Civil Discourse Now will stream (how'd I dodge the obvious verb?) from the Indiana State Fairgrounds on January 19 at 11 a.m. to discuss ramifications of the Second Amendment. So far one panelist we have confirmed is Andrew Kirch. Co-host Mark Small (me) will advocate that the Second Amendment should be repealed. There's no need to talk about slippery slopes with me on this topic. Andrew will argue (vehemently I am sure) against the position I favor. Paul Ogden probably also will favor…

   Once again I want to announce THE TENTH AMENDMENT will be the focus of our discussion this Saturday, January 12, at 11 a.m. at Big Hat Books, 6510 Cornell Avenue, in Broad Ripple. "Civil Discourse Now" is part of the "Indiana Talks" internet network. If you cannot attend, you can Tweet in questions. I will post "how" on that tomorrow.

   Our guests will be:

   Mike Maharrey of the Tenth Amendment Center. Their website (tenthamendmentcenter dot com) is well-constructed and…

  THE TENTH AMENDMENT will be the focus of our discussion this Saturday, January 12, at 11 a.m. at Big Hat Books, 6510 Cornell Avenue, in Broad Ripple. "Civil Discourse Now" is part of the "Indiana Talks" internet network.

   Our guests will be:

   Mike Maharrey of the Tenth Amendment Center. Their website (tenthamendmentcenter dot com) is well-constructed and informative about the organization. He is the organization’s communications director. He is a native of the…

   I purchased a new computer in the name of efficiency. Now, three days later, I have yet to figure out how to install some things. At least I can post what next week's Show will be.

   Our guests will be Mike Meharry of the Tenth Amendment Center, and Karen Celestino-Horseman, Indianapolis attorney and for Democratic Party City-County Councilor. We shall discuss the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. and interpretations of it: nullification of Federal laws by States,…

   Bobby Seale will be the featured speaker at the Martin Luther King Day dinner this year. At Advance Indiana, Gary Welsh—friend and a past panelist on "Civil Discourse Now"—takes issue with the choice of Seale for the MLK dinner. I want to address several points Gary makes in his blog. As a preface, I probably am one of the few people who has read the entire 20,000-some page transcript of Dellinger, et al v. United States—the trial the defendants of which were dubbed, first, the…

   Again:

   CHARTER SCHOOLS will be the topic of discussion this Saturday, January 5, at 11 a.m. in our inaugural Show on "Indiana Talks." We shall shoot at a familiar place—Big Hat Books, 6510 Cornell Avenue, in Broad Ripple.

   Russ Simnick, president of the Indiana Public Schools Charter Association was considerate enough to respond to he blog I posted yesterday and disagreed on several points I made. I will respond to his points as follows:

   1) The first charter…

   CHARTER SCHOOLS will be the topic of discussion this Saturday, January 5, at 11 a.m. in our inaugural Show on "Indiana Talks." We shall shoot at a familiar place—Big Hat Books, 6510 Cornell Avenue, in Broad Ripple.

   Education is one of the most important aspects of our society. The United States would not have been able to advance, as it did, between the mid-1800s and the 1970s without a system of public education that aimed at (but missed but not by a lot) universal literacy. In…

   Another amateur’s night is upon us. People who otherwise would be at home, watch TV, and retire for the evening by 10 feel the need to go out, get plastered, and stay up until midnight.

   Here are some practical tips for a pleasant New Year’s Eve; they are not authoritative and, if you have any questions or allergies, consult a physician:

   1) Do not drive. If you live within walking distance of your favorite local bar—there you go. Try to walk home in the company of…

   On today’s Show, guest panelists Jeff Cox and Matt Stone will discuss with Paul Ogden and me: (1) the year’s highlights (2) how much money Indianapolis lost on the Super Bowl® (3) the dead pool for 2012 and (4) how 2010's gerrymandering bore fruit this year.

   Next week we start "live" podcasts on Indiana Talks at 11 on Saturdays.

   The Westchester Journal and News, a newspaper in New York, this week printed the names and addresses of gun permits holders in the county in which it is located and a neighboring county. This was an irresponsible act protected by the First Amendment that was meant purely for the attention it received.

   1) If the intent was to alert area residents of the proximity, to a reader’s home or business, of people who own guns—excuse me, but Wiiliams Tire Foundation (WTF)!? The…

   According to The Indiana Law Blog, yesterday both Chief Justice Dickson of the Indiana Supreme Court and Chief Judge Margaret Robb of the Indiana Court of Appeals declared the State’s courts closed due to the snow emergency. For those of you who had appellate briefs due yesterday, that should mean your due date is moved back. (WARNING: This only is an interpretation of the rules. The official word comes from the Court in question.)

   App.R. 25(A) provides that a…

   With a blizzard imminent—the first flakes of a projected 12 inches have just begun at 5:25 a.m., and the wind gusts—I want to relate my experiences during the infamous Blizzard of 1978.

   During January, DePauw University stages Winter Term, a month during which students take one course to have fun with knowledge. I had opted for a fifth year at DPU and had completed the four required WTs (two years of "varsity debate, attending the tournaments I would have attended had there been…

   David Gregory hosts "Meet the Press," the Sunday news show that has been aired on NBC for 65 years. On December 23, Wayne LaPierre, head of the NRA, appeared on the show. LaPierre’s appearance, ostensibly, was to defend the NRA’s proposal—as its "contribution" to the problems highlighted by the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on December 14.

   To Gregory’s credit, he had come prepared with props. To illustrate his questions about whether legislation to ban…

   This country seems to be held hostage by ourselves. The NRA—as some alternative to gun control—advocates armed guards in our nation’s schools.

   Armed security was on staff at Columbine. The 2009 shootings at Fort Hood took place on an Army post—in the middle of a lot of people armed with firearms who were trained in use of firearms. Armed guards apparently are not as effective as the NRA would have us believe. An alternative would be to have armed guards in every hallway and in…

   The World did not end. Now a lot of people will have to deal with the unexpected—how to address the issues of credit card balances run up and bad checks written with the Mayan calendar’s doomsday prediction as the only defense.

   There were no "takers" on the invitation to discuss Christmas on today’s Show. Therefore, in light of the holidays—yesterday’s solstice, Tuesday’s Christmas, Wednesday’s Boxing Day and the beginning of Kwanzaa—it seems only fitting to take today off. (I…

   Either the World ends today, or tomorrow "Civil Discourse Now" goes on at 11 a.m.

   Fox News® has reported a lot about a war on Christmas. I believe there should not be a "war" on Christmas, but a more rational understanding of the secular roots of the holiday.

   This is an invitation to anyone who would like to come onto the program tomorrow to discuss whether Christmas really is the birthday of Jesus Christ.  This topic entails a couple of questions. First, whether there…

   I had the pleasure, yesterday, of being a guest on The Gary Snyder Show. Gary has organized a network on the internet called "Indiana Talks." As I understand his goal, "Indiana Talks" is an internet platform for pod casts, originating from Indiana, that span a wide range of viewpoints. Google "Indiana Talks" and you can pick up its shows that are on now. I would provide a "link," but I am not that advanced techno-wise.

   Yesterday Gary also extended, and we accepted, an invitation…

   Because of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I have heard many people call for stiffer prison sentences for people who commit offenses while armed with a gun and for greater action in the area of mental health. The latter seems to take the form of conferring upon government officials greater discretion to hold someone for a period of time to monitor the person’s behavior and determine whether the person should be detained longer.

   Both of these parts of a solution to…

   Today’s Show will be about "World Peace." Our guests will be the Reverend Dave and Bill Levin. We will go on at 11.

   Yesterday’s mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut does not make the country’s Number One mass shooting. That distinction remains with the incident at Virginia Tech. What seems most horrific is the 20 victims all of whom were young children.

   Polls indicate a majority of the people of this country favor gun control of various types.…

   Saturday, December 15, at 11 a.m. we shall live-stream a show about World Peace. So far our guests will be Bill Levin and the Reverend Dave. I will provide more details tomorrow.

   On Saturday, December 22, we shall discuss Christmas—Is it a pagan holiday? Was there really a Jesus? If Santa Claus wears red, gives things away for free, and relies upon masses of elves to manufacture his toys, does that make Santa a communist?