Sentence Smarter, Not Harder

September 29, 2014 by Enquiry Editor in Volume 2 Issue 5, Sarah Larson

There is no statistic that better represents the severity of America’s criminal justice system: with 5 percent of the world’s population, the United States has 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Such a high number leads us to wonder if it is possible to reduce crime without imprisoning 1 in 100 Americans. A significant proportion of the increase is due to mandatory minimum sentences. Mandatory minimums strip judges of their discretion and take a “tough on crime” approach that is ineffective, expensive, and unjust.

Net Neutrality: A Case for Government Intervention

September 29, 2014 by Enquiry Editor in Volume 2 Issue 5, Andrew Nachemson

A recent court case struck down the FCC’s authority to enforce net neutrality, renewing concerns over the future of internet access. Most of us have probably been asking ourselves, “what impact will this have on Internet freedom?” “What exactly is net neutrality?” and, of course, “as a good libertarian how do I feel about net neutrality and the recent court ruling?”

Eric Cantor and the New Revolving Door

September 29, 2014 by Enquiry Editor in Volume 2 Issue 5, Devin White

After an astonishing defeat in June’s Republican primary, Eric Cantor found himself out of a job. This September, Cantor, the former House Majority Leader from Virginia’s 7th District, finally landed a new gig: on Wall Street.

Republican Support for Over-the-Counter Birth Control

September 22, 2014 by Enquiry Editor in Volume 2 Issue 4, Taylor Elicegui

Smiling women sit in a circle, cheering. A politician stands in the center, promising improved access to birth control by making the medicine available over the counter. Everything seems typical in the campaign ad during an election cycle where birth control is a contentious issue. But it isn’t. The star of the ad is Congressman Cory Gardner, a Republican candidate in Colorado.

Let the Law Handle Sexual Assault

September 22, 2014 by Enquiry Editor in Volume 2 Issue 4, Phil Parkes

A Hamilton College “task force” convened over the summer to update the college’s sexual assault policies. On September 5th it presented a draft of its recommended policy updates in a meeting open to students and professors. A federal crackdown on sexual assault policies is putting pressure on school administrations to dodge federal inquiry and appear “tough” on sexual assault. In doing so, they have almost completely left behind the central issue: justice for the victims.

The Left’s War on Words

September 22, 2014 by Enquiry Editor in Volume 2 Issue 4, Joe Simonson

Between articles titled “You’ll Never Believe What Happened After This Quadriplegic Six-Year-Old Gave This Homeless Person a Sandwich” and “Why Everyone Including the Taliban Needs More Beyoncé,” my Facebook newsfeed this summer displayed a disturbing trend of articles and rants comparing the Israel’s military operations to the tactics of Nazi Germany. This deliberate mischaracterization and mislabeling of Israel’s actions in the latest Gaza conflict continued outside of cyberspace as well, with pro-Palestinian protestors carrying signs reading “Israel=Genocide” and “Netanyahu=Hitler.”