A friendly Reminder

Do you really own your land, or are you merely permitted to use it under government rules? While property ownership is central to the American Dream, growing taxes, zoning laws, and regulations increasingly limit how owners may use their land. Using a local government effort to ban RVs as permanent housing, this article examines property rights, liberty, and due process—and asks whether ownership without control is ownership at all.

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?

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 society’s rapidly changing standards, the need for parents to oversee and control the upbringing of their children has become even more important.

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

Privacy versus safety has always been a constitutional tug-of-war. The case of Scholl and Bednarz v. Illinois State Police puts the issue front and center, questioning whether warrantless use of automatic license plate readers violates the Fourth Amendment. Are ALPRs a tool for security, or a dangerous step toward mass surveillance?

Explore the newest Supreme Court decision in Bondi v. Vanderstok and what it means for gun rights. Learn how redefinitions by the ATF may set precedents that dilute constitutional limits, blur legislative authority, and infringe on individual liberties.

Next year is the semiquincentennial of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. What shall we do with the unique and special date in our history? Let’s look at the reasons why we declared independence from Great Britain. Next year with be the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Over the next 365 days I expect to see plenty of opportunities to remember the date. I want to start by remembering the reason why we declared independence in

Memorial Day is when we as a nation honor those who died in the service of their country. Memorial Day has become the beginning of the summer season. Don’t we owe those who gave the last full measure of devotion more than parades and cookouts? See the full video on Monday.  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 Happi

by Paul Engel   Summary Memorial Day started as Decoration Day when cities and towns began decorating the graves of Civil War soldiers each spring. Many Americans will enjoy parades and cookouts, but is that all this day has become? How will you honor those who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country? Memorial day is the day the American people set aside to honor those who gave their lives fighting for us. Whether you plan to go to a parade, place flowers on a

Does your state have a “duty to inform” law? Many point to a violation of the Second Amendment. Did you realize these laws violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments as well? As a lifelong gun owner, I understand the awesome responsibility of owning a weapon. After getting my concealed carry license many years ago, I came to understand the great responsibility of having a deadly weapon on my person. Now, as a constitutional scholar, I’ve come to realize just how badly states are

What is the proper remedy to past discrimination? Is it present discrimination, as Ibriam Kendi says? Or is reverse discrimination just as evil as the discrimination it claims to remedy? Ibriam Kendi is often quoted as saying “The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination.” Is that true? Above the main entrance to the Supreme Court is a promise chiseled into the marble façade: “equal justice under law”. How can we have equal justice under law if one side is

Whose safety matters more, law enforcement of civilians? Does being legally armed automatically make you a danger to society? Should officer safety override the Constitution of the United States? Imagine you are stopped by law enforcement. Maybe you were doing something wrong, maybe not. At this point, when you are in the custody of law enforcement, whose safety matters more: Yours or that of the officer? In the 2017 Fourth Circuit case United States v. Robinson, while not sp

Why does the Supreme Court go gaga just about every time abortion comes before them.  Coalition Life sued the city of Carbondale, Illinois, claiming a the city violated their rights protected by the First Amendment. This time, the Supreme Court wouldn’t even take the case. Free speech jurisprudence has rested on shaky ground for decades in this country. Looking back at cases like Hill v. Colorado, Austin v. Reagan National Advertising of Austin, and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s H

Theological liberals tend to stereotype conservative Christians as simpletons—ignorant and lacking in intellectual support—people who cling to their beliefs in blind faith. This study, however, suggests quite the opposite is true. Theological liberalism was constructed with and based upon the piecemeal-at-best biblical archaeology of its day. Over the hundred years that have since passed, numerous discoveries have occurred.  The substantial number of archaeological discoverie

The Fourth Amendment protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures. This includes the unreasonable use of force by law enforcement. Shouldn’t law enforcement be as responsible for their actions as any other citizen? Most of us are aware of the Fourth Amendment’s Unreasonable Search and Seizure Clause. While definitions of what is “reasonable” have been argued since the Bill of Rights was ratified, it is pretty much agreed that the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against

Most people know that the Fourth Amendment protects our right to not be unreasonable searched or seized. But what makes a search reasonable? In the legal profession, reasonable searches in traffic stops are based on the case Pennsylvania v. Mimms. I doubt it would surprise you that I watch a fair amount of videos that involve interactions with the police. One question that comes up is when is an officers attempt to search or detain someone reasonable? One of the cases attorne

When do you get your constitutionally protected rights? Does the Second Amendment apply to 18-20 year olds? Is it constitutional for Congress to allow 18-20 year olds to own handguns, but not purchase them? There are certain things in life with a minimum age limit like driving, drinking alcohol, and even voting, but is there a minimum age limit for your constitutionally protected rights? That was the question Caleb Reese and others wanted asked, when they filed a lawsuit agai

Who decides what’s appropriate for minors? Who decides what belongs in the public library? Should it be librarians or the people’s representatives? Who decides what is appropriate for public libraries? That is at the heart of the case Fayetteville Public Library et. al. v. Crawford County, Arkansas et. al. The representatives of the people of Arkansas passed a law, Arkansas Act 372, which both established a crime of furnishing a harmful item to a minor and established guideli

When police damage your home, who should pay? Police officers of the City of McKinney, TX damaged the home of Vicki Baker while apprehending a fleeing felon. Neither her homeowner’s insurance or the city would pay for the damages, so she sued. When the government, in the form of the police, damages your property, who pays for it? In the case of Vicki Baker v. City of McKinney, TX the police had to damage her property to apprehend a fleeing felon. However, when the city refuse

Do the Constitution and Laws of the United States require birthright citizenship What does “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” mean? Does Trump’s executive order fall within a President’s duty to faithfully execute the laws of the United States? One of the executive orders Donald Trump signed on his first day in office ordered federal departments and agencies to not issue any citizenship documents to anyone born in the United States to a mother who was either illegally