Blaine Adamson is the owner of Hands On Originals, a pany in Fayette County, Kentucky. Like almost every printer since Gutenberg, Mr. Adamson believed he had the right to decide what items his conscience would allow him to print and which he’d have to reject. Indeed, pany regularly declines to print expressive materials because of the message that they display. When he was asked to print shirts promoting the Lexington Pride Festival, a gay pride event, Adamson politely declined and...

In a thoughtful blog post from Andy Bannister, he discusses what happens when technology fails us. It’s not that the technology is “bad;” it is only the use of such technology that fails us. Take Google Glass. At this point, they are really no more than an expensive toy. However, there are those who have a bigger vision for Google Glass. Particular controversy has been caused because Google es equipped with a camera and that raises all manner of privacy...

Apolicy started during FDR’s New Deal is being used today by the federal government to steal raisins from farmers. And the implications could lead to government theft of a wide range of personal property. During theNew Deal era, Congress gave the USDA the authority to take raisins from farmers pensation. Actually, the USDA was given the authority to steal a variety of agricultural products—including almonds, walnuts, and cherries—and keep them in a government-controlled “reserve” to prevent them from being sold...

In this video, Richard Hovannisian, professor emeritus of Armenian and Near Eastern History at the University of California, Los Angeles, explains the Armenian Genocide. Today is April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, which is held annually memorate the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 by Ottoman Turks. It is also the official remembrance of the centennial of the campaign of human and cultural destruction. Here are more reflections and news items: Message of HH Karekin II at...

Subsidiarity is often described as a norm calling for the devolution of power or for performing social functions at the lowest possible level. At the Manning Networking Conference in Ottawa, Rev. Robert Sirico told a story about stickball that illustrates how the concept of subsidiarity applies in our neighborhoods. (Via: Cardus) ...

As Syria enters the fifth year of civil war, one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history is unfolding with no end in sight. This bloody conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 220,000 Syrians and displaced more than 11 million people, driving almost 4 million people to neighboring countries. Fully one-third of refugees are now in substandard housing and the UN Refugee Agency says the situation is“deteriorating drastically.” An estimated 600,000 refugee children, many of whom...

Three Feathers No doubt about it: hiring a convicted felon is a gamble. For someone out of prison, it can seem as if no one wants you. You’re too much of a risk. Then someone takes that risk. And it changes everything. For a man named Three Feathers, who had spent more than 28 years in either state or federal prisons, it meant a chance at life – literally. He told his employer that had he not been hired, he...

Acton’s Communication’s Specialist, Elise Hilton, recently penned an op-ed for the Detroit News on human trafficking. She argues that not only is it bigger than people realize, but it’s happening in Acton’s home, Michigan. The facts are grim: ■Michigan’s proximity to the Canadian border and waterways increases the likelihood of trafficking in our state. ■Michigan truck stops and hotels are used for sex trafficking. ■Major events such as ArtPrize and the North American International Auto Show are also major draws...

What is the story with the human trafficking bill? The recent human trafficking bill, officially known as the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, was originally introduced in in the Senate on January 2015 by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The bill had 34 cosponsors in the Senate, 13 Democrats and 21 Republicans (Sen. Barbara Boxer initially signed on as a cosponsor but withdrew her support a day later.) However, after initially supporting the bill, Democrats launched a filibuster...

In America we have a form of government in which power resides in a cadre of elected (and unelected) individuals who represent the interests of the citizens. Because of this structure, it is natural and necessary for people and groups to attempt to influence decisions made by government officials. After all, if we don’t tell our representatives what our interest are, how will they be able to represent our views? This process, known as “lobbying”, is an organic function of...