“It’s a free country; I can say what I want!” Indeed, almost all of us would say we strongly believe in the concept of free speech. Even as kids we learned to use that free country, free speech argument. Of course, in our generation it was pretty well bred into us that there would be…
John Andrist: Is Changing Your Mind Good or Bad?
Is a change of mind an admirable quality, a demonstration that you have continued to evaluate your position? Or is a flip-flop, a derogatory term for not holding true to a principle, through every conceivable means of resistance? Perhaps it depends if you were on the other side and have come to agree with my…
John Andrist: The Last Time Trump Saw Paris
They spend a lot of time these days fussing about climate change, particularly since President Trump walked away from the “Paris Accord” agreement. What particularly piqued my interest was a map of the United States published in USA Today, showing in color the temperature change over the past 22 years. It included most of northern…
John Andrist: Knowing Who Our Neighbors Are
“Who is my neighbor?” Almost as long as man has existed that question has been one we have pondered. In the tenth chapter of Luke it was asked of Jesus by a lawyer of that time. Our culture suggests that a neighbor is somebody special. One who needs special treatment or extra consideration. But we…
Judge Frank Racek: Offender Rehabilitation Needs to Be More Focused and More Flexible to Work
Recently, the North Dakota legislature passed bills referred to as “Justice Reinvestment.” These measures were designed to decrease the number of convicted individuals sent to prison. Incarceration and its negative effects are costly and detrimental to society. Many of the offenders who are currently locked up are not best served by the prison system. For…
John Andrist: Are Privacy Protections Good or Annoying?
We are very much obsessed these days with things like security, secrecy, and privacy. All three of them are getting more elusive. That may not be good, but perhaps it’s also not all bad. Ponder with me for a moment what our world would be like with no privacy for you and me and no…
Matt Evans: An Attempt to Quantify the Criminal Justice Costs of Refugee Resettlement in Cass County
Officially, police departments in North Dakota tell us that they have no way of knowing the refugee status of their inmates, and so, cannot report this data. This information gets transformed by the pro-refugee advocates as “there is no evidence that refugees commit more crime in our area!” Of course, they could just as easily…
Jeremy Rham: North Dakota Needs Wind Energy
Sayanythingblog.com and AgWeek recently published Connie Krapp’s op-ed entitled “Before Permitting Another Wind Mill North Dakota’s PSC Must Publicize Costs for Taxpayers and Energy Consumers.” The op-ed specifically referred to Otter Tail Power Company’s involvement with EDF Renewable Energy’s Merricourt Wind Farm near Ellendale. Ms. Krapp’s op-ed was decidedly negative. However, our company’s upcoming proceedings…
John Andrist: In Praise of a Quest for the Middle
E pluribus unum. I’m not a scholar, but I think those are Latin words that translates pretty closely to “One out of many”. At one time it was our national motto, dating back to the constitution when the 13 colonies formed one government out of many. It’s still on the Great Seal, and at one…
William Brotherton: UND Should Forget Expensive New Branding Effort
I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw that UND’s President Kennedy wanting to spend $3 million to develop a “brand” for UND. Is this the same school that is demolishing eight buildings on campus, eliminating sports programs left and right, and raising tuition? As a proud University of North Dakota graduate, I cannot…
