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They Should Do Something
According to Gallup, America’s trust in the federal government has steadily declined over the past fifty years. In May 1972, 70 percent of Americans had a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of trust that the federal government could successfully deal with domestic problems. In September 2019, that number had dropped to 50 percent. Yet,…
The Fallacy of Conflicting Rights
A major source of political animosity and controversy today is the belief that the rights of individuals occasionally conflict. The issue then becomes whose “rights” will be protected and whose rights will be thrown under the bus. As an example, last week the Corpus Christi Caller-Times published an editorial supporting restrictions and bans on vaping…
Tenants have Always had Rights
Housing advocates are increasingly calling for laws to protect the rights of tenants. But the fact is, tenants have always had rights. New laws protecting “tenants’ rights” will ultimately lead to the destruction of the rights of all individuals, including tenants. The Declaration of Independence declares that all individuals are endowed with certain rights, namely,…
Saving Trees, Destroying Property Rights
Residents in Victoria recently sought to expand the city’s preservation ordinance to include trees. They want to prevent property owners from removing trees. The Victoria Advocate reports: [Bernard] Klimist, who has run a law firm from a historic building he renovated on Santa Rosa Street since 1991, said the property owner’s rights must be tempered…
Individual Rights: The Ultimate in Local Control
In his concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas wrote, “In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell. Because any substantive due process decision is ‘demonstrably erroneous, we have a duty to ‘correct the error’ established in those…
When All You have is a Hammer
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. In other words, if you have only one tool, you try to use it for everything. In part, this adage explains government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Government has only one tool—force. Every tool has a proper use. A screwdriver is great for…