A letter to the editor in The Dispatch last Saturday from a retired Army major general caught my eye. He proposes that before sending troops into combat we should bring back the draft and enact a special war tax. The general wants to make “limited liability patriots and chicken hawks think twice before committing American […]
War no longer involves the nation as a whole Read Post »
I generally focus on issues and talk about people only to the extent they have some impact on those issues. I’m making an exception today for an exceptional person. She’s only 17 years old, and already she’s done more for the world than most adults. This rather petite and unassuming girl hasn’t created a cure
A world leader, and she’s just 17 Read Post »
A week or so ago, I read an op-ed piece about voting by columnist David Harsanyi. He was writing in response to the current dispute about whether states should make it easier for people to vote. Harsanyi believes that voting should be a difficult task. His point of view is based, at least in part,
They may not know who Joe Biden is, but they can vote for judges Read Post »
Ohio has found it harder and harder to execute its death row inmates, and so the answer has been to make the process secretive. The problem began when the pharmaceutical companies, whose drugs were being used for executions, decided they didn’t like their drugs being administered on death row, so they stopped the supply line.
Wasting more effort killing killers Read Post »
The news about a man jumping the fence and gaining access to the White House was alarming. How can this sort of thing happen? He had a knife. He could have had a bomb. That was scary, but it’s not what grabbed my attention. What followed is what bothers me. One would think the incident
Just over a week ago, I wrote about how the facts have been overshadowed by bad information in the Common Core debate. I knew something was wrong with this picture, but I couldn’t point to the exact problem. Sure, it had to do with politics, but what exactly was going on? I did a little
The politics behind common core Read Post »
Have you been listening to the recent debate about the Common Core standards? If so, you should have noticed two things. First, the objections focus on things other than the standards that comprise Common Core: Common Core is being forced upon the states by the federal government. Common Core mandates teaching methods for the states.
Common core opponents are forgetting one thing–the kids Read Post »
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
Drug courts can help reduce recidivism Read Post »
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
Lawmakers “fighting” for us hardly helps Read Post »
When’s the last time you walked three miles to get the water you need for your family? Probably never, right? Much of the world is not so lucky. Millions of people travel long distances every day to get water, often using containers that once carried chemicals. Take a look. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an8Da5e4vk8 PackH2O, led by Kelsey Langsdale
Making it easier to access water–what Pack H2O is doing Read Post »
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
Short-term loan act was smoke and mirrors Read Post »
Two years ago, in response to questions about lack of uniformity in carrying out the death penalty, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor formed a task force to assess whether Ohio’s death penalty is being administered fairly. The task force recently announced its recommendations, and though it was a balanced group, some members criticized
Ohio death penalty task force got it right Read Post »