Free Republic

"How do you know you are doing nothing that could be construed as wrong by some state functionary? How do you know you are not breaking some law somewhere? And why are you so implicitly trusting that your government would never do anything evil with the information it has collected on you? "This is not purely an academic matter. The practical implications are profound." Entire article here: http://wp.me/p13mHb-1fH

James Dobson: Flaming Liberal?July 28, 2002 Do not suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused. Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we then prohibit and abolish women? -- Martin Luther I am not morally superior to you, but it is fair to say that I don't gamble. I have been in two casinos in my life, and was not thrilled. I might drop five bucks on a football game once every other year. However, I have never seen the allure of it all. It is a vice I have, on balance,...

WE DON'T NEED A PLEDGE AMENDMENTJuly 15, 2002 I thought the brouhaha over the Ninth Circuit Court's ruling over the Pledge of Allegiance would have come and gone by now. Alas, I was wrong. I did not want to comment again this soon on the issue, and I am going to repeat myself a few times. (1) However, some people just cannot leave well enough alone. A group called MillionsofAmericans.com (MOA) is proposing the following amendment to the Constitution: "When recited or written, the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States shall be: 'I pledge allegiance...

Semper Fi at FenwayJuly 11, 2002 Last week's passing of Boston Red Sox baseball legend Ted Williams has prompted me to deviate from commenting on the business of politics and focus instead on what happens in real life. My friends in the freedom movement frequently deride sports as insufficiently serious. Given the choice between watching a game and, say, watching a movie or reading a science fiction novel, I'll watch a game anytime. Here's why. When Ted Williams was a 20-year-old rookie, he said, "All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street folks...

One Nation Under God or Under Man?June 30, 2002 The outrage over this week's decision by the Ninth Circuit Court, which declared the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance to be unconstitutional, was reassuring. If only the American people became so indignant about every violation of their rights. This nation's 226th birthday is just a few days away, so it is as good a time as any to reflect on this question: are we a nation under God or a nation under man? Do we as a people seek the freedom that comes when we trust in...

ADDICTED TO THE DRUG WARMay 19, 2002 Drug dealers are the scum of the earth and the dregs of humanity. There. I hope that satisfies you. Some, no doubt, will ignore this because this is an essay about the futility of the Drug War. Political correctness is not just a liberal's disease. Many conservatives -- not all, but many -- have done with the Drug War what liberals have done with racial quotas and gay rights. When anyone says anything in opposition to the Drug War, they spaz out as if they were tripping on Angel Dust.Such were my...

GUNS PREVENT RAPESubmitted to The Denver Post on April 30, 2002. Editor: In her letter of April 30, Dawn Heiser writes that rape happens not because women let their guard down, but because rapists are poorly educated in the area of human dignity. She states: "Instead of offering tips for women, the police could give tips to potential rapists." Out in real life, a psychopath intent on rape will not be deterred by platitudinous tips from police and social workers. One "tip" that will drive home the point that rape does not pay is the business "tip" of whatever...

Whip Me. Beat Me. Tax Me. Enslave Me.(Or, Shall We Pay Reparations to Taxpayers?) April 9, 2002 I recently received a rather hefty tax refund check from Uncle Sam, and another one I from the State of Colorado about which I cannot complain. For most people who receive such checks, this is cause for rejoicing. After all, nobody ever shot Santa Claus.Very few people ever stop to consider what this means. The larger the refunds you get from the powers that be, the larger the interest-free loan you have given them. Of course, then, almost no one ever gives...

OSCARS, STREETS, HOOPS AND PING-PONG BALLS (Some thoughts on discrimination)March 29, 2002 I am not a big movie fan. I have not been in a theatre in over a year, and I have not watched a movie since Labor Day. Hence, while the rest of the world was watching the Oscars I was watching a Discovery Channel documentary on Marine boot camp at Parris Island. Earlier that day, I watched Kansas beat Oregon the NCAA basketball tournament. In fact, I am so cinematically clueless that I had not even heard of the movie for which Halle Berry was awarded...

Economics, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness Submitted to the Rocky Mountain News, March 20, 2001.Posted at Opinionet Eric Valdez' letter of March 19 contains so many outrageous statements, that it is hard to know where to begin commenting on it. I could write a letter about each paragraph, but I will confine my remarks to the following: "The people do have an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - none of which has anything to do with an economic system." However, Valdez rails against capitalism, which to his way of thinking denies these rights,...

None Dare Call It DictatorshipMarch 17, 2002 A few years ago, I wrote a letter to the editor about a woman who ran afoul of the authorities when she refused to rent a room to a couple who were shacking up out of wedlock. She was charged with discrimination, and had appealed the decision to the level of a federal circuit court. When the circuit court ruled against her, she appealed to the Supreme Court, which decided not to take the case. I sent the letter to my e-mail list, and got the following response from a recipient: "What...

Judging Our "Need" to Defend Ourselves Submitted to the Rocky Mountain News January 21, 2001 Editor: In his letter of January 19, Patrick Horvath calls it "reasonable and prudent" to "(leave) decisions about concealed carry permits to local law enforcement, who are in the best position to judge the applicant's need for a permit..." Let me suggest two thought experiments to point up the folly of requiring people to seek permission to carry concealed weapons. You are a young woman walking down the street at night minding your own business. Three men surround you and gang rape you. Yet ...

Your Government Is Not Responsible For You January 12, 2002 Retired basketball star Charles Barkley was never one to run from controversy. Perhaps his most controversial moment came not on the court or in a run-in with the law, but in a Nike commercial from 1993. I do not remember the exact script of the commercial, but it went something like this: "I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on a basketball court. Parents should be role models." Plenty of athletes serve as fine examples ...

Jesus Christ: Founding Father (December 25, 2001) America, we are told, was founded on Christian principles. We hear this so often that we have stopped examining what it really means. All too frequently this phrase is further trivialized by politicians aiming to deprive us of our freedoms in the name of Christianity. After all, who would oppose a law that was enacted in Jesus' name? I write this on December 25, when Christians the world over refrain from their earthly toil to commemorate the birth of the One to whom "all power is given...in heaven and earth" (Matthew 28:18-20). ...

ASK NOT WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT CAN DO FOR YOU. ASK WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT CAN DO TO YOU. November 2, 2001 As elections go, this year's is not too exciting. New Jersey and Virginia are electing governors. In Aurora, Colorado, where I live, we are choosing city council and school board members, as well as voting on some initiatives and referenda. Perhaps this lack of electoral excitement is a good thing. With all the promises that elected things are making in the wake of September 11, can you imagine what they would promise in an even numbered year? And can ...

You can find "security" in your dictionary in between "secundines" and "sedan". You can also find security when you are six feet under and pushing up daisies. If you think your government can give you security, think again. Throughout history, the greatest enemies of personal security have been governments. But do we learn from history? Of course not. This is why so many Americans are turning to Washington to protect them in the aftermath of the horrors of September 11. The notion of "the land of the free and the home of the brave" has been relegated to little more ...

Because America is Free... September 16, 2001 I have heard it said that the wisdom of the ages can be summarized in three words: life goes on. Even in the aftermath of orgies of madness such as those of September 11, 2001, life must go on. Across America, people are getting on with their lives. They are courageously doing so in spite of great loss, personal inconvenience, and economic uncertainty. The heroic efforts of the relief workers and the unprecedented outpouring of goodwill across America have been most reassuring. The scum who perpetrated these tragedies have not brought America ...

Evolution in Public Schools: It Makes Perfect Sense August 22, 2001 I recently attended a presentation on the scientific basis for the biblical account of creation and the folly of evolution. The speaker, who was incredibly learned on the subject, demolished every imaginable argument against creationism and in favor of evolution. At one point, a friend of mine raised her hand and asked, "If evolution is so wrong, why do they teach it in the schools?" I assume she meant public schools. We shall see that it makes perfect sense that public schools teach evolution and ridicule creationism. First, however, ...

Are You Sure You Want to Close the Borders? August 9, 2001 "...always you are consistent and consider the boneheaded implications of feel good herd mentality quick fix solutions." -- JK in Colorado Such were the comments of one of my regular readers after a piece in which I dissected and exposed the hidden costs of a liberally-oriented business regulation recently enacted in Colorado. I wonder what he will think when I expose the hidden costs of a proposal that has the support of many conservatives: closing the borders to stop immigration. In June, I took a new job. When ...

Talk Back Media Submitted to the Denver Rocky Mountain News, July 18, 2001 Editor: Columnist Charles Roos and Congressman Joel Hefley may not share the same high profiles as Dan Rather and Hillary Clinton. Yet, their arrogance is no less revolting. I say this in light of Roos' column of July 16 wherein he praises Hefley's new web page. Hefley's page consists of routine biographical and legislative material, but has no e-mail. This is something I would expect from eastern Democrats, but not from Republicans in Colorado Springs. The dominant political and media cultures have long taken a dim view ...