Guardrails are needed for plate-reading technology
Ohio Rep. Karen Brownlee is right. Lawmakers MUST make changes to put in place safeguards against the abuse of automatic license plate readers and other surveillance technologies. Brownlee, D-Symmes Township, is asking for an indefinite pause on the use of Flock cameras in the state following the indictment of Sharonville Police Lt. Walter Cordes on charges of unauthorized use of a computer or telecommunication property. He is alleged to have searched the department’s Flock camera system 29 times to track someone he knew for personal reasons, according to a report by ...
Child welfare system cratering in Ohio
Though the case has faded from the headlines, it has been only a little more than three months since 16 children were removed from the Siders’ home in Hamden. While that case makes its way through the system, Job and Family Services workers are sounding the alarm that part of that system is significantly broken. “I have been a county director since 1999, yet I have not seen such a challenging time in the child welfare system as I do today,” Jody Walker, head of South Central Ohio Job and Family Services, told lawmakers, according to a report in The Guardian, “specifically in ...
Cornell 7: The end result of modern feminism
When college students live out the ideals of modern feminism, the results are horrifying. Last month, a Jane Doe filed a lawsuit alleging that she had been gang raped by Cornell University students. "Cornell 7" refers to the number of men she has accused of inappropriate behavior, although not all are accused of rape. The incident occurred in October 2024 when the woman was a sophomore at the school. What isn't disputed is that the woman engaged in sex acts with multiple men at a Chi Phi fraternity party over several hours. Alcohol and drugs were involved. After the party, Jane Doe ...
Some children are too young to ride e-bikes and scooters
In parts of Ohio, it’s impossible to drive up to a youth sports practice or large gathering of friends without noticing the pile of e-bikes and scooters where older generations might have left their bicycles in the yard. But those electrically driven forms of transportation can be even more dangerous than our trusty old bikes (cinder block and plywood ramps notwithstanding). A couple of Ohio lawmakers have the right idea, then, with state Senate Bill 477, which would ban children 13 and younger from operating the devices, and require all users to wear helmets. According to a report ...
We’re chasing significance in the wrong places
It seems like everyone wants to be a social media influencer these days. Researcher Matthew Simoneau surveyed middle and high school students from 2021 to 2024 and more than 60% of them said they wanted to be social media influencers. People think fame and fortune will make them happy. But ...