Congress Shall Make No Law: Religious Freedom, And The Absolutist Exercise Thereof

As of April of this year, some twenty states had enacted so-called “religious freedom” laws, with similar legislation pending in another half-dozen states. But why do states need such laws when the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion? The modern “religious freedom” movement, which took hold during the Clinton administration, was in response to a Supreme Court ruling in 1990 (“Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith“). The case “determined that the state could deny unemployment benefits to a person fired for violating a state prohibition on the use of peyote, even though the use of the drug was part of a religious ritual.”

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Fox News Narrative: President Obama Made The Economy Worse

Is that true, or did you hear it on Fox News? - image by Occupy PostersI’m not interested in fulfilling a narrative, I want to gets facts correct, but I will admit that I have biases like anyone else. However, I don’t consider politics to be a game like some do. Maybe I could be blamed for taking things too seriously but this country faces challenging issues and hard facts matter. The truth matters.

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Did Clinton’s DNC Speech Win President Obama a Second Term?

Clinton and Obama hug - DNCFormer President Bill Clinton delivered a lengthy, issue-specific speech and he did so in a way that was both entertaining as well as informative. His speech delivered much needed context on the economy and President Obama’s record after the Great Recession, and it destroyed Republican lies and out of context talking points.

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President Bill Clinton’s DNC Speech Makes Him the FactChecker-in-Chief

President Clinton - DNCFormer President Bill Clinton delivered a 50 minute substantive speech that thoroughly explained how we got here and where we are going if we elect President Obama to a second term — an economy built for the future. Along the way he eviscerated some of the biggest Republican lies over the past few weeks (and years). Lies like the $716 billion Medicare cuts [savings] and the welfare work requirement. Issue after issue, President Clinton delivered the clear honest truth to Americans and he even re-appropriated President Reagan’s famous line when he said of Republicans, “there they go again.” In his own unique style, Clinton reminded us why he was a two-term president and why he is such a popular former president.

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