Does a mob have moral authority? No more than an individual. All things being equal, a group of people does not have the right to do anything that an individual can't do. Let me explain by example. Say one of your neighbors - let's call her Jill - falls seriously ill and can't pay her..
Read moreNo, Secession is Not Treason
Those seeking to erase Confederate flags and other symbols of the Confederacy from the public sphere most often refer to the association with slavery and racism. I strongly condemn this movement to purge and censor. Tossing inconvenient or uncomfortable history down the proverbial memory hole smacks of Orwellian tyranny. Totalitarian regimes cleanse history. This rising..
Read moreFlag Burning – Symbolism Over Substance
A lot of people get really, really angry about burning the American flag. In fact, over the last few weeks, I’ve read numerous social media comments by people suggesting they would gladly subject flag burners to severe physical injury. Many threats involve kicking a certain part of the offender’s anatomy. The more rational commenters advocate..
Read more133 Words or Less: Anarchy on the Beach
I witnessed anarchy on the beach this afternoon. I saw about a dozen people playing some sort of ball game. It resembled baseball, but the players clearly made up some of the rules and agreed to them on their own. The most striking thing about the game was the total lack of a central authority..
Read moreTyranny: Smells Like Lemons
Cops in Overton, Texas, shut down two little girls' lemonade stand because they didn't have the proper permit. According to KTRK TV, the kids were trying to earn money for so they could buy their dad a Father's Day present. The girls' mom summed the whole thing up perfectly. I think that's ridiculous." Anybody with..
Read more133 Words or Less: Blowing Stuff Up
According to gatekeeper of acceptable opinion Nina Burleigh, of the people you know, I'm probably the one most likely to blow up a building. Why? Because I distrust the federal government and hold the extremist view that it should be limited. Nina thinks my views mirror those of Timothy McVeigh's, ergo my latent homicidal tendencies...
Read moreGot a Problem? Solve it with Guns!
Last week, President Obama floated the idea of mandatory voting. My friend Jeff Stewart summed it up neatly. Problem: Not enough voters. Solution: Guns I can already see some of you rolling your eyes. "The president wasn't suggesting shooting people who don't vote." OK. Not directly. But in truth, guns lurk in the background behind..
Read morePolitical Sand Castles
Even as an adult, I love building sand castles. Having spent a big chunk of my life in Florida, I’ve built a lot, probably more than 100. Not one remains today. Now, this doesn’t exactly count as a profound revelation. Of course my sand castles didn’t survive. I built them out of sand. They lacked..
Read moreThe Might Makes Right “Ethic”
The release of the “torture report” today got me thinking about ethics. Moral and ethical thought, along with broader philosophical concepts, form the foundation of political ideology. I find it interesting to read between the lines in political comments people make and try to figure out what kind of ethical framework they think within. Sadly,..
Read moreSubmit to the Law…Always?
In the decades prior to the Civil War, hundreds of men and women risked their own lives and freedom to help blacks escape slavery in the South. I used to consider the people who organized and ran the Underground Railroad heroic, but apparently I was wrong. They were merely lawbreakers who deserved nothing more than..
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