David Keating: Provocative speech can provide teachable moments
Public officials should reconsider their actions that both fan the flames of hate and pose a risk to free speech.
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IBJ this month asks columnists whether public employees who express personal and political opinions outside of their professional duties should be held in account for them at work. Also, Abdul-Hakim Shabazz critiques the current state of political discourse; Curt Smith predicts that Charlie Kirk’s influence will continue to grow; and Deborah Daniels posits that the James Comey indictment shows the Trump administration has crossed the Rubicon.
Featured issue
Stevie Pactor: All should be free to participate in market of ideas
The First Amendment protects a public employee’s ability to participate in this dialogue.
Todd Rokita: Educators should be accountable for disruptive speech
Courts consistently support the government’s authority to discipline employees when their speech impairs operations.
Forefront
Claire Fiddian-Green: Indiana puts employers out front in talent push
ITAs bring together employers to identify priority occupations, define the competencies students need to demonstrate and develop standardized training.
Dr. Richard Feldman: Biden dropped ball on menthol, so Trump should push on
Menthol cigarettes have been aggressively marketed to African Americans, creating a significant disparity in use.
Dana Black: People with wealth, power sidestep fight for democracy
What are we non-lawyers supposed to do when they come for us?
Karen Celestino-Horseman: Attacking fourth estate weakens public protections
People wrapped in a blanket of bias confirmation never ask “Why?”
Lindsay Shipps Haake: If you don’t do politics, politics will do you
The teaching of civics must be one of the most important jobs in our nation.
Deborah Daniels: Comey indictment shows we have crossed the Rubicon
We have a DOJ that obeys a vengeful president rather than following the rule of law.
Whitley Yates: Indiana vs. BlackRock: Who really holds the power?
BlackRock might buy the breaker box, but Indiana decides how the switches get flipped.
Bill Taft: City needs to nix barriers to affordable housing
We have everything it takes to make Indianapolis the most attractive place to build homes in the Midwest.
Rep. Ed DeLaney: GOPers break with capitalism, ethics and competence
We are seeing repeated failures to project both revenue and expenses.
Jim Shella: Once reviled by the right, KISS now in good graces
I met KISS in 1979 due to a right-wing protest of one of its concerts.
Curt Smith: Charlie Kirk’s legacy poised to grow in his absence
He gave voice to a way of life that resonated with teens and 20-somethings.
Nathan Gotsch: A Hoosier’s lessons for navigating political division
In another polarized time, Henry Lane knew leadership means making room for people who disagree with you.
Abdul-Hakim Shabazz: Political discourse in Indiana has devolved into noise
And when conversation breaks down, so does the trust needed to solve problems.
Jennifer Wagner Chartier: Holcomb, Donnelly show path to political progress
We must be able to vociferously disagree and still see each other’s intrinsic value.