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Police Reform In Congress Is All Talk, and No Action

Police Reform In Congress Is All Talk, and No Action

by | Sep 3, 2020 | ,

A friend, and reader of the Libertarian Institute, asked me a few questions recently. Why did a group of protestors demand that Rand Paul say Breonna Taylor’s name when he was the senator that introduced the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act? Why do we see very little media coverage of bills, like the one introduced by Reps. Amash and Pressley, that could actually create criminal justice reform? Are politicians even interested in criminal justice reform, or do they only want to use it as a campaign talking point to seek votes and control? The answer to these questions is the fact that many...

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Hey Uncle Sam, Hands Off Our Social Media!

Hey Uncle Sam, Hands Off Our Social Media!

by | Aug 9, 2020 | ,

Rep. Matt Gaetz made a pair of bizarre tweets recently calling for the Department of Justice to issue injunctions against Facebook and Twitter for “trying to silence the President.” This is a strange demand from anyone claiming to be a proponent of small government. Whether you agree with social media companies banning content or not, their actions do not break any laws. Gaetz’s tweets remind me of several conversations I have had recently with several self-described libertarians and small government conservatives. Oddly, these people argued that the government should step in and punish...

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It Is Time to End Federal Executions

It Is Time to End Federal Executions

by | Jul 24, 2020 | ,

Last week the federal government executed three inmates. These marked the first federal executions in 17 years. The long lapse in executions may make this seem like a non-issue to some people but all executions are inherently wrong. The Attorney General’s directive makes federal executions a new priority for the Department of Justice, which means there are likely more to come. Luckily, there’s a bill that has been introduced in the House of Representatives that can put an end to this practice at the federal level. In this article, I will highlight the moral, fiscal, and practical reasons to...

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Trump’s Big Government

by | May 6, 2019 | ,

A recent Foreign Policy article makes a case that the role of the government in the U.S. economy has grown under President Trump. Normally this would seem contrary to the values of a conservative administration. However, Trump is no small-government conservative nor is he a free market capitalist. Donald Trump is a big government protectionist and any claims of battling "socialism" or big government are a complete fraud. His actions show a continued push for increased government interference in business and the economy. The president recently tweeted that he will be monitoring Facebook...

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A Few Thoughts on Birthright Citizenship

by | Nov 6, 2018 | ,

Most have probably already heard that President Trump told Axios in an interview that he seeks to remove birthright citizenship via an executive order.  As many have already explained, this move would be unconstitutional as it would violate the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Constitutional scholar Ilya Somin penned an excellent article on the subject that can be found here.  As I’ve previously pointed out, Donald Trump neither understands the Constitution nor respects the Constitution, and while this just the latest in his unconstitutional illiteracy, I believe that it may...

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Ted Cruz and Republican Love for Authority

by | Oct 8, 2018 | ,

  As midterms draw near Ted Cruz has ramped up his political attacks on his Democrat opponent.  One attack on Twitter was particularly interesting.  In a bizarre tweet, Cruz posted a video of Beto O’Rourke speaking in front of a predominately black church about the murder of Botham Jean.  As most will already know, Botham Jean was shot and killed in his own apartment by an off-duty police officer.  O’Rourke’s message was that it was an injustice for an unarmed black man to be shot in his own home while he was doing nothing illegal.  Just what was Cruz’s intent with this tweet?...

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The Expanding Military Blob

by | Sep 16, 2018 | ,

On August 13, President Trump signed the Fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.  The act bumps the already massive military budget to a staggering $715 billion for the 2019 fiscal year.  With a military budget that’s already larger than the next seven countries combined, one has to ask if such an increase is really needed. Proponents of the bill will say that it is needed to replace aging equipment.  They will also point to the pay bump that was given to the troops.  This argument lacks merit as most of the budget is used for expenditures other than payroll.  The budget is littered...

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The Second Amendment is For All Races

by | Jul 7, 2018 | ,

“No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms” were the words Thomas Jefferson wrote in three drafts of the Virginia Constitution.  There’s a reason for that, it’s a powerful phrase, one with a sentiment that should be remembered and respected by our government.  All Americans, regardless of skin color, should have the full protection of the Second Amendment.  Unfortunately, history has shown that these words have been all but forgotten by law enforcement. In January 2014, police were called to the house of Gregory Hill for a noise complaint.  In what can only be called a suspicious...

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