We Hear You: Millennials, Jobs, Free Speech, and the Opioid Crisis
Ken McIntyre /
Editor’s note: In more than one way, Easter is about new beginnings. So this week’s edition kicks off with your comments on The Daily Signal’s coverage of the White House’s “Generation Next” forum focused on millennials. Write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre
Dear Daily Signal: Turning Point USA’s Candace Owens is indeed courageous, as Rob Bluey’s interview with her at the “Generation Next” forum shows (“This Conservative Millennial Explains Why Trump’s Policies Are Better for Black Americans”). I sadly predict that she will pay a price for standing up to the race-is-everything-and-everything-is-racist element of black America.—Dale White
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I can only hope this young lady goes far. Our country needs young people like Candace Owens.—Judy Crane, Davison, Mich.
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I commend this lady and wish her well. It is a rough road when you step outside the reign of the elites and demand the adult discussion.—Robert Joseph Shannon
About the interview with Candace Owens: It is so refreshing to see a young person who refuses to climb onto the victim train. As long as you define yourself as a victim, you will never move beyond that point.—Joan Gibson, Morgantown, W.Va.
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Liberal welfare programs give many black people just enough to stay alive where they are, but deprive these same people of the opportunity to succeed individually.—Larry Klassen
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Bravo to this young lady. The mantra of the Democrats disempowers just about everyone and sets up a false narrative of “the enemy”: white men. It entraps people into the victimhood scenario. We individually have a responsibility to make the best of our lives, help others, and not look to be taken care of until and unless necessary.—Kathy Goodfellow
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Candace Owens is soooo right. From Lyndon Johnson on, Democrats revived the “plantation,” keeping black people dependent on government. So glad to see this beautiful young woman using all her potential.—Bettye Speed, Stevensville, Md.
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She’s a live wire.—Steven Lehar, Boston
Ivanka Trump on Jobs, Millennials, and #MeToo
"I'm really excited for this generation of students who are … joining the workforce, because employers are competing for skilled workers, for skilled and motivated workers"@DailySignal
via @kelseyjharkness https://t.co/dimytsGgKI— Tim Gradous (@tgradous) March 23, 2018
The Job Outlook for Millennials
Dear Daily Signal: With regard to the interview with Ivanka Trump at the “Generation Next” forum, the downside is that companies across the nation are having meetings, setting up research, and hiring psychologists and motivators to try to figure out how to handle millennials (“Daily Signal Exclusive: Ivanka Trump on Jobs, Millennials, and #MeToo”).
Their attitude and delicate psyche are a major problem with employers today. This group thinks they are special to everyone and cannot handle being treated the same as the next person.
They have very little responsibility. They cannot handle failure or roadblocks. Employers see them jumping from job to job because they get their feelings hurt or didn’t get their way.
This has put up a wall to the 30- to 50-year-olds who are in the job market. Companies are skipping over qualified, experienced workers to experiment with how to handle this self-entitled group of softies. Companies everywhere are searching for a solution for an answer to how to handle young workers entering the workforce.
There are three groups within this millennial workforce—those who want the government to support them, those who feel like they should have everything handed to them at work, and the smallest group: the youth who were parented correctly and want a job to work at and make it a career.
But instead of businesses teaching what their parents failed to do—responsibility, equality, how to handle failure, and loyalty—they have to decided to further coddle them and adapt to their shortcomings.
Maybe robots can advance quickly enough to step in and handle the jobs this group will abandon when their feelings get hurt.—Timothy Farner
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I’m all in favor of vocational training, acknowledging that college is not for everyone, and encouraging apprenticeships. But the heck with more emphasis on computer skills.
We need young men who know how to use a shovel and a pipe wrench, who know how, and are willing, to do hard physical labor at least 40 hours a week.
As for more efforts to “empower” women, let’s not forget that a woman’s most important job, indeed the single most important job in our country, is to be at home taking care of the children if there are any. Raising them up to know right from wrong, to be solid, respectful members of society, and to learn how to work.
And fathers need to model that work ethic as they provide for their families.—Randy Malcom, Limon, Colo.
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If millennials use their brains instead of their emotions, they will be fine. There are sooooo many opportunities in America to exceed in whatever you pick as a career. Take advantage of them. Use your brain.—David Snyder, Aurora, Colo.
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It is great to help women, but sorry, the world isn’t all about women and millennials and now the spoiled-brat GenZs. It is to the point where the importance of women and their future are being placed above men.
Things need to be equal, and we certainly shouldn’t have quotas. I was a bit disgusted over the part about “only 13 percent of women are engineers.” So what?
What is good for a woman isn’t always what is good for the family. Tough love. I’m not trying to be negative, but respectfully advocate that the insults, assumptions, and innuendos regarding the superiority of women and the downcasting of men have to be tempered with at least a semblance of equality and fairness.—William Kendy
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Thank you, Kellyanne Conway, for your comments in the interview you gave to Kelsey Harkness and Bre Payton at the “Generation Next” conference (“Daily Signal Exclusive: Kellyanne Conway on the Opioid Crisis, Her Critics, and Being a ‘Problematic Woman’”).
I support you and President Trump and am grateful for all you do under fire. Prayers and good wishes to you.—Joan M Johnson
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So proud to hold up Kellyanne Conway to my daughter as a real example of a strong and empowered woman.—Mickie Ryan
How the Trump Administration Is Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses https://t.co/G5xwUR446X via @kelseyjharkness @DailySignal
— Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) March 27, 2018
Defending Free Speech on Campus
Dear Daily Signal: About the interview with the Justice Department’s Sarah Flores by Kelsey Harkness and Bre Payton, what our education system has been doing to our children ought to be a crime (“How the Trump Administration Is Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses”). They are being propagandized instead of educated, especially at the college level.
The question at hand is how can we reverse this. The only constitutional way of accomplishing this is by controlling the purse. Stop financially supporting institutions that are infringing on freedom of speech. When the funds dry up, so will this horrific attach on free speech.
Perhaps those leftist professors will feel a little pain when they consider the possibility of losing their paychecks and will modify their atrocious behavior.—Randy Lyendecker, Kerrville, Texas
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Like smoking, mixing politics and professorship should be taboo. All schooling should be about how to think, not what to think.
Rewards should be given to those who submit recordings of anti-American lectures, and funding and grants withheld from such institutions. Quality teaching would result in any teacher’s politics being unknown to students.
Another apolitical group should be unions. Unions need rules, foremost of which should be no political donations. Their operations should be restricted to and evaluated by benefit to their membership.
Union management compensation should be voted on and subject to reduction by the membership. If unions were the benevolent organizations they could be, people would be anxious to join.—Michael Watson
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About “Don’t start,” Sarah Flores’ paraphrase in this video of President Trump’s warning on opioids. That is an excellent approach toward people who are into the partying mentality, who are looking for new thrills in the drug-taking realm.
But to those who are experiencing horrendous pressures from financial difficulties in places where it is difficult to find a family-sustaining job, opioid use (heroin, in the case of my family member) is an extremely powerful temptation for someone who just needs a break from the pain of not being able to support his or her family.
Trump has spoken about this when he talks about job creation and the opioid addictions in the Rust Belt that result from such financial pressures. The case of unemployment-caused hopelessness leading to addiction and the case of the partier who cluelessly destroys his or her body and life from addiction, are two different things in my view.
It’s easier for some people to “not start” than others, is my point. Otherwise, I like what’s going on in this video. Keep up the good work.—Skip Cubbedge
If you didn't see it, check out @DailySignal exclusive by @RobertBluey: @SecAzar on 3 steps to combating the #OpioidCrisis https://t.co/d09ki1GVMW
— Marguerite Bowling (@margyusc) March 26, 2018
The War Against Opioid Addiction
Dear Daily Signal: I saw Rob Bluey’s interview with HHS Secretary Alex Azar at the White House’s “Generation Next” forum. Sorry, but the opioid crisis actually is a moral issue (“Daily Signal Exclusive: HHS Secretary Alex Azar on 3 Steps to Combating the Opioid Crisis”). It’s a welfare issue. It’s also a society issue.
The drug doesn’t just take away physical pain, and most people don’t take it for physical pain. But just like everything else the government “fixes,” this fix will screw the people that need the med and don’t abuse it.—Mike Lliteras, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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Not a word about opioid addiction’s disproportionately affecting states that expanded Medicaid?
Or that being on Medicaid can contribute by prolonging surgeries because of the inherent bureaucratic nature of top-down, government-run health care? And the wait lines that accompany it? And the opioids used to make people comfortable until their surgery finally is scheduled?—Anita Gummer, San Francisco
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The opioid crisis is not a medical issue; it is a spiritual issue. Keep making government bigger and continue to deny Jesus equals continuation of the opioid crisis.—Tommy Thorson
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The death penalty is not a deterrent to crime, and the expense taxpayer expense for any drug dealer on death row going through the appeal process would add to the cost (“Trump Pushes Death Penalty for Drug Dealers and Cut in Prescription Costs”). I firmly support most of President Trump’s agenda, but this one, no.—Barbara Reitz
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I pray President Trump really does something about the cost of prescription drugs, as Fred Lucas reports that he pledges. It is absolutely ridiculous what we have to pay. Also, for those of us who need pain meds, we are the ones paying the cost of addicts.—Tonie Lesia Dalton
Governments stand in the way of creative destruction, @Heritage's president says https://t.co/lMe1Jmk87J via @KayColesJames @DailySignal
— Dale (@dbsconservative) March 21, 2018
That Internet Sales Tax
Dear Daily Signal: Regarding Kay Coles James’ commentary, “Don’t Tax the Net”: If they could figure out a way to tax the allowance you give your kids, the government would do it in a heartbeat.—Jerry Zacny
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I am no advocate for taxing internet sales, but if the governments insist on taxing, why must a business have to deal with multiple tax codes?
If an internet business is located in a particular area, sales could be taxed at that location’s level, as in brick and mortar stores.—Wayne Alexander, Mount Vernon, Ind.
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We should be fighting against taxation and for less government involvement. We should also defend the freedoms that we have on the internet. Remember that control goes hand in hand with taxation.—Bill Tanksley
SCOTUS Decision Could Mean Life Or Death To This Pro-Life Pregnancy Center. Ramifications are far-reaching, @Informed_Talk's Christine Vatuone says. https://t.co/xixo6le8ta via @LRacheldG @DailySignal
— ?K.J. Pritchard ??America First (@KJPritchard4) March 20, 2018
Coercing Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers
Dear Daily Signal: Regarding Rachel del Guidice’s story, “Supreme Court Ruling Could Mean Life or Death for Her Pro-Life Pregnancy Center”: I serve on the board of one of these organizations, and if this law is allowed to stand it will destroy the life-saving work of these centers of hope.—Marti Luke
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This would be the same as forcing Planned Parenthood to promote women to keep their babies and embrace motherhood.—Pauline Cornelius
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So, if this pro-life clinic is being compelled to place pro-abortion info in plain sight, then the pro-aborts should have to likewise place pro-life info in plain sight in their abortion mills.—Fred Squillante, Cooper City, Fla.
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We are forced to violate our conscience, our core beliefs, and our First Amendment civil rights to post this tragic falsehood about human life.—Mary De Voe
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Are the abortion clinics mandated to prominently have signs about pregnancy care centers, adoption options, etc? Or is it mandated only that these services make sure women know about abortion options.—Amy Little
https://twitter.com/EasyEarl/status/978409185980440576
John Bolton as National Security Adviser
Dear Daily Signal: Regarding Fred Lucas’s report, we have been waiting for John Bolton’s appointment to a great, important position (“What John Bolton Brings to the Job of National Security Adviser”). It’s about time.—Sherri Snow Vardas
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Bolton is the right guy in the right seat on the bus. Strength and straight talking is what we need at the top.—Mark Smallcombe
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I personally think Bolton is the best fit for President Trump’s style. He has a no-nonsense approach and that is what Trump likes. He also doesn’t tiptoe around the issues.—Karen Giannettino
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John Bolton is a superb pick for national security adviser, as Rob Bluey’s interview shows (“John Bolton on North Korea, China, Syria, and Other National Security Threats”).
Bolton has demonstrated clear thinking over the years. As I recall, the Democrats opposed his nomination as U.N. ambassador and refused to confirm him, but President Bush installed him with a recess appointment. It’s good that Bolton is again in an essential role in the White House.—Ken Marx
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An excellent interview with an excellent appointee. I have appreciated John Bolton’s opinions and courage over the years. He is another, in the Trump mode, who calls a spade a spade.—Joan Gibson, Morgantown, W.Va.
Chrissy Clark helped to compile this column.