The Indiana Policy Review

Category: Indiana Writers Group

  • Franke: The Attack on Marriage Is an Attack on Society

    by Mark Franke In this iconoclastic age which revels in knocking down as many Western mores as possible, one should not be surprised at what will be frog-marched to the cultural Jacobin guillotine next. I practice a 21st century version of “know nothingness” by simply ignoring much of what goes on around me. Foolish? Yes,…

  • Timmons: Artificial Intelligence, an Interview with the Future

    by Tim Timmons You may recall that I’ve written a time or two about Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to the experts at IBM, AI combines computer science and data to enable problem-solving. According to sci-fi fans, AI is Skynet from the Terminator movies, the evil force that takes over the world and goes to war…

  • Franke: Baseball Cards — the Currency of Youth

    by Mark Franke Ah, spring has returned to northeastern Indiana. The grass has turned green, the trees are budding and will soon flower, and the bluebirds are nesting in our backyard. God’s creation has reawakened once more in what will shortly be a panoply of color. But let’s cut to the chase. The major league…

  • Morris: Welcome to the Reality Gap

    by Leo Morris There is a report from the Indiana University research salt mines that’s highly disturbing, although not for the reason you might initially suspect. Suicide deaths, a new study from the IU School of Medicine declares, increase significantly during a full moon. Furthermore, older people are more inclined to be involved, and the…

  • Indiana Assessors Defy the Tax Court

    “Now is the time when men work quietly in the fields and women weep softly in the kitchen; the legislature is in session and no man’s property is safe.” — Daniel Webster (1782-1852) by Craig Ladwig and Ken Davidson The president of the Indiana County Assessors Association (ICAA), a Republican incidentally, is leading a statewide…

  • The Outstater

    Zoning: Government for Government’s Sake My favorite public policy that creates more problems than it solves remains recycling. A close second, though, is zoning with its ignoble beginnings as a way to keep Jews off 5th Avenue in New York City. Recycling of course is the art of making millions of dollars convincing environmentally woke households to sort…

  • McGowan: Baseball —’Tis the Season

    By Richard McGowan, Ph.D. When I was growing up, only one team sport mattered: baseball. Most boys dreamed of becoming major leaguers. Heck, President Eisenhower was fishing with a friend once and he asked his friend, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” His friend answered, “President.” When his friend asked him,…

  • Morris: Here’s a Tip, Ask a Lot, Get a Lot

    by Leo Morris Several years ago, I finished a nice meal at one of my favorite restaurants and settled up with the waitress, someone new to the place. “Oh, thank you,” she gushed. “Thank you so much!” “For what?” I asked, puzzled at her exuberance. “It’s just a standard 20 percent tip.” “But this is…

  • Timmons: Letter Jackets to Voting — How Low Can We Go?

    by Tim Timmons Remember Harry Belafonte’s version of the Limbo song, that rich baritone asking how low can you go? And it doesn’t feel like we’re done yet. Consider that Harry is 96 now and I’m guessing might be surprised at the answer to his question. Why? Because today, in this country, we’re proving over and over…

  • Franke: The Salutary Effect of Religious Observance

    by Mark Franke It is Holy Week for Christians, that most profound of weeks, the pivotal point of the Christian liturgical year. This year Christian Holy Week and Jewish Passover coincide, as they do most years. As well they should, since the first Good Friday and Easter occurred at the Passover. This was no coincidence…