Podcast

476 – Mexico vs U.S. Gun Manufacturers

Cities and states have been trying to put gun manufacturers out of business for decades with frivolous lawsuits, blaming them for the criminal use of their products. This got to be such a problem that Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Now Mexico has joined the fight, blaming Smith & Wesson for their drug cartel problems.

Paul Engel

475 – Memorial Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
Declaration of Independence

You may be wondering, why am I quoting the Declaration of Independence for a holiday other than Independence Day? Because, one of our nation’s most important holidays is often treated as nothing more than the beginning of summer. That does a disservice to all who have sacrificed so much to secure our rights.

Paul Engel

474 – Understanding REAL ID

It took more than 20 years, but the REAL ID Act of 2005 is finally being enforced. While several people have talked about the requirements for a REAL ID, and whether or not they even need one, I haven’t heard anyone ask one very important question, is it legal?

Paul Engel

473 – To Allow Opt Outs or Not to Allow Opt Outs, That is the Question

The question of if and when parents should be allowed to opt their children out of certain activities and curriculum in public schools has been raging for quite a while. With our societies rapidly changing standards, the need for parents to oversee and control the upbringing of their children has become even more important. Yet the Montgomery County School Board decided that in one area of instruction, story time, parents of children as young as three would not be allowed to opt their children out of religiously objectionable material. Did the School Board violate the First Amendment, or maybe another one?

Paul Engel

472 – Are You Religious Enough?

The State of Wisconsin exempts religious organizations from their unemployment tax system. Even though everyone agrees that Catholic Charities is controlled by a church, Wisconsin Supreme Court held that Catholic Charities is not “operated primarily for religious purposes”, and therefore does not qualify for the exemption. Catholic Charities appealed to the Supreme Court to ask if that decision violated the First Amendment.

Paul Engel

471 – Beginning of the End for the Johnson Amendment

How many of you know about the Johnson Amendment? If you’ve ever donated to a church or other charity, you’ve been impacted by this amendment. This limitation on freedom of speech has been in effect for over 70 years. And now, the House of Representatives is trying to remedy this infringement.

Paul Engel

470 – Automatic License Plate Readers

There will always be tension between our desire for privacy and safety. We’re all for privacy, until we find that an invasion of said privacy could have stopped some terrible event. But are we willing to trade our privacy for safety?

“They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.”
— Benjamin Franklin

In the case of SCHOLL and BEDNARZ v. Illinois State Police the privacy question revolves around automatic license place readers (ALPRs) and what makes a search reasonable.