CENTER FOR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM 05/30/2014

May 30, 2014 COMMENTARY Mind the Gap: The Dangerous Distance Between Civilians and the Military Only 0.5 percent of the population has been on active duty in the armed forces within the last decade - a smaller proportion that at any time since between the two world wars. And those few who do serve are not especially representative of the country as a whole. This results in a civic dialogue that's often characterized by utter ignorance about our men and women in uniform. There are costs to this arm's length relationship with the military. Read more now. New ObamaCare Fissures Emerge, as Stunned Labor Unions Chafe at Higher Costs Pop some popcorn, grab a cold one, sit back and enjoy this emerging spectacle. Labor unions were among the strongest and earliest supporters of ObamaCare, and foolishly accepted Nancy Pelosi's admonition to embrace the law before finding out what was in it. Now they're beginning to pay the price. Read more now. Is Indiana Governor Mike Pence Falling into ObamaCare's Medicaid Trap? Indiana Republican Governor Mike Pence says his plan to use ObamaCare's Medicaid dollars to expand his state's health savings account program won't create a new open-ended entitlement. But some conservative health care experts aren't buying it. Read more now. EDITORIAL CARTOONS View more of Michael Ramirez's latest cartoons now. FREEDOM MINUTE Watch this week's Freedom Minute video now. PODCAST Podcast: The Radical Environmentalist War on Private Property Interview with Marita Noon, Executive Director of Energy Makes America Great. Listen to the interview now. QUESTION OF THE WEEK Who was Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to Eric K. Shinseki? A) Ed Derwinski B) Jim Nicholson C) James Peake D) Anthony Principi Get the correct answer now. JESTER'S COURTROOM A Prayer for Relief from Ridiculous Lawsuit A South Carolina elementary school is being sued by an atheist group because the school's fifth grade graduation ceremony is scheduled to be held in the chapel at a local Christian university. The American Humanist Association is suing the Mountain View Elementary School, challenging the graduation's location at North Greenville University. Greenville County school district is also a named defendant in light of the fact that the district allows student-led prayers at the fifth grade ceremony. Read more now. QUOTE OF THE WEEK New York Post Editorial Board, On President Obama's West Point Speech: "When John Kennedy addressed West Point's Class of 1962, he told them the burden of defending freedom 'will require more from you than ever before in our history.' ... "How different from Barack Obama's adolescent address Wednesday. Here the long gray line was reduced to a backdrop for a president shouting to the world: I'm not the weakling you think! ... "On Wednesday, our commander-in-chief stood before some of America's most selfless men and women. It was an opportunity to inspire these young West Pointers with a speech about national security - and their vital role in a dangerous world. "Instead he opted for a campaign speech once again contrasting his own brilliance with a childish caricature of his critics." Read more of this week's notable quotes now. FREEDOM LINE HIGHLIGHTS Take Action to Stop Net Regulation Ramirez Cartoon: "I First Read About the VA Scandal in the Newspaper..." ObamaCare Causing 54% of Small Businesses Not to Hire Texas Tea Party Knocks Off GOP Lt. Gov. in Run-Off

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