Articles

Author: R. S. Radford Ever wonder why there is a Statue of Liberty on an island in New York Harbor, rather than a Statue of Democracy? Many people apparently think the two terms are synonymous, and those who don't often seem embarrassed by references to the supposedly antiquated (or politically tainted) notion of liberty. The … ...

Author: Lana Harfoush In PLF’s recent "Fly the Flag" contest we encouraged individuals to submit their photos of the flag and briefly explain what the American flag means to them. Many submissions noted that the flag was important because of what it stands for and symbolizes. For me, the flag does not represent blind faith … ...

Author: Joshua Thompson PLF would like to wish one of our greatest Founders (and my personal favorite), James Madison, a very happy 260th birthday!  James Madison's contributions to man's eternal fight for liberty cannot be overstated.  He was the principal drafter of the United States Constitution – a document ...

Recent articles or quotes about Sackett v. EPA by environmentalists have foretold disaster if the Sacketts win their case against the EPA. To them, landowners should not be able to haul EPA into court when they issue Compliance Orders, no matter how onerous those Orders are, because it would hinder the EPA’s ability, as they see … ...

When government bureaucrats start shutting down lemonade stands and hassling five year olds for operating without a permit, you know we have a problem. When they make acts of charity illegal, you have to question if we’ve hit rock bottom. Long time readers of this blog know about government’s war on freedom and liberty. Think … ...

Prof. Samuelson has a thorough response to my post about John Adams and individual liberty. While it’s true I’m not a great admirer of Adams (I’m much fonder of his son), my point was not biographical or historical, but philosophical: democracy is an instrumental good, one that is valuable only insofar as it protects the … ...

Under the auspices of the government “shutdown,” federal employees are barring many homeowners and entrepreneurs from their homes and businesses. Why? The homes and businesses are located on federal land. Thus the government claims a right to block their access since it can’t afford to provide services during a shutdown (except th ...

In between hamburgers and fireworks, take a moment to listen to our podcast on what the Fourth of July means to PLF attorneys. Our newest clerk Mike Garcia gives us a Texas perspective on the Fourth, Principal Attorney Timothy Sandefur reads poetry, Director of Litigation Jim Burling discusses the continuing relevancy of the Declaration of … ...

This week, Pacific Legal Foundation filed a friend of the court brief at the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of a Florida fisherman named John Yates.  Mr. Yates, a grandfather and commercial fishing boat captain for hire, found himself reeled in by a federal government in an overzealous prosecution.  The government took … ...