Opinion
- Opinion
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HEY HINK: Europe’s euthanasia enthusiasm is alarming
Have you heard of “The Groningen Protocol?” It may sound like a spy novel or suspense movie about shadowy conspiracies hatched in ivory towers by cadres of cynical utopian thinkers determined to co-opt society’s understanding of what it means to have a life worth living. Think “Soylent Green,” the science fiction movie where social planners faced with overpopulation and food shortages decide to alleviate the problem by encouraging senior citizens to embrace euthanasia. Their remains are then processed into nutritious green squares.
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Internet taxation: fair or foul?
As a general rule, whenever one hears members of Congress talking about “fairness,” you should hold on tight to your wallet. That’s certainly the case with the proposed “Marketplace Fairness Act,” which has been under consideration in the Senate. The bill is aimed at leveling the sales-tax playing field between Internet merchants and so-called brick-and-mortar retailers.
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Why do people stay scared after sudden tragedies?
After a tragedy such as the one last week in Boston, people have a heightened sense of risk.
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Don’t give terrorists any more victories
The finish line of a road race serves as the division between one world and another. Ahead of the finish line, there is structure and discipline, with attention paid to the runners as they cross over. Spectators are kept back, mainly to avoid interfering with the participants — and perhaps to keep them from being trampled.
Once they finish a race, runners are herded quickly through a chute to keep the proper order. Or else — courtesy of modern technology — their times are recorded by chips attached to their shoes. -
ENTERPRISING RABBI: Words, thoughts really do matter in today’s society
Often, people have visited the synagogue where I work and have tried to show their kindness by checking with me on the correct way to refer to someone of my religion. They say, “I have heard that it is offensive to call someone a ‘Jew,’ right? Aren’t we supposed to call you ‘Jewish’?”
Why on earth should “Jew” be an offensive thing to call a Jewish person? Well, at its heart, it is not an offensive thing to call a Jewish person. It is the noun form, where “Jewish” is the adjective. The reason that “Jew” has been considered offensive in the past has been the way in which it has been said. -
AGAINST THE GRAIN: Oklahomans commemorate 65th anniversary of Israel
The Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City recently presented an event to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. The event began with a gathering at the Immanuel Synagogue in the Midcity area where two Oklahoma City rabbis, Abby Jacobson and Viered Harris, spoke about the history of the state of Israel since its founding and the struggles it has gone through to maintain its existence.
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4 key items look like they will gain legislative OK
This is a big week in the Legislature. It is a key deadline week. By this Thursday another set of proposals will fail to advance past the deadline and will become dormant for this year.
Fortunately, many aggressive reform proposals are still alive. -
Teaching to the test
As I meet with teachers from across the state, I hear a common theme. I talk with working groups of teachers here at the state department. I’ve had the opportunity to visit with past and present teachers of the year. I also have roundtable discussions with teachers at the school districts I visit on my Raise the Grade Together tours. I listen to superintendents in my leadership advisory group. These educators tell me they are frustrated with “teaching to the test.” Parents and community members often mirror these sentiments. I agree!
The time has come to have a serious discussion about this. I want teachers to know I am committed to working with them and the rest of the education community. This summer and in the fall, together with these groups, we will conduct an audit of all the different assessments given across the state, including federal, state and district level assessments. -
We should all run in the Boston Marathon
If you want to understand the nature of the United States, how we respond to attacks and how unwilling we are to back down from terrorism, look not at this year's Boston Marathon, but to next year's.
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New police tactics crucial to preventing more mass murder
It was an iconic image that caught the eyes of all who were watching from around the world. An Oklahoma City police car with the words “We Will Never Forget” written in bold letters across the back window. That cruiser sat parked outside the perimeter of the destruction that was only hours before the Oklahoma City federal building. “We Will Never Forget.” It was a pledge and a reminder. Now as we mourn the dead and pray for the gravely injured from the Boston bombing, with the 18th anniversary of the worst domestic terrorist attack in the U.S. now upon us, are we doing all we can to prevent it from happening again?
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HEY HINK: Europe’s euthanasia enthusiasm is alarming
