Syndicated Columns
Need a Unifying Mid-Term Issue? Curb Government Spending!
Call me crazy but I think if federal employees routinely waste millions of taxpayer dollars someone ought to be held accountable, criminally accountable if possible. And anyone who signs off on obviously outrageous spending, like the person who approved buying coffee cups for the Air Force at $1,200 each or the one that okayed spending…
Read MoreDue Process in the #MeToo Era
The U.S. Constitution guarantees that “no American citizen shall be deprived of life, liberty or property” without being afforded due process of the law. It is one of the bedrocks of our legal system. The 14th amendment to the Constitution guarantees to every person, including aliens, “equal protection under the law.” And, everyone is presumed…
Read MoreTackling the Opioid Crisis – Finally
Can I get a round of applause for our United States Congress? Yes, indeedy, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for both democrats and republicans! They have, miraculously, come together to approve one of the only major pieces of legislation set to become law this year. Amazing. It was a rare moment as the…
Read MoreGun Violence Target: The Bullets
The mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid,” propelled Bill Clinton’s candidacy during the presidential campaign in 1992. His decision to highlight the nation’s then-struggling economy (and promise to fix it) helped Clinton win the White House. One theme in this year’s mid-term election is the renewed call for more gun control laws, especially from students worried…
Read MoreA Come to Jesus Moment for the U.S. Catholic Church
Pope Francis has called for silence and prayer from those who criticize the Catholic Church’s attempts to root out and punish sex abusing priests. But it is clear the time for silence has long passed. Priests who prey on children are criminals, not souls to be saved for the sake of an institution.
Read MoreGetting Away With Murder in America
Turn on prime time television any night of the week and it’s likely you’ll find a show about a cold case murder. The program will feature an intrepid detective or two who dig in and (Voila!) solve the most perplexing cases. The reality, however, is very different. Statistics reveal that more than 40% of the…
Read MoreThe Reality of Young People Sentenced to Life Without Parole
Last week I wrote about the plight of Pamela Smart who, in 1991, at the age of 22, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder her husband. Gregg Smart was shot dead by his wife’s 16-year-old lover and another teenager. Pamela was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. To this day…
Read MoreHow Long a Prison Sentence is Enough?
A petition has been filed with the Governor of New Hampshire that breathes new life into an old and very sensational case. It asks Governor Chris Sununu to embrace this era’s evolved thinking on prison sentencing, specifically the sentence of life without parole. A key section of the 695-page petition reads, “The New Hampshire Constitution’s…
Read MoreSafer Schools Through Better Communication…
Here’s an idea. Instead of turning our schools into fortresses to try to prevent the next school shooting how about we do more than just that? As we contemplate adding metal detectors and bulletproof safe rooms to schools how about we try an additional approach as well? How about setting up dedicated lines of communication…
Read MoreDon’t Be Duped by Social Media Propaganda
Americans are so gullible. Even after all we know about Russian troll attempts to influence our 2016 presidential election with phony social media posts we still fall for their shenanigans. Even after Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team indicted the Russian Internet Research Agency, nicknamed “the Troll Farm”, and 13 Russian nationals on charges of conspiracy…
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