Should society tolerate intolerance? Increasingly, many say no. A meme making its rounds on social media based on The Open Society and Its Enemies by philosopher Karl R. Popper argues that a tolerant society cannot tolerate intolerance. It features a cartoon image of a giant foot kicking a Nazi in the rear. Any movement that..
Read moreThoughts from Maharrey Head #95: Free Speech for Real
"10 Minutes Closer to Freedom" In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I talk about freedom of speech in light of Kathy Griffin's photo with Trump's severed head. Comedian Kathy Griffin sparked the brouhaha of the week when a picture of her holding the likeness of Pres. Trump's severed head surfaced. Social media went..
Read moreYes. Non-Citizens Have Rights
Over the last week, I've heard several people say things like, "Non-citizens don't have any rights in America." Or a variation on the theme "Illegals don't have rights in this country." I find this mentality troubling on two levels. In the first place, it implies government gives people their rights. You only get 'em if..
Read moreWhy Do You Want a King?
Why do Americans want a king? The American colonists fought a long, bloody war to free themselves from the tyranny of a king, but in the ensuing 240 years, America has slowly but surely reestablished a monarchy - if not in name, at least in form. The president exercises unprecedented powers today. With the stroke..
Read moreDecentralization: A Strategy for Liberty
Hardcore libertarians sometimes criticize me because of my focus on the Constitution and political action at the state level to limit federal power. They argue that the American constitutional system will never bring about liberty, and that by working through government at any level, I undermine the cause of freedom. I am sympathetic to the..
Read moreThoughts from Maharrey Head #37: Freedom of Speech and the First Amendment
"10 Minutes Closer to Freedom" In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head I talk about the First Amendment, its relation to freedom of speech, and more generally the importance of free expression in a free society. The recent shutdown of a Donald Trump rally in Chicago has generated a lot of discussion about freedom..
Read moreGo Ahead; Discriminate Against Me
A bill making its way through the Kentucky legislature would allow businesses that provide "customized, artistic, expressive, creative, ministerial, or spiritual goods or services" to refuse service to individuals or groups based on religious convictions. The bill was obviously written to allow the proverbial Christian baker to refuse to bake a cake for a gay..
Read moreMonopoly Government? No Thanks!
In this short video, I explain why I opposes centralizing government power in D.C. (Or anywhere else) Hint: it's not because I think state and local governments are great. https://youtu.be/T0I3Uoh7Flg
Read moreIs it Time for the Supreme Court to Weigh in on Cousin Marriage?
Did you know Kentucky state law bans marriage between first cousins? But you will find no such prohibition right across the border in Virginia. So, here are a couple of questions. Doesn't Kentucky's law against first cousins getting married discriminate? And doesn't it violate the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause (As interpreted by the Supreme..
Read moreMonopoly Government: The Power to Git-R-Done
Anyone wondering about my general antipathy toward the state need look no further than the circus surrounding gay marriage licenses in Kentucky. The two sides squared off against each other in the Great Kentucky County Clerk Gay Marriage License Debate seem diametrically opposed and impossibly divided by a yawning, unspannable chasm. But at their core,..
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