John Spink

@JWC_Channel @tootgail God is always full of surprises.

Hallelujah

There is a way past the absurd and deeply divisive “war” between the President and the Pope, which has been enthusiastically ginned up by the press. And it is indicated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2309 to be precise. After laying out the various criteria for determining a just war—proportionality, last resort, declaration by a competent authority, reasonable hope of success, etc.—the Catechism points out that “the evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.” The assumption is that the just war principles function, to use the technical term, as heuristic devices, designed to guide the practical decision-making of those civil authorities who have to adjudicate matters of war and peace. The role of the Church, therefore, is to call for peace and to urge that any conflict be strictly circumscribed by the moral constraints of the just war criteria. But it is not the role of the Church to evaluate whether a particular war is just or unjust. That appraisal belongs to the civil authorities, who, one presumes, have requisite knowledge of conditions on the ground. So, is the war in question truly the last resort? Is there really a balance between the good to be attained and the destruction caused by the war? Are combatants and non-combatants being properly distinguished in the waging of the conflict? Do the belligerents have right intention? Is there a reasonable hope of success? The posing of those questions—indeed the insistence upon their moral relevance—belongs rightly to the Church, but the answering of them belongs to the civil authorities. The Pope has said, on numerous occasions, that he is not a politician and that his role is not the determination of any nation's foreign policy. But he has just as clearly said that he will continue to speak for peace and for moral constraint. In making both of these claims, he is operating perfectly within the framework of paragraph 2309 of the Catechism. If we understand that the Pope and the President have qualitatively different roles to play in the determination of moral action in regard to war, we can, I hope, extricate ourselves from the completely unhelpful narrative of “Pope vs. President.”

The Christian genocide in Nigeria has been attributed to everything from climate change to economic concerns (by the New York Times today). If you want the real story, here’s my interview with @RepRileyMoore. He has been on the ground. Watch this: youtu.be/5kgA42CZ2Dg

A recent statement by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez illuminates the Marxist ideology which continues to take hold of American politicians. Here are my thoughts.

There was a line from Zohran Mamdani’s inaugural address yesterday that took my breath away. He said he intended to replace “the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.” Collectivism in its various forms is responsible for the deaths of at least one hundred million people in the last century. Socialist and Communist forms of government around the world today—Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, etc.—are disastrous. Catholic social teaching has consistently condemned socialism and has embraced the market economy, which people like Mayor Mamdani caricature as “rugged individualism.” In fact, it is the economic system that is based upon the rights, freedom, and dignity of the human person. For God’s sake, spare me the “warmth of collectivism.”

In Nigeria, hundreds of our young brothers and sisters in Christ are now entering a second week of captivity. Please take a moment today to pray for them and—if you can—bring this situation to the attention of those who can make a difference.

Prominent personalities—including Bill Maher, boxer Ryan Garcia, and actor Rob Schneider—have spoken out against the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. According to Intersociety, more than 52,000 Christians have been killed by Islamists there over the past 14 years.

@DeKalbCountyPD @BillyHeathFOX5 How long are you going to keep us in suspense?

@DeKalbCountyPD @BillyHeathFOX5 Well, what’s going on there Billy?

DKPD is in the area of Brockett Road and Lavista Road. Please avoid the area! Updates to be provided later. #WeAreDKPD

@BillyHeathFOX5 @FOX5Atlanta @GDOTATL @GADeptofTrans @SKYFOXTraffic It’s like being at White Water!

HAPPENING NOW: Water is pouring onto traffic on I-20 from below the Hill Street SE overpass in Atlanta, it appears to be a water line break and it’s impacting both sides of the interstate. This video was shared with us by Rapid Emergency Roadside Assistance. @FOX5Atlanta #ATL

@MikeShieldsWSB Thank you Sir. We will see you on TV. Keep up the great work and keep that tree up until March!

Congratulations to the great @johnjspink on retirement! John has captured some of the biggest news stories across Metro Atlanta for decades and now he gets to capture some zzzzz’s!

@mckayWSB @wsbradio @WSBChandler @ajc Thank you Sir for all your kind words and friendship. I will miss working with you and for all your help over the years! God Speed!

He did it his way...and he's one of the best photojournalists in the biz! @wsbradio Atlanta's Morning News host @WSBChandler and I wish @ajc @johnjspink a happy and well earned retirement. So many times we were at the same scene, me in the 🚁 & John on the ground. Congrats 🍾!

@MarkArum @ajc @wsbradio @wsbtv @MikeShieldsWSB @LoriWilsonWSB Thank you for the great breakfast today Sir! Most enjoyable! You’re a Great Man!

Legendary @ajc photographer @johnjspink is hanging up his camera bag after an amazing, award-winning career. He was an invaluable resource for @wsbradio and @wsbtv for almost 30 years. The city, his friends and his co-workers will certainly miss him. 😢

@BradNitzWSB @MarkArum @ajc @wsbradio @wsbtv @MikeShieldsWSB @LoriWilsonWSB Thank you Brad

@MarkArum @ajc @wsbradio @wsbtv @MikeShieldsWSB @LoriWilsonWSB Congratulations @johnjspink! I’ll miss seeing you and your amazing pictures.

@Brosner85 @ajc Thank you 😊

@johnjspink @ajc Your final days are heating up! Congrats on your upcoming retirement! You’re the best and an absolute legend!

UPDATE: Families evacuated as #CollegePark apartments go up in flames - tinyurl.com/4tjwczzk @ajc

BREAKING: College Park and Atlanta Firefighters at the scene of an apartment fire on Godby Road. ajc.com @ajc

@MadelineTV @SteveGWSB @BillyHeathFOX5 Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Happy retirement to one of the best in the biz: John Spink! Spink always had a joke and a scream to make the morning shift more lively. The AJC won’t be the same without him 📸

UPDATE: I-75 S reopens after hours-long officer-involved shooting investigation - tinyurl.com/fd75y2vm #Atlanta @ajc