“I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.”
This is the first article of the Code of Conduct for the U.S. Armed Forces, which govern how servicemembers should act during combat or in the event of capture. While every U.S. servicemember is trained on the Code, very few make its ultimate sacrifice.
The brave men and women we honor today made that sacrifice so that the rest of us can pursue our “way of life.” So that we may exercise our inherent rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So that today we can play outside with our children, barbeque with our friends, travel to a new places, and fully live this beautiful, American life.
Please join us in remembering those heroes who have fallen for the cause of liberty.
Jon Riches is a Commander in the United States Navy Reserve.
Forcing someone to pay for another person or group’s political speech is wrong, and the First Amendment is supposed to protect Americans against that kind of coercion. That’s why this week we asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether states can force attorneys to pay for a bar association’s political speech just so they can practice their profession.
In 30 states, attorneys must join and pay dues to a state bar association to be allowed to practice law. Bar associations use those dues to advocate for and against legislation and public policies, and to publish other political and ideological speech. Our clients, Oregon attorneys Daniel Crowe and Lawrence Peterson, have been forced to pay dues to the Oregon State Bar —and forced to pay for its political speech.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected Crowe and Peterson’s free speech challenge to Oregon’s law that forces lawyers to pay bar association dues. Now, the Goldwater Institute is asking the Supreme Court to take up the case and end mandatory bar association fees, just as it recently ended mandatory public-sector union fees, which violated government workers’ rights for the same reasons, in Janus v. AFSCME.
In a growing number of schools, there’s a divisive, politically charged curriculum being pushed on unsuspecting students—one that’s teaching them to turn their back on America’s founding ideals. And many parents have no practical way to find out what their kids are learning.
But fortunately, as Goldwater Institute Director of Education Policy Matt Beienburg explained on Newsmax’s “The National Report” this week, we’re working to shine a light on schools so parents know just what’s going on.
Since 1988, the Goldwater Institute has been in the liberty business — defending and promoting freedom, and achieving more than 400 victories in all 50 states. Donate today to help support our mission.
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We are grateful for your support of the Goldwater Institute’s efforts to advance and defend liberty throughout the United States. For over 36 years, we’ve been defending the rights of Americans to live their lives free from government interference.
And Goldwater is unique in that we direct our efforts to the 50 states where we introduce and advance innovative ideas that expand freedom. And we fight in courtrooms and capitals nationwide to defend individual liberty.
In 2024 alone, we scored over 50 policy and litigation victories defending liberty!
And that’s just the beginning.
Our plans for 2025 include:
Stopping pernicious DEI and other woke programs in America’s universities.
Ensuring that patients suffering from rare and terminal diseases have access to cutting-edge, lifesaving medical treatments, without having to first seek permission from the government.
Defending parental rights across the United States so that parents can send their kids to the school that best fits their needs, free from leftist indoctrination.
Eliminating government interference in the fundamental right of individuals to own property and use it as they see fit.
And much, much more
We seek to restore the presumption of liberty; that people are free to act without first asking permission from the government.
But we cannot do this without you. Will you join us as we fight to preserve and advance liberty throughout the country? As we seek new and innovative ways to defend freedom in all 50 states?
And there’s great news: Thanks to a generous Goldwater supporter, your donation today will be doubled!
So please, join us in fighting to advance liberty and score real wins for freedom from coast to coast!