Why black parents have “the talk” with their kids

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I don’t know if Michael Brown presented a life-threatening situation to police officer Darren Wilson, and I don’t know if Wilson’s shooting of Brown was racially motivated. I don’t know if the grand jury in St. Louis got it right by not indicting Wilson, and I don’t know if St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch purposefully failed to get an indictment.

Here’s what I do know with reasonable certainty: Michael Brown’s death gives us cause to think about the fact that ...

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1
DEC
8

Social Issues

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Education from a different perspective

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Is there a connection between getting an annual physical and education? There is, but before I explain what it is, let me tell you how I made the connection.

Some weeks back, I was talking with a good lawyer friend about the importance of having an annual physical. He’s 52 and never had a physical. I was shocked.  This intelligent man, the guy I go to when I need help with a case, has gone his entire life without a physical. ...

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3
NOV
2

Education, Social Issues

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Drug courts can help reduce recidivism

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If we don’t find a better way of dealing with non-violent drug offenders, we may find ourselves building more prisons. That’s the concern of Gary C. Mohr, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.  We’re good at putting drug offenders in jail, but we’re not doing so well helping them with their addictions, which means they’re likely to be repeat visitors at state prisons. That means more expense for the state and a loss of productivity in the economy.

This ...

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21
AUG
0

Social Issues

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Lawmakers “fighting” for us hardly helps

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Have you noticed all the fighting that goes on at the statehouse and in the Capitol? It’s hardly a secret—lawmakers regularly tell us they are fighting for us. Think about how often you hear the phrase.

Are our legislators really fighting, or do they actually mean they are advocating a position?  Should we care about the language they use? Am I just being too particular about what some might characterize as a figure of speech?

Maybe not. Let’s put this in context ...

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19
JUL
0

Social Issues

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Short-term loan act was smoke and mirrors

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Two weeks ago, the Ohio Supreme Court decided in Ohio Neighborhood Finance, Inc., v. Scott that lenders are not obligated to make payday loans under the Short-Term Loan Act, which restricted fees, and instead may lend under the Small Loan and Second Mortgage Acts, which permit significantly higher fees. The Short-Term Loan Act was passed for the supposed purpose of controlling payday loans, but not one loan has been made under the 2008 law.

The problem is, as the court concluded, ...

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19
JUN
1

Social Issues

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Sex trafficking captures girls even from “nice homes”

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It is a criminal enterprise more profitable than the drug trade. Human trafficking targets and exploits primarily young girls, who are forced to engage in sex with strangers. It is modern day slavery, happening here in Ohio.

Traffickers prey on young girls, offering the things they need. It may be shelter or food—whatever it takes to win over the girl’s trust. Eventually, the trafficker gains the girl’s confidence and then exerts control, either through violence or by using drugs to purposefully ...

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1
JUN
1

Social Issues

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Former POW has learned not to hate

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Sometimes the lessons we learn aren’t what we would expect. You would expect to hear about faith or courage from a former prisoner of war. You wouldn’t expect a POW to talk about the destructive nature of hate, but that’s the lesson from Tom Moe, a Capital University graduate and Vietnam War POW, who served as Director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services from 2010 to 2013.

Moe’s lesson for us is one of three ironies within his story, and, ...

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30
MAY
0

Social Issues

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Is Cal Thomas right about a double standard?

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Don’t look now, but hell just froze over. I find myself agreeing with columnist Cal Thomas. I can’t remember his columns ever resonating with me, but there’s a first time for everything. Mind you, I don’t see eye-to-eye with Thomas just because he’s conservative. I think highly of David Brooks, who is conservative, but Brooks is always insightful. Thomas, on the other hand, always seems to be negative and more opinionated than analytical. (Apologies, Mr. Thomas.)

So, what’s the point of ...

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23
MAY
0

Social Issues

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How can be be debating torture?

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The U.S. Senate is locking horns with the CIA over records concerning “enhanced interrogation” techniques practiced at Gitmo Bay. Senator Diane Feinstein accuses the CIA of removing from Senate computers documents concerning interrogation practices. The CIA denies any wrong doing.

The Senate had been investigating whether meaningful information was gained through what most of us—but not the CIA and former Vice President Dick Chaney—would consider to be torture. The CIA is adamant it produced valuable information. Others, like Senator John McCain, ...

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17
APR
0

Social Issues

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