Free Republic

Imagine yourself in the stands at the Kentucky Derby. A new horse by the name of President's Choice, a strong thoroughbred that racing aficionados have been talking about, is favored to win. "And they're off!" Now imagine everyone's shock when the gates fly open and the odds-on favorite starts running the wrong way. We saw something similar last night. Samuel Alito, the "conservative" judicial nominee over whom all good little Republicans were drooling, cast his first vote as the nation's newest black-robed oligarch. This morning's edition of the Washington Post reported: "New Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito split with the...

Parents of elementary school children in California were upset that their kids were the targets of a sex survey conducted by the Palmdale School District. The survey, distributed in 2002, focused on how often prepubescent school kids thought about sex and touched themselves--you know, just the kind of things educators need to know to in order to effectively teach reading, writing and math skills. The parents filed a lawsuit, claiming that the survey "violated parents' substantive due process and privacy rights." Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Fields v. Palmdale School District [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/circs/9th/0356499p.pdf], dismissed the suit, saying:...

As a Louisiana native who is now living north of the Mason-Dixon Line, I am well aware of the concerted effort to erase Southern culture from the nation's collective consciousness. I have written numerous articles addressing this social cancer, and every time I do I inevitably hear from people who have the audacity to call me an extremist. "The Civil War is over," they say. "The South lost. Get over it!" Sure. Never mind that those of us who defend the South do so in response to the increasingly virulent attacks on our heritage. Forget that political correctness has...

The birth of this nation was not without its labor pains. Right from the start there was dissension among the Founding Fathers - especially when it came to drafting a new constitution. The “federalists,” stressing the inadequacy of the Articles of Confederation, called for a stronger national government. The “antifederalists,” on the other hand, believed that this centralization of power could only lead to tyranny. States’ rights advocate Richard Henry Lee saw the inherent problems of what the federalists were proposing: “To say that a bad government must be established for fear of anarchy is really saying that we should...

On March 27, 2002, George W. Bush signed the Incumbent Politician Protection Act (a.k.a. the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) into law. The president admitted there were provisions in the bill that presented "serious constitutional concerns," but that didn't stop him - and now we know why. The ones who passed the law are already entrenched at the highest levels of government. As incumbents they have the press coverage. They have the name recognition. The bully pulpit is theirs to command. Their re-election to office would only be made easier if the competition were silenced in some way, and Campaign Finance...

What does it mean to be "conservative"? Is it simply the antonym of "liberal"? What core beliefs define conservatism? Are those principles still cherished today? Such questions continue to be debated within conservative circles. Most who adhere to a conservative ideology will agree that defending our individual rights of life, liberty and property are of the utmost importance. In other words, we need to see to it that the government is kept from encroaching upon our inalienable, God-given rights. In truth, the sole purpose of government is to protect those rights, and the restraints on federal power provided by the...

Ask any Christian if they believe that God placed George W. Bush in the White House and most will answer in the affirmative. Lt. Gen. William "Jerry" Boykin, the man leading the search for Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, is one of those Christians – and he is not shy about admitting it. He has stated publicly that Bush is "in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this." A statement made with that kind of conviction is bound to grab the attention of both Christians and non-Christians alike. Is Boykin correct? After...

The 2004 elections may be over a year away, but the 2004 campaign season is already in full swing. Over the course of the next eight or nine months, culminating in the national conventions of both major parties, the pool of candidates will be narrowed down significantly — quite possibly down to Clinton/Clarke versus Bush/Cheney. (Don't think it can't happen.) But no matter who wins, constitutional conservatism will most likely be the real loser of the 2004 elections. Constitutional conservatives are those Americans who cling to the antiquated notion that our nation was intended to be a constitutional republic. They...

What is the difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party? One is the party of big spending, more government control and a burgeoning federal bureaucracy; the other has a jackass for a mascot. For years I bought the Republican line that the only way to cut taxes and shrink government is to vote in other Republicans, regardless of their positions on any particular issue. It wasn't long before I began to suspect that reducing the size and scope of government is not part of the GOP game plan. My suspicions were most recently confirmed by none other than...

With the second anniversary of 9/11 just around the corner, rumors and theories about another possible terrorist attack are in abundant supply. According to a recent CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll, 54 percent of Americans think that more attacks are likely during the next few weeks, and 80 percent believe that terrorists are already in the U.S. and are prepared to strike at any time. There must be reason for concern--even the federal government has stepped up efforts to make it appear as if it is doing something to provide for the common defense. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced on Monday...

A judicial ethics panel has suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore for his refusal to obey a federal court's order to remove a monument displaying the Ten Commandments on public property. This action was anticipated, but it only seems to have strengthened the resolve of Justice Moore and thousands of other concerned citizens. What has been surprising are the responses from conservatives who support the court's ruling and who have lashed out at Justice Moore. Michael Medved, the radio talk show host dubbed America's "Cultural Crusader," has accused Moore of flaunting the rule of law and taking a position that...

Thanks to activist courts and an ignorant citizenry, atheists tend to dictate public policy when it comes to the separation of church and state. Not surprisingly, a recent incident in New Jersey has ruffled the feathers of some atheists who have absolutely no understanding of the U.S. Constitution.Members of the Board of Freeholder in Warren County voted unanimously to hang posters with the words "In God We Trust" in all county-owned buildings. The decision was met with resistance from the New Jersey-based American Atheists.One member of this Godless organization, Frank Zindler, was quoted in the New Jersey Star-Ledger as saying,...

First came the Patriot Act, rammed through Congress without even being read by the vast majority of its supporters. Then came threats of a Patriot Act II. Now we have members of the House of Representatives telling us that we need to amend the U.S. Constitution in order to protect the American flag from desecration. They made their wishes known with a vote of 300 to 125 in favor of a new flag-burning amendment. No doubt their actions were intended to stoke the fires of patriotism burning in a post-9/11 America, but with all the serious issues that have yet...

Many of you are probably already aware that for the last 50 years freedom of speech in America's churches has been stifled. Thanks to a new bill gaining support in the House of Representatives, that may change. In 1954 Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson championed an amendment to the IRS Code that banned any place of worship from overtly supporting a political candidate. The punishment for such a heinous crime was, and is, the loss of tax-exempt status. Originally voted down last October, the "Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act" (H.R. 235) hopes to remove the free speech restrictions placed...

All through American history, brave Southerners have taken up the reins of leadership when their countrymen needed them most. More than just obscure footnotes in the pages of a public school textbook, these names have become synonymous with leadership. George Washington, perhaps the most famous of all Southern leaders, stood up to a king and his imperial army. He faced overwhelming odds during the American Revolution, yet survived to see the birth of a new nation. Washington’s sense of duty throughout the war carried over into his role as our nation's first president. Unlike most modern politicians, he was a...

The recent chaotic images on the evening news are not shots of Syracuse fans celebrating their NCAA basketball championship. They are not scenes from the French Quarter during Mardi Gras, nor are they clips from MTV's Spring Break 2003. What we have been seeing are pictures of jubilant Iraqis in the streets of Baghdad, cheering on American troops and toppling statues of their former dictator. I could not help but be reminded of the citizens of East Germany dancing atop the Berlin Wall in 1989. We have also witnessed Iraqi mobs smashing the windows of homes, stores and banks, making...