Another city bans free speech. Chilling. Read this.
Related:
Seattle Imposes Ad Ban to Annul Pamela Geller’s Free Speech Lawsuit Victory
Officials who oversee Seattle’s transit system moved to ban political, religious, and other ads from its facilities and public transportation vehicles soon after Pamela Geller’s American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) prevailed in a freedom of speech lawsuit against the city, earning the right to run FBI’s Most Wanted terrorist posters, Breitbart News has learned.
By: Edwin Mora, Breitbart, April 16, 2019:
“People should realize that this is a struggle for the very foundation of any free society: the freedom of speech. If there is a group you can’t criticize, then that group can impose tyranny over you. If we lose this free speech battle, all our other freedoms are lost” Geller recently told Breitbart News via email.
She argued the advertisement ban sidestepped the September 2018 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling in AFDI’s favor, which allowed the group to advertise the Most Wanted terrorist list in Seattle.
However, the new restrictions, dubbed the “Geller ban” and instituted in December 2018 by the King County Department of Transportation’s Transit Division that oversees Seattle’s public transportation system, have ended up preventing AFDI from running the terrorist wanted ads, Geller pointed out, noting that her free speech lawsuit victory was bittersweet.
Before the appeal court’s ruling, judges had denied AFDI the right to place public service ads featuring images of the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists on Seattle’s public transportation system, due to a perceived disparagement of Islam.
The city’s rejection prompted AFDI to sue the King County Metro system for its suppression of free speech.
“We won the right to run the FBI wanted terrorist poster that Seattle prevailed upon the FBI to withdraw [ in 2013]. And as soon as we triumphed, Seattle transit imposed the infamous Geller ban, banning political, religious and cause-related ads in Seattle (following NY, Washington DC, Boston, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, etc),” Geller told Breitbart News in the email.
In a document outlining the transit agency’s advertising restrictions, King County officials noted that the policy bans advertising on transit facilities and vehicles that fall within the categories of political, religious, government (except for the county’s), and other forms of “speech.”
“They banned all political ads, as that was the only course of action they could possibly take in order to continue to avoid running my ads,” Geller said. “They’re so determined to continue whitewashing Islam and denying and obfuscating the roots of jihad terror that they are willing to lose immense amounts of revenue from all political advertising.”
Transit agency officials argued that their “viewpoint neutral” ban seeks to prohibit “advertisements that interfere with and divert resources from transit operations, that detract from transit purposes by creating substantial controversy, and/or that pose significant risks of harm, inconvenience, or annoyance to transit passengers, operators, and vehicles.”
“Such advertisements create an environment that is not conducive to achieving increased revenue for the benefit of the transit system or to preserving and enhancing the security, safety, comfort, and convenience of its operations,” the officials added.
Responding to the agency’s argument Geller noted, “I see ads that annoy me all the time. If that is the criterion [for the ban], whose annoyance counts, and whose doesn’t, and why?”
She told Breitbart News that King County’s decision to ban FBI wanted posters featuring some jihadis amounts to the “enforcement of Sharia blasphemy law in another American city.”
King County officials described the transit agency’s advertising ban as“restrictions” that “foster the maintenance of a professional advertising environment that maximizes advertising, revenue, and protects the interests of the captive audience that uses Metro’s transit services.”
In other words, the county’s transportation department believes that banning certain ads will allow the county to generate more revenue.
“The ban will, obviously, drastically curtail their ad revenues. To argue otherwise is plain deception” Geller noted.
Nevertheless, the county asserted that the advertising policy intends to fulfill the following goals:
Maximizing advertising revenue; maintaining a position of neutrality and preventing the appearance of favoritism or endorsement by the county; preventing the risk of imposing objectionable, inappropriate or harmful view on a captive audience; preserving the value of the advertising space; maximizing ridership and maintaining a safe environment for transit customers and other members of the public; avoiding claims of discrimination and maintaining a non-discriminatory environment for riders; preventing any harm or abuse that may result from running objectionable, inappropriate, or harmful advertisements; [and] reducing the diversion of resources from transit operations that is caused by objectionable, inappropriate or harmful advertisements.
Geller vowed to keep fighting for free speech all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary to ensure Seattle upholds the appeal court’s ruling.
Another city bans free speech. Chilling. Read this.
Related:
Seattle Imposes Ad Ban to Annul Pamela Geller’s Free Speech Lawsuit Victory
Officials who oversee Seattle’s transit system moved to ban political, religious, and other ads from its facilities and public transportation vehicles soon after Pamela Geller’s American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) prevailed in a freedom of speech lawsuit against the city, earning the right to run FBI’s Most Wanted terrorist posters, Breitbart News has learned.
By: Edwin Mora, Breitbart, April 16, 2019:
“People should realize that this is a struggle for the very foundation of any free society: the freedom of speech. If there is a group you can’t criticize, then that group can impose tyranny over you. If we lose this free speech battle, all our other freedoms are lost” Geller recently told Breitbart News via email.
She argued the advertisement ban sidestepped the September 2018 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling in AFDI’s favor, which allowed the group to advertise the Most Wanted terrorist list in Seattle.
However, the new restrictions, dubbed the “Geller ban” and instituted in December 2018 by the King County Department of Transportation’s Transit Division that oversees Seattle’s public transportation system, have ended up preventing AFDI from running the terrorist wanted ads, Geller pointed out, noting that her free speech lawsuit victory was bittersweet.
Before the appeal court’s ruling, judges had denied AFDI the right to place public service ads featuring images of the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists on Seattle’s public transportation system, due to a perceived disparagement of Islam.
The city’s rejection prompted AFDI to sue the King County Metro system for its suppression of free speech.
“We won the right to run the FBI wanted terrorist poster that Seattle prevailed upon the FBI to withdraw [ in 2013]. And as soon as we triumphed, Seattle transit imposed the infamous Geller ban, banning political, religious and cause-related ads in Seattle (following NY, Washington DC, Boston, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, etc),” Geller told Breitbart News in the email.
In a document outlining the transit agency’s advertising restrictions, King County officials noted that the policy bans advertising on transit facilities and vehicles that fall within the categories of political, religious, government (except for the county’s), and other forms of “speech.”
“They banned all political ads, as that was the only course of action they could possibly take in order to continue to avoid running my ads,” Geller said. “They’re so determined to continue whitewashing Islam and denying and obfuscating the roots of jihad terror that they are willing to lose immense amounts of revenue from all political advertising.”
Transit agency officials argued that their “viewpoint neutral” ban seeks to prohibit “advertisements that interfere with and divert resources from transit operations, that detract from transit purposes by creating substantial controversy, and/or that pose significant risks of harm, inconvenience, or annoyance to transit passengers, operators, and vehicles.”
“Such advertisements create an environment that is not conducive to achieving increased revenue for the benefit of the transit system or to preserving and enhancing the security, safety, comfort, and convenience of its operations,” the officials added.
Responding to the agency’s argument Geller noted, “I see ads that annoy me all the time. If that is the criterion [for the ban], whose annoyance counts, and whose doesn’t, and why?”
She told Breitbart News that King County’s decision to ban FBI wanted posters featuring some jihadis amounts to the “enforcement of Sharia blasphemy law in another American city.”
King County officials described the transit agency’s advertising ban as“restrictions” that “foster the maintenance of a professional advertising environment that maximizes advertising, revenue, and protects the interests of the captive audience that uses Metro’s transit services.”
In other words, the county’s transportation department believes that banning certain ads will allow the county to generate more revenue.
“The ban will, obviously, drastically curtail their ad revenues. To argue otherwise is plain deception” Geller noted.
Nevertheless, the county asserted that the advertising policy intends to fulfill the following goals:
Maximizing advertising revenue; maintaining a position of neutrality and preventing the appearance of favoritism or endorsement by the county; preventing the risk of imposing objectionable, inappropriate or harmful view on a captive audience; preserving the value of the advertising space; maximizing ridership and maintaining a safe environment for transit customers and other members of the public; avoiding claims of discrimination and maintaining a non-discriminatory environment for riders; preventing any harm or abuse that may result from running objectionable, inappropriate, or harmful advertisements; [and] reducing the diversion of resources from transit operations that is caused by objectionable, inappropriate or harmful advertisements.
Geller vowed to keep fighting for free speech all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary to ensure Seattle upholds the appeal court’s ruling.
U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the southwest border apprehended nearly 140,000 migrants during March, according to an unofficial report reviewed by Breitbart Texas. The number of migrant apprehensions at the southwest border remains virtually unchanged from February.
The post EXCLUSIVE: 140K Migrants Apprehended in March Along Southwest Border appeared first on Breitbart.
For several years, a cell of the Mexican Cartel Jalisco New Generation operated out of Houston, using the city as a hub in their distribution of synthetic drugs and cocaine.
The post Major Indictment Filed Against Mexican Cartel Jalisco Cell Based In Texas Announced appeared first on Breitbart.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., said in an interview over the weekend that President Joe Biden is a “cafeteria Catholic” who “picks and chooses” which parts of Catholicism he will adhere to.
Gregory appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday with the female Episcopal bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, where he discussed the Catholic president’s open support for issues such as abortion that are in direct contradiction with Catholic Church teaching.
Biden, who describes himself—and has been described by establishment media—as a “devout Catholic,” is open about frequently attending weekly Mass. But the president heads the most pro-abortion administration in United States history; promotes transgender surgeries, hormones, and puberty blockers, even for children; and celebrates transgender ideology.
The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is a crime against human life, that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and that homosexual acts are “contrary to the natural law” and “close the sexual act to the gift of life.”
Although Gregory said that Biden is “very sincere about his faith,” the cardinal added that Biden “picks and chooses dimensions of the faith to highlight while ignoring or even contradicting other parts.”
“There is a phrase that we have used in the past, a ‘cafeteria Catholic,’ [in which] you choose that which is attractive and dismiss that which is challenging,” Gregory explained.
Gregory continued: “I would say there are things, especially in terms of the life issues, there are things that he chooses to ignore.”
“The issues of life begin at the very beginning. And they conclude at natural death,” the cardinal said. “And you can’t pick and choose. You’re either one who respects life in all of its dimensions, or you have to step aside and say, ‘I’m not pro-life.’”
The Archdiocese of Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Signal. But the cardinal’s remarks drew praise from Catholics on social media, among them The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles, who described Gregory’s comments as “marvelous.”
Gregory sparked a backlash in November 2020 when he said in an interview with a leftist Jesuit outlet, America Magazine, that he would not deny Communion to Biden at Mass.
“The kind of relationship that I hope we will have is a conversational relationship, where we can discover areas where we can cooperate that reflect the social teachings of the church, knowing full well that there are some areas where we won’t agree,” Gregory told America Magazine at the time.
His stance drew criticism from traditional Catholics, who argued that Biden’s open embrace of unrestricted abortion constituted a grave scandal.
In September 2021, however, the cardinal offered a rare rebuke of Biden’s denial that life begins at conception, telling the president: “The Catholic Church teaches, and has taught, that human life begins at conception, so the president is not demonstrating Catholic teaching.”
He added: “Our church has not changed its position on the immorality of abortion. I don’t see how we could, because we believe that every human life is sacred.”
The White House would not address Gregory’s most recent remarks. Instead, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates mocked The Daily Signal, the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation, saying, “We refer The Heritage Foundation to the Office of Public Engagement. You have reached the press office.”
The post DC Archbishop: Joe Biden Is a ‘Cafeteria Catholic’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.
During a campaign speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump spotlighted the plight of Angel families.
The post Donald Trump Spotlights Victims of Open Borders, Calls On Joe Biden to ‘Say Their Names’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A recent study by the conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation warns a Chinese government takeover of the democratic nation of Taiwan would have huge economic and security consequences for America.
The post Study: China Would Have ‘Unacceptable’ Leverage over U.S. If It Takes over Taiwan appeared first on Breitbart.
Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee are pressing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to explain how migrants on the federal government's "Terrorist Watch List" have been reportedly released into the United States.
The post DHS Chief Mayorkas Pressed to Answer How Terrorists Were Reportedly Freed into U.S. appeared first on Breitbart.
Since President Joe Biden took office, nearly two million "known got-aways" have successfully crossed the United States-Mexico border. Among them is an illegal alien convicted of raping a woman in Connecticut in 2016 and deported in 2021 but who crossed the border again, undeterred by Border Patrol.
The post Illegal Alien Rapist Among Nearly Two Million Known ‘Got-Aways’ Under Biden appeared first on Breitbart.
UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has ruled out Western troops being sent into Ukraine in favor of extracting more financial support from U.S. Congress.
The post David Cameron Says No Boots on the Ground in Ukraine, Aims for ‘Money out of Congress’ Instead appeared first on Breitbart.
The Senate campaign for Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who is running to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in one of the most competitive races this year, sent out a fundraising email Thursday accusing former President Donald Trump of “spreading lies and dangerous narratives” during his trip to Michigan on Tuesday, where he spotlighted "migrant crime."
The post Vulnerable Michigan Democrat Elissa Slotkin’s Campaign Attacks Trump’s Michigan Visit to Bag Donations in Fundraising Email appeared first on Breitbart.
A few Senators from the nation's Rust Belt are sounding the alarm over the ties between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Nippon Steel Corporation -- the Japanese conglomerate looking to purchase the United States Steel Corporation.
The post Rust Belt Senators Sound Alarm: Japanese Corporation Trying to Buy U.S. Steel Is Linked to China appeared first on Breitbart.
A U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of several human rights groups that filed a legal action against the Biden Administration in March. The groups alleged the Border Patrol was failing to properly care for migrant children staged at makeshift outdoor campsites along the U.S./Mexico border. Wednesday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee will now force the Biden Administration to quickly provide suitable shelter and amenities for the migrant children in accordance with a previous court settlement.
The post Biden Admin Loses Court Challenge to Holding Migrant Children in Outdoor Camps appeared first on Breitbart.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers put out a "tentative timeline" for getting commercial shipping in and out of Baltimore by the end of the month.
The post Baltimore Harbour Limited Reopening By End of April, Say Army Engineers appeared first on Breitbart.
Migrants at the United States-Mexico border say they "want [President Joe] Biden to win" the 2024 presidential election while others hope to get released into the nation's interior before election day -- knowing their chances will be nearly eliminated under a second term of former President Donald Trump.
The post Report: Migrants Along Border Say They ‘Want Biden to Win’ 2024 Election appeared first on Breitbart.
U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) soccer player Korbin Albert was booed Saturday in her first game appearance since she drew criticism for posting a video of a teen who stopped believing he was trans after finding God.
The post WATCH: USWNT’s Korbin Albert Booed During Game After Posting Detransition Video appeared first on Breitbart.
Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) said on this week's broadcast on "Fox News Sunday" that President Joe Biden's "political games" are causing the invasion of the United States by migrants.
The post Gov. Abbott: U.S. Is Being ‘Invaded’ Because Biden Playing ‘Political Games’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Kyiv will lose the war against Russia if the U.S. fails to approve military aid to battle Moscow's invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.
The post Zelensky Warns U.S. Congress: Meet Ukraine Military Aid Demands or Russia Wins appeared first on Breitbart.
According to a Department of Homeland Security report reviewed by Breitbart Texas, nearly 25,000 migrants from Special Interest Countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa have been apprehended entering the United States during the first six months of fiscal
The post CBP Source: Special Interest Migrant Incursions Climbing at Southern Border appeared first on Breitbart.
An 89,000-ton container ship lost propulsion Friday evening near a bridge in the waters around New York City, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The post VIDEO — Close Call: 89K-Ton Ship Loses Propulsion Near NYC Bridge Weeks After Baltimore Tragedy appeared first on Breitbart.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) endorsed Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) as he seeks reelection. In a press release from the Scott campaign, Bondi said she had seen the first-term senator and former governor of Florida show support
The post Exclusive: Pam Bondi Endorses Florida Sen. Rick Scott as He Eyes Senate Republican Leadership appeared first on Breitbart.
Americans are united on whether or not the Biden administration opened our border to illegal immigrants to rig the system and give Democrats a permanent governing majority, polling shows.
The post Nolte: 57% Believe Democrats Use Illegal Immigration to ‘Build Permanent Majority’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A group of anti-Israel protesters calling for Congress to support a ceasefire and end military aid to Israel shut down the Senate cafeteria.
The post Anti-Israel Protesters Shut Down Senate Cafeteria appeared first on Breitbart.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo inadvertently admitted to Congress on Tuesday that the $6 billion that the Biden administration unfroze for Iran last year in exchange for the return of five American prisoners likely went to fund violent activity.
The post Senior Biden Treasury Official Admits $$ for Iran Goes Towards Violence, Not Humanitarian Needs appeared first on Breitbart.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has proposed a 7.8 percent price increase for stamps to "achieve financial stability."
The post U.S. Postal Service Announces Sixth Price Increase Since 2020 appeared first on Breitbart.
Special operations forces require special men. Union major Henry Harrison Young was such a man—born for war.
The post Exclusive–O’Donnell: Lincoln’s Special Forces; Henry Harrison Young, A Man Born for War appeared first on Breitbart.
Outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-UT) allies are flocking to two establishment candidates he admittedly would welcome winning Utah’s Republican Senate primary: State House Speaker Brad Wilson (R-UT) and U.S. Rep. John Curtis (R-UT).
The post Romney Allies Push Establishment’s Wilson and Curtis in Utah Senate Primary appeared first on Breitbart.
More than 40 Republican Senators are calling on Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to permit an impeachment trial against Alejandro Mayorkas.
The post More Than 40 GOP Senators Call on Chuck Schumer to Permit Impeachment Trial Against DHS Chief Mayorkas appeared first on Breitbart.
President Joe Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) twice released an Afghan migrant into the United States who was later found to be listed on the federal government's terrorist watchlist, a report from NBC News reveals.
The post Biden’s Catch and Release: Afghan Migrant on Terrorist Watchlist Twice Freed into U.S. appeared first on Breitbart.
Several sanctuary cities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are expected to secure $300 million in American taxpayer dollars for resettling migrants across the United States on behalf of President Joe Biden's administration.
The post Sanctuary Cities, NGOs Resettling Migrants for Biden Administration Secure $300M in Taxpayer Dollars appeared first on Breitbart.
United States Coast Guard officials intercepted 16 migrants traveling on what looked like a homemade boat and repatriated them back to Cuba.
The post Coast Guard Officials Intercept 16 Migrants on Homemade Boat, Send Them Back to Cuba appeared first on Breitbart.
While Israeli air defense systems took out most of the 300 missiles and one-way drones fired by Iran during an unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday, American sailors and airmen in the region helped to shoot down a number of them.
The post American Sailors, Airmen Helped Thwart Iranian Missile Attack on Israel appeared first on Breitbart.
Biden’s parole pipeline has released more than 950,000 foreign nationals into the U.S. since its inception in January 2023.
The post Joe Biden’s Parole Pipeline Imports Over 950,000 Foreign Nationals to U.S., Exceeding Population of South Dakota appeared first on Breitbart.
U.S. Central Command has concluded that the sniper team at Kabul did not have the terrorist in its sights before the attack.
The post U.S. CENTCOM Concludes 2021 Kabul Airport Bombing Was ‘Not Preventable’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Under President Joe Biden, the number of Chinese nationals crossing the nation's borders has increased by more than 37,000 percent in just three years, new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data reveals.
The post Biden’s America: Nearly 25,000 Chinese Nationals at U.S. Borders in 6 Months, 37,000% Increase in 3 Years appeared first on Breitbart.
EAGLE PASS, Texas — As migrant crossings remain low in the once busiest crossing point in Eagle Pass, the movement of narcotics across the border continues in full swing. The seizures of methamphetamine by Customs and Border Protection continue at
The post Cartel Meth Smuggling Continues at Texas Border Despite Stiff Court Sentencing appeared first on Breitbart.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was grilled by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) during a hearing over an alleged flyer that the Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project claims asks migrants to vote for President Joe Biden in November.
The post DHS Chief Mayorkas Grilled Over Alleged Flyers Asking Migrants in Mexico to Vote for Biden appeared first on Breitbart.
A dramatic scene was captured on video by witnesses who were stunned to see a pregnant woman being airlifted off of a cruise ship by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The post Watch: Coast Guard Rescues Pregnant Woman from Disney Cruise Ship appeared first on Breitbart.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) slammed President Joe Biden for vowing not to back an Israeli response to Iran.
The post Exclusive — Rep. Tenney Slams Biden for Boosting Iran: Israel ‘Fighting for the West Against Islamic Terrorism’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Joe Biden's DHS approved a work permit for Jose Antonio Ibarra, who is accused of murdering Laken Riley, knowing he had a criminal history.
The post Federal Docs: Joe Biden’s DHS Gave Work Permit to Laken Riley’s Accused Killer Knowing He Had Criminal Record appeared first on Breitbart.
San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 9,000 migrants last week. The report propelled the sector into the busiest position for the second consecutive week. Apprehensions in the Tucson Sector recently fell to below 7,000 per week for the first time in months.
The post San Diego Takes Over as Busiest Border Sector — 9K in Past Week appeared first on Breitbart.
A Haitian migrant, reportedly released into the United States via President Joe Biden's parole pipeline, is now accused of double homicide.
The post Report: Joe Biden’s Migrant Mobile App Freed Haitian, Now Accused of Double Murder, into U.S. appeared first on Breitbart.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he is unfamiliar with the case of 12-year-old Travis Wolfe, the Missouri boy who died as a result of a crash allegedly caused by an illegal alien.
The post DHS Chief Mayorkas Unfamiliar with Travis Wolfe, 12-Year-Old Missouri Boy Allegedly Killed by Illegal Alien appeared first on Breitbart.
More than 1,000 U.S. troops are effectively being held hostage in Niger with medical supplies running low -- stuck between the military junta-controlled government's demands for them to leave and the Biden administration's refusal to let them go home after the end of their deployments, according to a report prepared by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and obtained exclusively by Breitbart News.
The post Nightmare in Niger — Exclusive: Biden Administration Leaves Hundreds of U.S. Troops ‘Hostage’ in Niger appeared first on Breitbart.
The House Freedom Caucus said that the path toward securing the border goes through killing Speaker Mike Johnson's foreign aid package.
The post House Freedom Caucus Official Position: Kill Mike Johnson’s America Last Rule appeared first on Breitbart.
Donald Trump Jr. blasted Speaker Mike Johnson for his reversal on Ukraine funding, saying Republicans unbothered by it are "not our friends."
The post ‘They’re Not Our Friends’: Don Jr. Warns Against Republicans Unbothered by Mike Johnson’s Ukraine Flip-Flop appeared first on Breitbart.
If those in federal office are willing to pay attention, the states are displaying the best—and the worst—of our republican form of government.
Every four years, American citizens get the opportunity to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, endorse a policy agenda for the nation, and hold the occupant of the highest office in our federal government to account for his leadership or lack thereof.
But in the intervening years between what some treat as a national Rorschach test, lawmakers are the policymakers entrusted to express the will of the people.
Fifty laboratories of innovation provide Americans with the freedom to vote with their feet by living in states that reflect the priorities around which their pursuit of happiness seems most reliably cultivated. The states also provide an effective case study for varying policy initiatives upon which our federal government can rely for evidence-based decision-making for the nation.
As an example, the Tennessee General Assembly recently passed landmark legislation addressing the disturbing trend of debanking. Once signed by Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, this law will provide consumer protection by prohibiting big banks from canceling accounts based on the constitutionally protected freedoms of speech and religious exercise.
Applying to the largest financial institutions, those with at least $100 billion in assets, the law provides a road map for other states to follow. Since the federal government is where banks that are “too big to fail” look for taxpayer-funded bailouts, Congress should follow Tennessee’s lead as well.
Contrast this approach of protecting access to basic financial services regardless of ideology with the state of New York. The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard from the National Rifle Association, which is seeking to stop New York state officials from using political power to coerce banks, insurers, and other service providers to refuse service to the Second Amendment advocacy organization.
In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, signed HB 578, which will ensure that faith-based adoption and foster care providers are free to serve children in need and work with the state to find loving, forever homes for kids.
Meanwhile, next door in Oregon, Jessica Bates is prevented from adopting children because she won’t agree to the state’s demand that she promote gender ideology. Apparently, Bates doesn’t have a high enough “social credit score” to be deemed a worthy parent by the state.
Idaho simultaneously protects the right of conscience and promotes the best interests of children in need of loving homes, while Oregon prioritizes politics over people.
One might look at these polar-opposite expressions of policy preferences and despair of a nation plagued by irreconcilable differences. But to the federalists among us, these differences are not a bug but a feature of our system.
Our national political culture is divided, but no more so now than it was at our founding. Today we simply have divisions of 50 instead of the 13 that existed when our Constitution was adopted. Then, as now, life in the states can look drastically different across our internal borders.
From the beginning, these United States of America were a hodgepodge of varying ethnicities, religions, economies, and political beliefs. What united the states then can still unite them today—the recognition of our fundamental God-given rights and the implicit American compact to protect those rights for all, regardless of which direction the political winds may blow across a state or the nation.
If an executive or legislative branch of state or federal government, even with popular support, goes so far as to implement policy that conflicts with these fundamental rights, our judiciary is empowered to rein in the wayward whims of the democratic process. This ensures that our fundamental rights are recognized in all 50 states while allowing for policy differences on other matters.
American journalist H.L. Mencken once said: “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.”
Thankfully, our Founders were keenly aware of the fallen nature of man, the seductive trappings of power, and thus the perils of pure democracy for the God-given rights of the individual. They had the foresight to give us, as Benjamin Franklin reportedly quipped, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
When our federal government is focused on protecting fundamental rights guaranteed to all by the Constitution’s principles while respecting the role and differences of the states, we improve our chances of “keeping it.”
The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.
The post Differences Among States Are a Plus, Not a Bug, in Our System appeared first on The Daily Signal.
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents observed a red SUV driving over an outdated border barrier to cross from Mexico into Arizona on Monday. The migrants used a vehicle ramp to dive over the fencing bars.
The post Migrants Use Ramp to Drive Over Outdated Arizona Border Barrier appeared first on Breitbart.
A badly mangled body discovered after being struck by a train on Tuesday near Del Rio, Texas, has been identified as an active-duty airman assigned to Laughlin Air Force Base. The body was initially discovered in the early morning hours after a train conductor made a 911 call to report striking a person on the track. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the area just west of Del Rio, approximately 20 miles from the airbase.
The post Body Found near Border in Texas Identified as U.S. Airman appeared first on Breitbart.
The Biden administration has announced restrictions on oil and gas leasing on over 13 million acres of an Alaskan petroleum reserve to conserve land valuable to the "Alaska Native people" and "important fish and wildlife," as Republican lawmakers protest the "illegal" move.
The post Biden Administration Announces Anti-Oil Restrictions on 13 Million Acres of Alaskan Petroleum Land appeared first on Breitbart.
Swanton Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended a record-setting number of migrants who illegally crossed the Canadian border between ports of entry in March. The number of migrants arrested in the first six months of this year nearly doubled the same period last year.
The post Canadian Border Sector Sets New Record for Migrant Apprehensions in March appeared first on Breitbart.
An unofficial report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection reviewed by Breitbart Texas revealed that nearly 700 migrants from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were apprehended entering the San Diego region in the third week of April. Since the fiscal year began in October, more than 26,000 migrants from the PRC have been apprehended.
The post Exclusive: 700 Chinese Migrants Apprehended at California Border in One Week appeared first on Breitbart.
Food safety officials have issued a nationwide public health alert for ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli.
The post Health Alert: Officials Warn of Ground Beef Contaminated by E.coli appeared first on Breitbart.
An alligator that recently wandered onto the runway at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, subjected wranglers to a workout as they tried to catch it.
The post WATCH – ‘Toothy Airman’: Florida Alligator Wanders onto MacDill Air Force Base Runway appeared first on Breitbart.
Republican businessman Dave McCormick and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) formally clinched their parties' respective nominations for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night after both men ran unopposed.
The post Republican Dave McCormick, Democrat Bob Casey Officially Clinch Pennsylvania Senate Nominations appeared first on Breitbart.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has banned almost all noncompete employment agreements that prohibit workers from switching to competing businesses or starting one of their own.
The post FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements for Employers, Chamber of Commerce Sues to Block It appeared first on Breitbart.
A spending package that will send billions more taxpayer dollars to Ukraine could have built an entire wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The post Joe Biden’s Latest Billions for Ukraine Could Build Entire U.S. Border Wall appeared first on Breitbart.
The San Diego Sector took the lead in the number of migrants apprehended during the first 21 days of April. The turning point caps the westward movements of migrant border crossings from South Texas, to Arizona, and on to Southern California.
The post Exclusive: Migrant Apprehensions at Border Continue Westward Move from South Texas to California appeared first on Breitbart.
The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents resume terrorist attacks against Red Sea shipping after a two-week pause.
The post Houthis Claim Attacks on Three Ships After Two-Week Terror Pause appeared first on Breitbart.
Fertility rates in the United States hit a record low in 2023, according to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.
The post CDC: U.S. Birth Rate at Record Low After Pandemic Boost appeared first on Breitbart.
U.S. troops have begun construction of a pier to be used to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday.
The post U.S. Troops Begin Construction of Biden’s Promised Gaza Aid Pier appeared first on Breitbart.
The U.S. birth rate has dropped to an all-time low, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The post U.S. Birth Rate Falls to All-Time Low appeared first on Breitbart.
U.S. forces were expelled from both Niger and Chad this week, dealing a serious blow to the Biden administration’s diplomacy and counter-terrorism policies in Africa.
The post Biden Diplomacy: Chad, Niger Kick American Soldiers Out appeared first on Breitbart.
Pennsylvania Trump-backed Republican Senate nominee Dave McCormick predicted to Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Saturday that Pennsylvania will be a red state by 2028.
The post Exclusive — Pennsylvania Republican Senate Nominee Dave McCormick: ‘We Are Becoming a Red State’ appeared first on Breitbart.
The number of migrants arrested for illegally crossing the border between ports of entry in the Tucson Sector in Arizona is on the rise again following a short-lived decline. During the past week, Tucson Sector agents apprehended approximately 7,600 migrants.
The post Migrant Arrests in Arizona Border Sector Rise After Short-Lived Decline appeared first on Breitbart.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that military aid to Ukraine was not charity, adding that it created jobs in the United States.
The post McConnell: Military Aid ‘Is Not Charity to Ukraine,’ U.S. Jobs Are Being Created appeared first on Breitbart.
President Joe Biden's Navy secretary wants to import skilled blue-collar migrants to build the U.S. Navy ships that protect Americans and their job opportunities.
The post U.S. Navy Wants Migrants to Build Warships appeared first on Breitbart.
An “overwhelming” number of Americans want to build Trump’s great, big, beautiful border wall and tightened immigration rules, according to the latest polling.
The post Nolte: ‘Overwhelming’ Number Want Trump’s Border Wall, Immigration Laws Enforced appeared first on Breitbart.
Four law enforcement officers were killed trying to serve a warrant in east Charlotte, North Carolina, around 1:30 p.m. on Monday.
The post Four Law Enforcement Officers Killed Serving Warrant in North Carolina appeared first on Breitbart.
In 2023, the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas warned Americans that taking ammo into Turks and Caicos carried a "custodial sentence of 12 years."
The post September 22, 2023: U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas Warned Against Taking Ammo to Turks and Caicos appeared first on Breitbart.
Republican Dave McCormick is within striking distance of Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) in Pennsylvania’s race for the U.S. Senate, per a poll.
The post Poll: GOP’s Dave McCormick Within Striking Distance of Democrat Casey in Pennsylvania appeared first on Breitbart.
A poll shows Republican Senate candidates in competitive positions in hypothetical races in four of five key battleground states.
The post Poll: Republicans Competitive in Key Swing State Senate Races appeared first on Breitbart.
Eight Democrat-nominated judges shoved transgender surgery closer to becoming a constitutional right via their decision Monday in a federal appeals court.
The post Appeals Court Says States Must Fund Transgender Surgeries appeared first on Breitbart.
An illegal alien wanted for murder in his native Mexico was able to successfully cross the United States-Mexico border as a so-called "got-away" on President Joe Biden's watch.
The post Illegal Alien Wanted for Murder Among Nearly 2M ‘Got-Aways’ at Biden’s Border appeared first on Breitbart.
An unsettling recruitment video from the U.S. Army's Psychological Operations division portrays faceless heads and cryptic messages.
The post ‘Psywar’: U.S. Army Releases Disturbing Psychological Operations Recruitment Video appeared first on Breitbart.