Josh Benner

Author: the Josh Benner Blog

  • Not guilty, not surprising

    I would like to think that any reasonable person can agree that the fact that Travon Martin was fatally shot in an altercation with George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012 is truly tragic. On Saturday night, George Zimmerman was found to be not guilty.

    In the Trayvon Martin case, I believe that so many people had already made up their minds that George Zimmerman was so clearly guilty that the facts didn’t matter. But the facts do matter. I always believed that the jury was going to find Zimmerman to be not guilty. Taking all of the emotion out of the case, when the facts were presented, I thought that getting a jury to unanimously agree that Zimmerman was guilty of 2nd degree murder (or even manslaughter) beyond a reasonable doubt was going to be difficult. (more…)

  • Cleveland kidnapper, capital punishment, and abortion

    Ariel Castro
    Ariel Castro

    It’s interesting to me that the death penalty might be sought for Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro because he allegedly forced miscarriages on his captive victims, and that can be considered murder. If a woman chooses to terminate her own pregnancy, that is an abortion. If someone causes the pregnancy to be lost against the mother’s will, it’s murder. That idea is paradoxical. I don’t see how a fetus can be “murdered” if it doesn’t have a right to live in the first place. Because, for the fetus, what difference does it make? If someone assaulted your mother and caused the pregnancy to be lost, as a fetus, you were murdered? But if she made the decision, it was something else? (more…)

  • Boston Marathon bombing: one man’s response

    boston

    Any event where innocent people lose their lives and that causes the rest of us to question our own safety in doing ordinary activities like viewing sporting events is a tragedy because it undermines the way in which we function as a society.

    I’m a pretty cynical person. And I’ve seen a lot of statuses in the wake of today’s tragedy in Boston talking about losing faith in humanity and asking what the world is coming to. Unfortunately, there will always be bad people. When we see people who go out and cause harm to others, I’m always heartened to see the great lengths people will go to to rush to the help of others, risk their own safety, and search for ways to be part of recovering. We’ve seen tremendous stories of heroism at Sandy Hook, in Aurora, at the World Trade Center, and we will always hear stories of people facing evil at whatever the cost in the shadow of tragedy to rush to the aid of those in need.

    I see the picture of a man on the ground with three police officers around him. To me, that image is a symbol of America’s response to today’s event. I feel that it capture the essence of our fellow citizens rushing to help a man who’s been knocked down while also rushing to action.

    Like so many people across America and throughout the world, I join in praying for the victims and for their families.

    jrb

  • The American Gospel and the meaning of Easter

    Photo Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

    Statistically, we know that the vast majority of Americans believe in some form of a higher power. There are relatively few who are atheists. Since people do believe that there is something, and since it’s so easy to think of the majority of Americans as Christians, many simply attach themselves to Christianity.

    But what does it mean? Christianity?

    For so many, we call ourselves Christians but then never pray, or read the Bible, or go to church, or experience fellowship with other believers, or show any actual desire to have a relationship with Jesus. Without these, how can a person be Christian?

    (more…)

  • My 2013 NCAA Tournament bracket

    2013 bracket
    (click photo to enlarge)

    For my bracket this season, I’ve decided to go conservative with my picks. Given history and how brackets typically pan out, I feel that’s the best way to insure accuracy. While every year seems to have its own Cinderella, I feel those teams are difficult to predict and unless someone really has a hunch (such as when I picked number one overall seed Kansas to lose in the second round in 2010), I think it’s better to go with the favorites?

    Where’s the fun in that?

    Where’s the fun in watching elite 8 games with a bunch of teams you didn’t correctly pick?!

    Unlike last year, I don’t feel that there is an obvious favorite to win the entire tournament. I’ll stick with Louisville.

    Of the number one seeds, I have three of them making it to the Final Four. For me, for tournament picks, coaches matter. Some coaches have been historically successful in the tournament. With Gonzaga, I feel that they have not been particularly impressive in the tournament in the past decade and I just can’t put them in my Final Four. I think Ohio State is as hot as any team in the country. It’s funny because I feel that Thad Matta has arguably had four or five teams better than this current squad but the Bucks are tough and play great defense. I think that the region breaks down with favorable match ups and I can definitely see them winning their region.

    Florida and Georgetown are also both teams who worry me because I feel that they’re both good enough to make it to the Final Four but I also feel that they have had years in which they’ve laid eggs in the tournament. Ultimately, I feel Kansas is the safe bet in that region.

    Indiana is as talented as any team in the country but I also feel that they’ve not been impressive over the last couple weeks. Part of that is the fact that they played in a monster Big Ten this year. I feel that they have a pretty clear road to the elite eight.

    With Louisville as the number one overall seed, they play in a region which has some stout competition. St. Louis is a Cinderella type pick for some people to win the whole region. I just couldn’t go with a pick that daring considering the teams (and great coaches) who are in that region. I’m not going to be surprised if Michigan State or Duke ends up winning the Midwest but I still think that Louisville is the better overall team. I’ve seen Michigan State as a more popular pick over Duke (than vice versa). I don’t think it’s so cut and dry and I gave Duke the edge because I feel that they’re a better team overall.

    I think that there are a lot of very solid teams this year so I’m excited to see how this year’s tournament pans out.

    jrb