Misplaced loyalty. While reading the first chapter of Jason Riley’s new book, “Please Stop Helping Us,” I thought about Will Rogers’ Prohibition-era observation that “Oklahomans vote dry as long as they can stagger to the polls.” Demonstrative of similar dedication, one member of Congress told Vanderbilt University political scientist Carol Swain ... MORE
by Jeremy Scahill, Ryan Devereaux. The Obama administration has quietly approved a substantial expansion
of the terrorist watchlist system, authorizing a secret process that
requires neither “concrete facts” nor “irrefutable evidence” to
designate an American or foreigner as a terrorist, according to a key
government document obtained ... MORE
by Ross Kaminsky. Concealed weapons legal in DC until further notice. The ruling
of Washington, DC district court judge Fredrick Scullin in the most
important current challenge to that city's unconstitutional restrictions
on Second Amendment rights takes judicial action against intentionally
law-breaking jurisdictions to a most welcome new ... MORE
A chilling effect on truth-seeking. Revelations over the past few years about how U.S. security officials have the ability to track people through phone, email and other electronic records are making it harder for journalists to report on what the government is doing, two human rights groups say. Human Rights Watch and the American Civil ... MORE
Learn an important principle of freedom. It has long been assumed that juries judge the facts and the courts judge the law. But Georgia v. Brailsford (1794) is the precedent that explains why that is a hasty assumption. It sets a precedent that the jury can also judge, and if it wishes, veto any law. Take a moment to understand what ... MORE
Murder is murder. You can't get more serious about protecting the people from their government than the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, specifically in its most critical clause: "No person shall be... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." In 2011, the White House ordered the drone-killing of American citizen ... MORE
Which of these things is not like the other? 1 Measles, 2 influenza, 3 tuberculosis, 4 murder. If you picked #4, “murder,” you’re right. The first three are medical diseases. In contrast “murder” is not a medical problem, although it is a tragic cause of death. But in recent years, anti-gun organizations (and some physicians) are seeking ... MORE
from NY Times editorial series. In
1970, at the height of his white-hot war on crime, President Richard
Nixon demanded that Congress pass the Controlled Substances Act to crack
down on drug abuse. During the debate, Senator Thomas Dodd of
Connecticut held up a package wrapped in light-green paper that he said
contained $3,000 .... MORE
from InformationLiberation: Orange County, Florida sheriff's deputies waging an armed raid for a suspected pot dealer entered a family's home guns blazing and shot a teen girl and her dog, only to find out the suspect they were looking for hadn't lived in the home for weeks -- despite their claim to have "surveilled" the home extensively ... MORE
Scalping free speech. Anyone who thinks the cultural left is going to stop its political correctness with the Washington Redskins isn't reading USA Today. On the top of their Sports front page on July 22, the paper reported on activists taking a stand against "redface," championing a group called Eradicating Offensive Indian Mascotry. The thought ... MORE
by Joe Mozingo. A lesson on jury nullification. Julie Shemitz watched warily as the judge asked prospective jurors whether they or anyone close to them had a card for medical marijuana. Ten hands lifted, a third of the jury pool. "Look at all those hands," the judge said. An assistant U.S. attorney, Shemitz knew that this would be a ... MORE
Only the cops are against reform. When the public is more afraid of the cops than the bad guys, the system is broken. There’s reason for some law-abiding Americans to worry about their pocketbook becoming lighter after a visit from the lawman. Bonnie and Clyde never pretended to be anything but robbers. A 64-year-old Texas ... MORE
by Anna Bernasek. Economic
inequality in the United States has been receiving a lot of attention.
But it’s not merely an issue of the rich getting richer. The typical
American household has been getting poorer, too. The
inflation-adjusted net worth for the typical household was $87,992 in
2003. Ten years later, it was only $56,335, or a 36 % ... MORE