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On its 50th Anniversary, Hoosiers say Roe was never enough
There’s something happening in America following the upheaval of Roe that is surprising to some, and to others is completely predictable. Count me among the latter. Last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court chose poorly in its decision, Dobbs v. Mississippi, effectively overturning nearly half a century of precedent protecting a woman’s right to choose an […]
On Martin Luther King Day, let’s reflect on how we have changed
Legislation creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a national holiday was passed forty years ago and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. It was 1983. The late Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dominated the music, video and dance world. The Washington Redskins, which thankfully doesn’t exist anymore, won the Super Bowl. I got my driver’s […]
When the new speaker stands for nothing, danger lurks in a chaotic House
Early in the Broadway smash, “Hamilton,” the title character meets his nemesis, Aaron Burr. The polished and savvy politician advises young Alexander to “talk less, smile more, don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for.” Republicans in the U.S. House seem to be trying to follow the Burr plan, with the obvious […]
2023: Eight predictions that could, should or will happen in a wild year
Every new year brings with it new hope, new goals and new fears. Resolutions and predictions fly like birds and then fall like snow, and by the time February arrives, the new year isn’t new anymore. As a result, all of that nonsense from the month prior is treated like a trip to Vegas: what […]
Questioning traditions can help us enjoy something new
To me, holidays are merely exercises in tradition, or traditions. Sometime in my forties, I began to question all of them, reliving the “why” phase of my childhood for some unknown, yet admittedly irritating reason. Why do we eat turkey on Christmas? Why is everything closed? And it isn’t just the holidays. When did we […]
‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation is a lesson that shouldn’t be taught
If I could go back a few decades and change what was a part of the public education offered to me, I exclusively regret what my schools did not teach me. I can’t recall a single thing they taught that I wish I hadn’t learned. Try it yourself. Really try to think about an actual […]
In “Happy-Go-Lucky,” David Sedaris made me miss my dad
A few weeks back, I saw Jon Wertheim interview David Sedaris on 60 Minutes. I have plenty of friends who are big fans of the humorist, but honestly, before I saw the interview I never gave him much thought. But after the interview aired on October 30, Sedaris just struck me as someone I would […]
Rokita meanly uses his public office as a private, personal plaything
The battle initiated by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita against Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indiana reproductive healthcare provider, disgracefully marches onward. Our embattled AG is wrong about this endeavor, in every possible way, but it is important not to lose track of who he is hurting, and why. A 10-year-old girl was raped, became pregnant […]
Indiana’s horrific public health standing is a choice it’s willing to make
In the opening scene to the classic film, “Animal House,” two young freshmen walk by the statue of Emil Faber, the founder of the fictitious Faber College. The quote on the statue’s plaque was simple: “Knowledge is good.” Generally, we can all agree with that profound statement, can’t we? If so, it is “good” to […]
My plate this Thanksgiving will be half full
We all know people who always see a glass as half empty. It is tough to be around them and their unrelenting pessimism. Then there is the other bunch, those bright, sunshiny, “half full” types, who always see the best in everything. They can be equally exhausting with their irritating enthusiasm. I spend time in […]
Rep. Jim Banks — and his character — will be judged by the company he keeps
For more than a year, I have been patiently waiting for the arrival of the inevitable dilemma that Third District U.S. Rep. Jim Banks was facing. These are important days for the future of individual political careers in Washington, though it is much harder to see how the outcomes of any of these battles in […]
Indiana voters shamefully and prominently elect Morales
As I write, votes are still being counted in many places across America. That vital process, which has defined who we are since the dawn of the republic, had a big night Tuesday. So did voters. In most places, that is. Just not in Indiana. It would be easy to interpret that opening as just […]