The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1069334
The Press-Dispatch Opinion Wednesday, Januar y 9, 2019 C- 11 Continued from page 10 WORST ENEMY Court Report CRIMINAL Pike Circuit Court Penny A. Riley charged with theft, a level 6 felony. Davy W. Hopper charged with theft, a level 6 felony. Colt D. Eckert charged with count I operating a vehicle while intoxicat- ed, a level 6 felony, and count II oper- ating a vehicle while intoxicated-prior. Amanda J. Fetcher charged with count I possession of methamphet- amine, a level 6 felony, and count II possession of paraphernalia. Roy Shane King charged with count I possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony, count II unlawful pos- session of syringe, count III crimi- nal trespass, count IV resisting law enforcement, count V possession of marijuana and count IV possession of paraphernalia. Roy D. King charged with count I obstruction of justice, a level 6 felony, and count II false informing. In re: search warrant. In re: search warrant. In re: search warrant. TRAFFIC AND MISDEMEANOR Pike Circuit Court Dalton F. Ransom charged with driving while suspended. Jason K. Wildt charged with count I public intoxication and count II dis- orderly conduct. Stephen R. Padgett charged with count I possession of marijuana and count II possession of paraphernalia. CIVIL Pike Circuit Court Capital One Bank sues Jana L. Smith on complaint. Capital One Bank sues Eric J. Rog- ge on complaint. Midland Funding LLC sues Justin Hall on complaint. Professional & Business Collec- tions LLC as Agent for Deaconess Hospital sues Steven Benefiel on com- plaint. First Federal Savings Bank sues Stephen G. Crooks on complaint. First Federal Savings Bank sues Cliffton W. Gish on complaint. First Federal Savings Bank sues Laura A. Smith on complaint. Cavalry SPV I sues Michael Font and Kelli S. Charkowsky on com- plaint. In Re: Shea V. Fiscus petitions for name change of minor, Brody Xavier Hawkins to Brody Xavier Fiscus. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance sues Destiny Scraper on complaint. Justin Bradshaw sues Candy Parks- Bradshaw for dissolution of marriage. Erica Warner sues Brian Warner for dissolution of marriage. INFRACTIONS Pike Circuit Court Samantha Benefiel charged with operating with expired plates. Kevin Bland charged with speed- ing, 69 mph in a 55 zone. Makayla Camden charged with speeding, 49 mph in a 35 zone. Jennifer Crow charged with count I driving while suspended and count II operating with expired plates. Patricia Dulworth charged with seatbelt violation. Kelly Hopkins charged with seat- belt violation. Jackie Jones charged with no valid driver's license. Harley Rogers charged with speed- ing, 83 mph in a 55 zone. Dale Sandy charged with seatbelt violation. Daniel Simpson charged with seat- belt violation. Eddie Toler charged with speeding, 78 mph in a 55 zone. Ryan Wolf charged with seatbelt vi- olation. Kevin Woods charged with no val- id driver's license. Continued from page 10 OBSTRUCT Continued from page 10 BABY FOOD Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts calls "judi- cial emergencies" — that is, vacancies that have been open the longest and have the most negative effects on the caseloads of sitting judges. In March 2012, Demo- cratic Whip Richard Durbin, senator from Illinois, said that 35 judicial emergency vacancies would cause the administration of justice to suffer "at every level." Judi- cial emergencies are 80 per- cent higher today, yet we're to believe everything is fine, judicially speaking? This isn't about judges, of course. These foot-drag- ging politicians aren't failing to do their duty because the nominees aren't qualified. The main thing wrong with them, as far as Sen. Chuck Schumer, New York Demo- crat, and his colleagues are concerned, is who nominat- ed them. Politics, plain and simple, is throwing sand in the gears of the federal bench. Today, more than 130 po- sitions on the U.S. District Court and U.S. Court of Ap- peals are vacant. To put that in perspective, it's more than twice as many vacan- cies as there were under President Clinton or Presi- dent George W. Bush. Vacancies are 52 percent higher today than they were in July 2016, when Sen. Cory Booker, New Jersey Demo- crat, said we faced a "vacan- cy crisis." What makes to- day's vacancy situation any less of a crisis in Mr. Book- er's eyes, other than the oc- cupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Vacancies are 88 percent higher today than they were in September 2015, when Ju- diciary Committee Chair- man Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, warned that "we are heading into a judicial vacancy crisis." He's oddly silent now, despite the situa- tion becoming roughly twice as serious. Or is it only a cri- sis when his party controls the White House? This isn't just about Mr. Trump, though. Democrats are trying to avoid having any more judges such as Reed O'Connor slip by. Con- firmed in 2007 when they were in the majority, U.S. District Judge O'Connor re- cently struck down Obam- acare in what Mr. Schumer called "an awful ruling." Yes, isn't it awful when judges actually apply the U.S. Constitution and threat- en to undo the legacy of bad laws such as Obamacare? In the end, there's no ex- cuse for the road-block ap- proach to judicial nominees. As Sen. Leahy put it in 2014: "Such obstruction is not worthy of the Senate, and the resulting judicial va- cancies do great harm to the judicial system." It's just as true today. Ed Feulner is founder of The Heritage Foundation (www.heritage.org). Children could be sold as servants, with the aban- doned children being raised as a prostitute or courtesan. Licentiousness was on dis- play at the Roman sea resort of Pompey, which was home to all manner of sexual mis- chief. The gladiatorial games and executions dominated Roman cultural life and were little more than ritual mur- ders for the gods. Christian- ity sanctified all life and to be a spectator participant in watching an execution or a blood let was reprehensible. Much of the perceived antisocial behavior of the Christians could be over- looked, but not burning in- cense to the Emperor who was a "god" was treasonous and a capital offense. No ac- tual worship was required, and offering incense or a gift to him did not mean you were venerating him. This practiced ran into the prohi- bition of Christians who took the first commandment seri- ously: "Thou shall have no other gods before me." As mentioned, Christi- anity "lost" its connection to Jewry under Nero, and persecution began. It was not systematic or empire wide. However, its purpose, to crush the faith, failed to reach its goal; Christianity redefined life, humanized slavery, inhibited sexual pro- miscuity, established mar- riage as a permanent union, solidified the family, and un- edified government. Christianity has been in the forefront of cultural change since its beginnings. Secular writers of the first several centuries who took a critical eye at the faith mar- veled at the morality of those who followed Christ. Seventeen centuries lat- er, we have witnessed in our lifetime a rollback that is bringing us closer to the dissolute culture of the an- cients that erases the strides Christianity made among the nations [especially in Europe and the Americas]. Life is becoming less sa- cred. Abortion is available on demand, and euthana- sia is becoming acceptable as an exit of life plan. This would be considered scan- dalous by those before us. Uninhibited sexuality is the norm in Europe, and America is not far behind. Gender identification has taken on religious tones. Marriage is no longer the foundation for the family. Although no government of- fice is deified [except among the communists and social- ists], the apparatus of gov- ernment has become an overarching deity of nations. Do not become discour- aged. It is a new year and el- ements within the church re- fuse to become relevant to the "new norms" of culture and remain a testimony to regenerative power of Jesus Christ! There is hope for a better future to come. The Apos- tle Peter wrote to the church that the world and its works will pass away. He then asks [rhetorically], "What man- ner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and god- liness? " The regenerative power of Christianity is alive and well among God's people, and that power is found in the church! The teachings of the apostles as the foun- dation of worship and life remain for all to read. Time has not softened the admoni- tion of Paul to the Church at Rome, "I beseech you, there- fore, brethren, by the mer- cies of God, that you pres- ent your bodies a living sac- rifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reason- able service." Do not become shaken and downcast by events you cannot control. You can con- trol your destiny and the fu- ture by remaining faithful to the One who bought your Salvation. Think about it. Continued from page 10 BRIGHTER SIDE our problems. Our problems will never be solved by the white man." There's a historical tidbit that those much younger than I (almost 83 years old) are ignorant of. In black histo- ry, we have been called — and called ourselves — several different names. Among the more respectable have been "colored," "Negro," "black," "A f- ro-American" and "A frican-American." I recall when Mrs. Viola Meekins, when I was a student at Stoddart-Fleisher Ju- nior High School in the late 1940s, had our class go page by page through a textbook and correct each instance in which Negro was printed with a lower- case "n." In Malcolm X's day, and mine, Negro was a proud name and not used derisively by blacks as it is today. Malcolm X was absolutely right about our finding solutions to our own problems. The most devastating prob- lems that black people face today have absolutely nothing to do with our histo- ry of slavery and discrimination. Chief among them is the breakdown of the black family, wherein 75 percent of blacks are born to single, often young, mothers. In some cities and neighbor- hoods, the percentage of out-of-wed- lock births is over 80. Actually, "break- down" is the wrong term; the black family doesn't form in the first place. This is entirely new among blacks. According to the 1938 Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, that year only 11 percent of black children were born to unwed mothers. As late as 1950, fe- male-headed households constituted only 18 percent of the black population. Today it's close to 70 percent. In much earlier times, during the late 1800s, there were only slight differences be- tween the black family structure and those of other ethnic groups. In New York City in 1925, 85 percent of kin-re- lated black households were two-par- ent households. Welfare has encour- aged young women to have children out of wedlock. The social stigma once as- sociated with unwed pregnancy is all but gone. Plus, "shotgun" weddings are a thing of the past. That was when male members of a girl's family made the boy who got her pregnant live up to his re- sponsibilities. The high crime rates in so many black communities impose huge per- sonal costs and have turned once-thriv- ing communities into economic waste- lands. The Ku Klux Klan couldn't sabo- tage chances for black academic excel- lence more effectively than the public school system in most cities. Politics and white liberals will not solve these and other problems. As Malcolm X said, "our problems will never be solved by the white man." Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. Continued from page 10 LIFETIME TUV- Tune Yourself for Victory. W X YZ- We expect You to Zoom in life. I guess we can always make our own ABCs in life. Just be creative and tune in to high ideals and keep them in your heart. As we start the year 2019, here's another chance to strive better than where we were. It never hurts to move to a higher or better level. • • • Six best doctors in the world: 1. Sunlight. 2. Proper rest. 3. Regular exercise. 4. Healthy diet. 5. Self confidence. 6. Friends — keep good friends in all stages of life—and enjoy their company. An isolated life can be a sad life. Love is the best healer of all hurts. • • • Humor of the week: I truly am fas- cinated by the creative ads that come from my country of origin. It never fails to make me chuckle. Here's some sent by a classmate: Sign on a bakery: Bread Pit. Sign on a hair saloon: We cut and dye. Sign on a laundry shop: Wash your problem. On a pizza store: Pizza Hot. A duck farm: Star Ducks. A fried chicken outlet: "The Fried of Manila. A sign on a shoe repair store: We take care of your sole. We heel bro- ken shoes. A farm selling goats: Have a goat time. A watch repair shop: Second time around. Check out Charlie Chaplin's third statement. Have a great week! Four jars later "Crap, I need six more." Two jars later "Why is this so hard?! " Two jars later "Why are there so many CHOICES?! This was sup- posed to be a fast trip! " Two jars later "FINALLY. Phew. Let's keep moving. Oh, they ac- tually have some of the pacifiers she likes, I'll gr- ab a pack of them, we're al- ways looking for one. Do we need wipes? Yeah, we proba- bly do. Which wipes are on sale? Wait, how many do we need? Why don't they have any big boxes? Guess I'll just get two? I don't know. I DON'T KNOW. I hate buying baby food. I hate the baby aisle. I'm go- ing to get cookies. Continued from page 10 HELP THE POOR ticipating in the economic recovery. Looking at unemployment data from 1979 to 2016, the Federal Re- serve Bank of San Francisco re- ports that during economic expan- sions, black unemployment averages 6.4 points higher than white unem- ployment. During economic contrac- tions, black unemployment averages 6.9 points higher than white. The latest data shows black unem- ployment just 2.6 points higher than white. Cochrane notes that if growth aver- ages 3 percent annually over the next 30 years, rather than 2 percent, aver- age income per person will be 35 per- cent higher. So, of highest importance was get- ting the American growth engine re- stored, and this is happening to the benefit of every American. However, black communities have unique problems. A difficult, often brutal, history has placed too many A frican-Americans on the sidelines. The approach of this administra- tion is to seek opportunities to inject economic vitality into our hardest hit communities. Trump just issued an executive or- der establishing the White House Op- portunity and Revitalization Council. This council will set into motion im- plementation of a provision in the 2017 tax bill establishing economic Oppor- tunity Zones. Governors in the 50 states were asked to identify their most economi- cally distressed ZIP codes, neighbor- hoods where, for instance, poverty stands at twice the national average, to qualify as Opportunity Zones. More than 8,700 ZIP codes have been designated, and they qualify for tax-preferred investment that, by esti- mates from the Treasury department, could amount to $100 billion. This is all private investment, which can flow into these troubled areas, that because of preferred tax treatment — forgiveness of capital gains taxes — would not otherwise be made. Present at the White House cere- mony was Bob Johnson, the billion- aire founder of BET. Johnson stated his conviction that this program "will cause people to in- vest money where before they saw risk, now they will see opportuni- ty. And that combination of putting money into communities will allow for those communities to become vi- brant, to become safe, to create own- ership, and, most important, to con- tribute to the well-being of this coun- try." Johnson related his own experi- ence when, as a young man, he con- vinced legendary media mogul John Malone to invest to create a cable sta- tion aimed to black audiences. He grew Malone's $500,000 investment into a $4 billion business. "What this proves," says Johnson, "is the efficacy of a program that al- lows capital to flow to places where people are seeking out opportunity." Let's hope the big government Dem- ocrats about to take over Congress don't mess up President Trump's com- mitment to using American capitalism to lift up the poor. Star Parker is an author and presi- dent of CURE, Center for Urban Renew- al and Education. Contact her at www. urbancure.org.