A friendly Reminder

Author: Mike Sonnevedlt I debated whether to broach this topic with you. After a long talk, Massey and I decided that it was in our best interest to not do a podcast on this subject. We felt, “What does this win us? What does this get the listener? Is this a positive topic to cover, or are we just giving doom-and-gloom?” After talking it through again (20 minutes before the podcast was about to start...) we decided that perhaps we would be careful on how we broached the topic

What are the rules when a government agent comes to your door? When does a government actor need a warrant to enter your home? Looking at some previous Supreme Court cases, we’ll see that you may have more legal authority than you realize. When a government agent stands at your door asking to come in, do you know what your rights are? What would you do if that agent tries to enter your house illegally? If that day comes, the difference between liberty and incarceration may we

What role does the judicial branch have in the federal government? Why is the speech that Justice Elena Kagan made at a recent judicial conference so dangerous? How can We the People protect ourselves from an out of control federal judicial system? In Federalist Papers #78, Alexander Hamilton said the federaljudiciary would be the branch of government least dangerous toour rights. Is that how the courts are working in the 21st century?What makes the courts today so injurious

Author: Mike Sonnevedlt Are you one? Are you not? Do you care? Do they care whether you really are one or not? The term “fascist” gets thrown around more than a football on Sunday, and it gets wielded as a weapon any time a conservative does something a lefty-progressive does not like. Considering what we discussed in last week's column which covered Sam Harris' obsession with Trump, it is not surprising that a term like “fascist” becomes the go-to label to slap onto anybody

Do you understand Dual Sovereignty and the threat it poses to your rights? Did you know that the Eighteenth Amendment and prohibition was the basis of this idea of dual sovereignty? How has the court taken a limited concurrent jurisdiction clause and turned it into federal oversight of just about every law in the nation? Most of us are aware of Double Jeopardy, the right to not be tried for the same crime twice, but the courts have adopted a “dual sovereign” doctrine to get a

When parents accept government money to pay for their children’s schooling, it always comes with strings. What are the limits can a state place on where their tuition assistance go? Can a state single out religious or sectarian organizations to be denied the ability to participate in their programs? When parents saw what their children were being taught during the COVID-19 school shutdowns, school choice has been a topic of increased interest. If government schools were going

Author: Mike Sonnevedlt More than likely you've now heard the clip of Sam Harris, from his interview on the Triggernometry Podcast. I will include the full link below. Many people have commentated on it, but I wanted to digest the entire thing before spouting off about what Sam Harris said. I think some people missed exactly what he was saying, and while I still vehemently disagree with him, I believe some cleaning up is in order. To keep your reading to a minimum, I will pro

Author: Mike Sonnevedlt   The Age of The Show-trial   “But one stream has never dried up in the USSR, and still flows. A stream of criminals untouched by the “beneficent wave summoned to life...” etc. A stream which flowed uninterruptedly through all those decades—whether “Leninist norms were infringed” or strictly observed—and flowed in Khrushchev's day more furiously than ever. I mean the believers. Those who resisted the new wave of cruel persecution, the wholesale closing

Does Congress have the legal authority to criminalize certain types of speech? Can you tell people they should break the law? Hernandez-Calvillo & Papalotzi challenged their conviction on encouraging someone to enter the country illegally. Most of us have heard of the case where the Supreme Court placed limits on the freedom of speech. However, most people don’t know the name of the case and frequently misquote it. A recent case out of Kansas once again brings into question

Author: Paul Garner FBI agents are supposed to protect Americans from threats from criminals, terrorists, and foreign agents’ intent on harm.  They are also supposed to preserve and protect the civil rights and civil liberties enshrined in the Constitution.  They take an oath to these ends.  However, the reality of their behavior reflects a persistent violation and betrayal of that oath.  They have overstepped their authority.  They have violently deprived Americans of their

A case of a praying high-school coach has put another nail in the coffin of a terrible precedent known as the “Lemon Test”. What does it take for a government actor to establish a religion? What are the limits of government employers controlling the speech and actions of their employees? A high-school coach was denied his freedom of religion and speech based on a nothing more than 50 year old lemon of a court opinion. In the case Lemon v. Kurtzman, the Supreme Court claimed t

Author: Mike Sonneveldt I don't get to read enough in my life. Most of my time is spent in the educational realm, and this usually means I'm reading a lot of various informational pieces/books, or I'm doing research in order to build a case for a Podcast or presentation. Needless to say, when I sit down to read for “enjoyment”, I'd rather take in a book of fiction or at the very least historical fiction. However, when I do end up finally purchasing a book, I so often decide o