Middle East spectacle

Israel and Hamas are battling in the Gaza Strip, the Roman Coliseum of the Middle East. Hamas, a smaller, weaker prisoner, is taunting the Israeli gladiator. The gladiator circles but doesn't advance. As a spectator to this struggle, the United States has a stake in the success of the warrior with the star of David on his shield. Many of the patrician's subjects are hawkish in their support of the stronger gladiator.

The lord is afraid of the lowlier warrior's intentions and friends. The U.S. throws gold coins to the stronger gladiator between battles and loans him armor.

Suddenly, the gladiator strikes, tearing his opponent to shreds. The United States stands up in shock -- this breaches the rules of Coliseum engagement! It urges the fighters to stop, but the prisoner is too desperate and the gladiator too strong.

If the U.S. truly desires peace in the Middle East, it should act as a mediator. The State Department recently pledged $30 billion over 10 years to Israel. Both political parties promise support for Israel. U.S.-sponsored mediation between Hamas and Israel will never succeed if our intentions are so one-sided.

2009 without doubt will be a nation-changing year. Change means different things to different people. For some, the change will be Barack Obama becoming president. For others it may be finally getting out debt, seeing family for the first time in years or letting go of a foolish grudge.

Americans often complain without taking action. Will you finally take action? Will you help improve someone else's life? Be a part of this historic year.

The national Republican Party does not need to look far for one solution in its effort to re-establish its identity. The GOP's own 2008 economic platform calls for "smaller, smarter government" and an end to "corporate handouts."

Some members of Congress and President George W. Bush, by supporting bailouts and industry nationalization, have abandoned these basic conservative tenets.

The platform makes it clear that Republicans should be opposed to such measures, whose surest ramification is an increased budget deficit, which in turn can lead to higher taxes and inflation.

In coming years, the GOP can re-establish itself as a fiscally responsible national party by finding leaders who won't abandon their small-government principles. Sticking to the economic platform would be a great start.

Use What You've Got Prison Ministries provides transportation for children to see their incarcerated parents. On Dec. 14, Ivy Tech provided gifts and dinner for more than 150 children.

Service to the community brings the classroom to life. Times are hard so being able to give back feels good. Devin and Daisy Goodall, LaKisha Johnson, Lisa Watt, Bryan Padich and Tyrone Hill were the faithful students who volunteered for this event, providing smiles to many.

Abortion, still one of the most divisive issues in America, got shoved aside during the election as the economy, well, you know. A month and a half later, this country might be in worse shape financially, but Indiana is about to start discussing reproductive rights.
An anti-abortion film group, Live Action, taped Planned Parenthood staff ignoring Indiana's rape laws. A girl claiming to be 13 and impregnated by a 31-year-old male was told by a counselor to look for help in other states so she could avoid parental consent laws.

The counselor was aware that the girl had been raped but didn't report the rape, as required by law.

Pro-choicers should be sweating right now. Planned Parenthood is often pigeonholed into the column of Democrat-leaning, progressive, nonprofit organizations. Some of these defend constitutional rights, some protect the environment, some get out the vote. However, they're all lawful.

Planned Parenthood is going to have a tough time fitting in with these progressive organizations while taking in nearly $60 million and skirting state law. Maybe it will lose its undeserved status as progressive and nonprofit.

I love stories like this: American automakers are nearing collapse, their CEOs are begging for money, and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard chose a Toyota hybrid over a partially Indiana-manufactured Chevy hybrid.

City Democrats are accusing the other side of not supporting American-made products. City-County Council Democrat Joanne Sanders expressed concern about "tax dollars."
I thought the GOP was the only party that used "tax dollars" in its rhetoric. Instead, Ballard's administration is putting efficiency first. It cites the Toyota Camry's 33 city mpg compared to the Chevy Malibu's 26 mpg. The Camry, at $25,770 each, costs $1,000 more than the Malibu.
I'll stand with the mayor on this one. The economy will improve. The jobs will come back. The automakers will recover or new ones will emerge.

However, if we continue to buy products because we feel obligated to support the company, er, country, the products will remain inferior. The only way to talk to a business is with cash. Ballard is speaking up against years of inefficient gas mileage, production and labor relations. Hopefully, his and other voices will be loud enough to permanently alter Detroit's bad habits.

As talks of multibillion-dollar bailouts and stimulus packages continue in Washington, a brilliant idea has come from U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, R-Texas: a federal tax holiday. Backed up by our own Rep. Mike Pence, Gohmert's plan represents the kind of creative, thoughtful opposition that Republicans must offer during the Obama administration in order to once again gain the trust of the American people.

Gohmert's plan goes like this: The federal government collects about $167 billion per month in federal income taxes and entitlement withholdings. Out of the $700 billion that Congress has approved for bailout money, the Treasury has already spent about half. Rather than continue to spend this money bailing out failing businesses or on more of the stimulus package that did not work the first time, the federal government should give taxpayers a two-month federal tax holiday.

This means that for two months, we get to keep every dime of our paychecks (minus state withholding) and get a true sense of how much money the government takes out of our pockets before it reaches us.

Not only would this act as a natural stimulus package by allowing the people who actually earn the money to keep it themselves and decide how best to spend it, but it would give people a needed boost during tough times.

This plan would allow the actions of individuals to drive our economic recovery rather than the central planning and nationalization of industries being contemplated by Congress.

Thanksgiving and Christmas remind everyone the importance of giving to others. Commercials promoting the awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital flood the television stations, and Bob Gregory's Coats for Kids helps those in need stay warm during the winter.

Many organizations and generous volunteers bake homemade meals to take to homeless shelters to assure those less fortunate are able to have something to eat on the holidays.

Yet, there is a new trend that has started a fire around this country and is taking away the meaning of Christmas. Local restaurants are now offering complete Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to purchase for the holidays.

I think this is a terrible idea, for it takes away the purpose of the holidays. This is supposed to be a time of giving and sharing memories with those you care about.
It is the times where my family and I would sit around the dinner table enjoying a home-cooked meal that I will remember the most. It certainly won't be that drive down the road to pick up our turkey in a box.

As soon as the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage last summer, right-wing pundits began accused the "activist" judges of "legislating from the bench." Now that their side has achieved a temporary victory in the state, proponents of Proposition 8 hail it as the "voice of the people."

They assert that the court has no right to strike down a law passed by the people themselves. Unfortunately for pro-Prop 8'ers, democracy is more than the rule of the masses. Our courts have always exercised the authority to review unjust laws. Imagine the content of our history books had the occasionally tyrannical majority delivered the final verdict on civil rights issues.

Our Founding Fathers gave courts the ability to intercede on behalf of the minority. The California Supreme Court, which is likely to review the law, is simply exercising its constitutional duty to protect the minority from a tyrannical majority.

The trampling to death of a Wal-Mart employee in New York on Black Friday is despicable. The frenzy this day creates reflects poorly on our society. Some might claim that trying economic times prompted shoppers to be so vicious, but this is not the first year violence has emerged in shopping aisles. The fact that Americans continue to place such importance on materialism is not only discouraging but horribly sad.

We live in a society that condemns other nations for violent actions, yet look at what we are doing to each other. There were many reported incidents from this year's Black Friday. We eagerly berate countries for barbaric behavior, yet commit actions of the same scale on our own people.

How many reports do we have to watch of people forgoing basic human respect to save several dollars before we start to question that there is something fundamentally wrong with our society?