, and support for the disabled has increased [3][4][5].

  • Co-parenting – shared responsibility for childrearing by those no longer in a relationship – is a reality these days, as divorce rates attest [6].  Some 40% of first marriages end in divorce; 60% – 67% of second and third marriages end that way [7].  However, 2/3 of non-resident fathers avoid formal child support payments [8A].  Unpaid child support in the United States exceeds $32 billion [8B].
  • Illegitimacy rates (which plunge children into poverty) demonstrate that co-parenting would be a dream come true for many single parents abandoned by a partner [9][10].  By 2022, 52% of the children of single mothers were living below the poverty line. Welfare benefits and food stamps – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – are tremendously important.
  • Government benefits to physically or mentally disabled individuals can be a lifesaver. The caregivers paid by the government to regularly look after the sick, elderly, or disabled are a real blessing.

Fraud

Unfortunately, government programs meant to assist the needy cannot be effectively monitored, so fraud is easily missed [11].  There was, for instance, a massive Medicaid fraud exceeding $90 million recently uncovered in Minnesota [12].

Regrettably, there are those who see the government as an open cash register, readily susceptible to false claims:  claims that a relationship does not exist, even as children are brought into the world; claims of unemployment where employment “under the table” is ongoing, or income is derived by other illegal means; claims of disability where none exists; and claims of caregiving where none is rendered (or none needed at all) [13A].

Food stamps are traded by some for liquor, drugs, cigarettes or cash on the black market.  In 2019, there was an estimated $1 billion in such SNAP fraud [14].

In addition to this, scammers using skimming technology annually steal around $12 billion in food stamps from families [15]. 

Impact of Government Aid Programs on Marriage

“…If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thess. 3: 10).

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5: 8).

Despite the best of intentions, many aid programs have had the unintended consequence of undermining both the work ethic and marriage [16][17][18]. 

Why work and be required to pay taxes, if the government is willing to provide food and housing [13B][19]?  Why marry and be required to support children, if the government is willing to do that?  So goes the warped thinking of more than a few.

Of course, no amount of government aid can replace an absent father in the life of a child [20][21][22].

Weaponized Protective Orders  

Meanwhile, overburdened courts, now faced with an avalanche of requests for Protective Orders in custody cases, struggle to distinguish between true and false claims of abuse [23].

—

[1] GovFacts, “How Government Is Adapting to the Changing American Family”, 8/25/25, https://govfacts.org/long-term-challenges-future/social-cultural-futures/changing-family-structures/how-government-is-adapting-to-the-changing-american-family/.

[2] Michael Carbonara, “What is the current trend in the American family structure? A clear overview” by Michael Carbonara, 2/20/26, https://michaelcarbonara.com/the-american-family-today-trends/.

[3]  NRB, “New Surveys Find Charitable Giving In Decline”, 8/8/14, https://nrb.org/new-surveys-find-charitable-giving-in-decline/.

[4]  Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, “Giving USA 2025:  Trends in Religious Giving” by Erica Dollhopf PhD,  https://lakeinstitute.org/resource-library/insights/july-15-2025/.

[5]  Horizons Stewardship, “Giving USA 2024:  Disturbing Trends Giving Trends”,  https://blog.horizons.net/giving-usa-research-giving-trends.

[6]   Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Marriage and Divorce”, 3/17/25, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/marriage-divorce.htm.

[7]  Divorce Law, “US Divorce Rate Hits 50-Year Low:  Only 40% of First Marriages Now End in Divorce” by Antonio Jimenez, Esq., 4/4/26, https://divorce.law/guides/news/us-divorce-rate-hits-50-year-low-only-40-percent-first-marriages-end-divorce/.

[8A and 8B]  Rich Niches, “Deadbeat Dad Statistics:  Understanding the Impact on Families and Society in 2023” by Ryan Kangail and Rich Niches, 6/2/26, https://richniches.com/deadbeat-dads-statistics/.

[9]  Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Unmarried Childbearing”, 6/10/26, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/unmarried-childbearing.htm.

[10]  Worldmetrics, “Single Mother Poverty Statistics” by Kathryn Blake, 5/5/26, https://worldmetrics.org/single-mother-poverty-statistics/.

[11]  Connect US, “17 Huge Advantages and Disadvantages of Welfare”, 5/17/19, https://connectusfund.org/17-huge-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-welfare.

[12] US Dept. of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, “Minnesota Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against 15 Defendants for $90M in Fraud”, 5/21/26, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/minnesota-health-care-fraud-takedown-results-charges-against-15-defendants-over-90m-fraud#:~:text=The%20Justice%20Department%20today%20announced%20the%20Minnesota%20Health,and%20first-of-their%20kind%20charges%20involving%20additional%20Medicaid%20programs.

[13A and 13B]  Institute for Youth in Policy, “Cons: Welfare”, https://yipinstitute.org/article/cons-welfare.

[14]  Esquilo, “Who Buys Food Stamps for Cash:  The Truth Behind this Illicit Trade” by Stephen Adriano, 12/29/23, https://esquilo.io/food-stamps/who-buys-food-stamps-for-cash/.

[15]  Investigate TV, “Families suffer as $12 billion stolen from food assistance programs, USDA says” by Anastassia Olmos, 11/11/25, https://www.investigatetv.com/2025/11/11/families-suffer-12-billion-stolen-food-assistance-programs-usda-says/.

[16]  University of Maryland, School of Public Policy, Welfare Reform Academy, “Understanding the Rise in Illegitimacy” by Robert Rector, https://welfareacademy.umd.edu/conf/papers/rector_p.html.

[17]  US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, “Congressional Testimony by Robert Rector – Understanding Marriage Penalties in Welfare and Their Impact on Society”, 2/11/25, https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rector-Written-Testimony.pdf.

[18]  Brookings Institute, “Fragile Families, Welfare Reform, and Marriage” by Irwin Garfinkel, Ronald Mincy, and Sara McLanahan, 12/1/01, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/fragile-families-welfare-reform-and-marriage/.

[19]  Classroom/Synonym, “The Disadvantages of Social Welfare to Human Development” by Joel Garrison, 9/28/17, https://classroom.synonym.com/the-disadvantages-of-social-welfare-to-human-development-12084203.html.

[20]  The Parenting Pro, “Absent Fathers: How Fatherless Homes Affect Child Development” by Michael Bennett, 4/20/25, https://theparentingpro.com/effects-of-absent-fathers-on-child-development/.

[21]  NeuroLaunch, “Psychological Effects of Absent Parents:  Long-Term Impact on Children’s Well-Being”, 9/14/24 (Edited 7/3/26), https://neurolaunch.com/psychological-effects-of-absent-parents/.

[22]  Owlcation, “Echoes of Absence:  The Lasting Impact of A Missing Father”, 6/24/25, https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/psychological-effects-of-growing-up-without-a-father.

[23]  Attorney at Law Magazine, “The Silver Bullet Method:  The Rise of False Allegations in Divorce and Custody Cases” by Padideh Jafari, 3/3/25, https://attorneyatlawmagazine.com/legal/legal-trends/the-silver-bullet-method-the-rise-of-false-allegations-in-divorce-and-custody-cases.

This series will conclude next week.

FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com

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May 10, 2026 · 1:00 am

Coerced Abortion

Hand holding a generic abortion pill pack containing 1 mifepristone and 4 misoprostol, Author plancpillsdotorg (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

Catherine Herring of Texas was unknowingly given the abortion pill seven times by her husband, in his attempt to kill their unborn child [1A][2A].  Thankfully, the baby girl, Josephine, survived.  Tragically, this was not an isolated incident.

Coercion

Forced abortions are employed by men seeking to evade the responsibility of having fathered a child, by parents seeking to avoid social stigma, by child abusers seeking to hide their crimes, and by sex traffickers seeking to eliminate the inconvenience of a pregnancy among their victims [2B].

“Abortion clinics cannot claim to be pro-woman while at the same time allowing the majority of their clients to be pressured into unwanted abortions [5B].”

-David Reardon, PhD

A 2023 peer reviewed study published in the Cureus Journal of Medicine found that nearly 70% of abortions in the United States were unwanted, coerced, and/or inconsistent with the mother’s values [2C][3][4].

That confirms earlier research which indicated over 60% of women who had abortions faced high levels of external pressure to end their pregnancies [5A].

Aftermath

These women afterwards experienced negative emotions, including feelings of loss, grief, and/or sadness about the abortion [5C].  Intrusive thoughts, including flashbacks to the abortion, interfered with their daily lives, work, and relationships [5D].

These findings run counter to the Turnaway Study which had reported a 99% post-abortion satisfaction rate by women, but had a low participation rate and relied on a single query [5E].  It, also, runs counter to the pro-abortion rallying cry “My Body, My Choice”. Continue reading →

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January 11, 2026 · 1:00 am

Literacy, Rousseau, and Unschooling, Part 2

We continue our examination of unschooling, a controversial educational philosophy praised on TikTok and elsewhere [1][2].

Literacy in the US

The current literacy rate in the United States is no more than 79% [3].  Most Americans can read at a 7th or 8th grade level.  Approximately 35 million read below a 6th grade level.

But 66% of 4th grade children cannot read proficiently.  Statistically, 2 out of 3 children who cannot read well by the 4th grade end up on Welfare or in prison.

One teacher recently lamented that 3rd graders do not know their parents’ names or phone numbers; do not know their home addresses; do not know the year they were born; cannot use a dictionary; cannot count physical money; and have difficulty following multi-step directions…all of which makes them enormously vulnerable to kidnapping and trafficking, not to mention difficult to teach [4].

Scientific Literacy

The issue of scientific literacy adds another layer of complexity.  A Pew Research survey found that many Americans can answer at least some questions about science concepts [5].  But other concepts are more challenging – and this in an age of explosive scientific growth.

Moreover, scientific literacy requires more than a simple knowledge of the facts [6]. It requires thoughtful analysis and judgment.  These are the same processes required for life decisions. Continue reading →

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November 9, 2025 · 1:00 am

Where Are the Children?

“Two Children Abandoned in the Amazon”, Source/Author Raguilar1158, (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

Though much vilified, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to open a dedicated Call Center to assist state and local law enforcement in locating hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children allowed illegally into the United States under the Biden Administration, children whose condition and whereabouts are now unknown [1]. 

More important than the immigration status of these children is their welfare which has not been adequately tracked, if at all.   Thousands upon thousands of children simply vanished.  

Whistleblowers have since exposed how the vicious scheme worked [2].  Under the auspices of trafficking cartels, children – some younger than 5 years of age, some sedated by melatonin laced gummies – arrived at the border with nothing but a phone number scribbled on their arms or clothing. Continue reading →

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September 14, 2025 · 1:00 am

Child Labor and Project 2025

A “doffer” boy at Globe Cotton Mills in Georgia (1909), Source Library of Congress, Author National Photo Company Collection (Digital ID npcc.19471), (PD)

UNICEF reports that some 138 million children worldwide were engaged in child labor in 2024, over a third of those in hazardous work [1A].

UNICEF defines work hazardous for children as “work that, by its nature or circumstances, is likely to harm children’s health, safety or moral development [1B].” 

  • Such work may take place under especially difficult conditions, involving long or overnight hours [1C][2A]. Often, it involves the use of or proximity to dangerous machinery, equipment, and tools. Agriculture and meat packing plants fall into this category.
  • Such work may take place in an unhealthy environment where children are exposed to dangerous substances or processes, or to extreme temperatures or noise levels [1D][2B]. Munitions plants fall into this category.
  • Such work may take place underground, underwater, at treacherous heights, or in confined spaces [1E][2C]. Mines fall into this category.

Usually, child labor interferes with a child’s right to play and to receive an education.  It may require strength beyond  a child’s capacity. 

Hazardous work is one of the worst forms of child labor, putting children at risk of permanent injury or death.  It includes, but is not limited to, anything that exposes children to emotional, physical, or sexual abuse [1F].

Federal vs. State Law

Federal laws to protect young workers were established by the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938 [3A].  

Shockingly, over the past 5 years some 28 states have introduced legislation to reduce protections for young workers [4A].  Twelve states have gone on to enact them [4B].  Iowa, for example, passed a law permitting 14 year olds to work on assembly lines and in meat packing plants, in direct violation of federal child labor laws [3B]. Continue reading →

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August 10, 2025 · 1:00 am

In the Company of the Elite

Jeffrey Epstein mugshot (2013), Source https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/CallImage?imgID=1665905 (PD as work product of the State of Florida)

The scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced former financier and convicted sex offender, has broadened to include a large number of powerful and well-known individuals [1].  Epstein (who trafficked young girls with the help of Ghislaine Maxwell) regularly kept company with politicians, filmmakers, journalists, scientists, comedians, intellectuals, and royalty.

We may be shocked to learn these names, and appalled at the behavior exhibited.  We should not be surprised that the so called “elite” suffer from the very same sin nature common to all mankind.  Wealth may disguise that fact; power may effectively keep secrets from the public.  But the stain remains.

Undoubtedly, there are varying degrees of guilt.  Some will claim they never knew what went on.  Others will claim they knew, but did not participate.  Still others will simply deny everything.

God knows the whole story, whether we ever will or not.

—

[1]  The Guardian, “Epstein scandal broadens as trove of letters from famous figures published” by Anna Betts, 8/5/25, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/jeffrey-epstein-letters-photos.

FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com

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February 25, 2024 · 1:00 am

Sisterhood and Sexual Violence by Hamas

File:MeToo 7.10.2023 (cropped).jpg

Graffiti by Grafitiyul and Guy Morad critical of women’s organizations which ignored testimony by Israeli women regarding rape and sexual violence during Hamas terrorist attacks 10/7/23, Author Nizzan Cohen (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International).

WARNING:  Graphic Images

The BBC in December 2023 confirmed that it had seen and heard credible evidence of the rape and mutilation of women by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel [1].

The overwhelming evidence of savagery included cuts, bruises, broken pelvises, and vaginal tears.  Victims ranged in age from children and teens to retirees.  The majority did not survive.

“[Many victims’ bodies were] found mutilated and bound, with sexual organs brutally attacked, and in some cases, weapons were inserted into them [2A]”.

The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel has now gathered evidence that there were identical patterns of sexual violence at multiple locations [2B].  Some rapes were committed in front of family and friends, to increase the pain and humiliation of victims and their loved ones.  Gang rape followed by murder was not uncommon. Continue reading →

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February 19, 2023 · 1:00 am

“Civil Rights Leaders Care More About Planned Parenthood Than Black Families” by Delano Squires

File:Father and Child - Bus Station - Leon - Nicaragua (30818584073).jpg

Image Source https://www.flickr.com, Author Adam Jones
(CC BY-SA 2,0 Generic)

“If black lives truly mattered to civil rights organizations, they would spend more time promoting strong families and less energy pushing abortion on demand…

As a candidate and president, [Barack] Obama talked openly about marriage, family, and fatherhood…[H]e gave a speech about violent crime in Chicago 10 years ago that…included this observation:

‘There’s no more important ingredient for success, nothing that would be more important for us reducing violence, than strong, stable families — which means we should do more to promote marriage and encourage fatherhood.’

Countless black progressive politicians, pundits, professors, preachers, and performers…rejected…[Obama’s] attempts to tie family structure to social outcomes because they believe racial inequality is caused by systemic forces, not individual decisions.  The family is the one institution they show no interest in discussing.

…All references to the connection between fatherhood and social outcomes were removed in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic Party platforms.

It’s a lot easier to ignore the importance of fathers and families if you believe America would be a better place if fewer black children were born.  This is the logical conclusion to draw when abortion activists claim black women will be the primary victims of limits on abortion.”

Continue reading →

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October 9, 2022 · 1:00 am

Mirrors

File:Mirror MET ES5394.jpg

18th Century German Mirror, Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession No. 1990.329), Author/Source https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/207941 (CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication)

In this political season, there is a great deal of emphasis on image. Candidates craft their images with care, choosing just the right setting, just the right music, just the right wording for political ads, campaign photos, and sound bites.

These carefully crafted images are not necessarily a true reflection of the candidate’s character – more like a carnival house of mirrors, with everything distorted.

What about the images abuse victims have of themselves? How accurate are those?

One crucial distinction between the images politicians design for themselves, and those abuse victims carry over from childhood, is that victims do not get to choose their images. In large part, those are crafted by the adults around them.

However, when the mirror is cracked, twisted, and deformed, so is the image reflected in it. Continue reading →

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