Category Archives: Freedom

RALEIGH In places where governments are smaller, taxes are lower, regulations are lighter, and property rights are more secure, people tend to be more generous, trustful, and tolerant. Although progressives may find this proposition hard to accept, theres an ever-increasing stack of empirical evidence to support it.Consider a recent study published inThe Independent Review. Comparing the scores of 145 countries on the Fraser Institutes Economic Freedom of the World Index to an index of private giving and volunteering, authors Lawrence McQuillan and Hayeon Carol Park found a strongly positive relationship. By itself, the freedom index explained 20% of the variance in charitable giving. Other studies by Swedish economists Niclas Berggren and Therese Nilsson show powerful connections between economic freedom and measures of social trust, mutual respect, and tolerance.To discover a correlation, however, is not necessarily to determine which way the causal arrows point. For example, there is already an extensive literature showing that freer economies tend to grow faster. Perhaps as free-market policies help places grow wealthier, their residents become more charitable. Or perhaps as places grow wealthier for other reasons, such as achieving high levels of education and innovation, they both become more charitableandmore likely to adopt freedom-enhancing policies. Still another possibility is that places where civil society is already thick, where healthy families and other private institutions help their residents build character and find meaning, citizens tend to be both more economically productiveandmore resistant to expansive government.Its an interesting social-science puzzle. But for my colleagues and I at the John William Pope Foundation, it requires no ultimate solution. For us, its enough to know that freedom, human development, compassion, and other important values are associated with each other. They form a virtuous circle. And over the past 35 years, the Pope Foundation has donated more than $200 million to nonprofits found at every point on that circle, from humanitarian relief and civic vitality to think tanks and educational institutions.Our giving reflects the philosophy of our co-founder, retail pioneer John Pope. Self-reliance, self-confidence, and integrity are the keys to success, he said. Endurance is also critical, and the responsibility for success lies on the shoulders of the individual. Our virtuous-circle approach to philanthropy also reflects the wisdom of Americas Founders, whose fierce defense of freedom came not just from classical learning and Enlightenment principles but also from practical experience.As George Washington put it, the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people. But neither Washington nor his colleagues believed liberty was an all-encompassing good. They recognized as have prudent conservators of Americas classical-liberal revolution ever since that it will always prove fleeting unless its bundled with the complementary good of virtue.Of course, the two values can also be in tension. When government respects our freedom to seek virtue, we may instead practice vice. Human beings are inherently flawed creatures vulnerable to temptations. Yielding to them can create the very adverse consequences for ourselves and others addiction, corruption, violence, child abuse and neglect that so often lead to demands for more government.Thats why building and maintaining strong social institutions are so important. When we exercise our personal freedom within dense networks of families and other associations, we make better choices. Were nudged in the right direction by words loving or stern, by glances approving or reproachful, by examples inspiring or cautionary.When the Pope Foundation invests in life-changing programs to combat poverty, illiteracy, addiction, and homelessness, we help to create the conditions most likely to preserve freedom. And when we invest in thinkers, communicators, and institutions that strengthen the intellectual and moral case for freedom, we make it possible for more individuals to pursue their passions, live their best lives, and build virtue including, as it happens, the virtue of charity itself.

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Generosity And Freedom Go Together | Opinion | transylvaniatimes.com - The Transylvania Times

The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles will present an updated edition of its first exhibit, Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom, which is set to run from Jan. 15 to May 8, 2022.

The exhibit, which was first on display when the Grammy Museum opened in 2008, examines the role music has played in inspiring social consciousness throughout American history. It has been updated to include the Black Lives Matter movement, songs informed by the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and how such artists as H.E.R., Mickey Guyton and Dave Specter continue the tradition of using music as a catalyst for social change.

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Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom returns to the Grammy Museum at a particularly relevant time, said Bob Santelli, founding executive director and exhibit curator, in a statement. Although socially and politically conscious songs have healed and inspired generations throughout our history, it feels especially significant to showcase the power of song as a unifying force and agent of change in the midst of Americas current struggles for equality.

Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom will include a newly expanded section, The Sounds of Los Angeles, that explores Los Angeles-based social movements and events that have inspired protest songs spanning a variety of genres and communities, from the Chicano movement that formed during the 1960s and 1970s to what a press statement refers to as the citys history of poverty and economic disparity, gang violence, and police corruption. Featured artists include Lalo Guerrero, Mark Guerrero, Frost, Motown star Kim Weston, Randy Savvy of Compton Cowboys and Chuck D of Public Enemy.

The challenge in presenting such material is that people view these events through different prisms, based on their life experience. People sometimes cant even agree on language. This is reflected in the press statements reference to the 1965 Watts Riots/Rebellion and the 1992 Riots/Uprising.

Los Angeles connection to the creation of socially conscious music is undeniable, said Nicholas Vega, Grammy Museum curator and director of exhibitions. In this newly expanded section, the Grammy Museum partnered with a number of local artists to shine light on the community-based movements that have impacted the citys identity and history, and inspired the creation of socially and politically charged music.

Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom will also include Song Spotlights, individual video displays that feature artists talking about socially conscious songs that are important to them. Andra Day discusses Billie Holidays Strange Fruit, which she sang in her Oscar-nominated performance in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Noel Paul Stookey recalls Bob Dylans Blowin in the Wind, which his trio, Peter, Paul & Mary, turned into a 1963 pop smash. Ziggy Marley discusses his father Bob Marleys song Get Up, Stand Up, a highlight of The Wailers 1975 album, Burnin.

Other exhibit highlights include:

Woody Guthries Tenor Banjo (May Bell) used during the Woody and Lefty Lou radio show in the 1930s.

Handwritten lyrics to I Cant Breathe, which won a Grammy as song of the year in March, and the Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic guitar used by H.E.R. to write the song (in collaboration with DMile and Tiara Thomas).

John Mellencamps Gibson Dove Acoustic guitar with Fk Fascism written on it.

Stevie Van Zandts Guild electric guitar used during the recording of Sun City, the 1985 song that he wrote which became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for the all-star collective Artists Untied Against Apartheid.

Handwritten lyrics to The Ballad of George Floyd written by Specter.

Custom dress worn by Guyton during her performance of Black Like Me at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards in March 2021. Her recording of that song made her the first Black female solo artist to receive a Grammy nomination (best country solo performance). Naeem Khan designed the dress.

Original flyer from the First Ever Chicano Rock Concert held at Cal State LA in 1972.

For more information regarding advanced ticket reservations and the Museums new safety protocols, visit GrammyMuseum.org.

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Grammy Museum Revives Its First Exhibit Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom - Billboard

Miami, December 10, 2021 Colombian President Ivn Duque should veto a portion of the anti-corruption bill recently passed by the countrys legislature that threatens press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On December 6, the Colombian Chamber of Representatives passed Bill 369, the Anti-Corruption Bill, which includes an article that could be used to stifle the press, according to press reports and a statement by the Bogot-based Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP).

Article 221A of the bill, which CPJ reviewed, empowers judges to suspend or cancel the legal status of any organization whose members defame or slander any active or former government official.

Under Colombias constitution, Duque has 20 days to approve or veto the bill.

Colombia is headed in the wrong direction: instead of eliminating its existing criminal defamation laws, lawmakers are adding an additional penalty, which could even strip media outlets of their legal status, said Natalie Southwick, CPJs Latin America and the Caribbean program coordinator, in New York. President Ivn Duque should not pass the Anti-Corruption Bill until Article 221A, which is a blatant threat to press freedom, is removed.

FLIPs coordinator of protection and legal defense for journalists, Raissa Carrillo, told CPJ via messaging app that that article not only provides public officials with an additional layer of protection against public scrutiny, but it will push the outlets into censoring content to avoid the risk of being legally canceled.

Article 221A amends Colombias penal code, which already criminalizes defamation and slander, by empowering authorities to suspend or cancel the legal status of organizations in cases where the alleged victims are active or former public officials.

Contrary to the purpose of the bill, [Article 221A] stifles public debate and creates fertile ground for corruption by preventing the press and civil society organizations from fulfilling their role as watchdog in a democratic society, FLIP said in its statement.

Yesterday, Duque tweeted, the defense of press freedom is an unquestionable duty and that any threat to that principle must be objected.

CPJ called the Colombian Chamber of Representatives for comment, but no one answered.

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Colombian legislature passes anti-corruption bill that threatens press freedom - CPJ Press Freedom Online

Dec 9th 2021

MARK NICHOLLS would not allow a parcel into his home, let alone a friend. Deliveries sat outside for 48 hours: he could not risk any exposure to covid-19, even from a box. Twenty-one months on he is confident enough to visit the supermarketbut only at 11pm, once crowds have thinned. My life is permanently altered, he says. Every journey has to be meticulously planned to limit the risk. I need to avoid crowded places. I will be working from home indefinitely.

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Mr Nicholls is not alone in fearing contact with others. In England alone 3.7m people have been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable during the pandemic because of conditions or treatments that can suppress their immune system. For the first 12 months those at risk of severe illness from covid-19 were advised to shield: to stay at home, avoid face-to-face contact and arrange deliveries of essentials such as food and medicines.

In the summer, however, the United Kingdoms four constituent nations began to relax restrictions at different speeds. Masks remained mandatory in some public settings in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but in England on July 19thdubbed Freedom Daythey became merely recommended, and limits on socialising were scrapped. The 6.6% of Englands population who had been shielding were advised they could meet people outside but should avoid anyone who had not been fully vaccinatedwhich, in effect, meant staying away from anyone they did not know well.

An uptick in cases was followed by a convoluted roll-out of top-up vaccines. The most vulnerable could receive a third primary dose eight weeks after their second jab, whereas the wider population were allocated a single booster after six monthsrecently revised to three in the hope of avoiding a burst of new infections by the Omicron variant. However, even NHS staff were confused about eligibility criteria and many immunocompromised patients were wrongly told to wait until the six-month mark, says Richard Evans of Blood Cancer UK, a charity that was deluged with inquiries. A poor job was done of explaining the rules, he says, leaving some clinically vulnerable people feeling in despair, like theyve been forgotten.

Even as life returned to normal for many, in mid-October the Office for National Statistics suggested that 22% of the clinically extremely vulnerable in Englandmore than 800,000 peoplewere still shielding. Life-satisfaction scores were markedly lower in those who were continuing to shield. Almost all the rest were still taking extra precautions, such as social distancing, avoiding crowded spaces or asking family and friends to take lateral-flow tests before meeting. Prolonged spells out of the workplace meant some employees had to disclose invisible medical conditions they would have preferred to keep private, says Sarah Berry from Crohns and Colitis UK, another charity.

Many such people are frustrated by lax messaging and enforcement, about mask-wearing in particular. Usage fell noticeably over the summer and autumn. Coverings are now compulsory again in England in most indoor spaces and on public transport as Omicron spreads.

Shambolic messaging about airborne transmission has not helped, says Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University of London. We have a prime minister who has repeatedly been observed in places where hes recommended masks should be worn, and where policy suggests masks should be worn, like in hospitals or on trains, but he hasnt been wearing them. Minimising transmission is central to ending lockdowns, she adds. Unless you make society safe for everyone, including the vulnerable, there is no exit strategy. As long as community transmission is high, no matter what you do you cant keep it safe.

Molnupiravir, an antiviral medicine reportedly due to be offered to vulnerable covid-19 patients under a pilot scheme, offers some hope of reducing mortality from the virus among those most at risk of severe illness. But the only way to allow them to return to anything like normality is a vaccine-plus approach, says Trish Greenhalgh, a professor of primary care at Oxford University. Everyone has to be vaccinated and have their boosters, plus we have to look at ventilating buildings, mask-wearing, tracing contacts, testingthe whole lot.

This feels some way off, however. Your triple-jabbed, severely immunocompromised correspondent did not feel safe even at a recent early-morning blood test in south-east London. The windows stayed shut as people piled in. Two nearby patients had ignored instructions to wear masks. I dont have one on me, said a man, who accepted a mask from a nurse. The other patient sighed as she tweaked the covering tucked beneath her chin.

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All our stories relating to the pandemic can be found on our coronavirus hub. You can also find trackers showing the global roll-out of vaccines, excess deaths by country and the viruss spread across Europe.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Underlying issues"

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For the clinically vulnerable, Freedom Day has yet to arrive - The Economist

Bob Palmer| Guest columnist

Recently, the Florida Department of Management Services, the business arm of Florida government, put out a press release lauding the shiny new Florida laws designed to help Floridians avoid COVID vaccinations and COVID-protective masking.

Can you discern a pattern running through these quotes from the press release?

Gov. Ron DeSantis: Im thankful to the Florida Legislature for joining me in standing up for FREEDOM.

Attorney General Ashley Moody: I will always fight for FREEDOM.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuez: The FREE state of Florida will never bend the knee to the Biden Administrations unconstitutional overreach.

Senate President Wilton Simpson. We are sending a clear message that Florida stands for FREEDOM.

State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. The mission of this special session was to ensure that the law reflects the values of LIBERTY in our state.

I give these politicians full credit for sticking to their script. But can you imagine what this chorus of the feeble-minded would have blubbered if someone had slipped their script-writer a nice healthy dose of truth serum:

Gov. Ron DeSantis: Im thankful to the Florida Legislature for joining me in standing up for Floridians FREEDOM to die for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Attorney General Ashley Moody: I tip my hat to the Legislature for protecting our citizens FREEDOM to infect innocent people.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuez: I thank the Almighty that we have leaders who understand that they are FREE to run up unnecessary health-care costs and to stress out overworked health-care workers to the point of mental, physical and emotional collapse.

Senate President Wilton Simpson: Our citizens will now be able to cough and hack on their fellow Floridians with impunity and total FREEDOM.

State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo: As a real live medical guy, I am thrilled that we are prolonging the COVID epidemic, thereby giving even more destructive COVID variants the LIBERTY to develop and flourish.

There is nothing more maddening than the rhetoric of partisans who claim that the Biden administration and various local governments in Florida have developed vaccination and masking guidelines out of a perverse, quasi-Communistic desire to control peoples lives.

What we know about Florida's new surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Dr. Joseph Ladapo as the state's new surgeon general in September 2021. Here's what we know about him.

Grace Pateras, Wochit

Listen up, DeSantis, Moody, Nuez, Simpson and Ladapo: These policies are in place at least the ones you havent trampled because responsible officials believe government is about more than letting anyone have the FREEDOM to do whatever the hell they want.

Me, me, me is a good exercise for loosening up the vocal cords, but its not a governing philosophy. Keeping citizens safe, on the other hand, is very much a legitimate governing philosophy. Lest your forget, it is in fact the primary responsibility of government.

Bob Palmer lives in Gainesville.

Send a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines.

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Freedom is the opportunity to do what is right - Gainesville Sun

Hollywood technology helps Shriners patients walk again

Photojournalist Corey Beckman

TAMPA, Fla. - Brooklyn Drury is being transformed into a walking CGI character. The 12-year-old says it feels just plain "weird" wearing motion sensors just like in the movies.

"They bounce when you walk," she observed.

But this isn't Hollywood. It's Shriners Children's Hospital in Tampa. Brooklyn is in their newly upgraded, state-of-the-art Motion Analysis Center, or MAC.

The physical therapy team who runs it says the improvement is immense.

"Twenty years ago, we had eight infrared cameras and two digital cameras. Right now, we have 18 infrared cameras and two more advanced digital cameras. So it's 20 years advancement in the technology we use now compared to when I started," explained Rene Vanwieringen, a senior physical therapist at Shriners.

The MAC combines video and data to analyze how patients walk in a very detailed way.

"When you think about how kids walk, its very complicated," explained orthopedic surgeon and MAC medical director Dr. Joseph Khoury. "And if there is any kind of neurological problem, that makes it so complicated you cant see everything going on just by watching someone walk with your own eyes. You have to slow it down, look at it from every angle."

A technician monitors the screen as Brooklyn Drury walks for the cameras.

RELATED: 'Foreigner donates proceeds from remake of classic song to Shriners

A vast majority of patients who are analyzed by the MAC, like Brooklyn, have cerebral palsy. When she was born at 28 weeks, her mother was told she'd never walk.

"I cried a lot. I prayed a lot," Angie Drury recalled.

Brooklyn started coming to Shriners at just 18 months old.

"Brooklyn has been part of the family ever since then and she has gone from a wheelchair to a walker and now walking on her own now," she continued.

The MAC better helps doctors design a plan of action to treat patients. In Brooklyn's case, it helped Dr. Khoury discover a deformity below the hip he couldn't see with the naked eye.

"If you watch her walk, it looks like she is in-toeing on the right side, but there are problems at the ankle and knee that you normally wouldnt see unless you have the motion analysis," he said.

RELATED: Shriners Hospital personalizes prosthetics for children

Dr. Khoury says the MAC gives Shriners and their young patients a huge advantage.

To fix the Brooklyn's problem will require surgery. She says she is scared, but doctors are confident the results will have a big impact on her life.

"We are just going to go ahead and have it done, that way Brooklyn can run and play just like a normal child," added Angie.

The Motion Analysis Center costs about a million dollars and was made possible through the generosity of Shriners donors. It can also be used to treat children with spina bifida, leg length differences and trauma patients.

Shriners has 15 such facilities spread throughout the country.

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How Hollywood technology gives young patients freedom to walk - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Washington(December 8, 2021) Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senator ElizabethWarren (D-Mass.), and Representative Lori Trahan (MA-03) today introduced theFreedoms Way National Heritage Area Act of 2021, legislation that wouldeliminate the total funding cap for the Freedoms Way National Heritage Areaand extend its authorization to 2036.The Freedoms Way National HeritageArea spans 994 square miles and encompasses 45 communities in Massachusetts andNew Hampshire.

Designatedby Congress in 2009, the Freedoms Way National Heritage Area protects andeducates visitors about the region where the American Revolution began. Undercurrent law, authorization for the Freedoms Way National Heritage Area willexpire on September 30, 2024, if Congress does not act to extend Freedoms WayNational Heritage Areas ability to receive federal money.

FromMinute Man National Historical Park to theLeominster State Forest and Ralph Waldo Emerson House, the Freedoms WayNational Heritage Area preserves the regions rich history, natural beauty, andrevolutionary ideas, said Senator Markey. This legislation will ensurethat Massachusetts residents and visitors are able to explore the livinghistory in Freedoms Way National Heritage Area for years to come.

TheFreedom's Way National Heritage Area stretches across communities inMassachusetts and encompasses rich culture, history, and scenic landscapes. I'mglad to support this legislation so that our communities and future generationscan continue to enjoy the treasures of Freedom's Way National Heritage Area, saidSenator Warren.

"Somany have benefited from the Freedoms Way National Heritage Areas beauty andhistory particularly Minute Man National Historical Park, a Third Districtgem, said Congresswoman Trahan. With funding set to expirein 2024, its imperative that we act swiftly to ensure communities across theregion can continue enjoying all the Heritage Area has to offer, from the OxbowNational Wildlife Refuge to Walden Pondand beyond. Byextending itsability to receive federal funding, this legislation will protect Freedoms WayNational Heritage Area for generations to come.

Acopy of the legislation can be found HERE.

Sincethe approval of its management plan by the Secretary of the Interior in July of2015, the Freedoms Way National Heritage Area has accessed more than$1,600,000 in federal financial assistance and leveraged $1.95 of non-federalmatch for every dollar of financial assistance accessed. With this funding, theFreedoms Way Heritage Associationthe coordinating entity for the heritageareahas collaborated with nearly 1,300 partners on preservation, conservation,and educational programs and projects across the region.

Tothe Townsend Historical Society and many other small-town museums in ourregion, Freedoms Way National Heritage Area has been a truly valued partner inhistoric preservation. Their team has provided crucial support to a wide rangeof projects including the restoration of unique historic structures and fundingreenactments and other educational and entertaining events which help so muchto inspire an interest amongst our audiences in honoring and protecting thepast, said Taber Morrell, Site Administrator, Townsend Historical Society.

TheConcord Museum is honored to partner with Freedoms Way National Heritage Areato bring both iconic and previously hidden figures of the towns long historyto life. With support from Freedoms Way the museum has offered anexhibition on Paul Revere, virtual field trips for students across the HeritageArea and country, free walking tours for the public, a series of filmscreenings on the Museums front lawn, a free education program on IndigenousPeoples Day, and an exhibition on William Brewster in Concord. We lookforward to continuing to work with Freedoms Way and heartily support itsreauthorization and continued funding to support its extremely important andtransformative efforts, said Tom Putnam, Edward W. Kane ExecutiveDirector, Concord Museum.

TheFreedoms Way National Heritage Area is a region of firsts in Americaninvention, thought, and design. It is home to visionaries and experimenters whohave been at the forefront of social, intellectual, and cultural innovationsthat have shaped the way Americans view the world. The ReauthorizationLegislation assures their uniquely American stories will continue to be shared,providing inspiration for future generations, said Patrice Todisco,Executive Director, Freedoms Way National Heritage Area.

###

Originally posted here:

Senators Markey, Warren and Rep. Trahan Introduce Legislation to Protect the Freedom's Way National Heritage Area - Ed Markey

John Hood

By JOHN HOOD

RALEIGH In places where governments are smaller, taxes are lower, regulations are lighter, and property rights are more secure, people tend to be more generous, trustful, and tolerant. Although progressives may find this proposition hard to accept, theres an ever-increasing stack of empirical evidence to support it.

Consider a recent study published in The Independent Review. Comparing the scores of 145 countries on the Fraser Institutes Economic Freedom of the World Index to an index of private giving and volunteering, authors Lawrence McQuillan and Hayeon Carol Park found a strongly positive relationship. By itself, the freedom index explained 20% of the variance in charitable giving. Other studies by Swedish economists Niclas Berggren and Therese Nilsson show powerful connections between economic freedom and measures of social trust, mutual respect, and tolerance.

To discover a correlation, however, is not necessarily to determine which way the causal arrows point. For example, there is already an extensive literature showing that freer economies tend to grow faster. Perhaps as free-market policies help places grow wealthier, their residents become more charitable. Or perhaps as places grow wealthier for other reasons, such as achieving high levels of education and innovation, they both become more charitable and more likely to adopt freedom-enhancing policies.

Still another possibility is that places where civil society is already thick, where healthy families and other private institutions help their residents build character and find meaning, citizens tend to be both more economically productive and more resistant to expansive government.

Its an interesting social-science puzzle. But for my colleagues and I at the John William Pope Foundation, it requires no ultimate solution. For us, its enough to know that freedom, human development, compassion, and other important values are associated with each other. They form a virtuous circle. And over the past 35 years, the Pope Foundation has donated more than $200 million to nonprofits found at every point on that circle, from humanitarian relief and civic vitality to think tanks and educational institutions.

Our giving reflects the philosophy of our co-founder, retail pioneer John Pope. Self-reliance, self-confidence, and integrity are the keys to success, he said. Endurance is also critical, and the responsibility for success lies on the shoulders of the individual. Our virtuous-circle approach to philanthropy also reflects the wisdom of Americas Founders, whose fierce defense of freedom came not just from classical learning and Enlightenment principles but also from practical experience.

As George Washington put it, the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people. But neither Washington nor his colleagues believed liberty was an all-encompassing good. They recognized as have prudent conservators of Americas classical-liberal revolution ever since that it will always prove fleeting unless its bundled with the complimentary good of virtue.

Of course, the two values can also be in tension. When government respects our freedom to seek virtue, we may instead practice vice. Human beings are inherently flawed creatures vulnerable to temptations. Yielding to them can create the very adverse consequences for ourselves and others addiction, corruption, violence, child abuse and neglect that so often lead to demands for more government.

Thats why building and maintaining strong social institutions are so important. When we exercise our personal freedom within dense networks of families and other associations, we make better choices. Were nudged in the right direction by words loving or stern, by glances approving or reproachful, by examples inspiring or cautionary.

When the Pope Foundation invests in life-changing programs to combat poverty, illiteracy, addiction, and homelessness, we help to create the conditions most likely to preserve freedom. And when we invest in thinkers, communicators, and institutions that strengthen the intellectual and moral case for freedom, we make it possible for more individuals to pursue their passions, live their best lives, and build virtue including, as it happens, the virtue of charity itself.

John Hood is president of the John William Pope Foundation.

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Generosity and freedom go together - The Daily Record

The way Cincinnati Reds Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini described it on Monday, The Banks still needs one crucial element.

"This is our front door," Castellini told Cincinnati City Council'sBudget and Finance Committee on Monday."This is the entertainment district we intentionally designed between the two stadiums.I dont believe we ever completed it with the pedestrian center point, a rally point in the middle."

That central location could be the Gateway to Freedom Park in front of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Castellini presented the proposal for a $10 million to $15 million park andplaza.

If the projectcomes to fruition, the city would close off vehicular traffic on the blockof Freedom Way between Vine and Walnut streets. The block is in front of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center facing the Ohio River.

The blockwould become a terraced, circular plaza, a pedestrian path, a green space with a manicured lawn, and space for outdoor exhibits and dining.

It's a plan that's been discussed among some leaders for about six months, Mayor John Cranley said.

Cranley, who leaves office next month and is running for Ohio governor,said he wanted to do something with that land across from the museumthat's now concrete and grass.It previously housed the large SkyStar observation wheel dismantled in March 2020.

'I think if you look at how beautiful the riverfront park is, it stops when you get to the carousel," Cranley said. "It's natural to extend it up to the Freedom Center. The plaza (in front of the museum)is really wide. There's a lot of space there."

He approached the Freedom Center, Reds and other stakeholders at The Banks. The result wasa plan to makeover the riverfront land between the Freedom Center and Ohio River into a pedestrian-friendlyplaza.

The Reds presented the plan in October to some stakeholders, including Hamilton County Commissioners Denise Driehaus and Stephanie Summerow Dumas, county officials told The Enquirer.

How the project would be paid for is not known.

Castellini said ideally, a thirdwould be paid for by the city, a thirdby Hamilton County and a third from private sources. But he acknowledged that may not be realistic.

Castellini, however, said he thinks the park isworthwhile and would breathe life into The Banks.

"Bars and restaurants have continued to struggle in the off-sports season," Castellini said. "So a lot of this vision is about how to keep this ecosystem healthy. The understanding here is the more we invest in this platform of a center rallying point, the easier it will be to do pop-up events."

The fate of the project will be in the hands of Mayor-elect Aftab Pureval and anew city council.

The Hamilton County commissioners have yet to weigh in on what, if any, county involvement there'll be. Commissioner Alicia Reece told The Enquirer she has not seen any proposal about the Gateway to Freedom Park. But she said she's not inclined to support funding in the next county budget, saying her focus is to get the Black Music Walk of Fame opened by July 22 near the new Andrew J. Brady Icon Music Centernearthe river.

City Councilman Greg Landsman, a member of the Budget and Finance Committee, said he doesn't know how feasible Gateway to Freedom Park is. But he was impressed by the plan developed by the team, the mayor and the city parks department. The Reds paid between $150,000 to $160,000 in design fees for the plan, Castellini said.

"I think it is incredible work," Landsman said. "I think it is a big deal for the Freedom Center, Ithink it will help transform that entire area. In terms of how you pay for it and who pays for it, we're just starting that conversation."

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Reds, Cranley push for Gateway to Freedom Park to create 'a rally point' at The Banks - The Cincinnati Enquirer

For 85 years, journalists did not receive a Nobel Peace Prize for their service. The Norwegian Nobel Committee broke that drought by awarding two journalists on Friday for upholding democracy.

The award ceremony signified a remarkable moment in history for journalism and our human right to freedom of expression. In an age where public trust continues to diminish as part of global digital advancements, it is more prevalent that journalists remain the truthsayers of society.

Maria Ressa, investigative journalist and CEO of Rappler, was the first media recipient to deliver her speech. She used her time to focus on the importance of journalists holding the line as traditional gatekeepers to accountability.

In her 35 years experience as a journalist, like others, she experienced abuse, threats, and time in prison for what she published. Even despite at one point receiving ten arrest warrants in the Philippines, Ressa says the profession has both good and bad stories worth telling.

Without facts, you cant have truth. Without truth, you cant have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy, and it becomes impossible to deal with our worlds existential problems, said Ressa.

During her speech, Ressa also addressed the disease of fake news circulating on social media. She says media companies like Facebook are a leading contributor that threatens our democracy.

Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov, a Russian journalist, received the prize for his dedication to reporting the news despite unsafe conditions. Early in his career, Muratov helped found one of Russias most independent newspapers, the Novaya Gazeta, in 1993.

The committee recognized the threats and violence Muratov and journalists faced at the publication. He was chosen for articles that targeted police brutality, electoral fraud, and corruption in the country.

Muratov believes in the power of a free press and advocates on behalf of journalists to not give up on the profession.

I want journalists to die old, said Muratov during his speech.

A free press is a powerful tool in the hands of its civilians that has the ability to accurately inform, disarm wars between nations, and sustain humanity today and tomorrow.

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Journalists receive the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for Democracy and Freedom of Expression - AL DIA News