The summer season brings with it vacations, children at home from school, and a general busyness that surprises many each year. This newsletter will focus on recent anniversaries and developments in civil liberties.
Recently, two key events in World War II were commemorated. Veterans traveled to Normandy for the anniversary of the D-Day invasion, which marked the beginning of France's liberation and set the stage for the Allies' eventual victory on the Western Front. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed these veterans and honored them with the Legion of Honor. As this year marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, it is likely one of the last major anniversaries these aging veterans will attend.
Macron expressed his gratitude via Twitter: "Welcome to France, heroes."
Reflecting on their bravery, then-General Dwight Eisenhower had distributed an Order of the Day before the invasion, stating: “The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you… The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!”
Another significant anniversary is that of the Tiananmen Massacre (June 4, 1989). The student-led demonstrations were met with a violent crackdown by the Chinese government. Estimates of those killed vary due to government suppression of information.
To commemorate this event, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) released a video featuring Zhou Fengsuo, a Chinese human rights activist who was one of the student leaders during those protests. He was imprisoned for a year before immigrating to the United States.
“Tiananmen is important because it’s hope,” Zhou said. “It was the moment that we realized, and the world witnessed, that Chinese people love freedom and democracy, and they are so willing to sacrifice their life for it.”
These anniversaries highlight both totalitarianism's cost and standing up against it.
In recent legal news closer to home, on May 30, the Supreme Court unanimously decided in NRA v. Vullo that governments cannot pressure private parties to suppress viewpoints they dislike. Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored this unanimous opinion.
Casey Mattox commented on Twitter: "Thomas upholding the constitutionality of the CFPB and Sotomayor writing a unanimous opinion for NRA in a 1st Amendment case are two big blows against those who would like you to believe that SCOTUS is compromised."
For more insights into NRA v. Vullo and its implications on civil liberties such as government pressure on social media platforms, readers can watch a panel discussion moderated by Federalist Society members or view a mini-documentary featuring commentary from Will Duffield at Cato Institute.
Expect further developments soon in defending civil liberties.
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