Our online Zoom conference “Restoring Civil Liberties” is turning out to be one of the best conferences in our 32-year history here at The Future of Freedom Foundation. I know I’m biased, but I truly believe that it is the best conference on the subject of civil liberties in the history of the libertarian movement.
This week, we had two more fantastic presentations — one by Radley Balko and the other by Jonathan Turley.
Radley is one of those few libertarians who have found success within the mainstream media. He works for the Washington Post, where he focuses on criminal-justice issues. His book Rise of the Warrior Cop is the best book you’ll ever read on the militarization of the police. Here is a link to a longer bio.
Radley’s talk provided a deep insight into the hurdles that Congress and the states have put in front of people who have been wrongfully convicted in state courts and who wish to seek federal relief. As a consequence of those hurdles, many innocent people continue to languish in state penitentiaries across the country.
Jonathan is a long-time professor of law at George Washington University. He is also one of the most renowned lawyers and legal scholars in the country. He has participated in some of the most important legal cases. His hundreds of articles have appeared in numerous law journals and many newspapers across the nation. Here is a link to a longer bio.
Jonathan’s talk was one of the best explanations of the critical importance of free speech you’ll ever find. His analysis of the current assaults taking place on this important civil liberty is second to none. You’ll also enjoy hearing his defense of Julian Assange in the Q&A session.
We have now had 8 speakers as part of this conference. All of them have been great. If you haven’t yet watched them, I highly recommend doing so. You’ll end up knowing more about civil liberties than many lawyers and judges.
Each speaker has been free to talk about any aspect of civil liberties he wished. One of the fascinating aspects of the conference is that so far there has been very little duplication among the speakers.
Next week’s speaker will be the inimitable Judge Andrew Napolitano, one of the most stalwart defenders of civil liberties in our time. Tuesday, November 2, at 7 p.m. Eastern time. You don’t want to miss this one! If you have already registered, you’ll get a Zoom link via email. If you haven’t yet registered, you can do so at our conference web page. A Zoom link will then be sent to you. I hope to see you next Tuesday. I’ll be moderating the program.