Soap Box: Do People Understand What Tyranny Actually Is?

Jim Lardy, a member of the West Mountain Rangers militia group, has become just the latest example of the modern misunderstanding of the concept of tyranny. (photo courtesy of Ben Botkin/The Las Vegas Review-Journal)

"We need guns to protect ourselves from the tyrannical government."- Jim Lardy, Montana militia member

With the almost clock-like precision of a well-built timepiece, news consumers in this country have been subjected to yet another round of for-the-camera ideological melodrama revolving around the charges of tyrannical behavior by our elected leaders and the levers of powers that they wield while in their respective offices. I, for one, am getting a little sick and tired of seeing that term being bastardized by people too lazy to look up its actual meaning.

A/V: 2014 SPJ Region 4 Conference -- Columbus, Ohio

Columbus was the host location for the 2014 SPJ Region 4 Spring Conference.

The Central Ohio Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists hosted the Region 4 Spring Conference this past weekend in Columbus, Ohio on the campus of The Ohio State University. Members from the Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania areas attended this annual event, billed as a professional, mentoring and networking event for journalists, students, educators and communicators to hear from industry experts about a wide range of journalism issues. In addition to those activities, an awards luncheon to honor the best of collegiate journalism in the region was held between the morning and afternoon sessions on Saturday.

A/V: Xenia Marks 40th Anniversary of Deadly Tornado

A saved copy of a first grade student's recollection of the deadly tornado that struck Xenia, Ohio in April 1974.

On a rainy and overcast afternoon, more than 150 members of the Xenia community gathered to remember friends, neighbors and loved ones who lost their lives 40 years ago when a powerful tornado slammed through the heart of their town. Originally scheduled to be held at the 1974 Tornado Memorial located outside City Hall, it was moved indoors to the Hudson Meeting Room of the nearby Xenia Community Library due to the inclement weather.