We launched LibertyBlog.org (LB) in April 2012 to help citizen journalists promote liberty. In just 2013, readers in over 120 countries have visited LB, showing the global appeal of the liberty movement. This year, LB published many insightful articles on various liberty topics, such as the … [Read more...]
Health & Human Services: Religious Employers Still Ain’t “Religious”
Dan Smyth | July 15, 2013
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law…prohibiting the free exercise [of religion.] The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently blew a chance to exempt any conscientious “religious employer,” such as Christian-owned Hobby Lobby, from HHS’ contraception/abortifacient … [Read more...]
Future Kennedy: “States Must Recognize Same-Sex Marriage”
Dan Smyth | July 10, 2013
We've all heard that, in the United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court just declared Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. In part, Section 3 stated that any mention of "marriage" in federal laws, rules, and regulations referred only to a union between one man and one … [Read more...]
Say What? Linguistic High Ground in Political Debates
Paul Wilson | June 11, 2013
The development of debating skills is vital for advocates of liberty, as political discussions are a primary method of influencing others’ opinions. However, debates have a nasty habit of getting bogged down in squabbles over the definitions of particular words. Fights over the definition of a … [Read more...]
“Hear, Americans, the Sacred Cry: Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!”
María Belén Eyheramonho | April 22, 2013
The introductory verse of a South American country’s national anthem reads, “Hear, mortals, the sacred cry: Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” This country has one of the biggest surface areas in the world, thundering rivers and falls, mountains and valleys, endless forests and jungles, cattle and wheat … [Read more...]
Avoiding Bloodshed? U.S. Journalists and Censorship in Wartime
Dan Smyth | April 10, 2013
“[Union journalists]…are the direct cause of more bloodshed than fifty times their number of armed Rebels.” -Union General William Sherman, 1863 Should the U.S. government or military censor wartime information in national security’s name? In my recently published article “Avoiding Bloodshed? US … [Read more...]
A Lesson in Politics from Senator Rand Paul
Maggen Elizabeth Stone | March 7, 2013
Yesterday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) took a page from the 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. At 11:47 AM, he began a filibuster that lasted 13 hours. Afterward, he thanked everyone from his fellow senators to the doorkeepers. Paul’s filibuster was an amazing event to behold and a production that … [Read more...]
2013’s March for Life: C’mon, Libertarians!
Dan Smyth | January 15, 2013
With 2013’s March for Life in Washington, D.C., approaching on January 25th, I ask: Will many libertarians attend? A recent Cato Institute study said 37% of libertarians are pro-life, versus 31% of Democrats, 45% of independents, and 68% of Republicans. Many libertarians believe the false claims … [Read more...]
O Hobby Lobby, Art Thou a Religious Employer?
Dan Smyth | January 3, 2013
Last week, Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned chain, said it will defy the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)' contraception/abortifacient mandate. The owners, who oppose abortifacients but not contraceptives, claim that the abortifacient part of the mandate violates the owners' and … [Read more...]
Miss Venezuela’s Answer: Conservatism or Libertarianism?
Dan Smyth | December 23, 2012
During last Wednesday’s Miss Universe 2012 competition in Las Vegas, a judge asked Miss Venezuela Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, "If you could make a new law, what would it be?" To many news outlets' amusement, Miss Venezuela, whose second language is English, gave the following answer: I think … [Read more...]
