Author Archive

Center for Self Governance

The Language of Liberty series is a collaborative effort of the Center for Self Governance (CSG) Administrative Team. CSG is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization, dedicated to training citizens in applied civics. The authors include administrative staff, selected students, and guest columnists. The views expressed by the authors are their own and may not reflect the views of CSG. To learn more, go to CenterForSelfGovernance.com.

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The principle of the inherent Right to possess is embodied in the 5th & 7th Amendments to the Constitution when it declares that “No person shall… be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” Notice the three …

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Government land grabs are becoming more and more prevalent every day. The federal government is seizing up more and more private land under the auspices of environmental preservation and national parks. We are even seeing the military taking private land and calling it national security. This federal tyranny is trickling …

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Let me tell you how my story ends: I become a tenured, award-winning professor of political science at an Ivy League university, and then at one of the leading universities in the South. Now let me tell you how my story begins: I grow up in rural Virginia, literally dirt …

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There is an argument that seems to resurface repeatedly that the Constitution has failed and as a result, American politics are out of control. I have seen these arguments posited by journalists, professors, and Supreme Court justices. The standard argument declares two failed intentions for the Constitution: The Constitution was intended to …

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For most Americans, there hasn’t really been time to stop and process what happened at the Capitol on January 6th. Instead, we’re just trying to survive, fighting off daily waves of crackdown and retribution; punishment for a crime the vast majority of conservatives didn’t commit or condone. The people in …

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It’s quite likely that wherever you are reading this, you are currently subjected to lockdowns, restrictions, regulations, or executive orders to one degree or another, as government officials respond to the coronavirus pandemic with increasing coercion and control. Indeed, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that US states and cities have “imposed …

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The Battle of Athens, Tennessee. Ever heard of it? It was an armed rebellion led by World War II veterans and citizens in Athens and Etowah, Tennessee against the tyrannical local government in August of 1946. A movie was even made about it, released in 1992 under the name “An …

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It is a deliberate false narrative that the Speaker of the House would be appointed as acting president if the popular votes are not all counted by Jan. 20, 2021. This narrative is derived from a false conflating of the Twentieth and Twenty Fifth Amendments. The fact checkers ought to …

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Why is socialism so popular? Less than ten years ago you couldn’t refer to “socialism” in a positive way and hope to have a career in American politics. Socialism was referred to as the “s” word. Now it is affirmed, either explicitly or implicitly, by just about everyone on the …

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More rioting and looting broke out in American cities this week. This time, it was Philadelphia consumed by violence after a police shooting.  According to ABC News, at least 30 police officers have been injured in the violent unrest, while dozens of people have been arrested for rioting or vandalism. Mobs …