Lens of Liberty Radio America

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

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.