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Punishment must always fit the crime

Editorials

Public corruption should always trigger outrage, regardless of the offender. When people entrusted with public dollars abuse that trust, the damage goes far beyond the financial hit. It erodes confidence in institutions that rely on credibility to function. That is why the stark contrast between two recent public corruption cases in our region is impossible to ignore — and deeply concerning. In one case, a former Marshall County assessor, an elected official, was sentenced to two to 15 years in state prison for embezzlement. That sentence properly reflects the seriousness of the ...

Remembering Ed Crane

Editorials

Within the last six months, two friends, both pioneers and giants in the world of ideas in Washington, D.C., passed from this world. One, Ed Feulner, was the co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, which became the nation’s defining policy institute for conservative ideas. Now, last week, Ed Crane, the co-founder of the Cato Institute, passed away. Ed Crane built Cato to become the major presence in the nation’s capital for libertarian ideas and policy. My personal involvement with Cato began in 1996 when I was invited to join the national advisory board for Cato’s project ...

Determining what’s equal, fair and farce

Editorials

When NBC affiliates in Tennessee showed the movie “Necessary Roughness” in 1994, those affiliates were required to give a Democrat Senate candidate 4 minutes and 13 seconds of free airtime. The Democrat was running against Fred Thompson, the actor turned Republican Senate candidate. When Thompson ran for President in 2008, NBC stopped aired re-runs of “Law & Order” that featured Thompson, who had been the District Attorney on the show. The Equal Time Doctrine is not new. But the national press corps, always ready to pounce on President Donald Trump and Republicans, has ...

Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world

Local Columns

But also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. Romans 4:16 This week we will continue our study of Dispensationalism. Many people believe there will be a literal reign of Christ on the earth for a thousand years, when Jesus comes back to Jerusalem. What seems strange about this teaching is that Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews.” Some of them also believe that when Christ reigns in Jerusalem, sacrifices will once again be ...

We have an eternal inheritance

Local Columns

Ephesians 1:1-14 The Dec. 11, 2002 online issue of Forbes magazine carried the story of a family feud in one of the richest families in America. The Pritzker family of Chicago owns the Hyatt hotel chain. They also own many other businesses, including cruise lines, railroads, and banks. In 2002, 18-year-old Liesel Pritzker sued her father and other family members, claiming that they drained her trust fund of more than $1 billion. Because of their mismanagement, Liesel claims her inheritance has been greatly reduced. She is suing for $5 billion dollars in punitive damages. One ...

JCL in 2025, part 2: Facts, figures and more

Local Columns

I look forward to writing this column every year. I love seeing which titles were most popular and what was sought after at the Juniata County Library. It helps me gain a glimpse into the interests here in Juniata County. I’m always surprised to see an item on the list that I wouldn’t have imagined to be as popular as it turned out to be. Conversely, I find it interesting that some books or authors are missing from the list. Top 5 most checked out nonfiction books: “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance (19 circulations) “The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for ...