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This is Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler who drowned off the coast of Turkey last September. Some media sources chose not to publish the photo. I think everyone needs to see it. It’s emblematic of a world where things have gone badly wrong.
Aylan likely had no idea why his family was leaving home on what must have been a difficult trek with little planning. He probably could feel his ...
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How much of what we hear is exaggerated, destructive or full of hate? Don Miguel Ruiz, author of “The Four Agreements,” would say many people fail to be impeccable with their words. Impeccable means not capable of sin and free from fault or blame. Think of what it means, then, to be impeccable with your words.
Ruiz tells us, “Through the word you express your creative power. It is through the word that you manifest everything.” Only humans are blessed ...
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When you vote this Tuesday, you will see three referendums, known as Issues 1, 2 and 3, which all seek to amend the Ohio Constitution. Here’s my view on all three.
Vote yes on Issue 1
Issue 1 seeks to implement a non-partisan approach to drawing voting districts for Ohio state representatives and senators. As important as Issue 1 is, it hasn’t received much news play, and that’s unfortunate. Before explaining how Issue 1 works, let’s look at what goes on now.
Boundaries are ...
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It wasn’t obvious at first, but then it dawned on me. Donald Trump and James A. Traficant, Jr., though they may be different in one sense, are very much alike. In case you don’t recall, Traficant was a Congressman from Youngstown, Ohio, who was expelled from the House in 2002.
The differences between them may be striking, but those differences are just superficial. Down deep, these men are, ...
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Sometimes I receive suggested topics for my blog. A reader, who happens to be a client, suggested last week that I write about the fallout from Donald Trumps’s statements on immigration.
“Jack, in your left leaning missives, how about considering this?
“Political Correctness. Let’s all never say anything that could or would be potentially upsetting to anyone. Might as well erase the first amendment while we’re at it. …
“Why do I bring this up? I’m incensed about the treatment of 51 beautiful, ...
Continue Reading →What’s the difference between athletes and politicians? When athletes lose a game, they generally don’t blame anyone besides themselves. When politicians lose, i.e., the Supreme Court doesn’t see things their way, they blame the court.
In an article published last month in The National Review, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Andrew C. McCarthy wrote that the Supreme Court is a political branch, not a judicial one. He sees a left leaning voting bloc, comprised of ...
Continue Reading →About two weeks ago, former Gov. Jeb Bush joined the ranks of those who argue about established science. Commenting on man’s impact on climate change, he had this to say: “I don’t think the science is clear of what percentage is man-made and what percentage is natural. It’s convoluted. For the people to say the science is decided on this is really arrogant, to be honest with you. It’s this intellectual arrogance that now you can’t have a conversation ...
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The 2016 presidential campaign is in its infancy, and already I’m fatigued by the crazy talk I hear. Case in point: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who spoke the week before last at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition summit in Iowa about the First Amendment and religious freedom. Here’s what Cruz had to say: “Today’s Democratic Party has decided there is no room for Christians in today’s Democratic Party. … There is a liberal fascism that is going after Christian believers.” ...
Continue Reading →A month ago, I criticized Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act for permitting discrimination against gays. I saw the law as promoting intolerance. After much thought, I think my take on the issue was wrong.
My analysis of the law and how it affects basic concepts like justice and fairness were influenced by my own bias. When I see people proclaiming to be acting on religious principles, I recoil. Almost immediately, I find fault with what they say. (Repeated disclosure: ...
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It’s stunning that the decision to resume diplomatic relations with Cuba has been such a controversial event. President Barack Obama is criticized for opening the door with Cuba because it is governed by a dictator and has a history of human rights abuses, but since when has the U.S. limited its relations to open, democratic governments? The examples of the U.S. maintaining diplomatic and trade relations with closed, abusive government are many.
The U.S.S.R. was a repressive government from its inception ...
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