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De Omnibus Dubitandum - Lux Veritas

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Paradigms and Demographics: Ohio Edition

By Rich Kozlovich

Naturally at the age of sixty nine I find what people do isn’t as surprising as it used to be. Ohio is having this discussion on some sort of legalization of marijuana, and given the trends promoted by the media, demagogic politicians and those who will benefit financially who support it - I’m not surprised. What continues to surprise me – but not that much –are those of the general population who support it or don’t care. Most of them are baby boomers and their children, and many of them I would consider conservative in their overall worldview.

Over the years an exterminator gets a real education on life! We meet so many different people from so many different walks of life. Different personalities, different philosophies, different cultural values and from different economic levels – from the dregs of society to top CEOs. We get it all! And we have to learn how to deal with them. But one thing is consistent – people aren’t as unique as they think, and the patterns of life keep repeating over and over again.

A kitchen manager at one of my stops and I became friends as the years went by. I always looked forward to servicing his account because we always had great conversation and a lot of laughs – and I liked the fact he was consistent in his personality, and I told him that. He smiled and said quietly – “I wasn’t always that way”. He then went on to explain in years gone by he had a drug and alcohol problem, and when he was drinking and on drugs he was mean, surly and rude. Right after that he changed. He became mean, surly, rude, unreasonable, unpleasant and unwilling to discuss why. I went there one day and he was gone. It became clear to the owners of the restaurant he had a problem and put him through re-hab. When he returned he was the same old guy whose company I enjoyed, and he even apologized to me for the way he acted, and everything was the same once again – but it didn’t last. This whole experience was revelatory for me because it dawned on me I see that personality over and over again and I’ve asked myself over and over again - are all these people on drugs?

Many years ago a major national pest control company advertised for employees in the Atlanta area, stating very clearly everyone would be drug tested. How many failed? Thirty percent! And they knew they were to be tested. If the entire nation’s work force was drug tested on any given Monday –without notice – would even fifty percent pass?

Over the last four years I’ve had a lot of surgery. Two arthroscopic surgeries, two knee replacements and an appendix removal. All done within two years. That meant I was under anesthetic for a lot of hours in that two years, and I can tell you it takes a long time to overcome the impact of all that anesthetic. Everyone warned me this would impact my thinking ability for some months, but for me I really think it took two years. But why? It dawned on me anesthetics are mind altering drugs and the body needs time to fix the impact of those alterations.

So what happens to the mind when people deliberately expose themselves to mind altering drugs on a regular basis day after day, year after year? I think this article by James Arlandson, “Ten Health Risks in Smoking Pot”, which appeared at American Thinker on October 10, 2015, examines that in some detail.

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Ohio Right to Life

Vote "No" on Issue 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio--Today, the Ohio Right to Life Society announced its strong opposition to statewide ballot Issue 3, the marijuana-monopoly-legalization amendment on the November 3 ballot. Studies show that smoking marijuana during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, premature births, developmental delays, behavioral and learning problems and in some cases fetal death.

Issue 3 would allow unfettered access to marijuana without any restrictions during pregnancy. Current science is in opposition to pregnant women ingesting any recreational drugs and smoking any substance. Consumption of illegal drugs is not safe for the unborn baby or for the mother. As Ohio continues to address its infant mortality crisis, the Ohio Right to Life Society believes that it is critical for all Ohioans to take a stand against the mass legalization of a drug that poses serious health risks to unborn children......To Read More....

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Town Hall Meeting

Saturday, October 24th at 11:30am
Perry Public Library
3753 Main Street, Perry, OH 44081

Congressman Dave Joyce and Challenger Matt Lynch are both invited to attend a Townhall Meet and Greet to discuss with voters the issues of the day and their race, which you will decide in the March 15, 2016 Republican Primary with your vote! Regardless of your issue, the Balanced Budget and the Debt, defunding Planned Parenthood, Obamacare, or Term Limits, come to the Perry Public Library for the Congressional Townhall Meet and Greet and get your questions answered. You can download and print a flier for the Townhall here. Make copies and share with your friends.

My Take - These are questions I think need to be asked.

1. Where do you stand on the EX-IM bank?

2. The federal government passes approximately 80,000 new regulations a year, now costing the American public 2 trillion dollars a year. Do you think that’s out of control and if so, what would you do to fix it?

3. There are departments of the federal government many feel are too big, too incompetent, do nothing worthwhile or all three. Many believe they’ve actually harmed society, including the Departments of Education, Labor, Energy, Commerce, Housing and Development, Health and Human Services and Transportation. What are your views and what would you do?

4. Do you believe the EPA is out of control and what changes – if any – would you like to see take place?

5. The demographic pyramid of the U.S. – as is much of the world - is out of whack and the next generation will not be able to fund the social programs for the baby boomers without massive cuts or tax increases or both. What are your views?

  • a) It’s believed Social Security will no longer be self funding by 2020. What are your views?
  • b) The federal government has assets of 150 trillion dollars and owns approximately 25% of the land mass of the United States. Would you be willing to sell that and pay off the national debt – with projected yearly interest payments of 400 billion dollars soon if not already – and refund Social Security and fix Medicare?
  • c) Do you believe it’s the federal government’s job to provide medical care, or has the Constitutional right to force everyone to buy medical coverage?

6. Would you support a repeal of the 16th Amendment and replace it with a national sales tax and eliminate the need to file tax returns and reduce the IRS to small accounting office?

7. Would you repeal the 17th Amendment to help to restore states rights?

8. Do you believe the federal judiciary is out of control?
  • a) If so, would you support the passage of a 28th Amendment to impose age and term limits on the federal judiciary?

9. William F. Buckley once said the only reason to support abortion is you believe it isn't murder and the only reason to not support abortion is because you believe it's murder. What are your views, do you agree or disagree?
 
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Ohio Employer’s Law Blog
by Jon Hyman of Myers, Roman Friedberg and Lewis

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act guarantees service members the right to be free from discrimination in hiring, re-hiring or reinstatement, retention, promotion, or any benefit of employment on the basis of that membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation in the armed forces.

David Eichaker worked as a police officer for the Village of Vicksburg while also serving in the military. Eichaker claimed that the Village discriminated against him because of his military affiliation, including, but not limited to, passing him over for a promotion to police chief in favor of a co-worker who did not serve in the military. Eichaker claimed that various Village officials made the follow statements in support of their decision not to promote him:
  • He was “focusing on his military career.”
  • “It would be hard to have a Police Chief if he was called away for [military] duty, or … deployed.
Based on those statements, it was not difficult for the court of appeals to conclude that the district court had mistakenly granted summary judgment to the employer:

All of this testimony—which the district court appeared to overlook in granting summary judgment—was relevant to Eichaker’s claim. An employer’s concern that an employee is taking too much time off for military service is direct evidence of anti-military animus. So too is a supervisor’s statement that he does not want an employee volunteering for extra military duty when needed at work. This is true even when the comments are made at a time or by a person removed from the adverse employment decision. But there is no such remoteness here: Crawford explained his decision to demote Eichaker by referencing Eichaker’s military leaves of absence. That is direct evidence of antimilitary animus. Thus, Eichaker presented evidence that would allow a reasonable jury to find that his military service was a motivating factor in Crawford’s decision to deny him a promotion.

Employers, those that serve our country do so at great sacrifice, to their lives, families, and careers. Federal judges, many of whom served in the military, do not look kindly when employers trample that sacrifice through acts of discrimination. USERRA grants servicemembers anti-discrimination rights. The law treats those rights seriously as all other anti-discrimination rights—you should too.









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Ohio Right to Life
 
Legislature Launches Fall Hearings on De-Funding Planned Parenthood and Pain-Capable Abortion Ban Pro-life Legislation Continues to Advance through Ohio General Assembly
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Katherine Franklin

DATE: Tuesday, October 6, 2015 PHONE: 614-547-0099 ext. 304
 
COLUMBUS, Ohio--Today, the House Committee on Community and Family Advancement began hearings
on Ohio Right to Life's legislation to de-fund Planned Parenthood (HB 294) and the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (SB 127). Senator Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) gave sponsor testimony on Pain-Capable, while Representatives Margaret Conditt (R-Liberty Township) and Bill Patmon (D-Cleveland) gave sponsor testimony on de-funding Planned Parenthood. Both are key pieces of legislation that are part of Ohio Right to Life's broader legislative agenda that was announced in February. The pro-life initiatives have received renewed interest following the summer's undercover video scandal that shows Planned Parenthood officials allegedly selling aborted baby body parts.

 
 

"As Planned Parenthood officials negotiate the dollar amount they can put on aborted babies' livers, hearts, lungs and brains, our legislation to de-fund Planned Parenthood and to protect pain-capable babies are more linked than ever," said Stephanie Ranade Krider, executive director of Ohio Right to Life. "Our elected leaders' willingness to take initiative and protect pain-capable babies from being dismembered shows a strong response to this summer's horrific revelations."

Today's hearings coincided with Ohio Right to Life and Students for Life of America's Pro-life Student Lobby Day in which 40 Ohio students met with senators and representatives to promote the de-funding of Planned Parenthood and the Pain-Capable legislation. In June, the Ohio Senate passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, 23-9. In the following months, Representatives Patmon and Conditt and Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) introduced legislation to de-fund Planned Parenthood in the state of Ohio. In 2013, Planned Parenthood received $528 million in taxpayer subsidies, while performing 327,653 the same year. In Ohio, Planned Parenthood makes up a third of our state's abortion facilities.

"It is incumbent upon Ohioans to show compassion for the vulnerable and pose a sharp contrast to the inhumane and callous attitudes of Planned Parenthood officials," said Krider. "Ohio Right to Life sincerely thanks Chairman Tim Derickson for beginning hearings on these critical public policies. We look forward to continuing to work with House leadership to bring an end to the abortion industry's stomach-turning profiteering."

Ohio Right to Life encourages its members to send a letter of support to their representatives using their Legislative Action Center at ohiolife.org.

Founded in 1967, Ohio Right to Life, with more than 45 chapters and local affiliates, is Ohio's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement in Ohio, ORTL works through legislation and education to promote and defend innocent human life from conception to natural death.

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That's it for today.  Best wishes to my fellow Ohioans!

Rich Kozlovich

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