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Why we all need to take a knee
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No matter what side you're on in this particular protest, perhaps kneeling is the perfect symbol for what America needs right now. - photo by Erin Stewart
Take a knee.

Ive never seen three words become so loaded so quickly. After President Donald Trumps comments that NFL players should lose their jobs if they disrespect the flag, many football players, owners and spectators took a knee in support of Colin Kaepernick, who originally knelt during the anthem last year to bring attention to police brutality against black Americans.

All weekend, people rushed to be the first on social media to either condemn or support the #takeaknee movement. People accused the kneelers as being unpatriotic. The kneelers accused the standers of being unsympathetic to racial injustice and unsupportive of their right to free speech.

Essentially, everyone did what they always do: assert their moral high ground and proclaim everyone else evil, hateful, wrong, rude, stupid and anti-American.

As I watched the arguments back on forth on social media, I couldnt shake the powerful visual of the football players kneeling. Its not a position we take often in society, but its a posture I assume regularly as a mother.

When my kids are being difficult or defiant or downright buttheads, I usually start by talking down to them. I tell them what to do. I say why I am right and they are wrong.

If youre a parent, you know exactly how often this method works. Never.

What does work, however, is when I get down with them, on their level, face to face, and actually try to understand the problem. The simple act of kneeling next to them as they struggle to put on their shoes or clean up helps them know I am on their team, that we are on the same side, even if we disagree.

Once Im down there, I listen. I find out why they are upset. We try to come up with a solution together that makes both of us feel happy, loved and valued.

And then we stand up together.

Now, I know police brutality, partisan politics and First Amendment rights are on a whole different level from the challenges faced by my small children. But I believe the philosophy is the same.

When we stop asserting ourselves and start listening, we can actually make progress. But all the posts I saw were people ranting about their viewpoint or disparaging the arguments of the opposing side. How many posts did you see where someone asked a question in the hopes of truly understanding why someone is part of the Black Lives Matter movement or, conversely, trying to understand why someone feels so strongly about standing for the flag?

Not everyone needs to kneel as part of the #takeaknee protest. That's a personal choice. But no matter what side of the argument youre on, perhaps kneeling is the perfect symbol for what we need most in America right now. Its the body posture I use when trying to understand my hurting child. Its the position athletes take when they are listening to their coach.

Its how we pray. We kneel, not as a show of subservience or disrespect, but as a symbol of active listening. We humbly kneel to show were ready to understand the Lords will for us.

In every situation, we kneel to listen. To understand. To admit we don't know everything. To hear instead of to be heard.

And isnt that exactly what we need? More listening, less talking. More understanding, less preaching. More humility, less pride.

So, yes, stand for the anthem if your convictions dictate. Or kneel. Do whatever you think is right in this particular situation.

But outside of the arena political or football its time all of us take a knee, shut our mouths and, for once, stop clamoring to be understood and start fighting to understand.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.