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The obscurity of obscenity
When Justice Potter Stewart famously proclaimed, “I’ll know it when I see it” in regards to obscenity and pornography, the errant assumption was that such matters would be the social deviation rather than the norm. While he passed away long before the internet was invented and our own cultural mores shifted, Justice Stewart would be […]
Artificial intelligence deserves summer study
School’s out for the summer but the learning is never truly over. Nor is the legislating, even after the General Assembly adjourned in the wee morning hours of April 28th (much like the collegiate equivalent of finishing the term paper in the middle of the night to make the deadline). Unlike the traditional expectations of […]
Session end nears; so much for an official state sandwich
As the end of the legislative session quickly approaches, we witness the final weeks of opportunity for bills to be passed and signed into law. Some failed to make the full journey, dying in committee if they were lucky enough to be assigned and heard. Others have been signed, sealed, and delivered as law or […]
A Tale of Two Races: Open U.S. Senate and Indianapolis Mayor
In American politics, few truths seem evident as the presence of competition in an open primary and the importance of incumbency. Open seats naturally attract the ambitious: strategically calculating the timing as an opportunity with a higher likelihood of victory relative to the uphill battle faced by a challenger angling to unseat an incumbent. Incumbency […]
The Election Party Isn’t Over (Yet)
For many, the week after an election might feel like a bad hangover. You had fun, maybe too much fun, and now you are inundated and overwhelmed with information that can take weeks to properly analyze. Invariably, half of voters may be overjoyed with the affirmation of victory while the other half sulks in sorrowful […]
Deliberating the merits of political debates
Take any candidate, any race, and make a personal pledge to learn more about them. It can be as easy as typing their name in a search engine and scanning the first several lines. The process takes little more than an internet connection, not much effort, not even accuracy as a misspelled surname can still […]
Is the Economy Failing? Only if You Think So
Filled up at the gas pump recently? Then you may have noticed the historically high prices have been dropping back down to seemingly more reasonable one. Gas in central Indiana, once topping out at $5.25, has fallen down to $3.88. The timing isn’t exactly great for travelers–coming just as school goes back to session and […]
Don’t trust Schoolhouse Rock
Schoolhouse Rock lied. Well, to be fair, the popular 1970s education series that merged music and color animation with academic content simplified many concepts, particularly in their civics series. While it may have made it easier for children to understand, the catchy jingles failed to convey the complex nuances of governmental powers. The lyrics of […]