Category Archives: Freedom

The Ugandan academic, writer and feminist activist Dr Stella Nyanzi, imprisoned for criticising the countrys president, has been awarded the Oxfam Novib/PEN International award for freedom of expression.

Nyanzi has been in Luzira womens prison in Kampala, the capital, for nearly 15 months after writing a poem about President Yoweri Musevenis mothers vagina. The poem uses the metaphor of her vagina and Musevenis birth to criticise his near 35-year rule.

In 2017, she spent 33 days in prison for a Facebook post in which she described Museveni as a pair of buttocks, after the president backtracked on a pledge to distribute sanitary towels to schoolgirls.

At the award ceremony, held during the opening of the Writers Unlimited festival in The Hague, an empty chair was used to symbolise the absence of Nyanzi.

My sentence highlights how fearful this dictator and his cronies are of writers. Isnt the pen mightier than the sword?

For her, writing is a permanent form of resistance in front of a regime that is trying to suppress her, said Carles Torner, director of PEN International.

In an acceptance speech smuggled out of prison, Nyanzi wrote: Unlawful laws are used in unjust courts to punish citizens whose only crime is exercising their constitutional freedom to write boldly about the dictatorship.

She added: My custodial sentence in a maximum security prison highlights how fearful this dictator and his cronies are of writers. Isnt the pen, indeed, mightier than the sword?

Nyanzi recounted using handcuffs while in solitary confinement to scratch words into the prison walls, including: You can handcuff my body but you can never handcuff my spirit Stella Nyanzi. She has also spoken in the past about using lipstick secretly given to her by other prisoners to write on walls during the five days she spent in solitary confinement.

Jennifer Clement, PEN International president, said of Nyanzi: Though her words might be colourful and shocking to some, this is not enough to justify the imposition of penalties, and public officials should tolerate a higher degree of criticism than ordinary citizens.

Nyanzi is due to appear in court on Friday for another hearing to appeal against the courts decision last August to sentence her to nine more months imprisonment for cyber harassment of the president.

She was convicted under the Computer Misuse Act 2011, a law that Amnesty International wants scrapped because it has been used systematically to harass, intimidate and stifle government critics like Stella Nyanzi.

Previous winners of the international award for freedom of expression include Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich, Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour, Eritrean poet and writer Amanuel Asrat, Honduran activist Dina Meza and Cameroonian journalist Enoh Meyomesse.

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You can't handcuff my spirit: jailed writer wins freedom of expression prize - The Guardian

SINGAPORE - If a personal mobility device (PMD) rider zooms by on an empty footpath, he is definitely breaking a rule but is he actually curtailing anyone's freedom to walk?

A moral conundrum for sure, but one that a panellist at the 5th StGallen Symposium Singapore Forum 2020 felt could be handled simply: A person could exercise tolerance and not immediately report the man to the authorities.

The example is timely given Singapore's hotly debated PMD footpath ban, but it also drives home a central theme of Saturday's (Jan 18) panel discussion on freedom: While seemingly abstract and absolute, the context and conditions within which freedom operates aresomething people need to grapple with daily.

Four panellists applied differentnotions of freedom to a variety of issues and contexts, from fake news in Singapore,to the protests in Hong Kong and to the global climate change crisis.

Moderator and former Nominated MP Viswa Sadasivan kicked off the discussion with the evocative analogy of freedom as a very sharp knife without a handle, carrying the risk of cutting oneself if used incautiously.

It was in considering this analogy that panellist Tommy Koh - not the veteran diplomat of the same name- brought up the PMD example and tolerance.

"How we approach situations where (different) freedoms collide matter... In picking up that knife, perhaps the glove that we need to put on is the glove of tolerance," said Mr Koh, who was the StGallen Leader of Tomorrow for 2018 and 2019 and is now completing national service.

The analogy, however, presumes conditions of sufficient stability and prosperity such that the individual can wield the knife in the first place, said Professor Danny Quah, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

"The great paradox in freedom today is how so much of the world has benefited from institutions that have given them economic prosperity, and (yet) are willing to throw them away," said Prof Quah, who is also Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics.

Continuing the analogy, fellow panellist and The Straits Times editor Warren Fernandez said that knowing when not to wield the knife was just as important as knowing when to wield it. He cited the Charlie Hebdo shooting in 2015, where 12 people were killed at the magazine's Paris office over offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

He said that the ST knew that it would never have run such cartoons given Singapore's multicultural context.

"We recognise the responsibility we have in wielding that power, not to upset the context in which we have been able to enjoy that freedom," said Mr Fernandez, who is also editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings' English/Malay/Tamil Media Group.

Audience members at the forum held at the National University of Singapore University Town asked a range of questions, including whether different freedoms can coexist equally and how to negotiate different cultural views on rights.

Former MP Zainul Abidin Rasheed, one of about 360 attendees, asked the panellists to consider whether Singapore has done well in revisiting the idea of freedom, especially in terms of the Government's role.

Professor Kevin Y.L. Tan, adjunct professor at NUSlaw faculty and the event's keynote speaker, said Singapore has become increasingly reactive "rather than looking at the whole picture".

"There is a piecemeal, knee-jerk reaction by the state to issues which involve freedoms," said Prof Tan, who is also visiting professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Citing the example of PMDs again, he said the Government was silent on regulation until a parliamentary question was asked, indicating poor planning.

Another example was the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) passed last year, which Prof Tan said was an example where the state and security prevailed over individual freedoms, and an area which should be revisited.

But revisiting freedoms is an endless process, said Mr Fernandez. He traced how the balance between rights and responsibilities, and individuals versus the collective has changed since the time of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Pofma is an example where the Government has taken on board the views of individuals and shaped them to deal with the larger problem of misinformation and fake news.

"I think we will continue to change with a new set of leaders and electorate. It will have to be a constant revisiting of that agreement we've come to in a society," he said.

The annual StGallen Symposium is run by the University of StGallen in Switzerland to promote inter-generational discussions.

Past speakers from Singapore includeSenior MinistersTharman Shanmugaratnam and Teo Chee Hean, and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who spoke at the event last year.

The symposium's Singapore forum, organised by the National Youth Achievement Award Council, was introduced in 2016 as an event leading up to the main conference in Switzerlandwith the same theme.

Originally posted here:

Freedom a 'double-edged' knife that needs constant revisiting: St Gallen forum in Singapore - The Straits Times

Freedom High School grad Jimbo Covert, who played for the Chicago Bears from 1983-1990, has been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Shortly after 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning while in his hotel room in San Francisco, Jimbo Covert got a call on his cell phone. It was David Baker, president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It didn't take long for Baker to explain why he called.

"I want to thank you for all you've done for the game, and I want to thank you for all you will do for this game," Baker said. "And I want to welcome you to Canton, Ohio, where we promise to guard your legacy forever."

With that, Covert, the pride of Conway and a Freedom High School graduate, learned that he'll be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Covert, an offensive tackle who played eight seasons with the Chicago Bears from 1983-1990, was elected to the Hall of Fame as part of special 20-member Class of 2020 to commemorate NFL's 100th season.

Covert is one of 10 seniors players whose careers ended more than 25 years ago -- who will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in August and September ceremonies.

"Thank you," Covert said to Baker. "What a call.

"I don't know what to say. I'm shocked. Thank you so much. This is just incredible."

Covert, who now lives in Weston, Fla., was in San Francisco on business. Since retiring from football, he's enjoyed a successful career as an executive in healthcare sales, marketing and acquisition initiatives.

But it's his career in football that paved the way for his impending enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After high school, where his exploits in football and wrestling made him a Freedom legend, Covert played college football at Pitt where he was a two-time All-American.

The Bears used their first-round pick in the 1983 NFL draft the sixth overall to select Covert.

He was a two-time first-team All-Pro who helped the Bears win six division championships, one NFC title and the 1985 Super Bowl. He ranks 13th on the Bears' all-time top 100 player list and was named to the NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team.

He'll be the fifth Beaver County product to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hell join Beaver Falls' Joe Namath (induction class of 1985), Aliquippa's Mike Ditka (1988), Hopewell's Tony Dorsett (1994) and Aliquippa's Ty Law (2019).

"That's good company," Covert said. "Getting into the Hall of Fame with those guys ... it 's hard to even imagine that. Growing up in Conway and going to Freedom High School, you never really think about things like this. You just love the game and appreciate how much the game means to you.

"I had a great high school career. I played for coach Chuck Lucidore. I went to Pitt and played for coach Jackie Sherrill and (O-line coach) Joe Moore. Then I went to Chicago and played for Mike Ditka.

"Maybe I wish I could have played a little longer. But I have no regrets. Getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it just centers you on looking back at your career. You play at a high level and get rewarded for it. I'm just ecstatic."

Covert, 59, will be one of 30 Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the fifth player from the '85 Super Bowl team. Others Hall of Famers from that famed team are the late Walter Payton, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton and Mike Singletary, as well as coach Ditka.

"I just talked to Walter's son Jarrett a little while ago," Covert said. "I was really fortunate to be pretty close to Walter. I miss him every day. He was just a special person. He was the glue who held us together. Without him, we never win the Super Bowl in '85."

After the NFL announced the 10 senior members of its Centennial Hall of Fame class on Wednesday, Covert was bombarded with congratulatory phone calls, texts and emails.

"It's been a long day already," Covert said late Wednesday afternoon. "I've been up since 4 a.m. Pacific Coast time. But it's been an awesome experience and an awesome day. Early this morning when I talked to Dave Baker, it was pretty emotional.

"I'm almost speechless. I'm on cloud nine right now."

Covert has already been inducted into several halls of fame. Among them are the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

But in a few months he'll experience his greatest honor, induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Freedom grad Jimbo Covert selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame - The Times

FOX Business Stuart Varney on the protests in Iran.

FOX Business Stuart Varney, in his latest My Take, discusses why the mullahs in Iran should be worried about arevolt in their country.

The mullahs instructed Iranians to stomp on the colors ofthe U.S. and Iraqiflags, Varney said their way of keeping thepeople in line.

But revolt broke out when Iranians decided to walk around the colors, to not step on them, he said.

The mullahs should be worried about that, Varney said, When they hear the chants death to Khomeini instead of death to America, they know theyre in trouble.

VARNEY: DEMOCRATS 'CAN'T HANDLE' TRUMP'S ACTION, RESILIENCE IN TAKING OUT SOLEIMANI

Varney said the revolution has broken out of Tehran and spread to other cities in reaction to the deliberate takedown of the Ukrainianjetliner. Its also a revolt against economic collapse and endless war, he said.

Protesters hold flowers as tear gas fired by police rises at a demonstration in Tehran, Iran, to remember victims of the Ukrainian airplane shot down by an Iranian missile.Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. (AP Photo)

President Trump also had his hand in sparking fire under the Iranian revolution, Varney said.

On Saturday, Trump tweeted: my Administration will continue to stand with you. We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage. Varney said he also warned the mullahs to abstain from shooting protestors and threatening the U.S.

Serious stuff, Varney said. Iran's Islamic revolution is 40 years old and has never been challenged like this before.

Varney said not even during the Obama administration was there support offered to protestors. Instead, he said, billions were put into Irans treasury.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

It is President Trump who has pushed the Iranians into a box, he said. He holds to a hard line and its turned the Iran situation upside down.

Its been two weeks since Soleimani was killed. Since then, Varney said, Iranians are revolting against their own leaders, instead of continuing the organization to attack Americans and threatening Middle Eastern regimes.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

No other recent president has been able to do this, he said. Iran has been ruined by the Islamic revolution. It is President Trump who is giving the Iranian people their best opportunity for a return to freedom and peace."

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Varney: Trump giving Iranians their best opportunity to return to freedom - Fox Business

Jim Gavin will be presented with the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin at the Mansion House this evening.

The Clondalkin man led the Dubs to a record-breaking fifth All-Ireland in a row last September, securing the historic feat with a replay win over Kerry.

It was Gavin's sixth Sam Maguire Cup as senior county boss, adding to the All-Ireland he claimed as a player in 1995, and three Under-21 triumphs as manager.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Paul McAuliffe will be on hand to present the award, and he showered praise on Gavin, saying: In conferring on Jim the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin, we recognise his achievements on the pitch, as a Manager and his contribution to public life.

"He and his players have created many happy memories over the years, but I will never forget lighting that 5thblue lamp in honour of the unprecedented 5 in a row.

Gavin said: ""I am deeply privileged to have been granted theFreedom of our City of Dublin by our Lord Mayor and Dublin City Council.

"It is a particular honour given the conferringceremonyis to take place in the Mansion House Round Room where our first Dil was convened.

"It is very humbling to join the august list of previous recipients and I am delighted to share this honour award with An Cumann Lthchleas Gael - Bailetha Cliath, my colleaguesin aviation, with glaighnahireann, and with my family and friends who have been with me on my journey to this day.

"Dublin is a great city full of a great and passionate people, with a noble history and a hopeful future. I am proud to be one of them."

If you haven't already, be sure to like ourIrish Mirror SportandIrish Mirror GAApages on Facebook andfollow us on Twitter.

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Jim Gavin to be awarded Freedom of Dublin City in Mansion House ceremony - Irish Mirror

One of President Donald Trumps most widely ridiculed assertions is that he is a very stable genius, and that line is used in an ironic way in the title of the forthcoming Philip Rucker/Carol D. Leonnig book, A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trumps Testing of America ironic because the book depicts Trump as being the opposite of stable during his time in the White House.

The Washington Post has obtained a copy of the 417-page book, which has a Tuesday, January 21 release date on Amazon and according to the Posts Ashley Parker, A Very Stable Genius is full of vivid details from Trumps tumultuous first three years as president, from his chaotic transition before the taking office to Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs Russia investigation and final report.

Rucker and Leonnig reveal in their book that Trump toyed with the idea of awarding himself the Medal of Freedom. Yet when it came to foreign policy, Trump was at times, dangerously uninformed, according to the long-time Washington Post reporters.

For example, Rucker and Leonnig report, Trump didnt appear to fully understand the importance of Pearl Harbor when the president and former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly were getting ready to privately tour the USS Arizona Memorial. Trump, according to Rucker and Leonnig, had heard the phrase Pearl Harbor and appeared to understand that he was visiting the scene of an historic battle, but he did not seem to know much else.

When Trump met with Indian President Narendra Modi, according to Rucker and Leonnig, he told him, Its not like youve got China on your border. But in fact, China is one of the countries India shares a border with.

Trumps fondness for Russian President Vladimir Putin is discussed in the book, and at one point, Trump declared himself to be more of an expert on Russia than former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who had extensive dealings with Putin during his years at Exxon.

Rucker and Leonnig write, Tillersons years of negotiating with Putin and studying his moves on the chessboard were suddenly irrelevant. I have had a two-hour meeting with Putin, Trump told Tillerson. Thats all I need to know Ive sized it all up. Ive got it.

A Very Stable Genius, Parker notes, is based on hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 200 sources, corroborated, when possible, by calendars, diary entries, internal memos and even private video recordings. Trump himself had initially committed to an interview for the book, the authors write, but ultimately declined, amid an escalating war with the media.

Some of the anecdotes in the book, according to Parker, are more amusing than disturbing. In 2018, for example, Trump met with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to discuss the possibility of Christie becoming the next White House chief of staff; Christie declined and when Axios reported that the meeting had taken place, Christie wanted to know how the meeting had been leaked to the media. Only three people were present during the meeting: President Trump, Christie and First Lady Melania Trump.

Oh, I did it, President Trump revealed.

then let us make a small request. AlterNets journalists work tirelessly to counter the traditional corporate media narrative. Were here seven days a week, 365 days a year. And were proud to say that weve been bringing you the real, unfiltered news for 20 yearslonger than any other progressive news site on the Internet.

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Dangerously uninformed Trump toyed with awarding himself the Medal of Freedom: book - AlterNet

A STRANGE thing is happening in British politics, with a Tory and Labour bidding war to deny Scottish democracy, while at the same time the unsustainability of their position is being pointed out even by anti-independence commentators.

In one week we have seen Prime Minister Boris Johnson deny the request by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for the powers of a Scottish independence referendum to be transferred to the Scottish Parliament, while his junior colleagues have suggested there are no circumstances for Scotlands voters to decide on their own future. Tory Secretary of State Alister Jack suggested that it doesnt matter what happens in the next Scottish Parliament elections, there wont be a referendum i.e. even if people give the SNP a mandate (again) it wont happen. In an uncomfortable BBC Scotland radio interview, his colleague Douglas Ross suggested that there cant be another referendum for fifty or sixty years.

READ: Boris Johnson's reply to Nicola Sturgeon's Section 30 request

All of this is, of course, total nonsense. The longer the Tories deny democracy in Scotland, the more they undermine their own argument for the UK and boost the case for independence. Imagine a political party that hasnt won an election since 1955 continuing to tell the repeated election winners in Scotland that they cant have what people voted for. That is not democracy; it is tin-pot dictatorship. It cant go on forever. While it might seem like a stand-off now, it will have to be resolved.

This is the point that was made this week by the leading London commentator Iain Martin, who is no supporter of the SNP or independence: But the SNP is right - and it is not often Ive written these words in one crucial respect. It appears to be the position of the Prime Minister, and his Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, that there will not be a referendum even if the SNP wins a majority at the 2021 Holyrood elections. This is not a credible line to take. If the SNP wins an overall majority of seats or wins more than 50% of the popular vote next year, it will be extremely difficult for Unionists to say with any authority that the nationalists lack a mandate for their core policy. Unionists might as well face it. If Nicola Sturgeon gets a majority next year there is going to be a referendum at some point, so it is best to work out now how best to make the case for Britain.

Alister Jack

This is exactly the same case that is made by the former head of communications for the Scottish Conservatives, Andy Maciver, who is now director of Message Matters: This all points to the 2021 Scottish Parliament election the most important there has ever been. That election will be fought on very clear ground, with very likely no room for debate on anything other than indyref2. If the SNP wins the election with a clear manifesto commitment for a second independence referendum, a full two parliamentary terms after their first win, there can be no serious grounds to oppose it. You cant be a fair-weather democrat. You cant demand to get Brexit done because voters asked for it whilst demanding that Indyref2 is continually rejected despite voters asking for it.

LETTERS: The FM has painted herself into a corner over Section 30 orders

While the Tory party has been getting themselves in a lather denying Scottish democracy, they have been closely followed by Labour leadership candidates Jess Phillips and Lisa Nandy. In interviews and on a day trip to Glasgow, Phillips repeated her blanket opposition to a Scottish referendum while Nandy thought that Scotland should be dealt with like Catalonia, without even thinking that that included police brutality against defenceless voters. Apparently Scotland just needs to put up with a Tory government unelected in Scotland, which is taking us out of the European Union against our will, until Labour gets its act together. Aye right.

Hard as it is to endure given the repeated electoral mandates for an independence referendum, the reality is that the issue of indyref2 will be decided in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections. With a majority of pro-independence MSPs, it will be impossible to oppose Scottish democracy.

That makes the 2021 elections the most important Scottish parliament vote ever. Put simply, the challenge to return a pro-independence majority of MSPs is the key to Scotlands future. There are only 67 weeks until polling day on May 6 2021. There is no time to waste. We need to start now. We need to start canvassing, leafleting and campaigning now. SNP members and volunteers, sitting councillors, MSPs, MPs and soon-to-be selected candidates need to drive the campaign in their wards and constituencies to guarantee success. There is no time for distractions. Now is the time to keep the eye on the independence prize.

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Angus Robertson: Freedom is on its way, and it's time the Tories accept it - The National

Head: B

With 2,378 S.Atk, this isnt going to carry your shotty, but it will provide a very interesting EX Skill. Its an Awakening that gives 20% Speed, 10% M.Atk, and 20% S.Atk for 30s on a CD of 90/18s. Not the best thing in the world, and doesnt make up for the lacking stats, but all considered its a slightly above average Part.

This sleek Chest has above average Armor with 1,602 and 1,180 in both Defense stats, which is unfortunately let down by its less than stellar +8 to EX Skill DMG with Saber equipped.

Love the look! They come paired with a Shield, which definitely does not slack off. It boasts 1,602 Armor, 2,378 M.Atk, and 2,781 in both Defenses, making this a very tanky choice for your ranged gunpla. Why ranged? Because the Part Trait boosts Sp. Shot power by 17% with a Bazooka equipped! Not bad.

While the Defenses are nice, sitting at 1,180 on both, the EX Skill leaves a lot to be desired, giving only B+/D at 30/3s and reduces enemy Gunplas M.Def by 10%.

Again, above average defenses, and again, the EX Skill leaves very much to be desired. Its a Beam Shot Magazine which gives B+/D at 60/0s at 4 Mag. At least its a Mag and at least its not tied to a ranged gunplas most important Part.

3,176 M.Atk is pretty unimpressive given the power ratings of Sabers nowadays, although if this was being judged when it was released, itd probably hold up a lot better. The Part Trait only boosts Melee DMG by 8 when you have a Rifle equipped.

With 3,176 S.Atk, this isnt exactly the best Rifle in the world, but it is one of the best for Out Fighter gunpla because it gives 6% reduction to Initial CD with a Saber equipped. Not quite as good as DODS Rifle, but DODS Rifle isnt exactly good on an Out Fighter either, so F91 fills that niche. It also comes with Protag., so, yay!

Again, 3,179 S.Atk, however this weapon fills a very different niche by instead granting you 17% EX Skill power with a Saber equipped. Not quite as good, but still very very good and for a broader range of situations.

I absolutely love the look of the F91. Its extremely sleek, comes with a very cool looking beam shield, and even has a variable design that fits with many Parts out there. Gucci.

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NT-1 and F91 is your Ticket to Freedom! - GamePress

OXFORD, EnglandA portrait of John Locke, considered the father of political liberalism, hangs in Christ Church Hall amid a gallery of honored graduates that includes John Wesley, William Pitt, Charles Boyle, and William Gladstone. But on the eve of Englands Glorious Revolution in 1688, Locke was a political fugitive living in exile, having been expelled from his Oxford University post for promoting certain pernicious books and damnable principles.

Despite his rehabilitation, Lockes principlesgovernment by consent, political equality, religious liberty, and the right to resist tyrannyare as controversial as ever. Indeed, nearly every international crisis today involves an argument between Locke and Thomas Hobbes: a debate over the right to live in freedom vs. submission to dictatorial rule.

Consider the political landscape in places such as Hong Kong, China, North Korea, Russia, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and Venezuela. In each case, Lockean ideas about human equality and self-government are being devoured by the Hobbesian Leviathan. In each case, the rule of law cannot be counted on to protect the rights of minorities and political dissenters. The resultas Locke predictedis social unrest and revolution. When both sides are armed, the stage is set for civil war. For when the people are made miserable, and find themselves exposed to the ill usage of arbitrary power, Locke warned, they will be ready upon any occasion to ease themselves of a burden that sits heavily upon them.

Lockes world was not so different from our own. Over his lifetime (16321704) he witnessed populations convulsed by the English Civil War, regicide, religious extremism, show trials, executions, and the suspension of civil liberties. He saw firsthand a campaign of religious persecution that sparked a refugee crisis in the heart of Europe. Ultimately, Lockes liberal principles triumphed in the West. Yet the story of his achievement, ripe with lessons for our own age, is being neglected.

When Hobbes pondered the realities of European society, he saw a state of nature in chaos: a ruthless war of all against all. The only remedy, he believed, was a universal submission to an all-powerful political authority. Locke saw something else: the human capacity for rational self-government. This is the subtext of Lockes Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689), considered part of the canon of Western philosophy. The leading philosopher of his age, Locke nevertheless preferred the reasoning of ordinary people to the learned gibberish of intellectuals and religious scholars. The candle that is set up in us, he wrote, shines bright enough for all our purposes.

Chief among those purposes, Locke argued, was the creation of a political society built upon our natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Unlike Hobbes, Locke envisioned a state of nature rooted in a fundamental moral law: the protection of human freedom so that every individual could pursue her divine calling and serve her true sovereign. For men being all the workmanship of one omnipotent and infinitely wise Maker; all servants of one sovereign Master, sent into the world by His order and about His business, he wrote in Second Treatise of Government (1690). They are His property, whose workmanship they are made to last during His, not anothers pleasure. The agents of Leviathan not only violate Gods moral law but put themselves into a state of war with the people. The American Founders would take note.

In seventeenth-century Europe, however, political absolutism was sanctioned by religious authorities, armed with hyper-patriarchal interpretations of the Bible. Any progress toward a more liberal, egalitarian society required a theological revolution in the European mind. Locke sought to instigate it.

It is true that Locke shared the enlightenment critique of militant Christianity and its capacity to unleash profound wickedness: All those flames that have made such havoc and desolation in Europe . . . have been at first kindled with coals from the altar. Yet unlike the enlightenment thinkers who followed him, he didnt believe the concepts of freedom and equality could be defended on purely secular grounds; they must be anchored in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Lockean equality is not fit to be taught as a secular doctrine, writes political theorist Jeremy Waldron. It is a conception of equality that makes no sense except in the light of a particular account of the relation between man and God.

Political philosopher Leo Strauss persuaded generations of scholars that Locke was a hedonist, that he did not take mans religious aspirations and obligations seriously. The opposite was the case: Locke was as much a religious reformer as he was a political revolutionary. In the Christian humanist tradition of Erasmus, a man he greatly admired, Locke argued that a return to the teachings of Jesusin politics and cultureheld the key to a more just and humane society. Hence, one of his rules for a philosophical society he founded in 1688 while in exile in the Netherlands: Proposing to ourselves and others the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as the great pattern for our imitation.

This was the moral core of Lockes A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689), arguably the most important defense of religious freedom ever written and the conceptual basis for the modern secular state. Neither Jesus nor his disciples ever coerced anyone into the kingdom of heaven, Locke argued. Mutual charity, expressed in the golden rule, was their answer to religious diversity. But that the church of Christ should persecute others, and force others by fire and sword to embrace her faith and doctrine, I could never yet find in any of the books of the New Testament.

Locke drew conclusions from his case for religious liberty considered utterly radical at the time. First, the church must be a free and voluntary society, based on the conscience and consent of each individual. Second, the state must protect equally the rights of every person to pursue his religious obligations. The sum of all we drive at, he wrote, is that every man enjoy the same rights that are granted to others. Here are the defining doctrines of liberal democracy: government by consent of the governed, equal justice under the law, and the separation of church and state.

These are the political principles that have helped the West to defeat two of its most intractable problemspolitical tyranny and religious authoritarianism. It is precisely these ideas that are under assault in much of the rest of the world. Nevertheless, while many on the political left ignore Lockes influence, a growing number of conservatives have rejected it as a dead end toward radical individualism and social breakdown. Yoram Hazony, the author of The Virtue of Nationalism, argues that there is nothing in the liberal system that requires you, or even encourages you, to also adopt a commitment to God, the Bible, family, or nation.

Nonsense. These voices would cut us off from a vital source of moral and political insight, gained from bitter experience. Like no one before him, John Locke combined liberal political theory with the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount. Ultimately, he helped lay the foundation for a society with greater freedom, justice, and diversity than anything Christendom had produced in over a thousand years. It is an inheritance that cannot be guarded too carefully.

Joseph Loconte, PhD, is an associate professor of history at the Kings College in New York City and the author of God, Locke, and Liberalism: The Struggle for Religious Freedom in the West. He is working on a documentary film series about the impact of war on the literary careers of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. A trailer for the film can be found at hobbitwardrobe.com.

Image: Flickr /U.S. Department of Defense

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The Future of Freedom in the Era of Dictatorial Rule - The National Interest Online

ALASKA SCHOOLS ARE PRODUCING A FAILED SOCIAL ORDER

By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO

Our public education system no longer promotes the goal of teaching our children how to think independently, and how to live free, fulfilling, and meaningful lives.

Instead, we now see the products of carefully crafted and controlled manipulation of education to graduate young Socialists who are entitled, unskilled, and politically far-left leaning.

This whole process is controlled by the Democratic Party, the mainstream media, and their willing confederates in the public employees unions.

Republicans and conservatives alike share the blame. We have been absent from the education dialogue. We have, at best, issued lukewarm and flaccid rebuttals in protest, and of course, have been ignored.The public employees unions have driven the narrative, tilting the political arena more to the left than ever before. They have almost unlimited financial resources, and the political process has quietly been manipulated to help, through independent expenditure groups, mail-in ballots, and (possibly soon) rank choice voting.

There is no excuse for Republican/Conservatives to remain passive. After all, this really is about not only our more and more endangered constitutional rights, but also the future of our children and their children.

The majority of cities in the United States see their school boards and administrations controlled by far-left Democrats and their allies, and have for over half a century. The end result is that every major city is now completely controlled by the Democrat party, particularly unions.

States like California, New York, Illinois, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Virginia (the state whose constitution was written by George Mason and James Madison among others) and more are now totally controlled by Democrats who control the major population centers and therefore the entire states.

Alaska has become no different. Anchorage has become a state within a state. As evidenced by its mayor and assembly as well as many of its State Legislative representatives (regardless ofD or Rdesignations), our once bountiful natural resources, with their development potential, are being converted and driven into a swamp of red tape, bureaucracy and entitlements. Our education system is promoting every leftist policy as good to our children, and every conservative policy as evil, racist, and selfish.

Everything that is wrong with inner city schools that policy can fix, Democrats are responsible for. Democrats and their allies run the public school system for the benefit of adults at the expense of children. Put in the language of political war:Democrats have their boot heels on the necks of poor, black, and Hispanic children. But Republicans are too polite to mention it. David Horowitz. How to Beat the Democrats and Other Subversive Ideas

Whose fault is this? We need to look at ourselves and see the results of our lack of attention and action. These policies are allowed to take over because of poor Republican/conservative voter turnout and poorer Republican/conservative public involvement.

Our lack of involvement has allowed the growth and takeover by the public employees unions, creatingan unfair legal standard for the Democrat hatchet machine to proliferate. With seemingly unlimited funds from union dues (we have yet to see the measurable effects of Janus v AFMCME in Alaska), these unions are virtually a political party with no legal political restraints, unlike the current political parties subject to the FEC and state public offices regulators.

Sadly, Democrat-controlled schools are teaching students very little. Students who are a product of this system are moving into their future not with productive and saleable life skills, but with a quiver full ofidentity politicarrows. Our education system should promote a meaningful and independent lifestyle, but instead, it leads to narcissism, sloth, and entitlement with few exceptions.

Alaska is producing a failing social order and it will cost our progeny dearly.

Where is the outrage on the part of Republicans/conservatives?Our urbanity and our go along, get alongattitude are our demise and consequently our failure, not just to ourselves but to Alaskas future.

What is more incredible to this edifice of failure is the fact that Republicans/conservatives actually do have an education plan in place. It is not based on the failed social principles we have witnessed year in and year out. No, the Republican/conservative plan is simple and immediately outcome oriented.

Alaskas school reform is economic choice. By putting the education dollar directly into the hands of parents, schools would be forced to serve their communities and constituents. Giving parents control of their childrens education would force schools and unions to stop exploiting our tax dollars to serve their own interests (instead of the students). Our tax dollars must be redirected to the parents and follow the children, rather than the special interests of the Democrat/media/public union syndicate.

The goal is to serve our children with a profoundly reformed education and provide them with the education that will give them the best chance for a successful, fulfilling and responsible life. The Left will not listen to these ideas because they will lose the power and the control they crave and must have to stay in power.

This idea was developed in 2013 through the efforts of Senator now Governor Michael Dunleavy.

During the 28thAlaska State Legislature, our state saw for the first time an opportunity to vote up or down on the question of state aid for education reaching the true beneficiaries of education, our children.

SJR 9 proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to state aid for education which provided the wording as captioned below, if passed by the State Legislature, would have given the voters the opportunity to amend the state constitution.

It was falsely entitled a voucher program attempt and maligned extensively in the public and the halls of our state capital.This was a typical lefistsky is fallingcanard, calling it a voucher program, instead of what it really was freedom: Freedom for parents and children to choose. Freedom to use their tax money in a way that would be meaningful to them, not the few, who created a hornets nest response to their potential loss of control over public policy and public money.

It was introduced on Feb. 13, 2013 by then-Sen. Dunleavy, and Senators Fred Dyson, Pete Kelly, John Coghill, Cathy Giessel, Lesil McGuire, Charlie Huggins, and Anna Fairclough.

SJR9 had 11 of the 14 votes required, but the education industry is the most powerful lobbying force in Alaska politics. Ironically, Senators Bert Stedman, Gary Stevens and Click Bishop, all Republicans, were the 3 senators who kept SJR9 from coming out of the Rules committee and being voted upon on the floor, in spite of this being part of the Alaska Republican Party platform.

Isnt time to bring this back to the education discussion? Before you say yes, let me finish with a suggestion and a solution.

Suggestion:Redirect all education funding to follow the child. This can be done by our political will through amending the Alaska Constitution. Give the people of Alaska the opportunity to guide the direction of education policy directly and personally.

Solution:Reintroduce and pass the language of SJR9. Amend Article VII, Sec 1 as follows:

Article VII, sec. 1, Constitution of the State of Alaska, to read:Section 1. Public Education.The legislature shall by general law establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the State, and may provide for other public educational institutions. Schools and institutions so established shall be free from sectarian control.

With this deletion [NO MONEY SHALL BE PAID FROM PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THE DIRECT BENEFIT OF ANY RELIGIOUS OR OTHER PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.]

Amend Article IX, Sec 6 as follows:

Article IX, sec. 6, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read:Section 6. Public Purpose.No tax shall be levied, or appropriation of public money made, or public property transferred, nor shall the public credit be used, except or a public purpose (add as follows); however, nothing in this section shall prevent payment from public funds for the direct educational benefit of students as provided by law.

Michael Tavoliero is a realtor at Core Real Estate Group in Eagle River, is active in the Alaska Republican Party and chairs Eaglexit.

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Education solution: Give parents freedom of choice - Must Read Alaska