Trump’s coronavirus blunder and failed leadership

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In failing to react quickly to the coronavirus, Donald Trump’s blunder rivals that of General Maurice Gamelin, commander of the French Army at the start of World War Two.

Shortly before Germany invaded France, Gamelin received intelligence reports the Germans were headed toward the Ardennes forest. Convinced the Ardennes could not be penetrated, Gamelin disregarded what he was told. The Germans burst through the Ardennes and took Paris five weeks later.

Like Gamelin, Trump didn’t ...

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5
APR
10

Political Issues

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A neighborhood’s resources determine future of its children

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You can determine the opportunities a Franklin County child will likely
have by his neighborhood. Social determinants like health, education and
incarceration rates are indicators for success and portend a bleak future for
many neighborhoods. What’s to be done? First, let’s look at the numbers.  

If you live in Upper Arlington, your life expectancy is 82 to 84 years, according to the Kirwin Institute at The Ohio State University. For someone in southern Franklinton, it’s 64 to 71 years, and ...

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16
FEB
5

Social Issues

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Trump’s defense skips over an important fact

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One of President Trump’s defenses to his impeachment is that he withheld aid from Ukraine because of his concern for corruption in the country. But there’s a significant fact he doesn’t mention. 

According to Trump, then-Vice President Joe Biden told Ukraine’s president at the time, Petro Poroshenko, the U.S. would withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees unless Ukraine’s prosecutor general Victor Shokin was fired. According to Trump, Shokin was investigating Burisma, where Bidens’ son, Hunter, sat on the ...

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27
JAN
3

Political Issues, Uncategorized

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Restoring women trapped in prostitution

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Restoring women trapped in prostitution

Prostitution and trafficking trap countless women in a life of misery and subjugation. For those who lead comfortable lives, it’s a distant—if even recognized—problem. But it’s right here in Columbus, Ohio, and it’s widespread and destructive.

To get a sense for the problem, listen to the podcast Lawyer Up, where lawyers John Gonzales and Jack D’Aurora talk with Hannah Estabrook about how women get lured, groomed and, finally, trapped in the sex trade.

Some women do find their way ...

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14
JAN
4

Social Issues

Has capitalism distorted our world view?

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Sometimes we hear things that make us uncomfortable, ideas that challenge a core belief. Almost by reflex, we reject such ideas if for no other reason few of us readily accept change.

We have concluded for generations that capitalism is king, that it’s the best economic system on the planet. Author Richard Rohr questions whether capitalism has negatively affected our view of the world and how we should treat one another. Sure, capitalism works well for most of us, but ...

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4
JAN
8

Inequities in the Economy

Criminal justice system prioritizes procedure over results

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Gov. Mike DeWine has put a hold on executions. He’s bothered that the drug protocol used by the state to execute inmates causes severe pain and mimics waterboarding. DeWine is right to be bothered, but more than anything, he should be concerned for how flawed the system is.

The Death Penalty Information Center tells us that 163 Death Row inmates nationwide, including nine Ohioans, have been exonerated since 1973. Seven of those Ohioans were exonerated in the last 16 years. ...

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18
DEC
1

Death Penalty

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LGTBQ rights pose no threat to religious freedom

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Are religious freedoms under attack? Gays have the right to marry. The U.S. Supreme Court has left open the question whether a baker must decorate a wedding cake and a florist must provide floral arrangements to be used at gay weddings, and the court is now deciding whether employers can discriminate against LGBTQ employees.

Can society mandate equal treatment for LGBTQ people while respecting the beliefs of those who say their religion precludes them doing anything that condones what they see ...

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3
DEC
4

Social Issues

Trump’s spiritual adviser has a direct line to God

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I’m intrigued by the theology of Paula White, President Trump’s new spiritual adviser. Let me give you a couple snippets of her belief system and then contrast them with Richard Rohr, a Catholic priest and author.   

Most striking about White is that she knows what God wants for us politically. If you don’t support Trump, she tells us, “You’re gonna have to stand accountable before God one day.” And why would that be? Well, because “Trump has ...

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17
NOV
8

Political Issues

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New stadium scores over economic blight

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New stadium scores over economic blight

How governments prioritize expenditures is sometimes a head-scratcher. An example is the city of Columbus’ decision to invest millions in a new soccer stadium, while a segment of the west side continues to decay.

Two weeks ago, the Columbus Dispatch ran a three-day series, “Suffering on Sullivant,” about a three mile stretch of Sullivant Avenue that suffers from prostitution, drug use and other crimes. The landscape is marked by abandoned and dilapidated houses, trash and drug paraphernalia.

A week ago, ...

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4
NOV
6

Social Issues

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