Think About It with Michael Leppert

All jokes are offensive to someone, especially in the spit zone. The one thing that inevitably comes with great comedy is hurt feelings. It is sad but true. And it's only getting sadder. Of course, this leads to Chris Rock. Connect with Michael Leppert   michaelleppert.com Twitter @michaelleppert   Facebook at Michael Leppert

The story that is told in the Oscar-nominated movie, "Belfast," is filled with wonder. It was for me anyway. Primarily because writer/director Kenneth Branagh masterfully connected me with nine-year-old "Buddy," a little boy who reminds me of me. Connect with Michael Leppert   michaelleppert.com Twitter @michaelleppert   Facebook at Michael Leppert

There are two primary things that Russian President Vladimir Putin underestimated when he gave the order to invade Ukraine three weeks ago. The first one was the surprising strength and commitment to fight of the Ukraine army and its people. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has led a resistance that is truly inspirational. This second thing almost certainly surprised Putin too. Connect with Mi...

With the passage of House Bill 1296 by the Indiana General Assembly this week, which creates a "permitless" or "constitutional" carry framework for handguns in the state, Hoosiers have basically declared all guys "good." It's sort of a "don't ask, don't tell" policy for anyone in the state who would otherwise be allowed to carry a gun if licensing still existed. What I mean by that is that this bi...

It has taken a week or two, but Americans have finally found a grievance we can all share together. Only the smallest, most disturbed group among us is having trouble rooting for the people of Ukraine in what appears to be a hopeless defense of their home. Ask anyone around why Russia invaded their peaceful and sovereign neighbor–it is unlikely you will get a justifiable answer. Not around here. N...

The last tweet I read before I turned it off to write this was simply a message released from former President Donald Trump. It read: "If I were in office, this deadly Ukraine situation would never have happened!" As ridiculous as that statement is, it is not an unusual slice of the Twitter feed provided by Rep. Jim Banks, who technically represents Indiana's 3rd District in the U.S. House. Connec...

Getting straight to the point, Donald Trump will never be president again. None of his family will ever become president. And finally, no one from his cabinet or inner circle will ever become president either. There. Now that we have that out of the way, I will provide the latest reasons why. Connect with Michael Leppert   michaelleppert.com Twitter @michaelleppert   Facebook at Michael Leppert

I vividly remember the early summer of 2020, when the enormity of the pandemic really started to sink in. The plentiful restaurants in my neighborhood were trying to hold on by transforming into carryout-only kitchens. Staffing at all of these places plummeted, like many other businesses did at the time. I remember coming to the realization that when this mess was over, we were likely going to hav...

I have never listened to Joe Rogan's podcast and probably never will. I didn't understand why it was popular in the first place, because I had seen his comedy, and didn't think it was funny. There are plenty of people who are upset or uncomfortable with the book, "Maus," in a school district in Tennessee. So, what is the difference between these stories and an objection to a book being carried by...

I'm counting on the U.S. Senate Republicans to do something important. Just be yourselves. President Joe Biden is preparing to make his first nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Steven Breyer announced his plan to retire from the court on Wednesday which created the vacancy on the nine-person panel. Connect with Michael Leppert   michaelleppert.com Twitter @michaelleppert   Facebook at M...

I've written it before, so to my loyal following, I apologize for how familiar this mantra of mine may sound. However, given the recent passage in the Indiana House of what certainly would be a popular $1 billion tax cut, I felt the time was appropriate to dust this discussion off and move it back to the top of Hoosiers' collective inbox. Connect with Michael Leppert   michaelleppert.com Twitter @...

The 2016 presidential campaign called, and it wants its bad ideas back. Regretfully, Indiana's 2022 U.S. Senate race appears to be headed toward focusing on the worst ideas of one of the worst campaign seasons ever. That is if the incumbent Marine has his way. Connect with Michael Leppert   michaelleppert.com Twitter @michaelleppert   Facebook at Michael Leppert

Imagine for a moment that January 6, 2021 had ended differently. The possibilities are infinite. On Thursday, America looked back in remembrance of one of its darkest days. The business of that day was to certify the presidential election in favor of the clear victor. After the horrifying events of that afternoon, the U.S. Congress reconvened later that evening and completed its business. What if...

It was December 31, 1999, and the 32-year-old version of me found himself working the night shift. How did I let this happen to me on New Year's Eve? I had largely been a 9 to 5 guy since going to work for the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission almost five years earlier. But my young family made "partying" like it was 1999 the way Prince recommended a fleeting dream. Connect with Michael Lepper...

"I may be old, and I may be young, but I am not done changing," sings John Mayer in 2017's, "Changing." Let's pretend for a few minutes that this song is being sung by America. Connect with Michael Leppert   michaelleppert.com Twitter @michaelleppert   Facebook at Michael Leppert

I had heard of bell hooks. I recognized her face in the photos I have seen the last few days but would not have been able to explain how or why. And that was all. The feminist author, poet and professor died of end-stage renal failure on December 15 in her home in Kentucky. She was only 69. Connect with Michael Leppert   michaelleppert.com Twitter @michaelleppert   Facebook at Michael Leppert

Former Senator Bob Dole's passing has been a real learning experience. Sure, I knew the basic facts about one of the political icons of his time, but I had no idea that he had a famous sense of humor. Hearing so many funny one-liners from the Kansas Republican and former presidential nominee has changed my view of him, but it has also given me one more thing to miss about the way our politics used...

What a year 2021 has turned out to be! I vividly remember feeling that last year was the worst year we have collectively experienced, but in many ways, this year just feels like Season 2 of the same horrifying series. Objectively, most things are better than they were twelve months ago. But some of the weeds that had so blatantly reared their heads last year have now clearly taken root, and it is...

In recent weeks, I have had a marked increase in opportunities for discussions with readers of my weekly column. As one might imagine in American culture, these "opportunities" are usually initiated through some form of objection to the opinion about which I wrote. Lucky me! Columnists could easily transition to the complaint department. If any of the newspapers carrying this drivel needs any help...

On Thanksgiving evening, following a memorable battle with her brother, Pauly, Adrian finally went out on her first date with Rocky Balboa. She wasn't exactly happy about it either, telling Rocky, "but it was Thanksgiving." He simply replied, "yea, to you. To me it's Thursday." And with that, I have exhausted my list of favorite cinematic scenes depicting a version of my favorite Thursday of any g...

I never expected to write a column about the things Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has in common with an eighteen-year-old killer. No matter what the jury decides next week in the trial of young Kyle Rittenhouse, he unquestionably and unnecessarily killed two people. Admittedly though, as far as strange occurrences of late go, seeing the commonalities here actually don't rank all that...

Welcome to Think about It with Michael Leppert. The purpose of this podcast is to convince you to think about it. If I fail at that, I am sure I will be able to at least help you understand how I think about it. All in just FIVE MINUTES. That's right, every episode is just FIVE MINUTES. So…what exactly is "it?" "It" will be something that is happening today in our cultural, community, or political...