Reflections on Veterans Day by Mark Franke As I reflected on Veterans Day this year, several different emotions were evoked. So in no particular order, here they are. But first a disclaimer. My father was a veteran of D-Day and that qualifies me to be a Son of the American Legion, an organization I have proudly served at the local, regional, state and national levels. The American Legion exists to support veterans just as one…

Indiana’s Constitution Matters by Leo Morris In this short-attention-span era, we’ll read the headline and, perhaps, if we’re not too busy, the first two or three paragraphs. Or we’ll catch the 10-second radio bulletin and, occasionally, see the 30-second follow-up on TV. Our partisan instincts nudged, we will then shout at each other across the great Red State-Blue State divide on Facebook and Twitter without ever learning the substance of the issue. We’re like two…

Indy Crime: It’s Decision Time WHEN DID CRIME become a plot device? It happened somewhere along the way to approving Mayor Joe Hogsett’s $1.3-billion Indianapolis city budget, the richest in history. It sailed through all the committees untouched on the promise that it was necessary to properly fund crime “control.” Crime, you see, does pay. Democrats now have a wealth of dollars to hand out to their civic action groups (whose swollen staffs might be useful as election-day…

A Mayor Redefines ‘Citizen’ by Leo Morris Several years ago, I wrote an editorial about the effects of some policy or other on the citizens of Fort Wayne, and a copy editor gave me a hard time about it. She wasn’t assigned to the editorial page – we took care of our own editing and proofreading, thank you very much – but she felt entitled to offer her opinion anyway. Copy editors are like that.…

Fishing With Republicans Republicanism is like my fly fishing — gratifyingly ineffective. In honest self-appraisal, I have ranked my fishing skills in order of their current development. First of all is shopping for equipment and attire. That is followed somewhat distantly by knot-tying, pattern selection, casting with accuracy and finally fish catching. Despite my dedication to the sport, anyone depending on me for a fish dinner is likely to be disappointed. So it is with…

Youth, Alas, Is Overrated HOW DOES ONE BECOME a conservative, or more accurately in our case a classical liberal? Progressives like to think it is because we have been brainwashed somewhere along the way. That is the kindest view. Others think we are too dumb or selfish to appreciate the Left’s vision. Actually, it’s not that complicated. Conservatives are made by time, or the lack of it.  Youth, someone said, is overrated. When our lives stretch out in front of us we…

Witch Hunts: 21st Century Style by Mark Franke British writer G. K. Chesterton in his 1922 book “What I Saw in America” described this country as “a nation with the soul of a church.” No doubt he was right 99 years ago when he wrote this and his observation continued to be true as our church-like ethos carried us into the 1960’s. Not to put too fine a point on it but Americans were united…

The New Superman Fails to Inspire by Leo Morris I’ve got a secret. Bet you do, too. As a matter of fact, don’t we all? Isn’t it time we brought them out into the open so we can shine the light of truth on the shame hiding in the darkest corners of our souls? I’ll start. I have always idolized Superman. As a nerdy, introverted high school student, I even dreamed of being Superman, as did thousands,…

OUR COLUMNIST LEO MORRIS is editing a special issue of the journal focused on the increasing division in our state and nation. We need your help raising $600 to meet the additional publication costs. As an editorial writer for four decades, Morris is familiar with controversy. He has developed a practical approach that begins with empirical evidence but is open to nuance and a sense of proportion — an honest search for the truth, in other words, however elusive and wherever the…

The History of Slavery: What CRT Misses by Richard McGowan, Ph.D. Advocates of Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught in schools would have an easier time convincing others if they did not start history in the year 1619 and looked at more than one country. But advocates of CRT may not want to look past that year because of what history shows. Historians have observed the “geographical ubiquity of slavery,” and the “institutionalized unfreedom” of…