It’s sinful how much I’ve been enjoying the Left’s meltdown as Trump takes office. I can’t help hearing their campaign mantra, “Love Trumps Hate,” in my head when they throw their tantrums. While they’re breaking windows and throwing F-bombs, all I can hear is, “Love Trumps Hate.” When Madonna says she wants to blow up the White House, isn’t she really just saying, “Love Trumps Hate”?
It’s, well, it’s almost Gandhi-like.
If you visit our humble building, the Freedom Embassy, in downtown Denver, you’ll find a statue of Thomas Jefferson keeping guard outside. Not only does he remind all those who enter what our shared goals are, but he also reminds me of a simpler time of governance. His inauguration story is a far cry from what we experience today. There was no parade, no Fox News debates discussing whether or not the new president would choose to wear a coat, no crowds of secret service, and no inflated inauguration balls.
When T.J. was sworn into office on March 4th, 1801 he broke the precedents set by both Adams and Washington. Rather than riding in a liveried carriage donned in an elegant suit complete with swords, Jefferson walked, dressed in the clothes of a plain citizen, from the boarding house he was staying in to the Senate Chambers. He was accompanied only by a small troupe consisting of militia officers, marshals, and congressmen. He showed up, took the oath, gave a brief speech, and walked back to have dinner.
As you drive over potholes and hear our governor say there isn’t a dime in the budget to fix our roads, please remember the $9 million our state government spends on “incentives” for TV and filmmakers. We gave Quentin Tarantino $3 million for filming the violence-glorifying movie The Hateful Eight in Colorado regardless of the fact that it’s set in Montana. Read my Denver Post column about the rich welfare queens.
It’s National School Choice Week! Funny, when you give kids the opportunity to pursue the educational options that best fit their lives and situations, they tend to find tremendous success. Our high school intern, DeMarco Randall, is a perfect example of how school choice changes lives. Read his story here, and join us on the west steps of the Colorado Capitol building on Thursday, January 26th at 11:30 AM for the National School Choice Week rally.
This Saturday, January 28th from 9 AM to 12 PM, Independence Institute’s Local Government Project is hosting a training for anyone interested in getting involved in their local government. Contact Kathleen Chandler at kathleen@i2i.org or visit our website for more information.
Be sure to watch Devil’s Advocate this Friday night as I am first joined by II’s own Rob Natelson and Fred Holden to discuss the state of our Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) amendment. Both Fred and Rob have recently penned TABOR studies for the Independence Institute. Fred’s study is here while Rob’s is here. Then, Michael Fields from Americans for Prosperity (AFP) joins me to talk about fixing our roads without a tax increase. That’s Friday night at 8:30PM on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. Re-broadcast Monday at 12:30PM.
Think Freedom,
Jon Caldara