[COLUMN] Ford right man for the times

I was only 7 years old when Gerald R. Ford became president. While I have some childhood recollections of his presidency, my knowledge and understanding of the accidental president comes to me from history books.

His death last week has the country re-evaluating Ford’s place in history and I am no exception.

While I have never been a fan of the Ford presidency, there is much to be said for Ford the man. While no one is going to outright disparage a man during the week of his death, the comments about Ford appear sincere and have a common element: He was a man of honor.

This was what the nation needed following the presidencies of Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. He was a genuinely honest and well-meaning guy. His presidency was, like many presidencies in our history, basically unremarkable and a failure on its face. This was mostly because of his moderate views. He lacked a real vision, instead trying to please everyone through compromise.

While compromise might serve some purpose in a legislature, if history has taught us anything it is that there is no place for moderate views in the White House. A president must have a philosophical compass and a true vision to preach from the bully pulpit of the Oval Office.

Still, Ford’s role in history was an important one nonetheless.



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Pitts hijacking court system to spread hate

As the video above (taken by The Lima News' Craig Mack) shows, Lima City Councilman Tommy Pitts and his son's attorney Ken Rexford are attempting to hijack the judicial system in order to spread divisiveness through the community. (To see Rexford's comments, click here).

Pitts' son is on trial for dealing drugs. Another one of his sons was sentenced to prison for the same offenses.

The ludicrous claim by the racist Pitts is that the judicial system in the county, specifically the Prosecutors Office, is targeting blacks because a larger percentage of blacks are arrested and convicted than whites.

What seems to elude Pitts and his attorney is that perhaps a larger percentage of blacks commit crimes than a larger percentage of whites:



The above chart from the U.S. Justice Department shows that blacks are seven times more likely to commit homicide than whites. And that is just one type of crime. The numbers are similar in many other criminal areas as well.

Instead of trying to obfuscate the issue in his son's criminal trial (and continuing to be an enabler for his sons) Pitts should try to do something to curb crime in the black community because the bulk of black crime, at least according to the FBI, is committed against blacks.

Instead, Pitts would rather spread more hatred. Is this the kind of character we want sitting on City Council? Perhaps a recall vote is in order.

President Ford dead at 93

President Ford died Tuesday. He was 93 years old.

Ford holds a special place in American history, having succeeded to the presidency without ever winning a national election. He replaced Spiro Agnew as vice president when he resigned over tax fraud. Ford then replaced Nixon when he resigned over the Watergate scandal.

Ford, who became our longest-living president last month (passing Ronald Reagan) lived a long and fruitful life and served his nation well.

I thank Ford for his long service to his nation and I offer my condolences to his family.

My new favorite Christmas song

Just heard a Christmas song today that I have never heard before, called Rebel Jesus. Apparently, it was recorded in 1991 by The Chieftains on the album The Bells of Dublin. Jackson Browne wrote the song and sang lead vocals with The Chieftains on the recording. I am so up on pop culture that it only took 15 years for me to hear it.

The song is not your typical Christmas carol. However, it has a great message that even if you do not consider yourself a Christian, the ideals expressed by Yeshua (Jesus) are still relevant and worth following. I think it is my new favorite Christmas song.

Click the "Read more" link below to see the lyrics.

If you haven't heard the song, you can listen to the MP3 version by clicking here, though I am not sure if Web site is posting the song legally. However, that is between that Web site and the law. I am merely providing the link. However, I recommend picking up the compact disc as it has some really good songs on it. To buy it, click here.



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Merry Christmas!

Please, everyone, have a safe and enjoyable Christmas holiday. And remember the true reason for the holiday. Regardless of your faith, the meaning of Christmas is relevant as the teachings of the Nazerene Rabbi Yeshua bar-Joseph (Jesus), as recorded in the Bible, are, for the most part, universal and applicable to nearly every religion on the planet.

So have fun and be safe.

[COLUMN] Yes, there is a Santa

Today (or next week, depending on where you live and your belief system), millions of children around the world anxiously await the arrival of that jolly old elf, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Babbo Natale, Santa Claus, or any other number of appellations by which the famous gift-giver is known (after all, a Santa Claus by any other name …).

Of course, many children and adults doubt the existence of Santa Claus.

This same doubt by an 8-year-old girl named Virginia O’Hanlon in 1897 inspired Francis Pharcellus Church, an editor with the New York Sun, to write what has become the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English language, “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.”

Church’s editorial argued that just because you couldn’t see Santa Claus, does not mean he did not exist.

“Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies,” Church wrote.

Church was right that there was a Santa Claus, but his reasoning was flawed. He wrote that Santa exists because without him there could be no beauty, art, romance.

Now, we should forgive Church his 19th century romantic view on life. He lived in a very different world.



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[COLUMN] Free societies permit drugs

Last month, New York cops gunned down an unarmed man on his wedding day outside a strip bar. The shooting, of course, sparked controversy about the level of force used by the officers.

However, the real problem here is that if we lived in a free society, those officers would not have even been at the strip club on that fateful morning.

They were there because they had reports that “gasp!” drug use and prostitution were taking place.

That man in New York would be alive today and those police officers would not have the death of an unarmed man on their consciences if our politicians would simply stay out of our lives and concentrate on their real duties of administering the government and protecting our freedoms.

There is absolutely no reason why, in a free society, I should be prevented from engaging in prostitution or taking drugs.

Every day, Americans engage in commerce. They buy and sell just about anything and everything imaginable. Just take a glance at eBay, which is a microcosm of the greater American free market.



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The year in review -- another great animation

Another great production from our friends at JibJab!

Good News! Senate overrides Taft gun veto!

(AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft at the Ohio State House on Dec. 6 in Columbus.The Enquirer - Senate overrides Taft gun veto

Finally, some good news out of Columbus. This afternoon, Republican lawmakers overrode Gov. Bob "Goofy Bob" Taft's veto of a gun bill that clears up some serious problems in Ohio's gun laws.

When Ohio initially passed its concealed-carry legislation a few years ago, the law concerning how a licensee has to carry the weapon in a vehicle was vague and open to wide interpretation. This new bill clears up that language to allow the weapon to remain concealed even when you are in a motor vehicle, which is simply common sense.

However, that is not the part that has Taft in a tizzy. When it becomes law in 90 days, House Bill 347 will wipe out more than 80 local gun laws including unconstitutional bans on assault weapons found in cities like Cincinnati and Toledo. This despite the Ohio Supreme Court's erronous decision on Friday finding Cincinnati's ban constitutional.

While the only kind of good gun ban is no gun ban, if there are going to be gun controls in place, then it is certainly best to consolidate them at the state level. After all, how is one supposed to know, while traveling, when the laws change and what those laws are?

More importantly, the veto override is another example of why Gov. Taft is probably the worst governor in Ohio (U.S.?) history. It is the first time since 1977 that the General Assembly has overrode a gubernatorial veto. What is more amazing is that Taft's Republicans control the General Assembly!

This is just further proof that the Taft family is incapable of performing well as executives. President Taft was an awful president and Gov. Taft was an awful governor. Why I hate to see a Democrat take that position, I am certainly glad to see Goofy Bob go.

I'm Back!

Sorry for the brief absence. I was overwhelmed with a bunch of stuff. I didn't even have time to write a column last week.

However, I am back.

[COLUMN] Shooting was brutality, not racism

Fifty.

That is how many rounds five New York police officers fired into a car at three unarmed men outside a strip club Nov. 25, killing one, Sean Bell. As it happens, Bell and his friends, Joseph Guzman, 31, and Trent Benefield, 23, were having a bachelor party for Bell, who was to be married hours later.

Now, the 23-year-old Bell and his group obviously were not saints. And the facts of the case are still unfolding as police investigators question witnesses and collect evidence. There are many unanswered questions.

However, I am not sure anyone can honestly defend the actions of the five officers. They fired 50 rounds at three unarmed men. One of the officers, Michael Oliver, 35 and a 12-year veteran, fired his 16-shot pistol 31 times. That means he had to stop and take time to reload.

The police union is claiming, days after the fact, that there was another man involved who might have had a gun and who was seen running from the scene when the bullets began flying. Of course, instead of chasing the "man with the gun," the police officers felt it was more important to waste their ammunition on the targets that weren't moving rather than waste time and energy chasing a moving target.



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