On Saturday night, blind Chinese legal activist Chen Guangcheng arrived in Newark, N.J., after escaping seven years of persecution in China. With the sweet land of liberty under his feet, Chen breathed the free air and remarked, “We should link our arms to continue in the fight for the goodness in the world and to fight against injustice.” Chen’s newfound freedom is a cause for celebration, but it is also a reminder that America must continue to be a force for liberty in the world, whether on the other side of … More
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There aren’t many people who justify comparisons to Nelson Mandela, but longtime Burmese political dissident Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the few. For 20 years, Kyi incurred imprisonment, house arrest, and other forms of detention for attempting to bring democracy to the military-ruled Burma. This month, she is free and standing for parliament after erecting a pillar of freedom to her country through her political party, the National League for Democracy. Kyi has won the Nobel Peace Prize and is a powerful example of persevering, peaceful dissidence coming … More
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This morning, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a document titled “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty: A Statement on Religious Liberty.” To Americans who care about and work for religious freedom, the bishops’ statement is a powerful message of solidarity. The bishops argue that, in America, religious freedom is our first and most cherished freedom and, without it, “all other freedoms are fragile.” In giving this important principle due consideration, it is also important to recognize that one of the greatest threats to religious freedom today is … More
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On March 28, Pope Benedict XVI completed his six-day visit to Mexico and Cuba. In both stops, the Pope sought to propagate the faith and demonstrate the connectivity between faith and the moral and spiritual conditions of modern man. In Cuba, the Pope did not visit with those who speak in opposition to the Castro regime. He did meet with a visibly aging, weakened Fidel Castro. Vatican spokesman Frederico Lombardi said the Pope granted a meeting to Fidel Castro—but not to dissidents who had requested the same—out of the church’s … More
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Today, thousands of Americans gathered peacefully at over 140 capitols, government buildings and historical sites across the United States to protest the government’s latest attempt to trample on religious freedom. The Stand up for Religious Freedom rallies seen around the nation today gave individuals in these communities the opportunity to express their opposition to the Obamacare anti-conscience mandate – which is a coercive undermining of religious liberty. In Washington, D.C., hundreds gathered in front of the Department of Health & Human Services, where the offensive rule originated. A line up … More
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Why does the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games have more than 3 million fans on Facebook? More than 1,000 showings of the film, which opens tonight at midnight, have already sold out. It’s simple: Readers of the book have put themselves in the story. It’s a gripping first-person narrative that prods the reader to wonder, “What would I do in this situation?” again and again. And it’s a fight for liberty—personal and collective—that is relatable. Like many enduring tales, The Hunger Games features everyday individuals fighting evil against all … More
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Why does the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games have more than 3 million fans on Facebook? More than 1,000 showings of the film, which opens tonight at midnight, have already sold out. It’s simple: Readers of the book have put themselves in the story. It’s a gripping first-person narrative that prods the reader to wonder, “What would I do in this situation?” again and again. And it’s a fight for liberty—personal and collective—that is relatable. Like many enduring tales, The Hunger Games features everyday individuals fighting evil against all … More
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Constitutional conservatism is alive and well in America today. From conservatives in Congress working to roll back big government spending to the backlash over Obamacare’s anti-conscience mandate, it’s clear that Americans are clinging to the foundational principles of our country. Two years ago, the Tea Party movement launched grassroots conservative activists to the forefront of political debate, giving big-government liberals a force to be reckoned with. Reinvigorated citizens began to fight for the constitutional cornerstones of limited government, free markets, and localized empowerment. The fight to return to a constitutional … More
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Echoing the findings of The Heritage Foundation’s 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, the latest edition of The Economist sums up well the current status of America’s business environment: The home of laissez-faire is being suffocated by excessive and badly written regulation.… The problem is not the rules that are self-evidently absurd. It is the ones that sound reasonable on their own but impose a huge burden collectively. America is meant to be the home of laissez-faire. Unlike Europeans, whose lives have long been circumscribed by meddling governments and diktats from … More
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In his two terms in office, President Ronald Reagan gave America a powerful transfusion of his own optimism and hope. He rekindled a sense of the possible, rescuing America from defeatism and restoring our confidence and pride in this great nation. That transformation of America was possible chiefly because of Reagan’s unshakable faith in the power of ideas. Reflecting his strong conviction in freedom, Reagan pointed out in his address to students at Moscow State University in May 1988: Freedom is the right to question and change the established way … More
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