The nation's attention turned to Oregon a few years ago when a group calling itself Citizens for Constitutional Freedom seized control of part of a federal wildlife refuge.  The citizens were protesting the harsh sentences given to members of the Hammond ranching family.  The Hammonds were accused of allowing fires set on their property to spread onto federal land.

As is usual every year, 2019 will see the enactment of new laws across the country.  Once again, our beloved legislators have passed thousands of needless new laws that will be going into effect this year.  Passing more laws is not the solution, but instead, part of the problem!  We already have millions of laws in the nation—far too many.  Having ample laws is one of several causes of corruption in our legal system.  Many of the newly written laws will have an impact on the vast majority of Americans.  In California alone, more than 1,000 new laws will be added to the books.  In some states, minimum wages will go up, guns will be harder to obtain legally, plastic straws will get the boot, and hunters will get to wear pink for a change.  Here are some of the noteworthy laws going into effect this year:

The recent arrest of the chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, of Chinese tech giant Huawei is a classic example of the United States legal system overstepping its bounds.  The CFO was released on bail in Canada, setting her up for a lengthy legal fight over extradition to the United States.  However, her arrest should never have happened in the first place.

On November 20, 2018, the Idaho Statesman ran an article written by former U.S. Forest Service agent Pat Finnigan in response to an article written by Statesman reporter Nicole Blanchard.  The first article was written after Nicole had spent the day at my home in Emmett, Idaho.  Nicole and I talked openly about the matters she wanted to discuss.  We talked about our families, about life since I have been home—we talked about “the movement” the Bundy family has supposedly started.  We spoke about the actions of federal officers from the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Overall, Nicole reported accurately and fairly the information she was able to write about.

A long-time former CIA official and case officer, John Kiriakou became an anti-torture whistleblower and activist when he told ABC News in December 2007 that the CIA was torturing prisoners, that torture was official U.S. government policy, and that the policy was approved by the President.  John was driven to ruin by the Justice Department because of these revelations.

More than 20 million people watched the Kavanaugh hearing.  It was almost impossible to deny the veracity of Dr. Christine Ford’s testimony.  On the other hand, Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony was filled with lies, as fact-checked by news outlets and supported by various witnesses.  While Americans and people from around the world tuned in to watch the Senate hearings, one thing is clear: we have never had a more controversial Supreme Court nominee.

Americans who follow the news have seen and heard much about Paul Manafort’s trial.  One of the remarkable takeaways from the trial was the judge’s conduct during the trial.  United States district judge Thomas Ellis II is a 78-year-old senior judge for the eastern district of Virginia appointed by President Ronald Reagan.  His courtroom demeanor is best summarized by what he said at one point: “I am a Caesar in my own Rome.”