I. Introduction The conventional wisdom in constitutional law is that the debate that began with the famous Scopes trial in 19251 over the teaching of origins in public school science classrooms officially ended in 1987. In that year the U.S. Supreme Court, in Edwards v. Aguillard, 2 struck down a Louisiana statute, the Balanced Treatment Act, that required its public Read More ›
[This title of this article as published in the June 3, 2003 edition of The New York Sun is “An Address to the Members of the New York City Council.”] Members of the City Council, I stand before you today to congratulate you on your efforts to redress the great historical wrong of Slavery. Your pioneering initiative has not only Read More ›
NEARLY ALL 50 states are experiencing budget crises, with California in the worst shape, facing a $38.2 billion deficit. Even Arizona has a $1.3 billion shortfall. Washington state has had to close schools. Connecticut is cutting 2,800 public employees. In this context, New York state’s $11.5 billion deficit on a $92 billion budget is only slightly above average, while New Read More ›
For many years, the bunker-buster in the pro-assisted-suicide arsenal has been its supposed inevitability. Pointing to multiple public-opinion polls showing support for assisted suicide generally in the high 60-percent range, euthanasia advocates claimed that only a rigid, religiously motivated minority – e.g., Catholics – was keeping Americans from accessing the “ultimate civil right.” Soon, they cheerily predicted, the anti-assisted-suicide medievalists Read More ›
TWO YEARS AGO, federal agents in Colorado responded to a complaint at the home of Samuel Patane, an ex-convict under a restraining order for beating his wife. Patane’s probation officer had warned the agents that the convicted felon had a Glock pistol and a penchant for violence. After entering the home, agents began reading Patane his Miranda warnings — the Read More ›
(Belated) congratulations to Senior Fellow David Berlinski for being included amongst the best science writers for 2002. David’s article What Brings a World Into Being? from Commentary Magazine is included in Matt Ridley’s The Best American Science Writing 2002. Congratulations David! David is author of the now historical The Deniable Darwin. His books include A Tour of the Calculus, The Read More ›
What do the U.S., Ireland, Switzerland and the Cayman Islands have in common, and what do France, Belgium, and Germany have in common? The first group has created a largely investment-friendly environment, with relatively low taxes and government spending, coupled with the rule of law. The second group of countries has maintained very high taxation and government spending. As a Read More ›
Discovery Senior Fellow Patricia Lines, an expert on homeschooling, has released a new educational guide on integrating homeschooling with public education in ways that benefit both schools and parents. The guide, Support for Home-Based Education: Pioneering Partnerships Between Public Schools and Families Who Instruct Their Children at Home, is published by the Educational Resources Information Center at the University of Read More ›
The animal-rights/liberation movement (ARL) will never win an award for truth in advertising. If the facts serve their cause, yes, they will tell the truth. But if a half-truth or even an outright lie better suits their purposes – well, what does honesty matter when the cause of ending human hegemony over animals is so important and just? Perhaps the Read More ›