Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
The True Plight of Black Americans
While it might not be popular to say in the wake of the recent social disorder, the true plight of black people has little or nothing to do with the police or what has been called “systemic racism.” Instead, we need to look at the responsibilities of those running our big cities. Some of the… -
opinion
Despite Win in Wisconsin, Religious Discrimination Remains During Lockdown
As our nation finds it way forward after weeks of pandemic-related lockdowns, governments have unfortunately treated churches and religious gatherings differently—and often less favorably—than comparable secular gatherings. This means the actions taken by some states are discriminatory. Fortunately, defenders of the First Amendment successfully restored their right to worship in-person (albeit in a limited capacity)… -
opinion
Ben Carson Reflects on the Death of George Floyd
If the protesters noticed the clouds, they didn’t care. Hundreds of them walked down D.C. streets in sheets of rain, almost oblivious to the nighttime thunderstorm. Soaked, some of them knelt at the memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., quietly listening to his “I Have a Dream” speech in a kind of calm… -
news
Factory Burned in Riots Will Leave Minneapolis, Owner Says
The owner of a manufacturing company based in Minneapolis has decided to move his factory after law enforcement was unable to protect the plant from burning during riots. The plant shut down early in anticipation of the second night of riots and to ensure the safety of employees, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Kris Wyrobek, president… -
opinion
Leading Through the Crisis: How College Regents and Trustees Can Steady the Fiscal Ship
College administrators have two things on their minds right now: how to reopen their campuses safely, and what steps they need to take to survive financially. The answer to the first question depends in part on the second. The business shutdowns precipitated by the coronavirus have eroded—and will continue to erode—nearly every source of university… -
opinion
A Contract With Black America
On Oct. 26, 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke to a mostly African American audience in Charlotte, North Carolina. He said: Every African American citizen in this country is entitled to a government that puts their jobs, wages, and security first. … I will not let you down. You watch. … Here is the promise… -
opinion
We ‘Need a Change in Hearts’: African American Explains Why He Organized a Prayer Walk
Louis Brown, an African American man, organized a “rosary walk” in Washington, D.C., in response to the death of George Floyd. Brown, who is the executive director of health care nonprofit Christ Medicus Foundation, joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss why he did this, and the importance of prayer in these times. We also… -
opinion
Brian Kilmeade on Sam Houston’s Fighting Spirit Against the Odds
Our listeners are likely to know well of Gens. George Patton, David, Patraeus, and Dwight Eisenhower. But what about the patient general whose strategy led an inexperienced team of freedom fighters to victory against the Mexican army? Brian Kilmeade of “Fox & Friends” rejoins “The Right Side of History” to tell us about such a… -
news
4 Keys to Understanding ‘Defund the Police’ Movement
“Defund the police” has become the newest rallying cry for the left and it’s no longer confined to radicals and activists. Some local lawmakers are going a step further to say “dismantle” or “abolish” the police, while left-leaning media outlets are giving credence to the fledgling movement. The idea could mean different things to different… -
opinion
Confronting Police Abuse Requires Shifting Power From Police Unions
By and large, police officers are heroes who put their lives on the line to protect the communities in which they live and serve. How then should we react to cases of police misconduct and brutality when they come to light? Confronting this requires what Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey referred to as “this one, nearly… -
opinion
‘It Isn’t Hate to Speak the Truth’: J.K. Rowling Bravely Defies Political Correctness
Editor’s note: On Saturday, J.K. Rowling tweeted the following—a brave statement in our current era of politically correct language around sex. Unsurprisingly, Rowling, author of the “Harry Potter” series, was attacked by LGBT activists. But Rowling refused to back down, sharing her thoughts further: Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time there’s been a push to… -
news
De Blasio Rolls Out Plan Shifting Funds Away From NYPD Amid Calls to Defund Police
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to shift funding away from the city’s police department and toward youth programs Sunday, as activists push for defunding police departments. De Blasio’s plan is part of a suggestion from the mayor’s task force on racial inclusion, which is chaired by his wife, activist Chirlane… -
opinion
This Federal Law Can Be Used to Charge Violent Rioters
From the civil rights movement of the 1960s to the 2009 Taxpayer March on Washington in 2009 to the annual March for Life in our nation’s capital, peaceful protests have been a hallmark—and strength—of American democracy. But the violence that has erupted around the protests over the death of George Floyd has nothing to do with democracy. Attacks… -
opinion
What Frederick Douglass Might Say to Us Today
The wisdom of leaders like 19th-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass is critical at this moment in America’s history. The Rev. Dean Nelson, the executive director of Human Coalition Action and chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, joins the show to explain what Douglass’ message to America might be if he were with us today. Nelson also… -
news
Why These Teens Are Bringing Peaceful Protest to a Quiet DC Suburb
As thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Washington, D.C., on Saturday, three high school students were organizing a rally of their own in a quiet Virginia neighborhood of Fairfax County. The dinnertime march drew more than 150 participants, many carrying signs demanding justice and remembering George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two black Americans… -
opinion
The Media’s Double Standard on Protest Coverage
NBC News reporter Carl Quintanilla thought he was making a powerful point, and though Twitter metrics are a dubious measure of public opinion, over 21,000 people agreed. He observed that on May 1, President Donald Trump tweeted, “The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but… -
opinion
The Cost of Riots
It’s weird that this needs to be said, but here we are. Then again, the pundit who reprehensibly claims that destroying property “is not violence” risks nothing. She agitates for revolution from the safety of her apartment. Much the same, I suspect, most of those excusing the destruction of our cities—either contending that businesses “have… -
news
6 Things People Are Saying in Memory of George Floyd
In the days since George Floyd’s death in police custody, his family and friends have been remembering his life. “The thing I miss most about him is his hugs. He was just this big giant,” said a cousin, Shareeduh Tate, according to The New York Times. Tate was one of the many who gathered Thursday… -
opinion
Deja Vu: Riots, Looting, and Arson Recall Late ’60s
The many U.S. cities currently gripped by civil unrest and violence in the wake of the May 25 death of a black man, George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis call to mind the rioting in two other Midwestern cities, Detroit and Chicago, in the late 1960s. The years 1967 and 1968 were among the… -
news
DC Mayor’s Treatment of National Guard Troops Called ‘Shameful, Petty’
Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, D.C., on Friday ordered National Guard troops, who were in the nation’s capital to quell civil unrest and looting, out of their hotel rooms. The move drew a sharp rebuke from a senator whose home state sent some of those troops. Bowser reportedly planned to evict 1,200 National Guard…