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Rokita’s kangaroo court follows his disgraceful directions
Let’s get straight to the point. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is a disgraceful public servant. The seven-member Indiana Medical Licensing Board is disgraceful too. There. Now that we have established those two sad truths, let me share with you the receipts. Rokita used the administrative board last week as a tool to retroactively cover […]
The blessing of our national debt has made us great
Alexander Hamilton, America’s first Secretary of the Treasury said, “A national debt, if it is not excessive, to us will be a national blessing.” The whole “if it is not excessive” part has always been important, but never more important than it is today. The musical, “Hamilton,” doesn’t really do much on this other than […]
Republicans offer up nominees for quote of the week
“Where do I begin?” This is the quote of the week, an award I often dole out for a wide variety of reasons. Those reasons can be the source of great pride or shame. Profound meaning or comedic genius are both favorite categories of the esteemed accolade. It is rarely awarded to someone for achieving […]
America’s storytellers need to tell their best story yet
When the unions representing movie and television writers announced they would go on strike last week, my instinct was to join their side of the fight. Hey, I write, right? I didn’t even know what the dispute entailed, but I wanted to join my writing sisters and brothers to fight The Man. You know the […]
Graduates, Indiana needs the answers to these questions
We gather here today to commend you graduates, to praise you, to congratulate you. That’s what commencement ceremonies are designed to accomplish. Right? It’s not just an event where people wear funny caps and creepy gowns in front of family members who are pre-scolded for their inevitable outbursts of celebratory noise when their graduate’s name […]
Finding an unexpected $1.5 billion could mean an avalanche of investment
In his 2012 comedy special, “In This Economy?”, Gary Gulman discusses the thrill of finding a twenty-dollar bill in an old coat when he was dead broke. He remembers the find being such a big deal, it caused him to change his weekend plans. He even added the guacamole to his bowl at Chipotle the […]
If Democrats won’t confront the NRA, who will?
There is a primary election for mayor of Indianapolis in two weeks. To all of the candidates on the Democrat side, know this: I won’t vote for you now or ever again if you are willing to re-sign with the NRA for future conventions. Poll that question if you’d like. I’m confident Democrat voters are […]
Can America’s legal system survive another week like last week?
Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial in New York, made a $15 campaign contribution to President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign on July 26, 2020. The inconsequential donation has opened the judge up to attacks of bias by those in the legal community. At least one former Manhattan […]
Hyper-individualism is the disease keeping us from addressing deadly gun violence
“We’re not going to fix it,” was how Rep. Tim Burchett answered when asked about a potential role for congress in addressing the relentless school shootings plaguing America. The Republican, three-term U.S. House member from Tennessee gave the comment only a few hours after last Monday’s deadly shooting in Nashville. Two attributes of the pro-gun […]
Respectfully, Indiana — just call students by their name
I have a sister named Peggy. But because “Peggy” is not a saint’s name, my grandmother objected to my parents naming her that. So, the name they gave her was “Margaret,” and only to satisfy grandma and an outdated, dumb, Catholic rule. Peggy legally changed her name when she was old enough to do it […]
While celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, learn about Irish history and acceptance of others
I’ve always been fascinated with St. Patrick’s Day, and there is no question that my fascination comes from the fascination others have for it. Being of Irish descent used to make me feel like the holiday belonged to me more than others. In Ireland, it has been a religious holiday for more than a thousand […]
The valuable truth is that Fox News is no longer the press
The competition for trust and credibility in the press are far from new. This struggle dates back to at least the late 1800’s when the “yellow journalism” battle between moguls Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst dominated the New York media market. Both were fighting for circulation and ultimately, you know, profit. There was a […]