Shownotes
Hey there Common Sense Ohio fans,
Hope you're doing well!
In the episode "Issue 1 and 2. What Now?," Norm and Brett delve into some thought-provoking topics, including women's options regarding pregnancy and adoption, the complex issue of marijuana legalization, and Ohio's impact on national politics post-election.
They also discuss the challenges of the adoption process and the impact of changing marijuana laws on the younger generation, among other engaging topics.
And, of course, we couldn't do it all without the support of our fantastic sponsor, Harper CPA Plus. Be sure to visit their website for some great resources.
Stephen Palmer is the Managing Partner for the law firm, Palmer Legal Defense. He has specialized almost exclusively in criminal defense for over 26 years. Steve is also a partner in Criminal Defense Consultants, a firm focused wholly on helping criminal defense attorneys design winning strategies for their clients.
Norm Murdock is an automobile racing driver and owner of a high-performance and restoration car parts company. He earned undergraduate degrees in literature and journalism and graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1985. He worked in the IT industry for two years before launching a career in government relations in Columbus, Ohio. Norm has assisted clients in the Transportation, Education, Healthcare, and Public Infrastructure sectors.
Brett Johnson is an award-winning podcast consultant and small business owner for nearly 10 years, leaving a long career in radio. He is passionate about helping small businesses tell their story through podcasts, and he believes podcasting is a great opportunity for different voices to speak and be heard.
Recorded at the 511 Studios, in the Brewery District in downtown Columbus, OH.
Copyright 2024 Common Sense Ohio
Transcripts
This is Common Sense Ohio, the Friday following an election day, the entire US of a was watching the state of Ohio, and our election returns. This is Brett. With me is Norm, and not with us is Steve, who is on a well deserved vacation. And, you know, before we get going though with the news that is news, Common Sense Ohio brought to you by Harper CPA Plus, CPAs and accountants providing accounting, tax, and business advisory services. Without a business partner who, who holds you accountable, it's easy to be so busy doing business that you don't have the right accounting and tax strategy to grow your business. They don't just care about numbers, they care about helping you tap into greatness on your entrepreneurial journey. You deserve a trusted CPA firm partner who has helped hundreds of businesses go from paying the bills to building the business and lifestyle of their dreams. Go to harper cpaplus.com and download their free entrepreneurial success formula.
Brett Johnson [:How to avoid managing your business from your bank bank account. So, I use them. Steve uses them. Yeah. They're they're they're good people actually. Harpercpaplus.com. Norm, an extremely busy week for Buckeyes. As we just talked about it.
Brett Johnson [:You know, this this episode will basically be kind of a postmortem, literally a postmortem of of what did happen with, the 2 major issues and the 1 issue that was, you know the spotlight was on us this time around for issues.
Norm Murdock [:Nationally.
Brett Johnson [:No question about it. Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:So everybody's talking about Ohio, Ohio being one of the major swing states, usually in national elections. Mhmm. So, the old saying used to be, as goes Ohio, so goes, the presidential election. But I'm not so sure that either, marijuana or The abortion issue now that the Supreme Court on abortion has reverted decision making to the states, Not really seeing much effect going forward on presidential races. I mean, the candidates can say whatever they want, but the Supreme Court has put the power back into the states. So what the president may say about it, his or her feelings, Philosophy, while probably for single issue voters may have some sway. I don't think, I don't think it's gonna be a huge factor in the presidential race.
Brett Johnson [:Oh, you saw that in the in the debates the the next day with Republican debates. Yeah. You know, it it didn't seem to affect them. No. You know? No. I mean, I I don't know. Good, bad, whatever, but they were asked the question, and none of them none of them would say,
Norm Murdock [:you know, we're gonna put
Brett Johnson [:a mandate down. This is gonna
Norm Murdock [:Stop. So out there doing victory laps on abortion. Yeah. I don't think
Brett Johnson [:it which he had absolutely nothing to do with what you're taking a victory lap for a race and never ran.
Norm Murdock [:He's He's claiming that, the Biden Harris administration, what he views as their successes and their position on abortion is, you know, he's claiming somehow he had coattails and it carried the day. I completely and totally doubt that.
Brett Johnson [:No. And I would say that But I would say the same thing if it were, you know, Republican, whatever. I mean, no. I mean, you you had no say in this. That has nothing to do with you.
Norm Murdock [:I'm not sure it's gonna have much To do with, the Sherrod Brown reelection attempt next year either. After all, Ohio elected just a year ago, JD Vance. JD Vance had a no exceptions, policy on abortion. Meaning, When he was running for Senate and Ohioans elected him by 6%, which is a sizable margin of victory, He, at that time, he has since changed, softened a little bit his outlook. But at that time, His position on abortion was no exception for either rape or incest, so he had no exceptions. He viewed the Fetus as an innocent party regardless whether or not violence had been perpetrated against the mother. Now, my understanding is JD, in subsequent interviews, has changed that where he believes there should be exceptions for rape and incest. But it just goes to show you Ohioans elected him.
Norm Murdock [:Right. And and he had the most anti abortion, stance possible, and it was well telegraphed. It was covered, and he got elected. So I don't think That a candidate's particular position, unless they're running for Supreme Court in Ohio is gonna have much of a difference.
Brett Johnson [:I wonder if there's a piece of fatigue to this that or or we are looking at candidates as a full package versus just 1 issue, which it should be. Yeah. If you think about it, but it's but but I think it comes to your point though too. He was at that extreme with abortion. He was elected, but he but they voted for a full package on him. Other things he stood for. They liked what he was gonna do. You know? So, Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:So for me, the story, you know, people love horse race stories. They like to discuss elections and numbers and, You know, you have all the political consultants. For me, and I'm speaking here not for the show. You know, we have We have 2 other panelists in this show. There's 3 of us, and we all are entitled to our own views. So I'm in no way, trying to tie in, Steve or Brett. Just speaking for myself, I am a I am I am distraught. Let's put it that way.
Norm Murdock [:I'm I'm upset. I'm distraught. I cannot this is not the Ohio. I don't recognize Ohio anymore. And I think with the influx Of these data centers coming, the population mix in Ohio is already has already changed from what it was. Just take Columbus in it as an example. At least 1 out of 2 people you meet in Columbus was not born here. It's a this is a state this is a city and increasingly a state where people from out of state are coming, and Huge numbers are gonna be coming from not only other countries, but places like California and North Carolina and Seattle, you know, big data centers, Arlington, Virginia, whatever.
Norm Murdock [:We're we're we're about to add just in In the county I live in, we're adding 400,000 new residents. Now some of those will be from Ohio, but The majority of them, I think. I at least, I think 75% of them are gonna be relocated from, blue states. So when I say Ohio, I don't recognize Ohio. This is not the Ohio that, of my youth, put it that way. And I I guess people would say that about most of, you know, places where they grew up, except for maybe places like, you know, Tennessee or Or Florida or whatever, where some traditional values still hold, but Ohio now on abortion is equivalent to California's policies as of the election. So the constitutional amendment issue 1 in Ohio is self executing, Meaning the legislature does not have to take any action. Nobody has to sign anything.
Norm Murdock [:It is self executing, and it'll be up to The Ohio Supreme Court and perhaps the Federal Supreme Court of the United States to, sort out maybe what the language means. But I think I think Planned Parenthood and the ACLU wrote up, pretty clear language when they say, that individuals, they don't even say females, individuals, which includes Anybody of any age, okay, have the right for and then they list it, You know, various things. Things that were not in contention like, you know, birth control and fertility treatment, you know. They threw a lot of things in there to to kind of confuse, I think, the voters or make the voters think that this was a pro freedom Kind of, amendment. And and Brett read the language last week, and I think we all generally concluded that The language being so being so oriented towards people's, quote, rights using, you know, using words like that, using words like, you know, reproductive Choice and and, you know, nice sounding words instead of talking about the death of babies, you know. So so there was a lot Out of, there was a lot of fuzziness perhaps to people's approach to this, but the language itself It's pretty clear cut that 1 doctor, meaning, you know, if you're an abortion clinic, it's gonna be the Planned Parenthood doctor, One doctor can decide anytime after viability, which is generally viewed somewhere around 15 to 20 weeks, But if the doctor decides that the abortion would be in the best interests of the health Of the mother and the health health is is defined within the judicial system to include mental health, Family situations, even financial health. That doctor without any review, without a second doctor Like Ohio under the previous law, where you needed 2 doctors not in business with each other, can get an abortion right up to the day of delivery, and I think I think for me, even if so I'm very pro life, But even if I was pro abortion, the idea that you can abort up to the day of delivery, That's a bridge too far. I would think that's a bridge too far for most pro abortion voters, but either they were confused Or dazed or viewed this as an all or nothing thing.
Norm Murdock [:I don't know. But current previous law, you know, the the heartbeat bill, It allowed an abortion at any time up to the heartbeat being detected. So Ohio did permit abortions before issue 1. Now it's, you know, the full term.
Brett Johnson [:Alright. Yeah. Well, I'd, I'm gonna bring some stats in just so, you know, we have it on record about what did happen here. Just so you know, listener, that, you know, there are nearly eight 1,000,000 registered voters in Ohio, 7.988. The unofficial voter turnout was around 48 0.86%. And usually on a presidential election, it runs about 74%. We were running about average for an odd number year. Statewide, 56.6% of the Ohio voters backed the reproductive rights amendment according to election night results.
Brett Johnson [:And that included, from what I saw as an exit poll from Washington Post, even 18% of those that call themselves Republicans voted for it. So I I want to break this down a little bit in, I'm gonna go back to my home county where I grew up, and so I can pick on them and or decipher what the hell happened. So I I grew up in Mercer County, and that Mercer County is rule, agricultural based, red, red, red, red, red. I mean, it's it's been Republican, you know, ever since I knew it growing up there. So, and and again, you know, this this county, it would not have made a huge difference in regards to changing the percent that I'm gonna talk about in regards to the results. But if you look at all the other counties that are very similar to a Mercer County in Ohio, it could've made a difference. So you've got 26,369 registered voters in Mercer County. It has 60% turnout, which was good, but 60% turned out to vote.
Brett Johnson [:What else on the ballot do you need to make you come out and vote. You have a life or death issue on the ballot that you get to have a voice on, but but 40% of the registered voters did not turn up to to make to to make their voice known. That to me, that's mind boggling. Yeah. That's my that that you have organizations like the Right to Life or whoever it might be that, you know, and to your point, even if there is confusion, it still comes down to you have an opportunity to say no 2 abortion rights with issue 1.
Norm Murdock [:Well, unlimited abortion Correct. Correct. Because there were abortion rights Prior.
Brett Johnson [:Right. But but but you it's on the ballot. Yeah. You get to and and only 60% of that county turned out to even vote. Yeah. That that is, to me, mind boggling.
Norm Murdock [:So I've heard
Brett Johnson [:you can't activate your base to get out there and vote.
Norm Murdock [:I've heard, yeah. Well, we can talk about the we could talk about the marketing and all that, which I think is a good topic. Yeah. Yeah. Well, let's do get into that. But, I have heard some very lame excuses in general, historically, for not voting, and the one that aggravates me the most is people who say they don't vote because they don't wanna be called up for jury duty.
Brett Johnson [:Really? Yes. Wow.
Norm Murdock [:Tons of people do that. Tons of people decide not to vote. Jeez. Especially your guys, like, Who are self employed with a van that do plumbing, roofing, whatever. They're looking at not earning, you know, maybe $1,000 that day Versus getting $15 for being on jury duty. And it literally comes down to, nah, I don't wanna give up maybe even a whole week. Right. Because some you know, if you have a trial, it could be a week or it could be longer.
Norm Murdock [:Good pain. But generally, jury duty, I have found so I've been called 3 times. I found that in 2 2 of the 3 cases, the case got settled. So even though I was to go down to the courtroom, they dismissed us the same day. So, you know but for a lot of people, I have been told they they will not register to vote because that is how the pool for jurors is amassed by the county court system Based on registered voters. Wow. And so people either don't register, or if they register they think if they don't vote, Somehow they won't be called up, and that is one of the primary reasons I've heard, which is just ridiculous.
Brett Johnson [:Well, and and then because
Norm Murdock [:it's a civic duty to be a jerk.
Brett Johnson [:Plus, what is the what 3 strikes are out if you don't vote within 3
Norm Murdock [:Yeah. So
Brett Johnson [:You're you're out. You're you're done. I mean, you have to reregister. Yeah. So why Why put that on the line? I don't know. Wow.
Norm Murdock [:I mean, for me, it's, you know, people are gonna maybe get mad at me and that's okay. But for me, We just have an overwhelmingly selfish culture anymore. And, you know, all you have to do is play around on social media. You know, go to Facebook or, you know, whatever, you know. Go to any of these platforms and it's constant, You know, showing people showing off the restaurant they're at or the vacation that they're on or some beautiful, you know, object that they bought or whatever it is. And, you know, it's it's less and less seems to me More people don't seem as interested in other people as much as in displaying their own, you know, lifestyle somehow. That that, you know, look at me, be envious, You know, think about, you know, how wonderful I am and how miserable you are and whatever. I I I don't understand that.
Brett Johnson [:Off that way for
Norm Murdock [:It comes off that way. We were talking before the show in the eighties. They used to call that the me generation because, you know, everybody was hustling, you know, to to make money and and, times were good. It was a good economy, and, it was a boom economy. And and people were buying boats and, you know, building on a second half of their house and all of this stuff, and it became all about materialism. And, you know, if if if that was the me generation, today it's me on steroids.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. Only me. You put put that in front of it. Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:Oh my gosh. It's just it's terrible. So, you know, I wrote a blog about this and it was a strong blog of I have to say myself because I was very passionate when when I was writing it. I meant every word. I'm not backing away from the word, but the tone, if people read the blog, might might be a little shocked, because I I'm physically sick over this. I I really am. I I feel vomitous about this vote, and in in largely because When I hear the talking heads, and I'm including Republicans, people like Sean Hannity, and people, you know, like, You know, Travis, and and and, gosh, who's and and and his side Kick there.
Brett Johnson [:Right.
Norm Murdock [:You know, that took over the Rush Limbaugh show. You know, I I listen to these guys and and they And they want to portray this issue is super complex. Oh, this is really the only thing complex about it is the horse race part, You know, like Brett and I, if we want to talk about the marketing of it, if we want to talk about how the votes get distributed, which candidates benefit, and all that, But the issue of abortion itself to me is crystal clear. It's just as crystal clear as genocide against Jews that Hamas is Is promulgating. You know, what come on, women. This this item in your body, Okay. It's not a grapefruit. It's not a lamb.
Norm Murdock [:It's not a cow. It's it's not, a tumor. Okay. It's a human being that's in the process of forming. It you can't deny what it is, but we We we have we have all of the we have this very strained construct that we've invented to make Particular because women get to make the decision. Males do not have any say so, by the way, in whether an abortion happens or not. Even if you're the husband, You cannot go in to Planned Parenthood as a husband and stop an abortion. It is completely and totally up to women.
Norm Murdock [:Okay. As they say, control of their body. They forget that there's a second body inside them, but, you know, setting that aside. So I would ask the women, what the hell do you think's in you? It's a it's a it's a gestating human being. Okay? And and you can dance around that and pretend that it's that it's, you because because you can't see it except by x-ray. You can you can do all the mental gymnastics you want to tell yourself that it's not a baby. It's a baby. Okay.
Norm Murdock [:So for me, it's for me, it's crystal clear and it's very simple. The only complexities around this issue are the are the artificial complexities that our society has constructed to deny that it is a baby. So Yeah. That's where I'm at. And and and the very the the various arguments for abortion, like, I want control over my body, belie the fact that there is a second body At stake inside the woman. It also the same people that would argue that they need control of their body We're perfectly willing to tell other people how to control their bodies during COVID. You know, you must wear a mask. You your kids can't go to school.
Norm Murdock [:You you they were telling us what to you must at one point, Biden until until it was struck down by the Supreme Court, Biden wanted compulsory vaccination. They they were going to make everybody get vaccinated by force. Now that's control of your body. The same people that wanted to control your body, in this case, Right. Say, oh, no. No controls over your body. So, and the other thing, and then I'll let I'm hogging in my ear. Good.
Norm Murdock [:But the Other thing about this, when you say you wanna have control of your body, what the hell? What what do you think sexual relations Often results in pregnancy. So if you wanna argue that you want control of your body, I would say back to you, and I'm no scold. I I enjoy sex as much as the next person. Right? So I'm all about that. Okay? I'm very, you know, I'm very I have a very high libido. Right? So I'm not antisex, but if you're going to engage in sex And at the same time, you say, I wanna have control over my body. Well, then have some GD MF ing control over your body. Decide When you have sex, that this is somebody, a, putatively, you that that you you you have affection for, And, b, that you're prepared for the consequences, including a broken prophylactic.
Norm Murdock [:You know, you use a some kind of device or some kind of a pill And it goes wrong. If you have sex and you know that a certain percentage of prophylactics and contraceptives fail, then you are knowingly taking a step to possibly getting pregnant. So that's that's taking control over your body, But what people do not wanna do is they don't want to they don't wanna accept the consequences of their decisions. That's what this is about. It's about avoiding natural, What happens in nature, getting pregnant. Now I will just quickly say because I'm not a scold. I mean, I'm gonna hold this up to you.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. Do it. Do it.
Norm Murdock [:So this this is the crazy image The governor DeWine and Fran looking very frumpy.
Brett Johnson [:I know. Okay? I know.
Norm Murdock [:So that's the mailer. That that is not where I'm at. I think life is a joyful thing. I think children are wonderful. I think that's what it's all about, But there I believe that there's there should be 2 exceptions, and, they existed in the heartbeat bill For rape and incest. So I do not think that a violent crime perpetrated on a woman should cause her or a girl perpetrated on a on a female against her will Should have to go to term if they choose not to go to term. So I those 2 exceptions, I completely understand and completely support a woman, a girl being able to abort in those 2 situations.
Brett Johnson [:Because they had no control.
Norm Murdock [:They had no control. No control. And it's monstrous. Right. It is. It's monstrous to force them to undergo 9 months and then to think about that for the rest of their lives.
Brett Johnson [:Correct.
Norm Murdock [:K? So I Yeah. You know, That's where I'm at just so people don't think that I'm some kind of, Taliban.
Brett Johnson [:No. No.
Norm Murdock [:No. Well,
Brett Johnson [:I have to you know, and touch on the marketing too, and and I Read something to even add to this, as well for future reference that I mean, yeah. Picking governor DeWine and his wife is probably not the best because He's not very good on camera. Let's put it that way. And and look at it just just it just doesn't It's
Norm Murdock [:all sad.
Brett Johnson [:It's all sadness. Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:So what this is, the position opposing abortion would be, to me, like, if I was marketing this. If if if Right to Life had a national movement that was coordinated, it would be very upbeat. It would be all about it would be celebrating life. Yeah. And and there is one real legislative thing that I think should be done. I I never have understood this, But I think from the moment that a girl or a woman, a female knows that they're pregnant, From that moment, what should attach to that is responsibility of the father immediately, Okay. To support medically, financially, that, The pregnancy. Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:Okay. I don't think it should be after the baby is delivered. I think it needs to attach when that girl or that woman is discovers that they're pregnant. And I think that way, Okay. So so men men have no rights in this area, and I I do have a problem with that. I think they should have some. I think they're I think a married man, Right. Should have some kind of ability to go to family court and argue against his wife having an abortion And and and let that play out because she could be having hormonal issues.
Norm Murdock [:She could be having medical issues, and he's not allowed to intercede and try to get her, medical help. And maybe she maybe she would be open to that anyway, but but anyway, setting all that aside, I think men have been able to skip out on their responsibilities to women that they impregnate, And I and and and, obviously, if that woman is seeking counseling, obviously has to go to an OB. Right? She is taking on costs, okay, for a party that he got to, you know, enjoy, right, along with her, right, if it's a mutually you know?
Brett Johnson [:And I think the DNA tests are 100% now Yeah. From what I read that it's They can prove that's the father if if it comes down to push comes to shove.
Norm Murdock [:And so even with Ohio's constitutional amendment, right, I think the legislature should pass something like that.
Brett Johnson [:I like where you want
Norm Murdock [:support women and maybe cause them to go full term and not abort if they had support. Exactly.
Brett Johnson [:I I like where you're going with this because I, Again, I don't know the ins and outs of the Right TO Life Movement in regards to mission, what they're doing, what they're saying, what they're pro supporting, but it seems to be they are a one trick pony. Outward looking in. Okay. So moving forward, knowing that this is all being encapsulated in constitutional amendments, and you're kinda losing the battle. You're losing the battle state by state to a certain degree. Why not take a look at stuff like you just talked about? 1st of all, try to push in an, some type of legislation that the dad has to be a part of anything moving forward. That that woman that has been impregnated has the right to go back to that dad whether the dad is voluntarily being involved or saying, nope. He's the dad.
Brett Johnson [:I need him part of this. Do it. Okay.
Norm Murdock [:Even if it's a 1 night stand.
Brett Johnson [:That's what right to life should be should be because it supports At least that baby coming to term
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:If nothing else. Then Right. The second part is we've gotta figure out What's going on with adoption? We've talked about this offline.
Norm Murdock [:I agree.
Brett Johnson [:That I think, you know, I took a look at the pro Planned Parenthood website last night to Take a look. Okay. What did they say? What do they do? What do they say when a woman comes in? And they say they give them 3 options. Carry to term, You know, you can abort as well as an adoption option. I think and and I I I found this article, from Charlotte Lozier Institute, And they state that many women who, for whatever reason, are unable to parent still reject adoption in favor of abortion. Although studies about women's decision making about adoption, especially vis a vis abortion, are limited. There are many complex possible explanations for this, for this example for example, excuse me, serious misunderstandings about I'll say that again. Serious misunderstandings exist about the contemporary practice of adoption, such as the common conflation of private adoption with the foster care system or the misimpression that families who place a child for adoption will have no contact with her again or even know where she's been placed.
Brett Johnson [:Whatever the reason For women facing unplanned pregnancies, adoption is the non option. Okay. We got a problem here.
Norm Murdock [:Yeah. We do.
Brett Johnson [:We got a problem. I think that could be a piece where the right to life movement can get in there. And let's say when a woman goes to a planned parenthood or whatever, that legislation says that they have There's gotta be a cooling off period. There's gotta be this this has to be explained properly that adoption is a process that is It should be the 1st on the list.
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:And and let's really, really talk about this because and then the backup agencies of We're you know, the the the go to agencies talking about the the, the the the adoption process.
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:I I think we can win some battles here That that that has many folds that come positivity come out of it.
Norm Murdock [:I I I agree. So, you know, before this amendment, Ohio had a 24 hour, if you will, pause. So if a if a female went to Planned Parenthood, 2 things. Yeah. Or any other abortion provider. If there was a 20 between her first consult And the operation to abort, there had to be 24 hours. And the State of Ohio's, the the local boards of health during that 24 hours were to communicate Some of the things that you just mentioned. Mhmm.
Norm Murdock [:Now under the the current this amendment that passed, there can be no restrictions. And I think the Supreme Court may interpret that to mean the 24 hour pause is, Under this amendment is is going to be unconstitutional, and therefore, we're gonna lose that pause. And that's where the adoption, option. Mhmm. Could could, you know, is currently being offered, but but won't be anymore. The good news and then the second thing is Ohio used to, you know and again, I don't know what they're doing today 2 days Or 3 days after the election, but, you know, it's self executing. So under current law, now that this Amendment has passed for abortions, unlimited abortions. It, Ohio prior to that, required parental notification.
Norm Murdock [:And as long as there was a judicial bypass In cases of parental abuse or some kind you know, like a a young girl, somebody under 18, could appeal to a judge, and privately and secretly get the abortion if the judge agreed That in that in her particular situation, the parents were, you know, dead beats of some kind or or or abusive or violent, and, she could not tell her parents because there would be violence, and it you know, So Ohio had that type of a law. Now that's gone too, but who better to sit down with their daughter in a case of considering adoption Then 2 loving parents
Brett Johnson [:Alright.
Norm Murdock [:If she has 2. Maybe just 1 parent. Yeah. Whatever. But shouldn't a parent also be somebody in addition to an adoption agency. An apparent a parent is also a resource. A parent could also discuss with The juvenile. You know, the the adoption possibility.
Norm Murdock [:Within my own family, there was such a case, where, when the female was a minor, she delivered, and, that gentleman, her her son, which she did not raise, she adopted that baby out, went on to a fabulous career. And, you know, they they never became they met a few times afterward. They never became mother, son, afterwards, but she could sleep at night knowing she did not kill her baby, number 1. And number 2, the baby went to a, a loving family that raised a good son, and he became successful. And hopefully, you know, The world is better for his life being present. So I agree the the the where I'm going with all this, Brett, so Your your suggestions, my suggestions about how to address this, there is one little There is one little, bit of light, and that is that Because voters did not approve back in August 8th during the special election, The idea that a plebiscite had to pass by 60%, at least 1 vote more than 60%, And and they and and and voters rejected that for constitutional amendments, so now the voters only have to approve it by 50% plus 1 vote. So since that's still the case, what is predicted now, okay, it will be a little chaotic, But I fully expect, Right to Lifers, churches, other interested groups, pro life people, are definitely gonna be putting another constitutional amendment on the ballot. I don't know if we'll see 1 next November, But we're gonna see 1.
Norm Murdock [: , with a a vote of, of, of of: Brett Johnson [:No. I I don't think it is either. I think you're right. There there's gonna be I don't know. I'm trying to come at it with a common sense look as we always try to do. And you so you realize what is what is in existence today? What can be done today? And I and, you know, those 2 thoughts came to mind in regards to, You know, my wife and I have not been through the adoption process, but we also have seen other people around us through the adoption process, and it's not an easy process. They make it very, very, very difficult Yeah. For the adoptive and and that's I I get the constraints.
Brett Johnson [:I get why they have to kind of really microscope them, but they're making it almost impossible on the on the end of of these parents that want to adopt.
Norm Murdock [:And people are going to Stream measures.
Brett Johnson [:Extreme measures of adopting, not that the
Norm Murdock [:Korean and Chinese
Brett Johnson [:not that those kids aren't, deserving Right. But we have pea kids here that wanna adopt
Norm Murdock [:that. Right.
Brett Johnson [:You know?
Norm Murdock [:Of course.
Brett Johnson [:So why are we making these parents go overseas Yeah. To do this Right. Unless it's their choice. Of course, they would like to adopt an international child. Totally different scenario. Yeah. Totally different scenario.
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:I I But I think
Norm Murdock [:a lot of them, because of the slowness of the process, you know, it might take, you know, 4, 5 years just to slog your way through the process to where then then you're waiting for an available baby. Right? Yeah. And and people, You know, naturally people don't people are reluctant to adopt older children. Right? Sure. Because they've already they have learned behaviors. Alright. Some of which are bad. Mhmm.
Norm Murdock [:Also, babies that have medical issues, like the mother was a drinker During, her pregnancy and the baby has brain damage, you know, and and other kinds of drugs can harm babies. So They're very hard to adopt out also.
Brett Johnson [:So if we can if we know what the law is that when the abortion can happen okay. Let's let's try to change Yeah. The woman's mind.
Norm Murdock [:Yeah. Match people up.
Brett Johnson [:That that Let's make them where they are.
Norm Murdock [:Maybe people with fertility issues, that are looking to adopt.
Brett Johnson [:I think we we it's possible we could save more babies that way
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:Than saying you can't have an you know what I mean?
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. We should try. Yeah. We should try because talk about all the benefits that happen.
Norm Murdock [:No question.
Brett Johnson [:Parents that want a child, get a child.
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:The the the the the woman that got pregnant didn't wanna get pregnant. Okay. The father gets involved, but the the baby's given up for abortion. They don't have to take care of the kid. They don't want to. That's okay. We don't we don't wanna force a family situation that they really don't need to be partnered together. They're not there till the birth.
Norm Murdock [:You know, you just brought up something that there is also a lot of coercion, I I believe, because, you know, fathers are very you know, A guy who, you know, a guy who has no intention of of being a father Right. Or being a husband, spend or even being a live in boyfriend, you know, who doesn't It was
Brett Johnson [:a con it was a conquest night.
Norm Murdock [:Yeah. And he he doesn't want to pay. Right. He doesn't want 22 or 23 years or 26 years in the case of health care.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Norm Murdock [:He doesn't want to have this burden, Right? Of the, you know, coming out of this decision that he made to have sex. So Without that 24 hour period to reflect before an abortion, that would also be the period of of time for the parent and the counselor To to work with the female in some case in many cases, a perhaps uneducated, perhaps illiterate, Perhaps just young, okay, and doesn't and and is being coerced by the person who got them pregnant. Right? To hey. I we listen. I'm not gonna go out with you anymore, or I'm I'm I'm gonna do something bad to I'm gonna beat you up, or I'm gonna do something to you Unless you get this baby, you gotta you gotta abort this baby. Right? And there's this coercion that I am certain Takes place in some cases, maybe a lot of cases. And, another reason for your cool down period, for people to reflect, get education, And perhaps also to, to seek help against coercion.
Brett Johnson [:Well and and also to realize you're that that you're not alone.
Norm Murdock [:That's right.
Brett Johnson [:There is a support system Right. That is not coercing you to do anything but just okay.
Norm Murdock [:Explain your options.
Brett Johnson [:Explain the options and let and and That's right. That way, you make a a learned decision.
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:Maybe you're gonna you're gonna be able to live with.
Norm Murdock [:Maybe you don't wanna take care of a baby, you know, for the rest of your life, or it's not at the right stage of your life, but You could have this baby if you're willing to undergo the 9 months. You could have this baby, and somebody else will take that burden on.
Brett Johnson [:Right.
Norm Murdock [:That will love that, baby. And then you don't have to feel whatever the, you know, the the the tragic part. You know, like, I gotta say that the Roe v Wade, the the Roe the the the the lady there, who was involved in that landmark decision, later in life came to regret that she had that abortion Yeah. And became a pro life activist for a while. So
Brett Johnson [:That's a it's a hard decision.
Norm Murdock [:There's a lot of guilt involved in this that may not even manifest itself for decades.
Brett Johnson [:It's it's
Norm Murdock [:It's They have that option It's
Brett Johnson [:not easy.
Norm Murdock [:Of a board of of adoption, explained and, even to the father Even to the father who says, hey, I don't want this financial burden on me. Well, listen. Hey, Bob. He's intending to adopt the baby out, so guess what? You won't have any financial burden. You get to you get to skip out on this. It doesn't have to be an abortion to get you out of the financial commitment. It can be adoption. Okay? And then, you know, there's no need to coerce this girl Or woman to get an abortion.
Norm Murdock [:Right.
Brett Johnson [:Exactly.
Norm Murdock [:That's a good point. Yeah. Issue 2, if you if you'd like to transition to that.
Brett Johnson [:Let's
Norm Murdock [:So issue 2 is about marijuana. I have to say, I because I so I've asked a few people in the health industry, you know, doctors. What do we know about marijuana? What do we know about the the the, you know, deleterious effects On on people long term heavy users, people who are stoned, you know, every day taking a gummy or smoking or whatever they do to get THC in their system. What do we know about that so that, you know, recreational becomes more than just like, oh, you know, I'm having a birthday cake, or I'm popping balloons, or I'm doing, you know, playing ping pong or other kinds of recreation. You know, does this type of recreation have health consequences besides the obvious, you know, driving driving why while you're, under the influence, which we don't want anybody to do that with alcohol or any other drug. And the answer I get back is that because this is federally marijuana is a schedule one drug, that even universities And, health clinics and hospitals and independent researchers in the United States have been unable to secure Marijuana in order to do, clinical studies where, you know, this population will be using, and the control group will not be using, and then will measure things over the course of 10, 15, 20 years. That kind of research has to be done basically using people that are just claiming, You know, like, in other words, there's no documentation of what they use, what the strength of the THC is, etcetera. In other countries where that's not true, so we it's a schedule one drug.
Norm Murdock [:It's just like heroin or something. So you you you know, like, you can't inject heroin When in human beings and, I mean, the CIA did it, but the the rest of us can't do it, you know, or or whatever it is, or acid, you know, and other kinds of, Schedule 1 drugs. So but what I've heard is in other countries, particularly Canada, where they have done human trials, with marijuana, There have been, there have been a number of medical, Well, I guess you could say that at this point, they're they're coincidental. Not yet, you know, I guess, A 100%, we concluded that it's accurate, but things like serious emotional problems, things like, tar in the lungs, very similar if you're smoking cigarettes, the same kind of thing with smoking pot. There have been any number of of, health consequences alleged by researchers in Canada. So, Brett, I have to say, on this particular issue, I voted no mainly because I think it's a gateway drug. And, yes, we had talked about, well, alcohol's legal. I listen.
Norm Murdock [:I get that. But the message to young people in particular is terrible. When you say, here's another thing you can take recreationally, you know, to fade away from reality, you know, to to to get a high, to get a buzz and and, you know, just like your daddy over there drinking his Jack Daniels, yay, now you can take 3 or 4 gummies and you can zombie out too. And I just, hey, I just don't want a culture full of zombies.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. I, again, I'll take a little bit of a different stance, but I I guess I I look at it a little bit differently. I'm I'm I'm still a little bit confused on what the the results will be for this as well too. But
Norm Murdock [:So just to explain, be just real quick. I think in some of our previous shows, we probably, for reasons of shortcutting it, we we call this a constitutional I mean, it's not. So what issue 2 was was a statute by referendum. Correct. Correct. It's not in the constitution, so the general legislature
Brett Johnson [:Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:Does have the ability to modify this.
Brett Johnson [:Which it will be. Which one? Go ahead. Yeah. Because I was gonna say
Norm Murdock [:I just wanted to Yeah. Throw that in.
Brett Johnson [:No. It's a really good point because, you're gonna see a lot of stuff come from this, like, you know, different taxing sing on it. A lot of this stuff, what what past may change Yes. Sort of thing. Yeah. You for sure. I guess I look at it as I The less we demonize something, the less it's attractive to a a younger adult. So there might be that type of thing to it as well to the maybe there won't be.
Brett Johnson [:I I don't know. I'm just speculating, because it it's this this may be more complicated than issue 1 to a turn to green because we don't have we don't know. We can only look at other states that have implemented it. And I guess I look at it as
Norm Murdock [:We're the 24th State now.
Brett Johnson [:Right.
Norm Murdock [:To to to legalize the recreation.
Brett Johnson [:Right. So I I I guess you have to look at what other states have gone through, the early states. And now that they have years in, what's happened? Colorado. Yeah. I hear. What's going on with Colorado? You know, my daughter's living out in Colorado right now. You know, there there's still issues that, you know, the state won't hire you if you have it in your system.
Norm Murdock [:Yeah. Of course.
Brett Johnson [:So, you know, there's still regulations. I mean, my son going through nursing school right now at UC.
Norm Murdock [:He gets screened.
Brett Johnson [:He gets screened. He he can't even Gotta be around it. You know? If it's in the system,
Norm Murdock [:you know?
Brett Johnson [:Contact guy. Very difficult as a college kid not to be around it accidentally. Not even You're, you know, your friends are safe. You know that your friends aren't because they're respecting you, whatever. You could be going to a a, you know, a concert outdoors at a at a
Norm Murdock [:And pick it up. Fraternity And pick it up.
Brett Johnson [:And pick it up.
Norm Murdock [:Absolutely.
Brett Johnson [:So and it's gonna be in your system for us. So I think, you know, there's gotta be some we gotta figure this out because I know and I even put in this too that, there may be some look back in regards to, you know, getting some people out of jail because of this.
Norm Murdock [:I think. Oh, yeah. You could
Brett Johnson [:they're gonna what's it called? Vacate. Yeah. The because they're in jail because of something now that it's legal.
Norm Murdock [:Right. Or they or they have some kind of arrest record.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. They have an opportunity to get get that record vacated or get out of jail, you know, free, I guess, whatever you wanna call it.
Norm Murdock [:Yeah. It's kind of a mess. Well and also and also, you know, it it it's a mess also because the federal law has not changed.
Brett Johnson [:That too
Norm Murdock [:So you've got 24 states, half the states. Right? Yeah. Have have now legalized recreational. It's still a federal Schedule one drug. Yeah. So there is this dual judicial system wherein, You know, if I have marijuana on me in a Depends
Brett Johnson [:on who's picked you up. If That's right. If a state official picks you up, you're cool. Yeah. If a net
Norm Murdock [:If the FBI picks you up You're screwed. Or if a state if a state prosecutor wants to take you to federal court
Brett Johnson [:There you go. Then it changes it.
Norm Murdock [:Changes it.
Brett Johnson [:Changes it. Exactly. It's messy. It's it's messy.
Norm Murdock [:It is it is messy.
Brett Johnson [:It definitely is. I I do know, you know, again, I think there's there this this varies from what's been passed, though, but there are there are definitely medical benefits to to to marijuana. But we need to start studying it more so we can figure this out.
Norm Murdock [:Yeah. So my position in no way
Brett Johnson [:This is not rec. You know what we're talking
Norm Murdock [:got here. So my position on this is is in no way against medical, prescribed marijuana.
Brett Johnson [:And I wanna make that Clear that you're not, because I know you've talked
Norm Murdock [:about I'm just talking. I I don't like I don't like the messaging to our youth. I think our youth are so confused right now. They're, You know, they're being told that there's more than 2 genders. They're being told that pot can be used recreationally. They're being told that, you know, they don't have to go see their parents to get an abortion now. You know, the state backs gambling. I went to Kroger, and on my receipt From Kroger.
Norm Murdock [:They said I had gambling credits. Now what if I'm a a gambling, you know, habitual gambler, and I've got a a habit. I go to the grocery store and they're giving me credits to go online and gamble. So you've got kids seeing that gambling's okay, Their their parents can get divorced. There's no fault to that. No fault for car car wrecks. You know, It's no wonder kids retreat into their TikTok virtual reality world because the real world now is getting so strange. I I just like, I don't know what young children can grab on to.
Norm Murdock [:People aren't going to church like they used to. People just Where are the value systems? I I just to me, it just seems like so many things are falling apart, And the last thing that I wanted to see, you know, is children being able to obtain abortions and also Being told, while they're looking up at their parents, oh, look at mom and dad are getting high again tonight. I guess this is what normality is. Maybe, you know, so so people just get stoned after work. Yeah. And and listen, I get it. Dads also drink You know, after I just so I understand that. Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:But now here's just another approval by society that you can zone out. And I just I I I think it's regrettable.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. It's, well and it goes back to that the me generation. It's all about me. It's all about me. It's about me. And if I wanna do if I wanna do this, I'm going to do this.
Norm Murdock [:And you can't tell me what you can't legislate morality. When we legislate morality All the damn time. Oh, for sure. Laws against rape. Right? That's legislating morality. Right? Laws against being sucker punched, You know, assault and battery. Sure. That's legislating morality.
Norm Murdock [:We legislate morality all the time, and we tell people what they can do with their bodies. No. You can't punch. No, Johnny. You can't punch Susie in the face because Susie pissed you off because that's an assault and battery. We are controlling your body. Right? We do that all the time.
Brett Johnson [:We do. So anyway Yep. But just in a different fashion. You're exactly right. So
Norm Murdock [:If you wanna hit some other election issues, there there's some interesting things, in Ohio that happened. Did you have some more on issue, David?
Brett Johnson [:No. No. I I I just I I knew that there's gonna be some percussions as I brought up the
Norm Murdock [:best. Right. There's gonna be a lot of legislation.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. Legislation as well as, hey. I I I I'm out. I this is not Illegal for me anymore,
Norm Murdock [:so it was a lot
Brett Johnson [:of vacating going on, which I was hoping Steve might, you know, have a little insight on that too. We could talk a little bit more about that because I think Oh, boy. We'll see the the fallout on that.
Norm Murdock [:No question.
Brett Johnson [: As probably in: Norm Murdock [:And the detection thing. The FOP guys that were here a couple of weeks ago said the on the spot types of differentiation between whether it's marijuana or some other kind of weed Yeah. Yeah. That's not controlled. Like like, if If somebody's smoking some kind of crazy vape or hemp or something that doesn't have THC in it, well, how in the world Is a police officer as opposed to booze, which breathalyzer is somewhat accurate. Yeah. Apparently, the on the spot systems to detect THC are hugely expensive and not reliable. Mhmm.
Norm Murdock [:So, Man, oh, man. I just you know. Yeah. We're gonna go back to the old days, pre breathalyzer where a policeman pulls you over And has you do some kind of motor control, like, you know, walk down the line backwards and re you know, say count a 100 to 0. Like, they're gonna be doing you know, put your finger on your nose. They're gonna they're gonna have to do all these roadside tests now On people who are high but not drunk. Right.
Brett Johnson [:Oh god. Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:The yep. It's it's gonna be hear a lot from Steve
Brett Johnson [:on Yeah. I think so too. And and, you know, and Let's hope that it won't be as messy as we think it might be. Let's hope. Let let's hope. You know? Again, we have to do our best and can and only control, those around us make good judgment. I mean, you know, seriously, it it gets it does come down to you have your circle of people that you influence. Yeah.
Brett Johnson [:That you can make comments to, that you can suggest, do it. Yeah. Because it it can be 1 person at a time. You may save someone's life.
Norm Murdock [:I totally agree.
Brett Johnson [:Don't take some take some responsibility for people around you, people that you love.
Norm Murdock [:People are gonna think I'm some kinda holy roller. Okay. But but I love this quote. So about helping people. Mhmm. K. You that's a beautiful statement that you made. I I love that.
Norm Murdock [:Because when you're hopeless that that the world is just a dirty, rotten, lousy place and and and, You know, everything is darkness. You can, yourself, at least help one other person, You know, or the people that were immediately around you, several people. You can take individual action to make the world a better place. So I love this story. A reporter was interviewing Mother Teresa of Calcutta about all of the Tragedy surrounding her on the river Ganges there in Calcutta. Right? All of the people starving, the people sleeping, You know, on the in the streets, people with disease, drinking, you know, their their bath water and their poo water and their drinking water It's all out of the same river. So, you know, people with terrible, just illnesses. And the reporter said, mother Teresa, you know, You're in a country with, you know, millions and millions like, way bigger population than the United Days in a much smaller area.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Norm Murdock [:And there the the amount of, poverty there. And she and she he he said, How can you have any effect on this? We're talking millions of people. You're 1 short little lady, right, in a white smock. What the you know, what do you what do you you know, how are you going to affect this? And she said 1 person at a time. Just what you said, but
Brett Johnson [:It's all has to be.
Norm Murdock [:And that's what her answer was.
Brett Johnson [:And you think it's not a lot, but it is. It is.
Norm Murdock [:1 person, you throw Pebble in a lake Right. And and then and then the rings of of of the reaction in the water surface.
Brett Johnson [:It's not pollyannish. It's not.
Norm Murdock [:It's all you can do too.
Brett Johnson [:It's all you can do.
Norm Murdock [:It's all you can do, and it can be very effective because what if that 1 person you affect goes on to becoming The mayor or the governor or the president or whatever. I mean, Gerald Ford was an orphan. He wasn't aborted, And he was raised by father Flanagan and and his brothers there at, you know, the home for boys. So, Yep. You know, Somebody somebody took him under their wing, and he played for the Michigan Wolverines, by the way. So we won't hold that against him. But,
Brett Johnson [:He he got out of that
Norm Murdock [:So, just a couple of quick hits since you asked earlier. Yeah. So in Columbus, we have this new, I don't live in Columbus, but, you know, it's it's the it's the big metropolis where where this show is taped. Columbus, Ohio went from a at large system where used to elect, all of the city council, to represent the entire city. This year, a new thing. They changed the charter. This year, they're assigned districts. They're still elected at large, but each of the 9 council persons represents a specific geographical area.
Norm Murdock [:I think at some point, they ought to be elected by those same geographical areas. I I think that way, instead of, You know, being assigned a district, you actually are elected by the people in that district because after all, You know, German village, for example, has different issues than, say, the the short north Or the near east side or,
Brett Johnson [:I didn't realize I was having that's Bass Acwards.
Norm Murdock [:Yeah. Yeah.
Brett Johnson [:That's totally Bass Acwards.
Norm Murdock [:So they're they're elected at large. Right. You have a pool of people running. You pick 9. Right? The 9 top vote getters.
Brett Johnson [:So it's like the who picks the short straw It's gonna represent the the crappiest ward.
Norm Murdock [:Polaris or or whatever Yeah. Part of Columbus that you're talking about.
Brett Johnson [:Oh my god. Yeah. Okay. So you know what? So this
Norm Murdock [:So it's not like New York City where you have wards
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. Right.
Norm Murdock [:Where people are elected out of that ward.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. Oh my god.
Norm Murdock [:So come on. But they took a step, so now they have 9 districts, and there's 9 people representing each of those districts, but they're still elected As a pool.
Brett Johnson [:So starting next year, you probably saw this too, Columbus City Council gets publicly funded police security detail like the mayor. Yeah. Every one of them. Yeah. So they feel safe going into their areas.
Norm Murdock [:The rest of us don't get there.
Brett Johnson [:No. No. No. No. Exactly. Exactly. So wherever they go I mean and we're talking down to if they're just even going to dinner. Yeah.
Brett Johnson [:They're gonna have they're gonna have security by them.
Norm Murdock [:Secret service.
Brett Johnson [:Have security when I go to to to the rough parts of town. I know. When I wanna go to maybe try a local coffee shop, but I know it's kind of a rough area. I and and As as a non public entity, can I have some security going in there?
Norm Murdock [:The FOB guys Unbelievable. They said, basically, it's gonna cost about $100,000 Per council's party. So there's, you know, there's another $1,000,000.
Brett Johnson [:And that yeah. I mean That that oh, what what is the quote here? Oh, I gotta read this up that they, well, official yeah. There we go. Well, official said on Official yeah. There we go. While officials said on that Monday that referencing the the article, that police protection for city council members is becoming more common in big cities around the nation, The city council security detail makes a first for Columbus and and the number of councils, you know, the so it's one of those, They almost I it almost comes off as, wait a minute. We we want a security system too. We want security.
Brett Johnson [:Indianapolis has or I don't know if Indianapolis. But you know what? It's like, Our other cities have it, why don't we?
Norm Murdock [:So the same people, Ginther and his 9, You know, compatriots there on council. The same people that don't wanna let common folk, Right. Constitutional carry are perfectly happy to have an armed policeman. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Like, Okay. Like, I wouldn't like, so I don't constitutional carry. I mean, I don't I never have and I haven't, yet.
Norm Murdock [:I I don't know if I ever will, but I don't carry a gun. Okay? But would I like wouldn't that be a great thing If I did consider to carry a gun to to say, you know what? Now I don't have to. I don't have to pack 1 and have all that weight of responsibility Attending to having a gun on my person and being aware that, oh, no. I'm approaching a school zone, or I'm I'm going into a business, and they have a sign or whatever. No. Now I have a Columbus police guy with me, you know, to provide, you know, protection like I'm Snoop Dogg or, You know, Billy Joel or Taylor Swift or something. I I've got my own posse now, you know. Yes.
Norm Murdock [:Ridiculous.
Brett Johnson [:They're they're considering this an investment. Yeah. We don't do it. This is an investment that we believe is prudent. Yeah. We don't make these decisions about our safety. We don't make these decisions about our safety. The division of police does.
Norm Murdock [:Oh my god. Okay.
Brett Johnson [:Oh my god. Oh my god.
Norm Murdock [:So in Cincinnati, they also did a vote. So in Columbus, all Democrats. The mayor won reelection. He was almost unopposed. His only opponent was a guy in his own party, Another Democrat that ran against him in the general. So anyway, Ginther won reelection by 63%. All Democrats on city council. In Cincinnati, same thing.
Norm Murdock [:9 city councilmen, All Democrats. The sole Republican incumbent finished 10th, so, missus Keating is not on city council anymore, so it's all Correct. Another interesting thing in Cincinnati, the voters there approved the sale of a railroad that Cincinnati owns. They own a railroad called the Southern Railway. The city of Cincinnati owns it, like, a 100%. They own a railroad. They voted to sell that to Norfolk Southern. It's a freight line that runs from Cincy to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Norm Murdock [:They sold it for 1,600,000,000, and they're gonna put it in a trust fund, and it's gonna generate between 40 and 50,000,000 a year for infrastructure improvements in Cincinnati. So it sounds like Okay. A pretty good idea. Okay.
Brett Johnson [:Okay. I
Norm Murdock [:don't know why they ever owned a railroad to begin with, but they owned one.
Brett Johnson [:Can you imagine the insurance on the railroad right now?
Norm Murdock [:Especially after East Palestine? Uh-huh. Yes. That's sure. That I'm
Brett Johnson [:sure that Started, but I love the outcome of that. It you know, again, follow the money. Let's make sure that it is used what it's supposed to be used. Right. That makes sense.
Norm Murdock [:Some other Quick news, guys. Guy, Brett, this is me and you.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. Haven't gone for the We They thing yet. So
Norm Murdock [:So I'm not I'm not smoking recreational marijuana, Just just to make it clear, even though I think I I I it glimpsed Steve over there, the ghost of Steve. So, 6 Flags, has merged with Cedar Fair, and now we have this, if you call it, bless you, a big roller coaster. You know, like like you got Big Tobacco and you got Big Pharma. Now we got Big Roller. So they're gonna operate 22 parks. It's a $2,000,000,000 merger. So Cedar Point, Kings Island, all the 6 Flags, are all going to be headquartered out of Charlotte, North Carolina. So that's big news in Ohio because Yeah.
Norm Murdock [: national championship team in: Brett Johnson [:We just don't have coaches like him anymore. No. You know what I mean? Hate him or love him. Right. He he got some stuff done, and he he he he brought the spotlight to that sport. And and I didn't realize this either. I I Should've read his book, have not read his book, but after he graduated, his 1st job offer was at the high school that I went to, Salina High School. And he it's funny, and I saw this quote come up that he he did the interview, for the basketball team, of course, and he realized looking at the how everything was set up, physically there at at my high school, that he saw that football was more of a focus.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. And said, nah. I'll take a pass. Yeah. Because if you if you're gonna which is fine, you know, and it is more of a football school than and and that's Ohio Yeah. That he you know? And I'm thinking, my god. That close. That close.
Brett Johnson [:We we heard a third part of history, but
Norm Murdock [:not you said
Brett Johnson [:Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:In terms of his attitude as a coach,
Brett Johnson [:Yeah.
Norm Murdock [:You know, he was all in. He was definitely out of the Woody Hayes mold.
Brett Johnson [:Yes.
Norm Murdock [:I mean Yeah. I mean, he's one of those guys, Okay. You take his chair throwing incident. You know? We're
Brett Johnson [:dead. You went to games to see him coach even if you didn't like Indiana. Anna.
Norm Murdock [:He spazzed out to see it. Just like Woody. Yeah. You know, just yeah. Woody, take that hat off, throw it on the ground, and walk hey. You know, passion, You know, now now you gotta be a cool guy. You know, you gotta be, you know
Brett Johnson [:We're gonna fine your butt for even standing up, you know, that kind of stuff.
Norm Murdock [:You know? Well, and you have to be so scientific, Tific, and everything's numbers. I imagine they're gonna come up with an artificial intelligence coach at some point. I just wrote a couple more things. Akron, Ohio. I I was trying to find a video, so you people at home Google this up. You'll you'll just You'll just be laughing. So the junkyard in Akron, Ohio had a repeat offender guy who would come in middle of the night with his, battery operated Sawzall and take off catalytic converters and whatever. Right? So he's robbing them blind at night.
Norm Murdock [:Well, he fell asleep in the back of 1 of the cars, and when the when the team came and when the employees showed up at work in the morning, They noticed this guy in the back of an SUV curled up with a sawzall. Right? So he's he's back there. Like, he's got the The the instruments of the burglary with him and they go get a forklift, one of those skid steers that you see a construction job, big giant thing with big huge wheels with a forklift lift, and they stick it under this junk car that he's sleeping in, hoist it up 20 feet in the air, And he's up there. Right? He can't he can't open the doors. He can't you know, because he's he's he's gonna, you know, break his neck if he jumps, And they call the cops, and the person, at 911 is quoted in the paper. Again, you gotta Google this. It says, that's the greatest thing I've ever heard. That that they they said, well, where is the guy? Well, we've done a citizen's arrest.
Norm Murdock [:He's 20 feet up in the air.
Brett Johnson [:Love it.
Norm Murdock [:They said, what? So the cops loved it. They showed up.
Brett Johnson [:Love it. Love it.
Norm Murdock [:Go, Akron. You bet.
Brett Johnson [:Go, Akron. Exactly.
Norm Murdock [:Akron's also gonna have a, They're gonna have a museum for LeBron James that's opening up, I think next year. So, Akron's got some other stuff going And I won't comment about LeBron. God bless him. I I I hope LeBron softens up a little bit and may maybe helps us all come together instead of Breaking apart. But, that's my little one sense. That'd be
Brett Johnson [:a nice attraction for Akron, though.
Norm Murdock [:It'll be a nice attraction.
Brett Johnson [:That'll bring a lot of
Norm Murdock [:people to say. Canton's Football hall of fame. You you could do a whole sports thing up there. Yeah. Yeah. We should remember, tomorrow and now people are celebrating it today if celebrate's Right word. But tomorrow is the actual 11th day of the 11th month, and at the 11th hour, meaning 11 o'clock in the morning. Observe a minute of silence in your house or if you're out with people, if you notice people taking their hats off At at 11 or if you're, you know, shopping and the store manager remembers, the importance of that.
Norm Murdock [:It was When the Armistice took place in World War one was the 11th hour, the 11th day of 11th month, and that's when The soldiers, German, American, Turkish, you know, Russian, but well, they were out of the war by then, but French, Everybody put down their rifles, and that was when the armistice, the the ceasefire went went into effect, I should say, not the armistice. Alright? But at any rate And you
Brett Johnson [:bring good points. I think people just
Norm Murdock [:It's Veterans Day.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. They get confused. It's not Memorial Day. No. It's not Memorial Day. It's it's not in regards to how to celebrate it. That's right. You know? And, and I have this I have this, anxiety, I guess, you could say too that you you wanna talk to a veteran, but you don't know what to ask.
Brett Johnson [:You don't know what to say, and and I I I got these questions from military.com in regards to, you know, questions you when you come across a veteran, They do wanna engage. They wanna talk about you know, what ask them what did you do in the military? How long did you serve? What was your favorite moment that, you know, what what you did? Did anyone else in the family serve? Why did you go into it? You could be a family thing, and they wanna really talk about the way the family. What you don't wanna ask is, How many people did you kill? I mean, you know, that that it that's it's a moot point. They don't wanna talk about that, but I think there's some really good questions that you can ask to engage. Wanna talk about their service.
Norm Murdock [:Well, in in most veterans, you know, it's just statistically, it it most veterans were not in combat. Okay?
Brett Johnson [:Right.
Norm Murdock [:Only about and I only is not that's not a judgment word. Mhmm. But it takes a huge, Right. Logistical operation to support the people at the front lines that that do the the war fighters, if you will, the people that in combat. And as we also know, because we had nurses during Desert Storm that were killed, people back, You know, behind the lines, can be hit with artillery and missiles, and and we so we lost female nurses. We lost female pilots. We lost people who were not on the front lines in addition to the people we did lose on the front lines. So, you know, Just because you're in the logistical operations, like, you know, communications or whatever, doesn't mean that you're not in jeopardy, and a lot of, Veterans have been hurt, if you will, just with accidents.
Brett Johnson [:Right.
Norm Murdock [:I mean, they're handling bombs. They're handling freight and cargo, and that's all dangerous too. Mhmm. And, things fall on them. They they fall down. They they get, You know, sliced open, things blow up on them that are that are, handling these materials. So, yeah, it's not all about, you know, celebrating people who that necessarily were in combat. It it's also about their logistical brothers and sisters in the support areas, you know, that we also need to thank.
Norm Murdock [:Right. So
Brett Johnson [:And if you if you have any influence on the hiring, you own a business, or you influence you need another employee, whatever, you know, really considered looking looking at veterans.
Norm Murdock [:Oh, yeah.
Brett Johnson [:You know? I mean, give give them and it's not a hand up. It's not a handout. It's that They, they have a very difficult time finding jobs. Yeah. Very difficult time. And if you got a get a position that could be filled, Think of a veteran first because Ohio Means Jobs has that listed as well too at the very top of helping veterans out.
Norm Murdock [:So Big time.
Brett Johnson [:You know, make make a little extra effort on that.
Norm Murdock [:Well, so
Brett Johnson [:It can be it could mean the difference.
Norm Murdock [:Right? It could
Brett Johnson [:mean the difference.
Norm Murdock [:After all, they're trained to work as a team with other people. Yeah. They know how to take orders. You know, they they are results oriented as it you know, these are broad brush statements, but in general Yeah. That training, You know, whether it's basic training or specialized training, you know, even if they were trained to, you know, do you know, like, They were a machine gunner, you know, or something that doesn't apply in civilian life. All of the other attributes in their training in or To their, the possibility of being an excellent manager or an excellent operator of some piece of equipment or whatever that you can train them on. Reliable. That's right.
Brett Johnson [:Reliable, if nothing else. Absolutely. That's gonna do it for this edition. Hey. We wanna thank our sponsor, Harper CPA Plus. Make sure that you, can, again, be on a business or you're an entrepreneur or whatever. Get a hold of them. Harp harpercpaplus .com.
Brett Johnson [:They got a, free entrepreneurial success formula, thingy you can download. It's called a thingy. It's probably a PDF or something. I call it Thingy. What the heck? How to avoid managing your business from your bank account. It's it's right there on the homepage, so it's very easy to do. But, again, thanks for joining us, and, until We talk to you next week. Make it a good week.
