Some politicians are calling for new regulation and restrictions on firearms, but why and how does the Second Amendment strengthen liberty? In a thoughtful post at the Carolina Journal today, Troy Kickler offers this historical assessment: What did early jurists and mentators say regarding the Second Amendment? St. George Tucker in View of the Constitution of the United States (1803), the first mentary on the Constitution after its ratification, describes the Second Amendment to be “the true palladium of liberty.”...

During Tuesday’s State of the Union, President Obama called for an increase in preschool education in order to prepare workers in the future: …none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. And that has to start at the earliest possible age. You know, study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than three...

In “The Moral Meanings of Markets,” in the latest issue of the Journal of Markets & Morality, Ryan Langrill and Virgil Henry Storr argue that markets ought to be understood and defended not simply as amoral, or merely moral, but as robustly moral spaces. In exploring the contention that markets reward virtues besides prudence, Langrill and Storr illustrate how market exchanges tend to promote civility and politeness. “It makes sense for profit-seeking businessmen to invest in goodwill and good customer...

During his recent State of the Union address, President Obama argued for increasing the federal minimum wage: Even with the tax relief we put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That’s wrong. That’s why, since the last time this Congress raised the minimum wage, 19 states have chosen to bump theirs even higher. Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time...

Over on the Huffington Post, Andreas Widmer, Acton’s Research Fellow in Entrepreneurship, suggests that Pope pleted the work of John Paul and then laid the groundwork for the New Evangelization but recognized that that project should be headed by someone else: Before we move on, we need to stop and reflect on what just happened — not just in the past seven years, but the last 70 years. Upon closer examination of the facts, observers will see that this was...

The Center for Faith and Work at LeTourneau University recently profiled Camcraft, a Christian-run manufacturing business whose owners, the Bertsche family, seek to steward their business according to God’s purposes. “By using Biblical principles to run pany,” says Bern Bertsche, “not only is that God’s way, but it’s a very effective way to run a business.” Watch the video below: Camcraft orients itself around a broader mission to(1) to glorify God, (2) be a great place to work, (3) be...

Seize the Day with Gus Lloyd on SiriusXM’s the Catholic Channel interviewed Kishore Jayabalan, director of the Acton Institute in Rome,regarding Pope Benedict XVI’s unexpected resignation. Jayabalan discussed the mood in the Rome, the shock of the timing, and Pope Benedict XVI’s legacy. Listen to the full interview here: [audio: ...

There is always much to discuss after a State of the Union address, and Tuesday’s speech is no different. Sam Gregg, Director of Research at the Acton Institute, shared his thoughts: “The overall theme of the address is that government is there to do stuff for you,” he said. “He starts out making remarks about America being a country that values free enterprise and rewards individual initiative…and yet he offers proposals for government intervention after intervention after intervention,… and there’s...

It is arguable that celebrated rapper Lil’ Wayne pletely lost his mind. In his newly released, grossly pathetic song “Karate Chop” the rapper spits in the face of the family of civil rights martyr Emmett Till by juxtaposing a reference to sexual conquest with the brutal race-driven murder of the teenager in 1955. In the song “Karate Chop (Remix),” Lil’ Wayne says that he intends to “Beat that p**sy up like Emmett Till.” For those unfamiliar with the story, Emmett...

On Feb. 11, Rev. Robert Sirico discussed the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on CNBC News. He talked about Pope Benedict XVI’s reason for resigning, what happens when the papal seat is empty, and who potential candidates for the new pope are. Listen here: [audio: ...