Jack D'Aurora

Meet my friend, Al

I’d like to introduce you to a new friend of mine. His name is Al Hauck. He’s the gent in the photo, with my wife, Debbie. In most respects, his life has been unremarkable. In another respect, his life is quite remarkable.

Debbie and I met Al two weeks ago while we were in Guatemala on an “awareness” trip organized by Unbound. Unbound provides assistance in a variety of ways—primarily…

The current transgender bathroom issue illustrates the importance of messaging. While the debate should focus on human rights and dignity, those who oppose transgender people using the bathroom that matches their sexual identity (versus the gender that appears on their birth certificates) have changed the debate into a moral crusade. Society’s relationship with God is now at issue.

Lieutenant…

Legislating from the bench

Two months ago, Judge Richard A. Frye of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas issued a decision that made a number of 17-year olds happy and caused him to be accused of “legislating from the bench.”  The decision is remarkable for both reasons.

First, let’s take a look at what was at stake. By statute, Secretary of State Jon Husted is obligated to promulgate instructions for how voting is to…

Two women, each of army of one

  Some people assume that enormous problems are for somebody else to solve. Others are undaunted and confront the challenge. Meet two women in the latter category, each of whom is an army of one.

The first is Connie Cheren of Alpharetta, Ga. When the last of her five children graduated from college, Connie found herself in the enviable position of suddenly having extra time and money on hand.…

What we can learn from fighter pilots

  It’s not something you would think of, but when it’s comes to personal conflict and politics, we can learn from fighter pilots—fight your fight; don’t fight the other guy’s fight.

Fighter pilots know you never engage an enemy on his terms. Whatever advantages an enemy jet may have in aerial combat are things you avoid. Play to an opponent’s strengths, and you get killed. To win, you have to…

Presidential candidates comment on Vatican reform

Financial regulation is not just for Wall Street. New rules are now in place at the Vatican for canonization, the process by which the Roman Catholic Church determines who should be declared a saint.  U.S presidential candidates have chimed in. More about their views in a minute.

U.S. News & World Reportreported last week that Pope Francis imposed financial accountability regulations “on the…

Are there two justice systems in America

  Are there two justice systems in America, one for the executives of large corporations and another for the rest of us? Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., thinks so. She published a report on the subject last month, “Rigged Justice: How Weak Enforcement Lets Corporate Offenders Off Easy.”

Warrens maintains that “corporate criminals routinely escape meaningful prosecution for their misconduct.” …

The growing income gap

Senator Bernie Sanders has been campaigning that he wants to close the income gap in America. Is there an income gap? Why should we care?

Last October, financial news and opinion company, 24/7 Wall St., reported that the gap between rich and poor “jumped dramatically” in the 1980s and has continued to grow. Between 1979 and 2011, wages for the wealthiest one percent of Americans more than…

President Barack Obama’s recent executive orders concerning guns illustrate two important points: the difficulty with messaging, and the gap between national polls and Congress.

First, let’s look at the issue of messaging. If you watched the CNN town hall meetingtwo weeks ago, you heard the president talk about background checks, adding more agents to the FBI, and the benefits of “smart gun…

This is Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler who drowned off the coast of Turkey last September. Some media sources chose not to publish the photo. I think everyone needs to see it. It’s emblematic of a world where things have gone badly wrong.

Aylan likely had no idea why his family was leaving home on what must have been a difficult trek with little planning. He probably could feel his parents’ fear…

What makes us think?

What makes us think? Is it intellect that determines how we analyze problems? If so, how is it that two people of equal intelligence can look at the same set of facts and reach different conclusions?

Let’s look at global warming. Two weeks ago, Columbus Business First carried an article about Bob Murray, the CEO of Murray Energy Corp., the no. 3 coal company in the U.S. Murray sees all the talk…

Be impeccable with your words

How much of what we hear is exaggerated, destructive or full of hate? Don Miguel Ruiz, author of “The Four Agreements,” would say many people fail to be impeccable with their words. Impeccable means not capable of sin and free from fault or blame. Think of what it means, then, to be impeccable with your words.

Ruiz tells us, “Through the word you express your creative power. It is through the…

The fatal lure of texting while driving

It’s so easy to do, and the need is so urgent. But it’s as dangerous as driving a car with your eyes closed. In fact, it’s nearly identical to driving with your eyes closed. Still, people do it. They text while driving. They don’t understand the danger.

Let me give you an example. My wife and I were at a social event last week. We were talking with a friend, who we’ll call Sarah. Sarah got to the…

Ohio’s three referendums—yes, yes and no

When you vote this Tuesday, you will see three referendums, known as Issues 1, 2 and 3, which all seek to amend the Ohio Constitution. Here’s my view on all three.

Vote yes on Issue 1

Issue 1 seeks to implement a non-partisan approach to drawing voting districts for Ohio state representatives and senators. As important as Issue 1 is, it hasn’t received much news play, and that’s unfortunate.…

Hillary wrong to take on NRA

Hillary Clinton made clear in the first Democratic Party presidential debate that she’s ready to take on the NRA. “This has gone on too long, and it’s time the entire country stood up against the NRA,” she declared. If you believe the level of gun violence in America is unacceptable, this was music to your ears. Clinton is leading the charge against the NRA, and that’s a good thing, right?

Maybe…