Check out an excellent post regarding the importance of Christopher Columbus, via the Italian American Civil Rights League, here.
“Was he perfect? No. Was he courageous, skilled, and transformative? Absolutely.”
Amen to that.
Month: July 2025
bookmark_borderFlag raising at the South Carolina state house
Yesterday, a huge Confederate battle flag was raised at the State House in Columbia, South Carolina by the organization Flags Across the South (source here). The flag raising marked the anniversary of former governor (and intolerant bully) Nikki Haley’s decision to destroy the state flag, thereby sending the message that only people who fit in and are like the majority, are welcome in her state. Thanks to Flags Across the South, for one day, a flag was flown that signifies actual diversity and inclusion. A flag was flown that sends the message that it’s OK to be different, that people who don’t have friends, who are excluded, who are different from the norm, who don’t fit in, have a right to exist too. This is a glorious sight indeed.
Edit: You can watch a video of the flag raising here.
Additional edit: You can see some more photos and videos from Dixie Forever, here and here and here.
bookmark_borderKeeping your shoes on at the airport is a significant victory for individual liberty
In a significant step (no pun intended) in the right direction for individual liberty, people no longer have to take their shoes off in order to board an airplane. This announcement was made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on July 8 and is effective immediately (source here).
“TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoint,” said Noem. “We’ve gone back and looked at our security processes, looked at the efficacy of everything we do. We’ve evaluated the equipment that every airport has and are fully confident with the no shoes policy that we still have the security needs in place at every checkpoint.”
This is fantastic news. Some might think that whether or not people have to remove their shoes in order to board an airplane is insignificant, petty, or unimportant. Some might consider it silly, or even stupid, for a person to care about this. But I do care about this development. I think it is important and significant. This is a meaningful victory for individual rights, privacy, and liberty, which has taken place under the Trump administration. Thanks to this change in policy, travelers will have a bit more dignity than they had before. And that is something that everyone should celebrate.