For a country that allows a city such as Chicago to record more than 70 shootings in a weekend without one arrest is indeed spiritually broken. For a country that allows a congressional district in Ohio to have a multitude of voters on its rolls whose age is above 116 years is clearly broken. For a great city, such as New York, to allow safety on the streets and in the subways to degenerate to a level that is significantly impacting tourism is clearly broken.

At the end of the day, business and agriculture are the only activities paying all the bills. Let’s change the system and get honest about the source of government funding in this country.

“Energy/Lack of Energy Sources” has been a front burner issue for my entire career. So has the environment. For these issues to fall so low, indicates a complete turnaround from the last 45 years. Expect impassioned advocates to move to bring this issue back to the front burner.

This particular day, I was out in a distant suburb for lunch with a client, and then I was going to meet Laura afterward in the same area for yet another consultation with yet another doctor on her never-healing right knee. No point in driving home, but I had a bit of a time gap to fill, so I thought I would go into one of these foo-foo coffee shops I am always hearing about.

I don’t know if we are watching a reincarnation of New Harmony, Indiana, the Shakers, or reruns of “Friends” here, but something is going on. The difference between communal colonies of old seems to be that, rather than religion-centered, the WeWork concept is at best agnostic, at worst atheist.

The point is this: We are two countries. There is a city component and a rural component. If we change the political boundaries to match, we just may have a better chance of living in peace and harmony.

I am not responsible for nor should I be condemned for not agreeing with your values that lie beyond the fundamental values. Likewise, I should not expect any different treatment from you.

What has happened to “Hollywood” in the last 61 years to turn it from writing valuable life lessons like this (and “The Real McCoys” dish these out at the rate of about four or five per episode) into the garbage it turns out today? It wouldn’t be just plain old money, would it? Should we listen to “Hollywood’s” moral lessons about anything?

President Donald Trump has managed to rile up many corners of society lately, including some in Highland County who may even have voted for him. Nearly everything I see and read shows people are looking at him only from their own personal perspective, not the big picture. That’s understandable if you are seeing a sudden rise in newsprint prices or wonder where your soybean crop will be sold this fall and for what price.

The evening of June 14 found me high atop the Hampton Inn (seventh floor) at the corner of U.S. 41 and I-70 in beautiful Terre Haute, Ind. My view was south, looking toward Honey Creek Mall, or what is left of it.

Socialism, totalitarianism and other such forms, including those found in the European Union, have continued to oppress the masses to this very day and keep them from reaching their full potential.

What makes a person lean left or lean right? I don’t think it is money. I still think it is their willingness to believe the government is the solution to society’s problems balanced with their willingness to give up their freedoms in order to avail themselves of government solutions. The right-wing people I know are fiercely independent and want to stay that way no matter what. Those willing to let the government step into their lives do not seem to value independence so much.

Jesus tells us, more so than in nearly any other area of the focus of his teachings, that our Christianity and our obedience to our government are distinct and unrelated. In no other area of life does Jesus offer such a separation or compartmentalization of our activities. Simply pray for our government leaders – no matter who they are.

On May 14, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, struck down the federal law prohibiting sports gambling. Katie bar the door.

I am not sure that licensing journalists – but not those who write on the opinion page – violates the First Amendment, either. I don’t see it as any different than licensing machine guns, a law which has been in place since the 1930s, and which is not harmful to the Second Amendment. In both cases, you take wicked tools out of the hands of those with evil intent.