Columns

The joke circulating among my fourth grade peers fifty-some years ago sounded like this. “Does Canada have a Fourth of July?” After a short time of stuttering, the correct answer would be revealed. “Of course they do! Everyone has a fourth of July.”

Our country turned one year older this week. Recently the extreme changes in various circumstances in the USA have weighed on my mind, so I share the following with you.

The vast majority of Americans supported Roe v. Wade.

June 24, 2022, should have been the political holy grail for Mike Pence. It was the day he had long strived for, the day Roe v. Wade was consigned to the “ash heap of history.”

Are you going to take a vacation this summer?

“Some people come into our lives as blessings. Some come into your life as lessons.” — Mother Teresa

Years ago, my youngest daughter wanted a CD player for Christmas. Since that was a reasonable request, I bought her a CD player.

The year was 1973 when Roe v. Wade happened and we were very young.

With the political dialogue being dominated by national politics, I felt that it was best to try to shift gears, get local, and talk about an issue that is especially pressing at a local level.

In Glasgow, Kentucky, a sizable American flag flies atop the hill over Fort Williams.

July 1st will be the 182nd day of 2022 and will transition us to the second half of this year.

In 2019, an Indianapolis physician colleague, Dr. David Blank, and I co-authored a column on gun control. David is a conservative Republican and I a fairly liberal Democrat. We are both gun owners and believe in the right to defend our homes and that the American public should not be disarme…

Former Mike Pence aide Diego Morales is seeking to hold a position as Indiana’s top election official after agreeing with a lie that led to threats against his former boss.

Gallup’s latest Global Emotions Report indicates that more people around the world felt angry in 2020-2021 than at any point since the research company started tracking emotions in 2005. The report claims that this is not solely due to the COVID-19 pandemic either, although, it was a major f…

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has been getting a lot of attention of late with his prediction that the United States is headed toward a recession.

The Supreme Court’s abortion decision Friday gutting 50 years of women’s abortion rights exploded the myth of a non-political high court.

This month, our thoughts have looked toward the Psalms for expressing our feelings and our hopes in times of distress. Our world cries out in crisis. Violence and persecution are rampant, pitting nation against nation and brother against brother. Environmental challenges circle the globe. Ec…

Years ago, I met a woman who sold action figures of Bible characters like Moses, David and Goliath, and Jesus. The Jesus doll, about twice the size of a G.I. Joe, had movable fingers and joints, and if you pressed a button on Jesus’ back he talked. The woman pressed the button and Jesus bega…

Two days before the Indiana Republican Convention gathered, we heard conservative retired federal Judge J. Michael Luttig tell the U.S. House Jan. 6 Select Committee what would have happened if Vice President Mike Pence had done President Trump’s bidding in overturning the 2020 election. It …

Government transparency, especially at the local level where government has a more direct line to affect our day-to-day lives, is an integral cog in our democratic process. Why then are local initiatives to make our local governments more transparent facing resistance from local elected officials?

Political courage is a rare commodity these days.

This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Clark Memorial Hospital. During my tenure as CEO, I have seen continued growth. This continual expansion is seen throughout the history of the hospital, which stretches back to the last century.

Over the course of its first three hearings, the select committee investigating the events surrounding Jan. 6 has allowed Republicans to take center stage.

Even Birmingham’s sweet-scented magnolia-lined streets cannot disguise the city’s objectionable history, nor does the city try.

A few days ago, our daughter, who lives near Cincinnati, had to drive to Louisville for her job on a Sunday. She dropped off our 14-year-old granddaughter and 15-year-old grandson with my wife Diane and me for several hours, instead of leaving them home alone. It was unfortunate for her, but…

Soon Indiana lawmakers will be called back into a Special Legislative Session by Governor Eric Holcomb (R) to address the inflationary stress placed on the Indiana (and national) economy.

Call it Mitch envy.

“Inflation is taxation without legislation!” Milton Freedman