Welcome to the new year!
Sargent exhibit
Christina and I had a fast and fun visit to Boston to check out the John Singer Sargent exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. (If you’re going to see Sargent, Boston’s the place to do it, because the Museum has the largest collection of Sargent’s work, and because he painted the ceiling murals in the building.) The exhibit brought together some of the clothing worn by people in the paintings, alongside the paintings themselves; a very fun way to enjoy the work of my favorite painter.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to hang around for the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, which was December 17. But we did enjoy taking some time to watch the live stream of their reenactment that night.
What I read in 2023 and what I thought of it
I put up my annual list of books I read and what I thought. The best book I read in 2023 was Yes, I Can by Sammy Davis, Jr.—one of the great American biographies, which deserves a place alongside Ben Franklin’s and Frederick Douglass’s. Second best? Well, you’ll just have to click here to find out…
Hanging out with Armstrong & Getty
I had the pleasure of sitting in for Joe Getty on the Armstrong and Getty Show the other day, since Joe was on vacation. We talked about everything from tearing down Confederate monuments to washing rhinoceroses. If you missed it; you can listen here.
Economic freedom and democracy
My November presentation at ASU about the relationship between economic freedom and democracy has now been posted. In it, I argue that licensing laws, eminent domain abuse, and other violations of economic liberty undermine democratic participation by generating cynicism among the people. But along the way, I take some time to argue against “civility.”
Social media companies have free speech rights, too
As for what’s going on in the office: the Goldwater Institute filed a brief in the NetChoice case, which got a little attention. In it, we argue that the Supreme Court should not fall for the notion that regulating social media companies is within the reach of the PruneYard decision—and in fact call for the Court to overrule PruneYard. You can read it here. And don’t forget to read the Institute’s blog for regular updates on our work nationwide.
Foundations of Freedom
The Goldwater Institute released the last two installments in the “Foundations of Freedom” video series. They include one on the issue of slavery and one on the quintessential virtue necessary for political freedom: a sense of personal pride. You can watch them here:
…and you can watch the rest here.
Constitutions: defending the old, and proposing the new
The new year is going to start off with a bang; my Goldwater colleagues and I have arguments coming up in the Arizona and Texas Supreme Courts, and then there’s the Loper Bright case in the U.S. Supreme Court—a big deal for the Administrative State.
And then on February 1, I’ll be participating in an event at ASU Law School about the “Constitution Drafting Project” that I worked on with the National Constitution Center a while back. Please join us!
It’s a Great Day to Be Alive
I’ve been lately returning to an old favorite song of mine, Travis Tritt’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” one of those deceptively simple three-minute singles that just hits exactly the right spot. It was actually written by Darrell Scott, who also wrote another of my favorites, “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.” Tritt’s version actually changes a few of the lyrics (for the better, in my opinion).
Writing an uplifting and positive song without making it sound tracly is an extremely challenging task, and Scott and Tritt manage it brilliantly here. I think the real genius lies in lines like “There’s hard times in the neighborhood,” and images like growing a Fu Manchu—which evoke an upbeat, gruff, resilient tone that acknowledges the tough realities but says Nevertheless… It’s damn hard to write something this effective, memorable and brief, and, well, it works perfectly here: