In Defense of Jack Hunter by Andrew Napolitano
A word about Jack Hunter by Andrew Napolitano
Yesterday you saw some hawks, whose ideology is dying and whose worldview is being discredited every day, launch an attack on Senator Rand Paul by attacking one of his brilliant aides, Jack Hunter.
Jack’s sin in their eyes was having spoken favorably of states’ rights, and negatively of Lincoln. They can’t seem to recognize that states’ rights–even secession–does not equal racism; it constitutes a brake on the feds’ march to totalitarianism. Most modern day states’ rights advocates recognize the sovereignty of the states and their inherent ability to nullify and avoid federal violations of the Constitution in order to protect life and liberty from an overgrown, intrusive federal leviathan that literally now interferes in or spies on every facet of our lives. And most historians and legal scholars who appreciate personal liberty and limited government recognize that the history of Lincoln’s assaults on civil liberties is a topic capable of divergent views and worthy of exposure.
UPDATE: Tom Woods adds his support…
We’re the Sweetie-Pie Libertarians (my reply to the oh-so-sensitive libertarians who are shocked at Jack Hunter) http://t.co/V16Pra9az9
— Thomas Woods (@ThomasEWoods) July 10, 2013
But really, the hawks and neocons weren’t attacking just Jack—who possesses profound intellectual honesty and who has a gift for reducing complex arguments to understandable terms–for his views on federalism. Everything that was “broken” in the “news” story in the Free Beacon has been public information for a long time. It was not hidden. And it was not news. Some of it was youthful hyperbole, and all of it was sliced and diced out of context.
What’s news? Egypt is in chaos and President Obama continues to fund the military there as it slaughters protestors. There are new calls from both sides of the aisle to reconsider foreign aid. Americans are rallying against their own government spying on them. Left and right are coming together to say “enough” and soundly reject the idea of arming the al Qaeda affiliated rebels in Syria.
In other words, the neocon world view, which assaulted our civil liberties in a way that would make Lincoln blush and brought us 12 years and two trillion dollars’ worth of useless wars, is crumbling. And it isn’t just crumbling on its own. It has a sledgehammer being taken to it every day by Senator Rand Paul.
So when someone does a hit piece on the Senator’s gifted aide, or when you see a vicious attack on the Senator himself as you no doubt will, think about why it is happening. The attacks are coming from those on the losing side of history.
And then go carry on the fight for liberty…
Now for some real news! Check out our Liberty Live Blog: http://t.co/HZarlPtYaY and be sure to like us at https://t.co/hnGpBitUlX
— iroots.org activism (@irootsorg) July 10, 2013
The following was posted by Judge Napolitano on his Facebook account.
The constant attacks on Lincoln from some on the “libertarian” right are a bit misguided.
Certainly, the real Lincoln was no saint. History has shown that he didn’t care about slaves, he cared about his legacy.
But the program of oppression that Lincoln instituted ended.
What NEVER ended was program of oppression known as the Progressive Era — the direct election of Senators, the Federal Income Tax, the Federal Reserve, the end of common law marriage, alcohol and drug prohibition, and more.
The seeds of America’s destruction were sewn during the Progressive Era, not during the Lincoln’s time.
We must never forget that.