What’s crazy is not that a Colorado teacher let his students smash a piñata with pictures of Donald Trump and Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto on it; that was merely foolish. What’s crazy is what happened after that, culminating in a local newspaper blaming the woman who publicly complained about the incident for threats of violence made against her and her daughter. Continue reading “In Trump Piñata Case, Greeley Tribune Shamefully Blames Victim for Threats”
Category: Politics
Pope Francis Denounces “Liberal-Individualist Vision”
Pope Francis recently condemned the “liberal-individualist vision” of economic liberty, saying it is “urgent to act . . . especially in the financial field” to limit “market activity and the manipulation of nature.” Continue reading “Pope Francis Denounces “Liberal-Individualist Vision””
Ongoing Violations of the Rights of Immigrants
Arturo Hernandez Garcia was working peaceably in Denver putting in floors when he was arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Garcia is married with two children—both U.S. citizens—and he has no criminal background. Yet he was forcibly taken from his job and his life and confined, and he now faces the possibility of being forcibly ejected from the country. Garcia is one of thousands of people treated in this manner so far this year.
America’s immigration “policy” in many cases is to send out heavily armed thugs with badges to snatch peaceable people from their homes and jobs and rip apart families. This policy is a moral outrage and a profound violation of people’s rights. Continue reading “Ongoing Violations of the Rights of Immigrants”
The Question of Jury Nullification
Should a juror vote to acquit a criminal defendant on the grounds that the law behind the charges is unjust? Is such a practice of jury nullification legal, whether or not it is moral?
Jury nullification is a live issue in Colorado because of ongoing legal disputes between activists who hand out jury-nullifcation literature outside Denver’s Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse and Denver officials who wish to restrict such activity. Continue reading “The Question of Jury Nullification”
Subsidies for Jesus and the Supreme Court’s Conundrum
Should states unjustly subsidize religious organizations—or unjustly discriminate against them? That is a conundrum facing the Supreme Court as religion-friendly Neil Gorsuch joins that body. Continue reading “Subsidies for Jesus and the Supreme Court’s Conundrum”
Overbooking and Passenger Compensation after the United Fiasco
In the aftermath of the April 9 incident in which police dragged a passenger from a United plane, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has “asked the Trump administration to stop overbooking until we set rules how the airlines can conduct themselves.”
For the sake of airline passengers, let’s hope the federal government does not take Christie’s request seriously. Continue reading “Overbooking and Passenger Compensation after the United Fiasco”
The United Debacle, Government Interference, and Contract Ambiguity
A shocking April 9 video shows Chicago Aviation Security Officers violently dragging a screaming and bloodied passenger off of a United Airlines (subcontracted) flight to make room for United crew. United CEO Oscar Munoz said the man, David Dao, was “re-accommodated”—a Newspeak term widely ridiculed and condemned. As of the evening of April 11, Dao remained hospitalized for his injuries. By the end of that day Untied stock had fallen by over a billion dollars.
Why did this happen? The three main problems are overreaction by the parties involved, government interference in the airline industry, and ambiguities in United’s terms of service. Let’s take those issues in turn. Continue reading “The United Debacle, Government Interference, and Contract Ambiguity”
Why the Federal Government Should Not Fund Art
If the federal government did not fund art, there would be no art, right? Obviously no one believes that.
American households regularly spend an average of two to three thousand dollars per year on entertainment, or around 5 percent of household spending. This includes spending on things like pets and sporting events, which aren’t art (if you believe Maryl Streep), as well as on arts including television programs, movies, and music. North Americans (mostly in the United States) spent more than $11 billion in 2016 on movies at the box office alone.
But to hear some people tell it, America’s artistic landscape would be devastated if the federal government did not subsidize the arts. Continue reading “Why the Federal Government Should Not Fund Art”
Free the Health Insurance Market
The failure of Republicans to “repeal and replace” ObamaCare with a pro-liberty alternative, as disappointing as that is for those of us who want to see health care move in the direction of freer markets rather than more government controls, at least offers a good opportunity to reconsider some fundamentals about health insurance. Then hopefully we can get it right next time. Continue reading “Free the Health Insurance Market”
Nix Government Arts Funding, Says Artist and Gallery Owner Quent Cordair
If Congress adopts Trump’s budget proposals, it will cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). That would be horrible for artists, right? Not all artists think so. Continue reading “Nix Government Arts Funding, Says Artist and Gallery Owner Quent Cordair”