Every two years, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University publishes their “Freedom in the 50 States” index.
This year’s most free state? It’s a virtual tie…between New Hampshire and South Dakota. And the least free state?
New York
Lady Liberty, look the other way. (Oh good, she is.)
Turns out my beloved Empire State got dinged for our particularly high taxes, health insurance regulations, anti-smoking laws, lack of medical marijuana and no same-sex marriage (only one vote away!).
Oh…that.
Jason Sorens, co-author of the study and assistant professor at CUNY Buffalo — who (ahem) lives in New York — admits the state has other benefits.
“New York City has a lot going for it…if you like culture, the arts, music, having lots of things to do, nightlife — you’re going to value having more things to do even if you feel more impinged upon.”
Exactly, Jason. And the things that may make other people feel ‘impinged upon’ — not being able to smoke in Central Park, for example — don’t make me feel any less free.
That’s the beauty of the USA. There are 50 different states. If you don’t like the one you’re in, you can move to one you like better.
Like I did.
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…” Me & Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin
Latter days
There are a lot of things I expect to find in Times Square.
Tourists. Jammed sidewalks. Street vendors. More tourists. Theatres. Traffic. Hey look — more tourists.
That’s a bit surprising.
The ad campaign by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was launched last week in Times Square in an attempt to re-brand the Mormon faith as “normal.”
The ads feature photos of ethnically-diverse, regular people. One guy is even riding a motorcycle.
Yep. Looks pretty normal from here.
Or is the timing and location of the campaign in response to the wildly successful Broadway show The Book of Mormon, which won nine Tonys (including Best Musical) and will no doubt go on to do a national tour?
If so, Church Fathers, worry no more. The Book of Mormon is one of the most positive things to happen to your religion since the golden plates. Everyone who walks out of the theatre knows more about your faith and the commonalities it shares with their own.
The humor unites us. The ads?
They’re just more traffic.
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