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Misguided ‘compassion’ contributes to political polarization

Columns

For the past 20 years, the University of Notre Dame has sponsored a yearlong dialogue on a given theme, with featured speakers, panels and other public events at which the year’s theme is discussed and debated. This year’s theme is “Cultivating Hope.” Two weeks ago, Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., participated in a Q&A session on campus with Notre Dame’s president, the Rev. Robert Dowd, CSC, during which McElroy offered his thoughts on ways to address political polarization in America. The event was too brief for a topic of ...

Remember to turn off the lights when leaving

Columns

The phrase about turning off the lights when one leaves someplace appears to have originated with two real estate agents in Seattle. It was 1971 and Boeing was laying off employees during an economic downturn. It was meant to be humorous, though the unemployed probably didn’t see it that way. During the Arab oil boycott in 1973, Houston newspapers invoked the phrase as they sought to lure people from the North, which was suffering from high unemployment, fuel shortages and economic stagnation. Newspaper ads told of job openings with good salaries and benefits. Now come the ...

Time to Get Out and Vote

Editorials

In just a few days, Ohioans that have not already voted will head to the polls for the Nov. 4 general election. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, as of late last week there had been 61,308 absentee ballots returned and 98,382 early in-person ballots cast. Nearly 160,000 people had already weighed in on the candidates and issues. But at about this time last year there were 8.2 million registered voters in the Buckeye State, and 71.71% of them turned out to vote. Admittedly, that one was a bit more of a headline-grabber — but it was certainly no more important than ...

Wrecking ball more than a metaphor

Columns

Donald Trump’s sudden demolition of the White House’s East Wing may have been ugly, but it sure is a metaphor. It’s hard to pinpoint the most stomach-turning aspect of the razing, though Americans, who disapprove of it by 53% to 23% according to a new YouGov America poll, have multiple aspects to choose from. There’s the visual of a major piece of the symbol of American democracy turned to rubble. There’s the replacement of American history with a wholly unnecessary gaudy ballroom for the rich and famous. There’s the waste of $300 million on that ballroom provided by ...

Jefferson County Library Levy Deserves Support

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, With October now behind us, I want to remind everyone in the Ohio Valley about the significance of Italian American Heritage Month, which is celebrated each year during this time. Established in 1989, this month serves as an opportunity to educate others and honor the numerous contributions of people of Italian descent to our country. The Ohio Valley, with its rich history, can proudly claim to be the home of several famous Italian Americans. In June, a group associated with the Heinz History Center visited the Jefferson County Historical Association museum on Franklin ...

Jailed in America For Free Speech? Yes

Columns

In the aftermath of the murder of Charlie Kirk, many folks who dared to express views of him and his work outside the mainstream lost their jobs, professional standing and State Department visas as they were fired or otherwise disciplined by employers or bureaucrats who concluded that anti-Kirk views could harm the employers’ businesses or were inconsistent with institutional values. All discipline based on speech needs to be scrutinized strictly. Yet, even in states with strong public accommodations laws — laws that generally protect free speech in the workplace and in public ...