What part of “Thou Shalt not kill” don’t we understand?

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I don’t like it when authors quote the Bible to justify a position, because, I think, so many people use the Bible to advance very narrow interests and not the expansive message of love and compassion that authors like Richard Rohr advocate. But then there’s that old adage, “Never say never,” which allows me to extol a wonderful piece, with compelling references to the Bible, written by Margaret Renkl about the death penalty “What part of ‘Thou shalt not ...

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8
SEP
6

Death Penalty

Citizens and lawmakers all can work to combat gun violence

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If you’re not outraged by the nation’s gun violence, you should be. If you’re outraged but doing nothing, recognize that your inaction contributes to the problem. If you’re a state or U.S. lawmaker who follows the gun lobby script, it’s time to acknowledge that gun violence is a public health issue.

Here are suggestions for both concerned citizens and lawmakers. First, the suggestions for citizens.

  1. Understand what works. The gun lobby wields power because it knows that money talks and its ...
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27
AUG
5

Gun Policy

Culture of accountability crucial for police

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We want them to protect us and maintain law and order. We authorize them to use force, lethal, if necessary, and we expect them to get it right every time. And when the police err, we get angry.

We’ve seen a number of police shootings nationwide, and the shootings that cause us concern often involve white officers shooting black men. The optics aren’t good, as they say, and the question that always follows is, were the officer’s actions justified?  But ...

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8
AUG
2

Social Issues

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No evidence needed when it comes to gun legislation

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If you pay attention to the reasoning given by legislators for the bills they propose, you’ll frequently see more anecdotes and personal opinion offered as support than statistics or other forms of evidence. Gun legislation provides a good example.

Pending in the Ohio Statehouse is H.B. 178, which is sponsored by Republican representatives. The bill would permit anyone 21 years or older, who passes the standard background check, to carry a concealed weapon without a license or training. The training required ...

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7
JUL
11

Gun Policy

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Eliminating poverty requires new paradigm, mindset

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Is the nation’s and Ohio’s poverty rate an inescapable fact of life or one we choose to ignore? The breadth of the problem is inescapable: 16.7 percent of Franklin County residents live at the poverty level—$25,100 annual income for a family of four—and the poverty rate has increased in every large Ohio city from 1999 to the 2013-2017 period. At last count, it’s 20.8 percent in Columbus and 36.8 percent in Youngstown.

If we want to fix the problem, ...

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9
JUN
5

Social Issues

Hate is destructive, as told by a former POW

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Yesterday, I had the opportunity to do something remarkable: I shook hands and spoke with Colonel Tom Moe, a retired Air Force fighter pilot who spent five years as a POW in North Vietnam. He’s a soft spoken, warm man who had the strength to survive unspeakable torture.

The opportunity to meet Tom came about because my wife, Debbie, and I attended the Memorial Day commemoration at the National Veterans Memorial and ...

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28
MAY
2

People I Admire

The economic boom hasn’t benefited everyone

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The Dow Jones has been on the rise, and the unemployment rate is 3.8 percent. The  economy is humming, but is everyone benefitting? It depends on where you stand on the economic ladder. Let’s take a look, starting at the top.

Wealth at the top is increasing. According to the Spectrum Group, the number of households with a net worth of $1 million to $5 million, not including primary residence, grew in 2016 to 10.8 million; households with a net worth ...

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5
MAY
2

Social Issues

God likes guns, and Trump is biblical–Really?

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Do you think at all about where to find God in your life? I do, and I struggle to find him, but some politicians make it look easy. A select number claim to know what God wants, based on what must be a direct line to the Heavens which the rest of us will likely never enjoy. Two examples were given to us within the last few weeks.

The first is from Ohio Representatives Ron Hood, R-Ashville, and Tom Brinkman, ...

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29
APR
9

Social Issues

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The lesson we can learn from the moral failures of others

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Last month’s vote on the national emergency resolution gave me pause to think about courage. We admire those who display it and criticize those who don’t. We like to give a pat on the back to those who show courage under fire, whether it be combat or the pressures of the business world.

Show me someone who has been scorned in the news for a moral failure in business or politics, and I’ll show you plenty of people eager to ...

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7
APR
5

Social Issues

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These kinds of disparities demean the criminal justice system

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Jeffrey Epstein, a Miami hedge fund manager, and Kevin Keith, an indigent Bucyrus resident, have been through the criminal justice system for serious crimes but with remarkably different experiences.

Epstein allegedly had sex with and trafficked over three dozen girls, most of them 13 to 16. He faced a life sentence in 2007, but his lawyers worked a deal. Epstein served just 13 months in a county jail and was allowed work at his Palm Beach office during the day. ...

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31
MAR
2

Social Issues

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