We’re incredibly excited to have The Independent Institute as a Silver Level Sponsor this year at the 2015 ISFLC! The Independent Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan, scholarly research and educational organization that sponsors in-depth studies of critical social and economic issues. The mission of the Independent Institute is to boldly advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies grounded in a commitment to human worth and dignity.
Not only will this wonderful organization have a table for students interested in what they do, they’ll also have a number of breakout sessions available to give you intellectual stimulation and more information about the organization as a whole:
Ivan Eland, Is Obama’s Foreign Policy Weak?
Republicans have criticized Obama’s foreign policy for making the United States seem weak abroad. Compared to other recent presidents is this charge true? Or is this alleged malevolent benevolence in the eye of the beholder, thus rendering Obama’s foreign policy really rationale and sensible?
Abby Hall, From ‘Protect and Serve’ to ‘Comply or Die?’ The Militarization of U.S. Police
The distinction between domestic police and U.S. military forces has rapidly eroded. Historical attempts to constrain and separate military from domestic police functions have largely failed. The citywide “lockdown” and searches of Watertown, MA in 2013, and the use of tear gas, the National Guard, and arrests of journalists in Ferguson, MO in 2014 are but two recent illustrations of domestic police acting as military forces. This talk examines the mechanisms through which U.S. police forces have become militarized. It examines the role of domestic crises, and the larger “War on Drugs” and “War on Terror” in the accelerated militarization of domestic policing.
Dr. Stephen P. Halbrook, The Second Amendment: A Universal Human Right
The pendulum of the recognition and the destruction of the right to keep and bear arms expresses phenomena of freedom and tyranny throughout history. Rooted in the American founding as a reaction to British attempts to disarm the colonists, the right was extended to freed slaves by the Fourteenth Amendment. The disarming of political opponents and the Jews was a key element of Hitler’s dictatorship and the Holocaust.
Make sure to register today in order to ensure your attendance so you can check out these fantastic breakout sessions and more!