Per Wikipedia, "Loving Day is an annual celebration held on June 12, the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia which struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in sixteen U.S. states. Loving Day is the biggest multiracial celebration in the United States." The 2016 film Loving, based on this story, is an absolute triumph. As … [Read more...]
Tear Down This Wall: The Day Ronald Reagan Challenged the Berlin Wall
In 1987, speechwriter Peter Robinson was told by US diplomats to write a speech for Reagan's visit to the Berlin Wall, but was warned against any "commie bashing." Thankfully, he didn't take their advice but instead wrote from the heart for all those who had suffered from communism. Reagan loved what he wrote and on June 12th gave the speech that changed history. "Tear Down … [Read more...]
Don’t Be an Individual: Best Graduation Speech Ever
Nick Kocher gives what is probably the best high school graduation speech ever -- Don't Be an Individual -- offering an impassioned (and satirical) plea against being an individual and in favor of mindlessly joining the crowd. The talented Nick went on to become the co-creator of BriTANick, which has made a number of excellent short comedy skits including the excellent Award … [Read more...]
Tank Man: Short Film About Tiananmen Square Hero
On June 4th and 5th, 1989, the Chinese government violently put down the pro-liberty Tiananmen Square student protest. One man stood alone against a column of tanks, and for his extraordinary heroism became known as "Tank Man," though nothing more is known about his identity. Some say he was arrested and killed, others that he is still in prison in China, and still others that … [Read more...]
Memorial Day: A Speech That Does Honor To It
For Memorial Day: "We must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have. Let that be understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbors. As for the enemies of … [Read more...]
James Stewart: Libertarian Film Hero
James Stewart -- born May 20, 1908 -- made many films over his long acting career. Included among these are seven films of interest to libertarians, likely the record to date for any individual actor, and a record not just in quantity but in depth of libertarian content: two of his films are ranked among the Top 25 Libertarian Films ever made. His films touch upon multiple … [Read more...]
Cambodian Day of Remembrance: Five Films to Honor the Dead
Pol Pot and his gang of Khmer Rouge socialist comrades murdered 25% of Cambodian citizens, in total somewhere around two million lives, in the span of just five years (1975-1979). Cambodia declared May 20th to be a day of remembrance to honor these dead. Pol Pot was taught the wonders of agrarian socialism while attending college in France, and returned home with a … [Read more...]
R. J. Mitchell: Happy Angel Birthday!
British aeronautical engineer R. J. Mitchell was born on May 20th, 1895. He is little known today, but as the inventor of the Spitfire fighter plane, he is said to have done more to turn back the Nazi menace than anyone other than Churchill. What makes his story all the more remarkable is that his heroism was largely single-handed and alone, occurring in the mid-1930s before … [Read more...]
Tillie Majczek: The Mom Who Toiled 11 Years to Free Son Remembered in Film
Tillie Majczek. That's a name to remember on Mother's Day. She scrubbed floors for 11 years to raise the money to free her son from a false murder conviction -- and succeeded. Her story, and that of the reporter who took up her cause, is told in the 1948 film Call Northside 777. It's a sweet story and a tribute to a free press. … [Read more...]
Friedrich Hayek: Happy Angel Birthday!
Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek (aka F. A. Hayek) was born on May 8th, 1899. He was a formidable defender of human liberty and warned early of the dangers of centralized power associated with socialism. Here are six short films to celebrate his birthday. … [Read more...]