[COLUMN] The liberal attack on Palin
In this Aug., 29 file photo, Republican vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is introduced by Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., during a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)
Liberal bloggers have to be the lowest form of life on the planet.
I am a classical liberal, so I disagree with liberals and conservatives alike, or at least what passes for liberalism and conservatism today. They are simply two sides of the same big government, anti-freedom coin. Being neither a conservative nor a liberal gives me a perspective on both that adherents of those two philosophies lack because of their natural biases.
It is important, if one wishes to be informed, to read a variety of arguments on the issues of the day. Refusing to read viewpoints that run contrary to your own personal beliefs is intellectual sloth as well as intellectual vanity. Reading opinion with which you agree merely confirms your own prejudices and comforts your own ignorance.
Besides, it is boring.
To that end, I read many liberal and conservative viewpoints as well as listen to and watch pundits and politicians from both camps. I can say, without a doubt, that the left is far more hateful and irresponsible than the right.
I am, frankly, downright disgusted by the pure, hate-filled vitriol I read on left-wing blogs, much of which can't be published in a family newspaper.
It sickens my heart.
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Why have the death penalty?
China Arnold enters the Montgomery County Common Pleas Courtroom for her trial sentencing phase Wednesday morning, Sept. 3, 2008, in Dayton, Ohio. Arnold, 28, was convicted Friday of aggravated murder for killing her baby in a microwave oven in August 2005. Her trial continued Wednesday as closing arguments were presented for sentencing, and the jury began deliberations. (AP Photo/Dayton Daily News, Jim Witmer)
Unbelievable.
If you can't get the death penalty for cooking your 1-month-old child to death in a microwave oven, then why do we have the death penalty?
This might be the straw that breaks the back of my support for the death penalty. I am seriously reconsidering my support for the death penalty.
Ohio woman in microwave case spared death penalty
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- A woman who killed her 1-month-old daughter by microwaving her was spared the death penalty Wednesday when the jury couldn't reach a decision on a recommended sentence.
After deliberating for five hours, the jury told the judge it couldn't agree on whether to recommend the death penalty or life in prison for 28-year-old China Arnold. Since the death penalty wasn't recommended, that sentence cannot be imposed.
[COLUMN] Let 18-year-olds drink
Thanks to the Amethyst Initiative, a movement by 129 college presidents and chancellors who say America's experiment with the drinking age is not working, we are finally having a serious and open debate on the reality of our failed alcohol laws.
Unfortunately, I can't say the debate is an honest one. When it comes to alcohol debates in this country, the arguments, especially by those who would unjustly restrict human liberty in favor of stricter laws, are steeped in misleading statements, skewed statistics, and outright lies.
There really are several issues pertinent to the debate on the drinking age and, despite what lunatic groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving claim, none of them has anything to do with whether drinking is healthy, whether 20-year-olds are mature enough to drink responsibly, or any other silly nonsense. In fact, the issue is less about drinking and more about exercising immoral power over others.
MADD and other anti-freedom, and therefore anti-American, groups like to confuse the issue by throwing out all kinds of crazy statistics about drinking that, when actually looked at, are misleading to say the least.
That's because the real goal of groups like MADD is not responsible drinking, but outright prohibition. MADD's leaders will not rest until they deprive the rest of us of the liberty to drink a beer. MADD is nothing less than a modern-day temperance organization that spreads lies and misinformation in an effort to stifle any debate on the issue.
In reality, the main issues here are states' rights and personal liberty.
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School officials lack common sense
Monroe high school freshman Sarah Ihle poses in her freshman cheerleading outfit on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008, in Monroe, Ohio. The Monroe school district this year is requiring all skirts worn in class to be no shorter than 3 inches above the knees. (AP Photo/The Enquirer, Leigh Taylor)
This story from the Cincinnati Enquirer is yet another example of government school officials exercising no common sense. And we trust these people to educate our children?
Do Monroe school officials really have nothing more to worry about than the cheerleaders' skirts being too short to wear to the school on game day? Really, if they are so short and problematic, perhaps the district shouldn't let the girls wear the skirts at all.
No wonder America's education system is in shambles.
MONROE -- A surprising new dress code that resulted in cheerleaders being banned from wearing their uniforms to class has the Monroe schools in histrionics over hemlines.
Like many high schools in Greater Cincinnati, Monroe cheerleaders have a long tradition of wearing their uniforms to school for Friday football games and other events.
But this year, the 1,000-student Butler County school district changed the dress code to require all skirts worn during school hours to be no shorter than three inches above the knees.
The cheerleaders were told Thursday that their slit-sided mini skirts would violate the policy, unless the girls wore leggings or long shorts under the skirts.
Kennedy tribute video sickens me to no end
I am disappointed in this Ted Kennedy tribute video that was shown Monday evening at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The video talks a lot about how Kennedy changed the lives of many Americans, yet, it did not discuss the one American whose life Kennedy changed more than any other: Mary Jo Kopechne (although some people in this town probably blame her for getting into the car with Kennedy).
It sickens me that they would offer such an honor to a man who killed a woman and was allowed to continue his priviledged life just because of who he is.
I hope he wins his battle with brain cancer, but I hope he never again casts a vote in the U.S. Senate. Kennedy's socialistic ideas are an attack on our liberties, as is the socialistic ideas of Barack Obama.
Huffman another big-government lawmaker
What is it about people who seem to understand the limits of government but suffer a severe mental lapse once they reach the halls of power?
State Rep. Matt Huffman at least used to claim a passing distaste for the nanny state and big government. He is, or at least claims to be, a conservative.
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| State Rep. Matt Huffman |
Thank you, Matt Huffman. You have really saved us all. What would we do without your wise control of our daily lives?
The bill of which I speak, House Bill 608, bans credit card marketing activities at state colleges. Apparently, Huffman and his co-conspirator, state Rep. Matt Lundy, D-Elyria and a former TV news pretty face, think they know better how to manage our own finances. In fact, only two other Republicans have signed up to co-sponsor this bill, Rep. Cliff Hite, of Findlay, and Rep. Diana M. Fessler, of New Carlisle.
This is truly a useless piece of legislation to address a nonproblem. What in the world makes Huffman and Lundy think this needs to be addressed?
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[COLUMN] Morality, not law, guided judge
A free-speech ruling by a federal judge in Cleveland must have left a few First Amendment advocates speechless.
Last year, Ohio enacted a law that prohibits touching between customers and nude or seminude dancers. It also halts nude dancing in strip clubs after midnight and prohibits adult bookstores and theaters from remaining open between midnight and 6 a.m.
Business owners, rightfully outraged at this blatant restriction on their liberties, filed a lawsuit to overturn the law, correctly arguing that it is an unconstitutional violation of free speech.
In comes U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.
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| Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. |
The business owners sought an order to block enforcement of the new law while the lawsuit worked its way through the federal judicial system. The request is a reasonable one considering the important constitutional question at stake.
The judge, however, seems to have let his personal morality guide his decision and refused to put the law on hold.
"The businesses may still operate for the remaining 18 hours a day," Oliver wrote. "Therefore, [the law] is merely a reasonable regulation on the time, place and manner in which plaintiffs may exercise their First Amendment rights."
Regardless of how you feel about sexually oriented businesses, the judge's decision should violate your sense of fairness.
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Someone please explain economics to Tom Teben, city officials
Tom Tebben sits in his home in this file photo from The Lima News.
Finances on target, city to hire additional firefighter
LIMA - The city is just about on target with its general fund revenue and spending half way through the year, Finance Director Steve Cleaves said Tuesday.
Because of that the city administration is allowing the hiring of an additional firefighter, Cleaves said.
City police and fire forces have been particularly strained during the past few years with a hiring freeze not allowing replacement of citywide staff lost through attrition. Four police officers were hired earlier this year to fill vacant spots and two firefighters are being hired to fill retirements.
Perhaps Steve Cleaves can tell us the secret to having a budget that spends $200,000 more than revenue. I wish I could run my household budget that way!
Seriously, though, what is with Tom Tebben? The city does not even have a balanced budget and he wants to hire more people? That is what is wrong with government. Those tasked with overseeing the public treasury are ignorant of basic economic principals. Well, Mr. Teben, let me explain something to you. It is simply irresponsible to spend more than you make. Private businesses across this country have hiring freezes and they simply do not not ignore their budgets just because it would be nice to have more employees.
Tom Tebben wants ideas for hiring more firefighters and cops? Then stop giving away tax dollars to charitible organizations. Stop spending tax dollars on services beyond the legitimate role of government, i.e., the Civic Center.
That is the only responsible way.
Still, the city doesn't appear to get it. It has a $200,000 deficit and yet, they are still hiring more employees. Simply ridiculous.
Lima PD still risking lives to make drug arrests
Police find $15K in cocaine in drug raid
LIMA -- Lima police recovered $15,000 in cocaine during a drug raid at a local residence.
Police also found two handguns and a shotgun inside the home, all of which were loaded. The shotgun was reported stolen from Shawnee Township, police reported.
Two people were arrested during the raid at 409 W. Wayne St. Those arrested were Ricky Brown, 26, charged with possession of cocaine, and Kimberly O'Dell, 24, charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, police reported.
Here is yet another example of a Police Department using military force against two residents because they were wanted on nonviolent drug offense. These kinds of raids endanger not only citizens, but also the police officers. Such raids escalate the situation and bring unneccesary violence on what should otherwise be a routine police procedure. People are arrested every day, but when drugs are involved, police departments, like Lima, are routinely resorting to military tactics just because they can. Such actions have not tactical value and are inherently dangerous for the cops and others.
Such force is not necessary and is, in fact, more dangerous than simply arresting those involved on the streets and then searching the residence with a proper search warrant. Had the feds followed that procedure at the Branch Davidian compound in 1993, more than 50 people would still be alive today, including a few law enforcement officers.
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