The Freedom Bulletin

Each New Year here at the Freedom Bulletin, I make a list of the top people of the year. It has taken different forms and has used different criteria over the years, but this year, like last, I decided to do a top 10 list. The following people are the 10 who, in my opinion, mattered the most in the fields of politics, law, individual rights, and freedom. The people in the list were chosen based on a combination of how interesting, influential, high-profile, and unique they are, as well as the importance (in my humble opinion) of the issues that they stand for or are associated with. Without further ado, here are the top 10 people of 2011:

10. Casey Anthony – Accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, she was almost universally vilified by talking heads, trial watchers, and the general public, who ridiculed her partying ways and presumed her guilty because of the large amount of circumstantial evidence in the case. But her acquittal this year showed that, to one jury at least, reasonable doubt is still the standard to which criminal defendants must be judged, no matter how wrong the verdict may intuitively feel and no matter how unpopular it may be.

9. Dr. Virginia Moyer – The chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, she was behind the decisions to recommend fewer pap smears, mammograms, prostate cancer tests, and other medical screenings. After decades of ever-increasing pressure by society, government,  and doctors to undergo more and more frequent medical procedures, which take a huge toll on human dignity and quality of life, this is a small and long-overdue step in the right direction.

8. Gabrielle Giffords – This congresswoman from Arizona doesn’t need much of an explanation. It is amazing that she survived being shot in the head, let alone managed to return to Congress the same year. Her strength and bravery make her more than worthy of a place on this list.

7. SEAL Team 6 – Responsible for the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, they don’t need much of an explanation either. While I don’t believe in celebrating another person’s death, no matter who it is, it is undeniable that bringing an end to America’s 10-year-long pursuit of the world’s most dangerous terrorist is a significant event that changed the world.

6. Jesse Ventura – The former Minnesota governor and wrestler won at least one fan with his opposition to the TSA’s pat-downs and full-body scanners. Although his lawsuit against these unconstitutional and degrading security policies was (wrongly) dismissed, everyone should admire his outspoken and courageous stand for freedom.

5. Susie Castillo – A somewhat unlikely freedom fighter, this former Miss USA similarly gave star power to the fight against airport security excesses. Her candid and brave YouTube video decrying a pat-down that was more like a sexual assault went viral and brought much-needed attention to this issue.

4. Gary Johnson – Although he never picked up a lot of steam in the Republican primary and is now running for president as a Libertarian, he is a man of principle who, both in his personal life and his political life, stands up for what he believes in instead of doing whatever he thinks will make him popular.

3. Anne Sinclair – Married to possibly the most hated criminal defendant of the year (see below), she showed tremendous bravery by fighting for her husband’s freedom when most of the world expected and wanted her to abandon him. By standing up for his presumption of innocence, she also became an icon of loyalty and true feminism.

2. Dominique Strauss-Kahn – No longer a powerful politician or banker, he is an important figure nonetheless because he is this year’s most high-profile victim of race, gender, and class stereotypes. Accused of sexually assaulting an African hotel maid, the wealthy, libertine Frenchman was the perfect villain to many people, who ensured that he was immediately convicted in the court of public opinion. The charges against him were dismissed for lack of evidence, but not before he was severely and unjustly punished, losing his reputation, his privacy, many of his friends, and his political career.

1. Ron Paul – What is there to say about the good doctor and congressman that I haven’t already said somewhere on this blog?? One of my favorite politicians of all time, he has managed this year not only to bravely, consistently, eloquently, intelligently, and passionately voice his pro-liberty views on almost every issue, but actually gained quite a bit of popularity as well. It is exciting to see his poll numbers placing him in the top tier of presidential candidates and sometimes even as the frontrunner. In addition to being a warrior of principle, he has actually changed public opinion and GOP ideology in the direction of liberty, and it is that achievement that lands him in the top spot on my list.

The Freedom Bulletin wishes you a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you may celebrate!

Today is the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that changed America. In speeches, articles, and on TV, people remark about how America has triumphed because it is just as united as it was before, just as strong, just as safe. But in all the discussion of the anniversary of 9/11, I have heard hardly anyone mention freedom or liberty.

Is America as free as it was before September 11, 2001? Sadly, no. Far before 9/11, the federal government passed various laws that violate people’s rights, but in the past ten years, many people have used the horrific terrorist attacks as an excuse to rob Americans of even more freedoms.

In November 2001 the Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration were created. Just a month later, when Richard Reid attempted to blow up an airplane with bombs in his shoes, the government reacted by punishing everyone, requiring us to remove our shoes in order to board a plane. Then in March 2005 they banned lighters from planes. In April 2006, when a plot was discovered involving liquid bombs, the government again punished everyone by banning liquids. In December 2009, after a would-be terrorist hid a bomb in his underwear, this punishment of everyone was taken to new levels, as the government accelerated, and still continues to accelerate, the deployment of scanners that reveal people’s naked bodies beneath their clothes.

Efforts to track and monitor more and more aspects of people’s lives extend beyond airports. Due in part to the Patriot Act, passed the month after the attacks, the federal government analyzes bank records (and is trying to expand this tracking to prepaid cards), phone calls, computer activity, and more in what the ACLU’s Carol Rose sums up as a “vast, secret domestic spying infrastructure aimed at ordinary Americans.” Security cameras are everywhere, giving law enforcement a permanent record of people’s movements on streets, in stores, and on public transportation. People can be singled out for additional surveillance for activities as benign as taking photos, taking notes in public, or having unusual viewpoints. It is becoming impossible to buy anything, use a computer, or even leave your house without your actions being monitored and logged.

Plus, those people unlucky enough to be declared “enemy combatants” can be imprisoned indefinitely and even tortured without being charged with any crime.

To destroy individual rights and freedom is to destroy America, which is giving the terrorists victory. As James Alan Fox writes, ”By curtailing our freedoms and inconveniencing ourselves any more than is necessary, we play right into the hands of our enemies.” And Vincent Warren of the Center for Constitutional Rights accurately wrote that the loss of our liberties ”destroyed many more lives than those lost in the attack.”

There are some reasons for hope, however. The TSA is deploying scanners that do not show people naked, planning eventually to let people keep their shoes on, and generally moving towards a strategy of assessing each person’s security risk instead of trying to make terrorist attacks physically impossible. We have managed to prevent, so far, the implementation of a National ID card, as well as, for the most part, increased gun control. And in general I have noticed a growing number of everyday people, politicians, commentators, and organizations that support liberty.

These changes are a step in the right direction, but we can not let them be the only steps. Americans must resist at all costs the gradual erosion of our liberties. We must not let the events of September 11, 2001, permanently change the ideals of freedom that America was founded upon. Let’s remember the 2,996 people who lost their lives 10 years ago, and also remember liberty.

For a fantastic speech by Congressman Ron Paul on this topic, check out my post from a year ago.

Today is Independence Day, a day to celebrate America and the freedom that makes this country great. Freedom is something that we should never lose sight of, no matter the dangers or difficulties our country faces.

I believe that the video below fits the theme of Independence Day. This is an inspiring speech by state representative David Simpson of Texas, who (unsuccessfully, sadly) introduced a bill making intrusive pat-downs without reasonable suspicion illegal. The Fourth of July only comes once a year, but every day is Independence Day!

…In honor of all those who lost their lives fighting for freedom.

…I want to give a shout-out to someone who I believe is one of the greatest moms in the world: Christine Assange, the mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Why do I think she’s such a great mother? Many people think the role of a parent is to instill their own values in their children and teach their children right from wrong. But I believe a great parent supports and encourages their children while allowing them to form their own beliefs, their own values, and their own sense of right and wrong. Both Julian and Christine seem to be people who have their own ideas and fight for what they believe in no matter what others think. Christine said in an interview that when Julian was little, he liked to ask a lot of questions, and she would always respond by asking him what he thought the answer was. ”I tried not to impose my own thoughts on him,” she said. Thanks in part to his mom, Julian grew up to develop his own philosophy, to choose freedom of speech as his cause to fight for, and to truly change the world.

This isn’t related to politics or law like most of what I blog about, but I thought it was kind of cool. Life magazine released a bunch of rarely seen photos of Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler’s longtime girlfriend and wife for a day. Eva can be seen sunbathing, sipping tea, rowing a boat, doing yoga, playing with dogs, dressing up as African-American actor Al Jolson, and hanging out with her infamous boyfriend, her family, and her friends.

See the rest here.