The idea of “American exceptionalism” has become a litmus test for patriotism in the last year or so. Politicians from both parties have realized that it resonates with American citizens and have hastened to add it to their list of buzz words. However, it is used often without explanation, which allows people to share it while intending vastly different meanings. Begrudgingly, liberals will admit that America is “exceptional”—but only in the way that every country is special. In his maiden speech on the Senate floor yesterday, Senator Marco Rubio (R–FL) …
Pay much attention to the same-sex marriage debate and you’re likely to hear how people who support marriage as one man and one woman are trying to impose their religious beliefs on other people. Dig in a bit deeper and you’ll find that many proponents of same-sex marriage aren’t very comfortable with political action by religious people and groups to support marriage as one man and one woman. When Proposition 8 passed in California, for example, Mormons were widely criticized and even targeted for reprisals based on the widespread belief …
Few historical questions generate as much controversy as this one—and do so on such a regular basis. Every few months or so, following some public pronouncement on America’s Christian roots or some court ruling pertaining to the First Amendment, the nation is subjected to a heated, but essentially sterile, debate on the Christian character of the American nation. On the one side are those who view any mention of God in the public square as a dangerous threat to religious liberty and a veiled move to transform America into a …
Last night the Wisconsin Supreme Court (finally) agreed that the legislature—not the courts—writes the laws. This is a huge victory for Wisconsin taxpayers. Collective bargaining powers give unions a monopoly on labor services provided to government. The voters’ elected representatives may not hire employees except on the terms the union agrees to. Unfortunately, monopolies have the same effect in government as in the private sector—raising costs and reducing quality. Until now, government employees in Wisconsin paid just 6 percent of their health care premiums and next to nothing for generous …
Father’s Day may have a commercial pretense to it, but that doesn’t change the fact that many Americans will take June 19th as a serious occasion to express deep gratitude to fathers. As this Heritage FamilyFacts.org video shows, fatherhood is well worth the recognition. Dads help hold American families, and ultimately, civil society together. “The Importance of Fathers” makes it clear that fathers are more than just breadwinners for their families. They’re especially significant in the lives of their children.
In approving Wisconsin’s new collective bargaining law yesterday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court dropped an anvil on Dane County Judge MaryAnn Sumi’s political rulings. The state Supreme Court vacated all of Sumi’s orders against Wisconsin’s new labor law, declaring them void ab initio or invalid from the inception. This avoids the need for Wisconsin legislators to hold another vote on the bill. It is a victory not only for the soundness of the underlying legislative process but also for the rule of law against activist judges who ignore the separation of …
Among the many broken pieces of America’s offshore energy policy is the split between federal and state government royalty revenue. Implementing an even split would go a long way to encourage more offshore oil and gas production and promote states’ rights. Currently, in offshore waters where drilling occurs, coastal states collect 100 percent of the royalties from production in state waters and 27 percent of the revenue within three miles of state waters. The 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) gives Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas a 37.5 …
For the past three months, the United States has been engaged in a war in Libya, and during that time Congress has remained largely in the dark and on the sidelines about central questions in the conflict, all while U.S. forces remain committed without congressional authorization. Yesterday, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) sent a letter to President Barack Obama warning that the commander in chief may be in violation of the law if he refuses to ask Congress for its approval. In his letter, Boehner noted that the President is just days …
After backpedaling on debating S. Res. 194, a resolution on the use of U.S. military force and operations in Libya, Senator John Kerry (D–MA), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has finally decided to hold a meeting this Thursday to mark up the resolution. The House of Representatives took the lead two weeks ago by passing a resolution prohibiting ground troops and demanding more details on U.S. operations in Libya. While the resolution is nonbinding, it did increase the pressure on the Senate to follow suit, especially since the …
June 10 marked an important step forward in Colombia’s efforts to build enduring democratic security and pursue justice: Colombia’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, signed the Victims’ and Land Restitution Law. In the past, violence perpetrated primarily by paramilitary groups and guerrillas displaced 4 million Colombians, forcing them off as much as 16 million acres of land. The Victims’ Law has the potential to provide aid to those who have lost relatives or a significant amount of land as a result of violence in the past. The reparations will vary depending …
