Lens of Liberty Radio America
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Midterm Special – The Votes, the Politicos, and the Gotchas
Everything you need to know about this year’s midterm elections.
On this week’s special edition of Liberty Nation Radio, we tackle who’s on top in the run-up to the midterms, what’s happening with minority voters, and make some bold predictions.
Seg 1 – Midterm Voters Not Feeling the Democrat Love – with Tim Donner and Graham J. Noble
Seg 2 – Midterm Predictions and Beyond – with Tim Donner and Graham J. Noble
Seg 3 – Midterm Elections – The Minority Report – with Jeff Charles and Sarah Cowgill
Seg 4 - Clarence Thomas Scuttles the Affirmative Action Ship – with Scott D. Cosenza -
Auctioning Our Freedom
Thousands of charities, from international organizations to local churches, raise
money through silent-auctions, often featuring gift baskets donated by supporters.
Those gift baskets frequently include bottles of wine, beer, or other spirited prizes.
But it turns out that in many States the liquor laws prohibit such gift baskets,
especially in places like churches or community centers that have no liquor license
– even if the bottles remain unopened. The legislature in one state, Colorado, is
about to repeal that old law, and leave charitable fund-raisers free to do their best
for their good causes. Many of these legislators have looked through the lens of
liberty, and realized that fund-raising strategies of non-profit organizations are not
the government’s business. But many states still require permits and fees for such
events. If your State is one of them, it’s time for you to act. -
Hot Tub Privacy
A couple I know was sitting in their hot tub, in the privacy of their secluded back
yard, when suddenly a man with a clipboard came wandering onto their patio,
looking around and taking notes. They asked what he was doing, and he identified
himself as an inspector from the Homeowner’s Association. He claimed the right
to go anywhere on any property, with or without the owner’s permission, anytime
he wants. But these homeowners look through the lens of liberty, and they
understand their right to privacy, enshrined in the Bill of Rights. They know that in
America, all governments – including local homeowners associations – only get
power from the consent of the governed. If your right to privacy doesn’t matter to
you, it certainly doesn’t matter to anyone else – what have you allowed in your
neighborhood? -
No AirBnB Here
A friend, struggling to make ends meet, found that he could rent his spare room by
the night, and earn a nice supplemental income. But he also found out there are
rules about competing with hotels. Cities from New York to Denver have started
adopting rules to stop such practices – not because there is any danger to public
safety, but because Air B-n- B has become serious competition for hotels, just as
Uber competes with taxis. Many tourists enjoy staying at bed-and- breakfasts, and
traveling is a different experience when you get to know your hosts, in their
homes. We understand why hotel chains may be threatened by such competition,
but a look through the lens of liberty tell us this is not the government’s business.
Such favoritism limits your choices, but if you don’t defend your right to stay
wherever you want, who will? -
The Ice Cream Anti-Social
Many of us share great memories of eating ice cream in the park, one of the great
pleasures of summer. But we’ll have no more of that in Boulder, Colorado. The
city has now banned ice cream as an option for vendors in all the local parks.
That’s because the ice cream bars that were being sold come in larger sizes, and
have higher sugar and fat content, than is allowed under the City’s latest nutrition
guidelines. Those rules apply to all ice cream, but also to nuts, chips, packaged
fruits, cereal, cookies, pudding, and all other snacks. Should city governments even
have rules for such things, or should we all look through the lens of liberty, and
insist that such regulations be withdrawn? We can decide for ourselves when and
where we want to enjoy ice cream. -
Dance the Night Away
New York is famous as the “city that never sleeps,” but be careful what you do after
hours. There are 26,000 bars and restaurants in New York City, but if you enjoy
live music, singing, or dancing, you could be breaking the law. That’s because a
Prohibition-era law still forbids three or more people from dancing, anyplace
where there is “musical entertainment.” Any exceptions require an expensive city-
issued license that very few businesses actually have. Instead of looking through
the lens of liberty, city officials still go to court to defend that old “cabaret law.”
In one recent case, they argued that “there is no protected First Amendment right
of expression to engage in recreational dancing.” We should tell our officials they
have no right to regulate us, if we want to dance the night away.