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For the past week or so, the attention of the nation has been focused on the events in Ferguson, Missouri, in the aftermath of the shooting death of 18 year-old Michael Brown. While there are relatively few undisputed facts known thus far, we do know that Brown was shot six times by Officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson PD. Accounts of what actually precipitated the shooting vary wildly. One account has Brown essentially being executed while attempting to surrender with his hands in the air, while another has Brown being killed after attacking the officer and trying to take his gun. An investigation is underway, and the entire nation is watching. As always seems to happen when a tragedy like this hits the national news, social media has exploded with reactions covering the entire spectrum of possibilities. One side argues that Brown was a law-breaking, drug-selling thug who got what he was certainly going to get at some point in his young life, while the other screams that this is yet another case of an out-of-control, power-crazed, ticking time bomb of a police officer over-reacting to what should have been a routine situation. The fact is that the investigation is ongoing, and until it has been completed we really won't know what happened or, perhaps more importantly, why it happened. What I do know is that a large percentage of the reactions I have heard and read are critical of the police. I think it is safe to say that it's almost a part of our heritage as Americans to be suspicious of those in positions of authority. In the "land of the free", we are instantly critical of those in a position to take away our freedom. What concerns me is what I perceive to be a move from healthy suspicion to knee-jerk, cynical criticism. So before we all decide that our police officers are all ego maniacs, foaming at the mouth and hoping for an opportunity to draw that weapon and fire, let's stop, take a deep breath, and think. Most of us don't have the slightest idea of what a police officer has to deal with on a daily basis. Throughout my time as a prosecuting attorney in Marshall County and now in the City of Moundsville, I have learned a lot about what it's like to be in law enforcement. One of my closest friends is a WV State Trooper, so I've heard the stories and seen the aftermath first hand. What I have concluded is this: police officers (and their families) deserve our support, our thanks, and most of all our respect. Cops get to deal with the absolute worst our society has to offer on a daily basis: the drunks, the drug addicts and drug dealers, the petty thieves to the violent rapists, and everything in between. They leave for work every single day knowing that they might not ever come home again. They gladly take on a job that requires them to be equal parts psychologist, doctor, mediator, EMT, firefighter, mechanic, MMA fighter, and marriage counselor. They deal with the ugly underbelly of society, the part we know is always there, but we prefer not to talk about around the dinner table. They get spat upon, urinated upon, vomited upon, scratched, punched, kicked, clubbed, bitten and shot at, and they take it all in stride. They risk their lives so that we can sleep peacefully at night. Aside from being a soldier in an active war zone, I can't imagine a more stressful profession. And they do it all for what is at best an average wage. So before we jump to unfounded conclusions, let's be sure we have all of the facts. Is it possible that the officer in Ferguson acted improperly? Of course it is. As with every other profession on the face of the earth, there are good ones and there are bad ones. If the investigation concludes that Officer Wilson acted inappropriately or with criminal intent, he should suffer the consequences of his actions, as would any other member of society who breaks the law. I'm simply suggesting that before we look to condemn the entire profession, and before we try to further handcuff them from doing the job we all need them to do, let's make sure we know what happened, and why. I for one am ever grateful for the thin blue line that protects my children and my wife from the worst our world has to offer, and whenever their actions are called into question, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. I think they've earned it.

As I was given the opportunity to intern at Bordas & Bordas this summer, I knew that I would be facing a new way of life, a way of life that many refer to as "the real world." I knew things in my life would change, like sleeping in no later than 7:30 a.m., being in bed by 10:30 p.m., and not having eight hours a day to do whatever I please. One thing that really got to me was that I had no time to catch some rays and lay by the pool as much as I had in the past. As my friends were all enjoying the sun and comparing tans, I was getting paler and paler. So, just like any other person my age, I made appointments at the local tanning salon and soon enough had some color. I thought, "What's the big deal? I have been tanning for homecomings, proms and weddings since I was in high school." The problem with my generation is that we all think that we are invincible. We see things like car wrecks, drugs and alcohol abuse and think, "That will never happen to me." The more I think about that statement, I find that I think the exact same thing when it comes to putting myself under the florescent, ultra-violet rays. If you haven't figured out where I am headed with this entry, I am talking about skin cancer. Did you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States? That more than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually? Or that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer over the course of a lifetime? If not, skincancer.org can inform you of these statistics and more. The thought of these numbers scares me, and knowing that I have seen more Facebook posts and news stories about how the number of skin cancer victims has increased this year makes the fear even worse. I have now found out that more than one of my friends has been tested for this life-threatening disease. I promised myself on July 19 that I would never step foot in a tanning bed ever again. In the past, I had stopped going tanning towards the end of the "shorts season," but now I will just embrace my paleness and watch others make the foolish decision to ruin their skin. If I could go back and tell 15-year-old me to not step foot in the tanning salon, I would in a heartbeat. I come from of family of pale skin - my dad is a redhead and I consider myself half redhead - which raises my chances of skin cancer if I do not take precaution. I am not writing this to slam tanning salons because I have paid many hundreds of dollars to get that glowing tan. I am writing this to bring awareness and to stop women both young and old from going to the tanning beds. If you really can't live without being tan, look into getting a spray tan; they're safe, healthy and available at most tanning salons. We are all beautiful and unique, and the time has come to embrace the paleness and bring more awareness to skin cancer. I've decided to save my skin and let my tan fade. Will you?

As hydraulic fracturing continues its march as the darling of natural gas drilling here in the Ohio Valley, so does the evidence of its potential to induce harm to humans and the environment. The uncertainties of the health risks associated with horizontal drilling, using massive amounts of water, pressure and certain hazardous chemicals to break down shale formations for natural gas extraction, has pushed countries worldwide to proactively regulate the use of this technology, such as a temporary ban in Germany in 2012 and a ban in France in 2011. While industry mouthpieces continue to reassure the public that all is well and there's nothing to be concerned about, ongoing research continues to suggest that these countries' efforts are well-founded, and two recent studies provide mounting evidence that we all need to be concerned about the knock-on effects of the Ohio Valley's natural gas boom. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that looked at over 41,000 wells in Pennsylvania shows that newer and unconventional wells leak far more often than older and traditional ones. The results suggest that leaks of methane could be a problem for drilling across the nation. A team of four scientists analyzed more than 75,000 state inspections of gas wells done in Pennsylvania since 2000.?Overall "traditional", or vertical, wells drilled before 2009 had a leak rate of about 1 percent, while newer traditional wells drilled after 2009 had a leak rate of about 2 percent. However, the leak rate for "unconventional" wells - those being drilled horizontally in the Ohio Valley's fracking boom - was as high as 10 percent. Even more concerning is that the scientists don't know the size of the leaks or even their causes, but suspicion that companies are cutting corners amidst this drilling boom was strong enough to cause Pennsylvania to increase its efforts to stress proper cementing practices and make leak protection efforts on unconventional wells more stringent. Another recent study, examining the contents of the fluids involved in the fracking process, has raised additional concerns about hydraulic fracturing. The scientists recently presented their work at the 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society which revealed that out of nearly 200 commonly used frack fluid compounds, there's very little known about the potential health risks of about one-third, and eight are toxic to mammals. Although the companies that manufacture fracking fluids have strongly resisted efforts calling for transparency regarding the contents of these chemical mixtures, a team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of the Pacific scoured databases and reports to compile as comprehensive a list as possible of the substances industry is commonly using to fracture shale formations. The mix includes gelling agents to thicken the fracking fluids, biocides to keep microbes from growing, sand to prop open tiny cracks in the rocks and a number of compounds to prevent pipe corrosion. According to the researchers "here are a number of chemicals, like corrosion inhibitors and biocides in particular, that are being used in reasonably high concentrations that potentially could have adverse effects." "Biocides, for example, are designed to kill bacteria-it's not a benign material." In addition, for about one-third of the approximately 190 compounds the scientists have identified as in various fracking formulas, the scientists found very little information about the toxicity or physical and chemical properties of these. However, in looking at the environmental impact of the fracking fluids, the Berkeley team found that some have toxic effects on aquatic life. Although research into the environmental and public health blowback from the unprecedented drilling effort continues, the results of these studies leave little doubt regarding the need for a similarly unprecedented regulatory effort. Even if you don't have a well in your back yard, fracking still affects each and every one of us and impacts the quality of life we can expect to enjoy here in the Ohio Valley. If we are going to allow this process to continue, we must make certain that every effort is made to carefully scrutinize, catalog, regulate and track the manner in which these wells are drilled, and properly dispose of every drop of the chemicals that go in and come out of these wells. West Virginia and Ohio have a lot of catching up to do in both of these areas, and I urge you to contact your local congressman and speak out for enhanced regulation of the natural gas patch.

I participated in the second of the three required Adopt-A-Highway clean ups for 2014 in memory of Stephanie K. Ward Stahl. I missed the first clean-up which was held on April 13, 2014 due to a prior commitment. I did chat with my friend, Sandra Ward Miller, Stephanie's Mom, at the clean-up. She mentioned that the April clean up only took an hour because there were so many volunteers. That truly shows the devotion of all the volunteers who consisted of family, friends, etc. It makes me very proud of the people in our little corner of the world. I'm just sorry that the reason that brings them all together is because a young person was taken away from her family and friends way too soon. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason in our lives. What that reason is in this particular incident, I do not know. In my previous Adopt-A-Highway blog, I explained that the State of West Virginia Adopt-A-Highway Rules require three scheduled clean-ups per year for the two Sandra mentioned to me that she catches herself getting ready to pick up the telephone to call Stephanie. I can relate to doing that exact same thing. My oldest brother, Lou, passed away at the young age of 42 on December 14, 1991. I shared with Sandra that I think that same way. You want to pick up the phone and call your loved one to discuss what took place that day. It is so hard. I think that this clean-up does help the family cope with Steph not being here physically, but she is definitely here in spirit. She would be so proud of each and every one of them. So, now, there is only one clean up left for 2014. If you see or hear that volunteers are needed for an Adopt-A-Highway clean up near you, go ahead and join in. Or, if you want to participate in the third clean-up for Stephanie K. Ward Stahl with me, just respond to my blog. I will let you know when the next clean-up is going to take place. Rest in Peace-Stephanie K. Ward Stahl.

Bordas & Bordas has announced an attorney's recent appointment to the Board of Directors of Harmony House Children's Advocacy Center. John Artimez, who assists with complex personal injury and insurance bad faith litigation at the firm, has been selected to serve on the Board. Harmony House offers a comprehensive, child-focused program based in a facility that allows prosecutors, law enforcement, child protective service workers, medical and mental health professionals and victim advocates to work together to strengthen the community's response to child abuse. Harmony House exists to ensure that no child is further victimized by systems intended to protect her or him. Located in both Wheeling and St. Clairsville, Harmony House has been helping children for the past 11 years. Artimez demonstrates a longstanding and fervent interest in the protection of children. He has worked with Harmony House for many years in his capacity as a guardian ad litem for abused and neglected children, and also in the prosecution of sexual offenders during his time as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Marshall County. Artimez, who also serves on the board of directors for the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network, feels extremely fortunate to have received the chance to help victimized children again. "Being selected to serve on the board of directors for Harmony House is a tremendous honor," Artimez said. "I can't think of a more important responsibility than helping to protect the children of the Ohio Valley. I am proud and humbled to be a part of such a great organization." Jamie Bordas, managing partner of the firm, said he is pleased with Artimez's opportunity. "John will be a significant asset for the Harmony House," Bordas said. "His past experiences and present dedication to the well-being of child victims will be beneficial to the association's goal and message."

Just weeks after the school year ended, I found myself back in the classroom a little sooner than I had expected. This year I decided that I was going to take advantage of my position on the Wheeling Park High School speech and debate team, and the time to prepare for the upcoming season was now. Last year, I did make the team, but my priorities were focused more on sports over speaking. With my other activities like cheerleading, track, and dance, filing economist articles and learning how to pronounce world leaders' names were not in my top interests whatsoever. Entering my junior year, I know that my performance on standardized tests, sporting events and community activism will play a big role in determining my college selection. I hate to admit that my mom was right when she said that colleges love club involvement, but I never realized the weight some colleges placed on being a member of a speech team- not to mention one that has won the state tournament for the last 35 years. Unfortunately, I was not a big team contributor to that 35 th state title; I wasn't even selected to compete at the state level. This year my goal is to not only compete at states, but to place in my signature event as well. Extemporaneous speaking. I know, it sounds intimidating already. Having only 30 minutes to prepare a seven minute speech about an international political topic and referencing popular news sources isn't for everyone. Although I didn't have much of a choice, I grew to love learning the ins and outs of the Chinese economy and how German chancellor, Angela Merkel is guiding Europe out of the Eurozone crisis. I was trained by two talented veterans from the speech world, but I knew going into the upcoming year, both would be in college; leaving me to train a few new brave rookies. Instead of jumping right into the "extemp world" as we call it, I decided to revamp our entire system and basically start from scratch. Not until I watched the two "newbies" perform their first speech did I realize how great it felt to know that my few hours a day was already placing our team a step above the rest. From my experiences on the speech team, I've learned more than just what's going on in the world. One of the biggest lessons that I continue to encounter as I progress through high school is that my mom is usually right, even though I always have to figure it out myself first. Secondly, public speaking on your feet may be one of the biggest attributes a person can gain. Whether it is an admissions interview, a graduation speech, or even in a casual conversation, the ability to clearly annunciate words and formulate sentences is a skill some wish they would've invested time into at my age. Lastly, one year on the speech team has taught me that sometimes it takes a while to catch your footing before you can be successful. I was on the brink of quitting the team until I realized how much I had already learned within a few weeks. Sometimes all it takes is a little "TLC," time, leadership, and charisma of course to learn the ropes and find a new passion. Hopefully my dedication will pay off as my teammates and I continue on our journey to state title number 36.

The world-famous Johns Hopkins Hospital recently agreed to a $109,000,000.00 settlement with eight thousand patients of a doctor named Nikita Levy. Levy had been using a concealed camera to videotape gynecological examinations of his patients for an unknown period of time while working at Johns Hopkins. More than a thousand such videos were discovered on his camera at the time it was seized by hospital authorities. The Johns Hopkins case is a good example of how, in the medical community, a few bad apples "spoil the bunch." The data consistently shows that a small number of physicians are responsible for a huge proportion of malpractice and misconduct allegations. For example, the Federal National Practitioner databank shows that just six percent of doctors are responsible for almost 60 percent of the malpractice payments made over a fifteen-year period - ten times their fair share. Moreover, an even smaller subset of doctors, just one percent, is responsible for 20 percent of all malpractice payments of a similarly statistically significant of time - 20 times what you'd expect if lawsuits were targeting doctors broadly. It's also true that 82 percent of doctors have never had a medical malpractice payment. Unfortunately, our justice system can make it challenging for fact-finders in medical malpractice cases. The doctor's history of malpractice in other cases is almost never admissible as evidence. Juries are often misled into thinking in the course of a medical malpractice trial that what happened was an isolated event, when in fact, it is highly likely that it's something that has happened over and over again. Repeat offenders, in other words, are by far the most likely to find themselves in court, although juries may not be told this. As Public Citizen learned through detailed research: "All too often, state medical boards are more concerned about protecting the reputations of doctors than doing their job, which is to protect unsuspecting patients from doctors who may be incompetent or negligent," Wolfe said. "West Virginia has an appalling record of letting serious and sometimes repeat offenders off the hook." Hospitals and independent companies employing doctors keep detailed files on doctors' complication rates and incidents of malpractice. But nonetheless, they jealously guard them refusing to allow patients to have access to this information when choosing their doctor; thus making the medical system more dangerous for all of us. Even worse, repeat-offender doctors are defended by their hospital corporations and medical insurers, even when the hospital knows that the doctor has a consistent track record of dangerous actions, and even when those dangerous actions caused injuries and death. We can all be glad that doctors like Levy are rare, but they need to be even rarer. Other offenders that our law firm has come into contact with, including Manish Koyawala, Anandhi Murthy, and hospitals like Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital, have at least left a trail out there on the internet illustrative of their repeated misconduct, but we all have to remember things that our medical system has decided we don't "need to know" about physicians and hospitals that we rely on for care. It's particularly disturbing that more and more of the time our health care system is publicly funded, whether through Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), or the Veterans Administration. Nevertheless, the powers-that-be in the medical community have decided that it is best for them to "see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil" about what really happens in our medical system; even while they know who is in this small minority of dangerous doctors and nurses. The result is a consistently rising tide of preventable injuries and deaths attributable to medical negligence. Some information about this small minority of dangerous doctors that we need to watch out for can be found here.

It is hard to believe that both the 2014 Jamboree in the Hills and the ItalianFestival have come and gone. Although I did not attend either event this year, I did my usual "drive by" of the Jamboree site on Friday and Saturday. As tradition in the Ohio Valley continues, the 17th Annual Debbie Green 5K will take place tomorrow, August 2. Voted as one of the top 263 road races in the world, the downtown Wheeling route is quite a challenge for all ages. Each person competes in their own age group and since life is always moving forward, I am moving up to another age group. Moving up an age group may make me feel bad (but not old!), but knowing I am doing something that many people years younger than I would not attempt, makes me quite pleased with myself! I enjoy watching the faces of some people when I say I am going to walk a 5K! Some are shocked at this senior citizen doing something so ambitious, but all are supportive. I am entering with Victoria Jenkins, the 14-year-old daughter of my good friends Mike and Andrea Jenkins. Victoria is registered to run in the race so I guess I'll just be seeing her from behind, but I like knowing we are doing something, if not together, for a cause we both can get behind and support. Hopefully, I'll find some friendly person to walk and talk with me this year as John and Denise Artimez did last year. I probably held them back last year, but they stayed with me since it was my first competition walk and because, I'll admit, I was the oldest Bordas employee competing. I am proud to work for a firm like Bordas & Bordas, which supports an event that raises money to fight childhood leukemia. I hope to place well in my age group, but just finishing the race will be great with me!

Bordas & Bordas has announced a staff member's recent appointment to Wheeling's Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) Board of Directors. Carrie Scanlon, Director of Communications and Philanthropy at the firm, will serve alongside a number of fellow Board members. The YWCA Wheeling is a Christian association dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women, along with promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity to all. For the last 33 years, the program has offered support and advocacy to victims of domestic violence in Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel Counties. Scanlon, a Moundsville, WV native, became a member of the Bordas & Bordas staff in October of 2012. She has more than fifteen years of experience in marketing, public relations and sales. A graduate of Bethany College with a degree in public relations, Scanlon also holds a Master's degree in Communication Theory and Research from West Virginia University and is all-but-dissertation in her doctoral studies in Communication Media and Instructional Technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her doctoral work focuses on crisis communication and image repair strategies. Scanlon has presented at national and regional communication conferences on public relations and the use of social media in crisis communication scenarios. Scanlon brings a vision to the YWCA with hopes to continue to provide the ability to empower women through high quality programs and plans to support the ongoing development of such initiatives. "Empowering women is something that is very important to me," Scanlon said. "Women go through unfortunate situations like abuse, divorce, and more. I'm looking forward to helping these women get back to where they once were and reminding them that they are not defined by their circumstances." Jamie Bordas, managing partner of the firm, said he is pleased with Scanlon's opportunity. "Carrie will be an excellent addition to the YWCA board of directors," Bordas said. "I have no doubt in my mind that she will use her talents to support the YWCA's mission while serving as a board member."

LeBron is coming home. And you should care. Yes, you. Those of you who have never seen an NBA game should care. Those of you who hate everything about anything associated with Cleveland should care. And especially those of you with kids, you should really care. I have never been enamored with LeBron James. I have always respected his ability as a basketball player. I have been amazed by his combination of size, power, and agility. And, I have been impressed by his championships and MVP awards. But, as someone who grew up in the heart of the Michael Jordan era, I found it difficult to root for LeBron. When MJ was sick in The Finals, he put together an unbelievable performance. LeBron had always made me think that he would check out of the game under similar circumstances. After struggling to try to win a championship early in his career with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan stuck it out until they had all of the pieces in place to turn out six titles. LeBron bolted at the chance to play with other All-Stars. And perhaps most significantly, Michael transcended his sport. Almost everyone wanted to "Be like Mike." Jordan looked and spoke the part in his press conferences, commercials, and even starred in the movie "Space Jam." LeBron seemed as though he couldn't care less about his image and never had non-hoopsters wanting to be like him, other than perhaps when it came to his bank account. All of that changed on Friday. In a move that surprised many that was delivered in an essay that had the power of a two-handed dunk, LeBron announced that he was going home to Cleveland. Athletes change teams in the free agency era of sports as often as some people change socks. But, this was different. This wasn't an athlete leaving for more money, better endorsement deals, or a better shot at winning a championship. This was the best player in the game going to a team for the people in that city. I'm not sure that has ever happened before in professional sports and if it has, you would certainly be hard pressed to say it has happened with such a high profile player. But, that's not why you should care that LeBron is returning to Cleveland to play for the team that drafted him just after he had finished high school at nearby Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary's. The reason you should care is because of all of the life lessons that can be learned from this Remake on the Lake. Forgiveness. Selflessness. Maturity. So many of our youngsters, and adults for that matter, can learn so much about these principles and others. After all, just four short years ago, LeBron left the city of Cleveland behind in one of the most bitter break-ups between player and city in professional sports history. Not only did he betray the city that thought he was the one that would finally end its title drought, but he did it on a national television special where he announced that he was "taking his talents to South Beach." Cavs owner Dan Gilbert responded with stinging words about his prized player. Cleveland fans did worse, burning his jersey and leaving no words behind when describing him. The relationship quickly and unmistakably had turned from love to hate. Now, after two championships, four Finals appearances, and all that South Beach has to offer, LeBron is returning to Cleveland. And that is where the life lessons come into play. LeBron had to forgive Cleveland and Gilbert. And they had to forgive him. How many times in our own lives do we have trouble forgiving others who have hurt us? How quickly are we able to set aside the pain and say let's be friends again? How often do we struggle to give our children an example of someone in recent times who has been a model of forgiveness? We now have that case in point. LeBron had to act selflessly. Let's be honest. How many people would rather live in Cleveland than Miami? How many people would go from playing for a first place team to a team that couldn't make the playoffs? And, how many people would leave playing with two other perennial all-stars to play with a team filled with inexperience? The answer is a guy who is more concerned about others than himself. Finally, LeBron demonstrated incredible maturity compared to that which he showed in 2010. There was no TV special announcing his decision this time. Instead, there was a well-crafted, thoughtful essay that thanked Miami but emotionally described why it was so important for him to go home. He explained why bringing a championship to the people living where he grew up means so much to him. There was his admission that he didn't understand how important these things were four years ago, but he does now. How many world-class athletes do we see admit their faults? How many celebrities care so much about their hometowns? How many famous people write an essay rather than choose the bright lights of national television to make a big announcement? LeBron James did. In short, LeBron correctly did all of the things he had done wrong four years ago. In the process, he exemplified what it means to grow as a person and learn from your past mistakes. I'm not exactly sure what the future holds for LeBron James as a Cleveland Cavalier. But as a person, I am quite certain that he gained a lot of fans. I count myself among them. LeBron reminded us all of a number of important life lessons. All of these have to do with putting others ahead of ourselves. If we can all strive to do that, what a better place the world would be. My hat is off to you, LeBron. It is so rare that we get to be pleasantly surprised by famous athletes. Not only did you surprise us with where you will be playing basketball next season, but you surprised us with just who you really are.

In Exodus, chapter two, we learn the story of the birth of Moses. Endangered in his own homeland, his mother hides Moses for three months. As time goes on, she can no longer keep him safe -Pharaoh had declared that all Jewish children would be drowned - so she placed him in a basket of papyrus to hide him amidst the reeds of the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter discovered Moses, took pity on him, and protected him, eventually treating him as her own son. Ex. 2:1-25. Some years later, Moses saw a burning bush, and the rest is history. When I was young, I remember being troubled when our parish priest would read from the Gospel of Matthew and preach about the famous parable of the sheep and the goats. That parable of course teaches us that whatever we do for the least of our brothers, we have done that for Jesus: "For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me . . . And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." I took the words too literally; and since I had only one brother, a big brother who beat me up regularly, I had a hard time understanding what I was supposed to do for him or what good it would do me to feed him. He was already twice my size. Last night the news covered the situation at the United States' southwestern borders. NBC interviewed a rancher working the borderlands who has placed watering stations on his land. He puts these in his fields because it is not uncommon to find children dead there if he doesn't. There is no shade there and temperatures reach 120 degrees. A county sheriff estimated that for every body found, there are several more of those who die in the desert, but are not found. Another news agency, the right-leaning Breitbart, reported that a four-year-old had crossed the U.S. border alone. Many of the children (and adults) at the border are coming from exceedingly violent places in Central America, not just Mexico. For example, the murder rate in Mexico is more than four times the United States, but in Honduras, it is close to 20 times as high. The primary danger in both places is gang activity related to drug trafficking. As one church organization official put it, "For many people the choice is to flee or to die." Americans might wonder what the problems of these other countries have to do with us. One thing it has to do with us is the fact that we are paying for it. American money pays for both sides of the drug war south of our border, and has for decades. American money is spent by the billions to buy drugs, and this money finances the cartels and the gangs. Likewise, American money pays for the government action against the cartels in the form of weapons and cash given to the impoverished governments of the region. So whether a Central American citizen is killed by a gang member, or the gang member is killed by police, we paid for the weapon and the ammunition. So the children fleeing the violence in Central America and trying desperately to get into the United States are actually running from a situation America created. The appetite for drugs in America, and the war-on-drugs-response of our political leaders are the reason the immigration crisis exists in the first place. This might be one reason Colorado's governor recently called the drug war "a disaster." In any event, what are we going to do? Some people, calling themselves "militia," say that they will go to the border and force crossers back at gunpoint. A militiaman covered a few days ago in the Washington Post explained his view this way, "You see an illegal. You point your gun dead at him, right between his eyes, and you say, 'Get back across the border or you will be shot.'" As a lawyer, I can tell you, that's not legal. A rising star among conservative writers, Charles C.W. Cooke, thinks the key is for the President to communicate a strong immigration policy telling Central Americans that they won't be allowed to remain in America, so there's no point in trying. Many reports indeed indicate that Central Americans believe they will be allowed to stay. But considering the deplorable violence and danger they are fleeing, I wonder if a speech would persuade them to give up? And since when do conservatives think President Obama making a speech would help anything? Before deciding how we might stem the tide of immigration in the southwest, we should first consider whether we are right to turn these people away, particularly the children. Cooke has written, "If sovereignty is to mean anything, then a country is entitled to decide whom it wants to join its ranks and whom it wishes to exclude from them." Well, let's decide, then. Considering that American appetites and American policies are what so many of these people are fleeing in their own countries, what are we saying about ourselves if we send them back into a hell we've created? Is that what "the rule of law" requires? There has been much talk of enforcing immigration law more vigorously to meet the immigration crisis. But different laws apply when the immigrants involved are refugees. If a person crosses the border illegally, simply as a matter of preference about where to live, that is one thing, but if they are in serious danger where they come from, they are eligible to apply for refugee status and protection in this country. The law also entitles them to a legitimate process to determine their rights before they are deported. How should we do justice to these human beings who have placed themselves in our hands? That brings us back to Moses, and a four-year-old child who walked across a desert alone to get into America. Moses was, undoubtedly, a refugee. Due to the circumstances of his birth, he faced immediate harm at the hands of Egyptian death squads. His mother took the only chance she thought she had, and was fortunate enough that a powerful patron, Pharaoh's daughter, took pity on him. Few in America face such a devastating choice. But other mothers and fathers are sending their children away from their homes, often alone, fleeing death and destruction. Here's three questions for us on immigration: Who are "the least of our brothers" right now? What will we do for them; and how will we answer for it?

Bordas & Bordas is happy to call the friendly city of Wheeling, West Virginia home. The attorneys and staff of the firm are committed to giving back to the community that has given and continues to give so much to us. Below are just a few of the many recent philanthropic sponsorships that Bordas & Bordas is honored to be a part of. The Strand Theatre opened its doors to the public on November 15, 1920 at the corner of 5 th Street and Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville, W. Va. It operated regularly for many years until its final curtain call in 1996. Today, the Strand Theatre Preservation Society, a 501c non-profit organization, strives to restore the Theatre's original majesty and grandeur through various productions, tours and musicals. Bordas & Bordas recently contributed to the Theatre's upcoming performance of "Chicago" on August 1 - 3. We are proud to be aligned with such a wonderful organization. The American Cancer Society hosts multiple Relay for Life events in more than twenty countries throughout the course of the year to raise much-needed funds for cancer research and treatment. Monies procured by Relays save more than 400 lives a day. The Ohio Valley boasts many local chapters of this outstanding event, one of which is set to take place at Wheeling Park on August 8. We were happy to contribute again this year. Bordas & Bordas fully supports local sports teams and events year-round and the 2014 Pinto Challenge is no exception to that rule. The Pinto Challenge is a coach-pitch tournament for children seven to eight years old. The event is being held at the I-470 complex on July 16 -20 and will give young players a chance to experience healthy competition in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Bordas & Bordas was happy to sponsor the tournament. The annual St. Michael Parish Community Festival is a summer tradition in the Woodsdale area and will be held on the weekend of July 10 this year. The generosity of community partners, Bordas & Bordas included, will allow for another successful installment. May 7, 2011 changed everything for all those who knew Eric Carder. While the car crash took the life of the 38-year-old father, husband, son and friend, his loved ones refused to let his memory die with him in the accident. As Carder was an avid golfer, a group of his closest friends established the Eric M. Carder Memorial Golf Tournament in his honor. The event will see its fourth installment on July 11 at Oglebay Park's Crispin course. We are happily sponsoring and participating in the event this year. Bordas & Bordas is honored to be involved with such outstanding organizations and events. We will continue to reach out to community partners who are passionate about making a difference. As always, we encourage everyone to support these very worthy causes in any way possible.