Luis Lopez

January 4, 2018 in Economics

The Astonishing Efficiency Of School Vouchers

There are a plethora of reasons why education in America is mediocre. We can argue that teacher unions care more about personal benefits than teaching kids, that the information taught in America is far less advanced than the information taught in other nations, or even that America is not fostering a culture where the youth even value education. Whatever argument you choose, we can all agree that America is inept at educating. But instead of rambling on and on about the status quo, real solutions should be formulated. It would be important to note that the US spends more than… Keep Reading

December 17, 2017December 17, 2017 in Culture

How A Suicide Can Turn The Left Against Themselves

For as long as the modern-day feminist movement has existed, supporters have been pushing the notion that a woman has complete autonomy over her own body. Without a doubt, a majority of Americans likely agree with this notion, much like we all agree the sky is blue. Thus it is fair to say that these feminists have offered nothing new to basic human understanding. Where this view tends to be controversial is when it is applied in certain contexts. In cases of rape, most would agree that a woman has absolute control of her own body, but feminists take this… Keep Reading

December 9, 2017December 10, 2017 in Law/Philosophy

It’s Not About Baking The Cake, It’s About Property Rights

A big headliner in the news lately is the Supreme Court Case, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. This case originated when Christian bakers refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding. Since then, leftists have seized the opportunity to label the bakers as “homophobes” or “discriminating” in their actions to deny the gay couple their wedding cake. They argue that the couple were victims of discrimination that is being masked as religious freedom. Alternatively, the opposing side argues that the bakers’ denial of their service is a free speech right and that they are acting in conviction of… Keep Reading

November 14, 2017November 14, 2017 in Philosophy

Is The Right To Privacy A Right At All?

Arguably the most esteemed right of libertarians is the right to privacy. This is perhaps the very crux of what libertarianism is–the right to have a life free of intrusion. This is the one right libertarians have used as a means to argue against the Patriot Act, mass surveillance, and big government overall. It is often cited as unconstitutional when a government program oversteps this cherished right that libertarians claim the Founders alluded to in the Ninth Amendment. But lately I’ve been struck with the question as to whether or not “privacy” is a right. This came when I inspected… Keep Reading

October 18, 2017October 19, 2017 in History

Clarence Thomas: A Man Who Endured The Full Wrath Of The Fake News

On July 1, 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court to replace Thurgood Marshall, America’s first black justice. For compensation, President Bush decided to nominate a second black justice, but this time one with conservative views, which turned out to be extraordinarily controversial. Thomas’ nomination was already fairly controversial even before Anita Hill came out accusing him of sexual harassment. Ultimately, due to the fact that Thomas’ nomination was shrouded in controversy, the media was allowed to play a big opposition role against Clarence Thomas. They did everything in their power to ruin the career of… Keep Reading

October 3, 2017October 3, 2017 in Politics

Even After The Las Vegas Attack, Gun Control Remains An Irrational Response

Upon hearing about the events in Las Vegas, I, like everyone else, was shocked and distraught. What happened was a horrible event beyond basic human comprehension. Additionally, Stephen Paddock, the gunman who took his own life, is an abhorrent human being who deserved death. Despite my anger, I applaud those who willingly donated blood and started campaigns to help the victims of this attack. Now, in an ideal society, we would all come together to voluntarily help those who have suffered and fight the very cause of these events. Unfortunately, in our society we have to deal with those who… Keep Reading

September 24, 2017September 24, 2017 in Philosophy/Politics

If Paid Athletes Can #TakeAKnee, Can Paid Employees Express Political Beliefs Without Consequence As Well?

President Donald Trump’s recent tweets regarding the prevalence of NFL athletes kneeling during the national anthem was met with immediate disapproval from haters. Though tweets from Trump are always susceptible to backlash, the arguments against Trump, this particular time, hit some good points. The prominent arguments being stated are that kneeling during the National Anthem is a right protected under the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, and that political speech is not what the athletes are paid to do and the athletes must respond to their fan feedback. This is clearly a tough topic to have a simple opinion on… Keep Reading

September 16, 2017September 16, 2017 in Philosophy

An Unborn Child Has Rights, Whether You Like It Or Not

It is often hard to have an insightful discussion on abortion for a variety of reasons. When it comes to this issue, too many people stick to their dogma and just drown out any opposing view. Liberals will often denounce any other opinion because they believe that a woman’s right to choose is supreme, and religious conservatives argue that life begins at conception, thus all abortions should be illegal. Unfortunately, the two sides do not find middle ground or compromise on their views, and to make matters worse, abortion is a widely controversial issue that too many fear talking about.… Keep Reading

August 30, 2017August 30, 2017 in Politics

Revive The Tea Party!

In the age of Trump, the Right has been divided into two sides. On one side, we have the alt-right and alt-lite which seeks to defend Western Civilization by any means necessary. While I generally agree with these folks that Western principles should be preserved, I disagree strongly with their very tactics, such as play disruption and embracing racism. I personally feel that the best way to spread ideas is to actually hold discussions, not brawls. As seen in the aftermath of Charlottesville, these extremist forces have not succeeded in building sympathy for their cause as their stunt only incited more… Keep Reading

August 21, 2017August 22, 2017 in Culture

“Blaxicans” And Other Reinvented Americans: An Unlikely Guide To Preserving America’s Culture

Richard Rodriguez’s essay, “Blaxicans” and Other Reinvented Americans, delivers an interesting take on the state of culture in America. Rodriguez, the son of Mexican parents, asserts that racial terms such as “white” and “black” are irrelevant now due to race-mixing in America. But perhaps the most interesting part of the essay is when Rodriguez suggests that “instead of adopting the Canadian model of multiculturalism, America might begin to imagine the Mexican alternative–that of a mestizaje society.” In this statement, Rodriguez implies that Mexico’s treatment of separate races is better than the multiculturalist ideas of Canada. It is evident that the “mestizaje society” Rodriguez speaks of may… Keep Reading

August 14, 2017August 14, 2017 in World

How To Handle North Korea

After recently calling for “fire and fury” against North Korea, President Trump has been criticized for adopting such a harsh tone. Top cabinet members such as James Mattis and Rex Tillerson were quick to defend Trump by saying that he spoke “in a language that Kim Jong-un can understand.” Since that statement, President Trump has doubled down on his words, citing that maybe he “wasn’t tough enough.” What the American people can safely conclude from Trump’s tone is that the current administration will be taking a hard-line approach towards North Korea. Such a hard-line approach will certainly cause concerns on… Keep Reading

August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 in Tech

3 Takeaways From The Google Memo Controversy

This week on social media, many people are discussing a memo by James Damore that criticized Google’s diversity policy for its use of discrimination to achieve diversity. The memo also included a cohesive argument, with plenty of sources stating that men and women are simply different. As a result, Google and the left were infuriated, resulting in James Damore’s termination. Many on the left were quick to label this memo as “anti-diversity” and “anti-women” when Damore made it very clear in the memo that he did not mean to allude to either of those things. Google was also quick to show everyone… Keep Reading

August 1, 2017August 1, 2017 in Philosophy

What Is Our Moral Obligation To Others?

At the root of all left-wing ideas is the belief that everybody has a duty to care for their fellow man. One can see this belief in action upon listening to leftists speak. For example, all of their arguments regarding health care revolve around this basic idea. If you watched the Ben Shapiro vs. Cenk Uygur debate, then probably heard Cenk Uygur make the argument that in a “civilized society” we will care for each other. Basically, leftists believe that an individual has a big moral responsibility to his fellow man, but upon closer inspection, one can see that this… Keep Reading

July 30, 2017July 30, 2017 in Politics

Why Everyone Reacted Inappropriately To Trump’s Transgender Military Ban

On July 26, 2017, President Donald Trump announced a ban on transgender individuals from joining the military. Trump’s announcement was met by praise from the Right and hate from the Left. In response, leftists continued to use their same-old Hitler comparisons and acted like this was the worst thing to happen in American history. But on the other side of the aisle, the religious right applauded this announcement and proclaimed that this was just another tactic in making America great again. Overall, I believe that the response from both sides of the political spectrum revealed that the Left continues to… Keep Reading

July 26, 2017July 26, 2017 in Culture/Politics

How To Make Conservatism More Attractive To Minorities

As a Latino in the conservative movement, I can honestly say that conservatives have not hit the right notes with minorities. This is mostly because leftists and Democrats have a way of conflating right-wing ideas with immoral acts such as murder and racism, thus scaring minorities into leaning liberal. Even though it should be easy for conservatives to refute such notions, it tends to come off as pretentious and even bigoted to everyone else. In order to actually get minorities to switch to conservatism, we must choose our words carefully on certain issues, and take advantage of their genuine concerns… Keep Reading

July 17, 2017July 17, 2017 in Economics/Politics

What A Conservative Health Care Bill Ought To Look Like

Now that House and Senate Republicans have released health care bills, I have come to one conclusion: the GOP is in need of major help writing a health care bill. They never seem to get it right, and they always fall short of making these bills conservative. Consequently, I have created a guideline that highlights the problems within the Senate and House bills, and how they can be fixed. Problem #1: Both House and Senate bills continue spending and subsidizing for poor people and states. Although it sounds moral to give the poor tax credits for health care, it will only… Keep Reading

July 11, 2017July 11, 2017 in Philosophy/Religion

God, Morality, And Nature

Recently on an episode of The Rubin Report, Dave Rubin organized a thoughtful discussion between Dennis Prager and Micheal Shermer on the subject of God and morality. The two men discussed for over an hour whether or not morality is a product of God or inherent in human beings. They also touched upon other subjects such as the existence of God, secularism, and other religions. Needless to say, it was an interesting discussion that, despite its greatness, frustrated me because of the lack of understanding people still have about God. Atheists always seem to think that they know everything about… Keep Reading

June 22, 2017June 22, 2017 in Politics

Georgia’s Special Election Takeaways

Earlier this week, Karen Handel defeated Jon Ossoff in dramatic fashion. Although this was supposed to be an important election for the resistance, it simply turned into a repeat of election night. Many on the left were disappointed because of the millions spent and how this was supposed to be a referendum on Trump. Despite this victory for Republicans, the election revealed many negatives and positives in the current state of our nation. There are several takeaways that are important to understanding our current political climate. Keep Reading

June 17, 2017June 16, 2017 in Culture/Politics

Beware The Radical Left

In the early morning of June 14, 2017, James Hodgkinson opened fire on a group of Republicans prior to the Congressional Baseball Game, injuring 3 people and leaving Republican Congressman Steve Scalise in critical condition. The Alexandria Shooting has proven to be a strain on the American people, but this attack differs from the ones that have occurred previously in one key way–the terrorist was a far-left progressive. In prior terror attacks throughout the world, the terrorists were almost always radical Islamists trying to rage jihad on Western Civilization; but this time, the terrorist in question was left-wing Bernie Sanders… Keep Reading

June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 in Politics

Why The Jeff Sessions Hearing Was a Complete Waste Of Time

Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ hearing before the Senate intelligence committee was a complete waste of time. All Sessions did was reiterate the same talking points that the White House has been conjuring up for months. Other than that, much of the hearing was a confirmation of former FBI Director James Comey’s claims last week, and Sessions’s repetitive defense of Trump’s firing of Comey. Generally, there was no new information that pushed forward the Trump-Russia investigation. Perhaps the only information divulged quasi-relevance was Sessions’s confirmation of Comey’s private talk with Trump and his concern about being left alone with the president.… Keep Reading

June 12, 2017 in News

Louisiana House Bill Would Protect The Future Of Free Speech

Free speech is dying on college campuses; this is a known fact all across America. But with the events at Evergreen College and UC Berkeley, it seems as though colleges are now giving in to the anti-free speech movement. Luckily, many conservative legislatures across the nation are now beginning to introduce bills that will uphold this cherished right. One state representative, Lance Harris (R-LA), has proposed a bill that will uphold the First Amendment on campus. His bill, House Bill 269, calls for college management boards to report “any barriers to or disruptions of free expression within state institutions of… Keep Reading