In case you missed it…
Declaration of Independence
In the early 20th century, the “progressive” movement was in full swing. It was a movement rooted in the belief that America’s founding principles were largely standing in the way of economic and social progress. President Calvin Coolidge, however, was not among this group. Unlike the 20th century progressives that dominated the era, Coolidge understood that big-government advocates had things exactly backward. In 1926, in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Coolidge gave a moving speech in defense of American principles, declaring, “We live in an age of science and of abounding accumulation of material things. These did not create our Declaration. Our Declaration created them.” (Read more)
The American Revolution
When we talk about the American Revolution, it’s important to remember the exact reason the Founding Fathers decided to take up arms against the most powerful military of the day. After all, American colonist were taxed less and had more autonomy in their affairs than British subjects in Europe, or colonies in most of the rest of the world. The American Revolution, however, wasn’t primarily about high taxes or punitive governments. It was a rebellion against Europe’s “Old World” thinking, where blasé kings and parliaments held themselves unaccountable to the very people they governed. (Read more)
Labor unions
Last month, the United States Supreme Court ruled that public employees cannot be forced to financially support a union in which they don’t want membership. (Read NPRI’s press release here.) It was a major step toward at last assuring workers’ rights to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to join a union. It is not, however, going to be an easy win for workers to preserve. As we’ve already seen in Nevada — which enjoyed this right even before the Janus ruling — union leaders often make it difficult for workers to “opt-out.” (Of course, this is why NPRI runs a campaign to let teachers know they can opt out between July 1st and July 15th each year. Click here to learn more about this opt out period, and forward the link to a teacher that wants out of their union!) But some states are going even further to make sure government unions don’t have to worry about actually earning the loyalty of their members. An assemblyman in New York has promised to introduce a bill that would require local government to “reimburse” unions for workers that decide to opt out of paying dues. (Read more)
Free speech
The New York Times recently ran an opinion piece arguing that conservatives have “weaponized the First Amendment.” The article marks a distinct shift in the left’s attitude toward freedom of speech, as more and more “progressives” openly advocate for various forms of censorship or restriction on the speech of political opponents. Even the left-leaning justices of the U.S. Supreme Court have taken aim at the concept of free speech. Justice Elena Kagan, dissenting in the Janus case, argued that “the First Amendment was meant for better things” than protecting a worker’s right to opt out of an organization with which he disagrees politically. Writing for The Federalist, Robert Tracinski explains the progressive’s newfound disdain for free speech this way: “many of the old liberals fought for free speech largely because they wanted to protect people like them from overbearing authorities. But now people like them are the overbearing authorities.” (Read more)
Progressive policies
California has some beautiful and amazing cityscapes. Unfortunately, in recent years, many cities such as San Francisco have become overrun with homelessness, drugs and urban decay. The reason for the bay area’s decline is simple, according to Steven Greenhut at The American Spectator: “One of the world’s most beautiful cities has turned into a cesspool, but officials seem more interested in pursuing grandiose progressive ideals than dealing with basic civic duties.” (Read more)