I get concerned when people use the Bible to justify a position. The United Methodist Church recently justified its decision to exclude LGBTQ people from ministry leadership and marriage on the Bible. Oh, I’m sure if you look, you’ll find passages in the Bible that speak out in some way against homosexuality. And you’ll find […]
It’s in the Bible! Really? Read Post »
The farm bill, which provides assistance to farmers and funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, was passed in December with bipartisan support in the House and Senate. Though controversial, SNAP funding was not fundamentally changed. However, after signing the bill, President Donald Trump announced he wants to tighten restrictions. SNAP
Funding food assistance is good public policy Read Post »
Last month, the U.S. Senate passed the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, which makes it a federal crime to injure or murder a person “because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person.” The bill seems like a reasonable idea unless you
Intolerance for LGBTQ rights stops at church doors Read Post »
President Donald Trump warns that the Senate confirmation hearing for Brett Kavanaugh indicates that “it’s a very scary time for young men in America.” Fox journalist Jeanine Pirro believes the left is setting a new standard—“You are guilty until proven innocent”—and that due process, probable cause and reasonable doubt no longer have any meaning. Let’s
Men are no more at risk now than before Read Post »
The Pew Research Center reports that income inequality is at its highest point since 1928. Will it ever substantially improve? Not without a dramatic paradigm shift. From 1979 to 2015, annual wages increased for the bottom 90 percent of Americans by 21 percent, according to the Economic Policy Institute. For the top 1.0 percent, the
U.S. wage gap is not likely to improve Read Post »
Who would ever think Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi have anything in common? Then again, what about those outsize egos they lug around? Trump proved his ego is of epic proportion the week before last when talking on Fox & Friends about the Mueller investigation (as reported by CBS News). “If I ever get impeached,
Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi–soulmates of sorts? Read Post »
After being terminally ill for months or perhaps years, should you have the right to say, “I’ve had enough. It’s time to die?” Not only a tough question, it’s one that makes us uneasy. Seven states—California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington—and the District of Columbia permit what some call “death with dignity.” Except for
Is choosing death with dignity a moral decision? Read Post »
[I thought it appropriate to follow my last blog, which dealt with the annoying overuse of the word, “guys,” to touch on a related subject, bad grammar. This post was published in the Columbus Bar Association Lawyers Quarterly magazine a few years back. Regrettably, what I wrote then is still relevant.] In the words of
Enough with the bad grammar! Read Post »
[This piece was published a few years back in the Columbus Bar Association Lawyers Quarterly magazine. Because the state of our language continues its spiral decline, I’m posting it here.] It’s almost too much to bear. It’s enough to make my head explode. Our English language is slowly degrading to a point where things that
I’m done with you guys Read Post »
Unless you live in a cave, you’ve probably read several articles about the demise of civility in our political discourse. There’s no question a problem exists. Jim Simon did a nice job discussing the issue in an op-ed published June 28 in the Columbus Dispatch. He advocates a number of changes in how we behave,
Civility—a strategy for change Read Post »
We’re in the midst of a national kerfuffle over what it means to be patriotic, and it has a lot more to do with ego and attitude than substance. Funny thing is, the man who started the ruckus never served in the military. President Donald Trump has castigated NFL players for not standing during the
What’s the best way to measure patriotism? Read Post »
Enough already! How much longer should we endure the administration’s new policy of separating children from their immigrant parents? In the last six weeks, the administration has separated about 2000 children from their parents, with no clear plan for reuniting them Yes, the immigrants are wrong for seeking amnesty by just walking across the border
Stop the cruelty of separating children from their parents Read Post »