Opinion

Charlie Lynch’s Ordeal Is a Vivid Reminder of a Senseless Prohibition Policy That Persists Thanks to Political Inertia Seventeen years ago, the federal government raided Charlie Lynch’s medical marijuana dispensary in Morro Bay, California, and charged him with five drug felonies. Lynch, whose business complied with state and local regulations, has been fighting to stay out of prison ever since, and last month he finally won that battle.

I recently started to think about how many people the ministry at Burbank had influence in. I made a list of last names of families that currently attend church activities. My initial discovery was 20 families that have attended worship or children’s activities in the past year. When I started to extend that to the individuals who were involved in the 20 families, I was shocked. Well over 100 family members resulted from that family group. Then, I started to think about the number of people that live in the community that have never attended a church function but needed to contact a member of the church family to request prayer or assistance with an issue. That number increased an additional 100 people. You cannot judge the effectiveness of your church ministry by the number of people who attend worship services. Our church family is blessed with friendships that allow us to minister to many families regardless of their church affiliation. I have discovered over these past 15 1/2 years that Burbank, First has been blessed with many families who came and worshiped before moving on to different communities. Many have remained faithful in their support of the church ministry at Burbank, First. Besides assisting local families when the need arises, we contribute to other mission endeavors when we are made aware of them. We annually support Baptist Boys and Girls ministries in Edmond and Madill with a Christmas offering. We have recently sent monetary support to a new church plant in Utah. In the past, we have assisted Camp Crossway near Pawnee to help them with their Summer Youth Camps. It is a challenge for our church family to participate personally in mission projects, but we are thankful that we can provide financial support. Our church families want to continue to reach not only local endeavors. We support all of Oklahoma, the United States, and other counties throughout the world. Ministry should always be far reaching.

Dear Annie: I have been dating my boyfriend for four years and am very lucky to call him mine. He loves me well, gets along with everyone he meets and is very giving. His mother, on the other hand, is a taker, financially and emotionally. She hates her job and where she lives but is not willing to make a change. She relies on her two sons emotionally, calling them multiple times a week to complain about her job and life in her town. Family vacations are a drag due to the conversation being dominated by her constant discussion of her weight or fancy dinners she suggests but never picks up the tab for.

The Wall Street Journal ran a curious piece titled, “Is It Ever OK to Have an 8 a.m. Meeting?” It contained two dubious assumptions: (1) That 8 a.m. is very early in the morning, and (2) Employees have a right to rebel against a company policy that interferes with drop-off time for kids at school -- or forces them to alter their workout schedules.

The pro-Biden media perpetually pat themselves on the back. They are a gift to the people, the essence of democracy, as in, “We inform the voters and then we expect the voters to make smart choices” (the ones we recommend). But when journalists lose, they have a disturbing tendency to argue democracy lost.

The John Roberts Supreme Court, a.k.a. the Extreme Court, is a clear and present danger to democracy.