The Forge of Freedom

Episode 158. Why Vote?   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley discusses the complexities surrounding the duty to vote, the perceived importance of individual votes, and how to maintain mental health during election season. He critiques the tribalistic nature of political discourse and emphasizes the need for self-reflection and community engagement over national politic...

Episode 157. The Grinch of Halloween and Government “Charity”   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley discusses the themes of entitlement and responsibility in voting, drawing parallels between Halloween traditions and civic engagement. He shares insights from Lawrence Reed's article 'Don't Vote Like a Halloweener' and Davy Crockett's essay 'Not Yours to Give', emphasizi...

Episode 156. Upcoming Seminar: A Church-Focused Study of the Active Shooter Problem & How to Minimize Victims with Ed Monk In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley discusses an upcoming seminar focused on the active shooter problem, specifically tailored for church settings. The seminar, led by expert Ed Monk, aims to provide effective strategies to minimize victims dur...

Show Notes   Episode 155. Self-Defense and Civil Liability: Lessons from a Detroit Shooting    In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley discusses a self-defense incident that occurred at a Detroit Lions football game, exploring the legal implications of self-defense laws in Indiana. He delves into Indiana's self-defense immunity statute, the case of Kystie Phillips, and the...

Show Notes   Episode 154.  The Future of Education: Exploring Innovation and Choice with Kerry McDonald   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley speaks with education expert Kerry McDonald about innovative education models that are reshaping K-12 learning. They discuss the rise of alternative education choices, particularly post-pandemic, and how these models offer more p...

Show Notes   Episode 153. A Farmer's Fight for Freedom: Sonja Feintech on Agorism and the Marketplace of Ideas   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley speaks with Sonja (Agora) Feintech, a farmer and Libertarian candidate for Oregon's fifth congressional district. They discuss Sonja's journey from farming to politics, her views on agorism, regulatory capture,...

Show Notes   Episode 152. Evil is on the Rise   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley discusses an article by Lawrence Reed titled 'Evil is Rising, but Despair is Not an Option.' The conversation explores the nature of evil, its manifestations in society, and the importance of hope and truth in combating it. Ooley also highlights an upcoming event focused on acti...

Show Notes   Episode 151. When Back-to-School Blues Signal a Deeper Problem   The article discusses the growing disengagement and indifference towards traditional schooling and the need to reimagine the learning environment. It highlights the importance of recognizing signs of educational indifference and exploring alternative educational pathways. The article also mentions the shift towards homes...

Show Notes   Episode 150. The Future of Gun Rights: Missouri's Legal Battle and the Supremacy Clause   In this episode, Alex Ooley discusses a recent opinion issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit regarding the Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA) in Missouri. The law, adopted in 2021, aims to prevent state officials from assisting in the enforcement of federal...

Show Notes   Episode 149. GOALS, Guns, and the NRA's Future In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley is joined by John Richardson to discuss the conclusion of the bench trial in the case against the NRA by the New York Attorney General. They also talk about John's experience at the First Annual Goals Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. The conference featured range...

Show Notes   Episode 148. War, Peace, and the State (by Murray Rothbard)   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, Alex Ooley discusses the essay 'War, Peace, and the State' by Murray Rothbard. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the principles of war and peace and the morality of state aggression. Alex highlights the absurdity of conscription and the dehumanization of s...

Show Notes   Episode 147. Embracing the Cross of Fatherhood: Philosophy, Faith, and Facing Obstacles   The conversation revolves around the theme of facing obstacles and the role of fatherhood. Alex Ooley shares his personal experience of becoming a father and the importance of embracing obstacles. He also discusses the intersection of philosophy and religion, emphasizing the idea that the obstacl...

Show Notes   Episode 146. Clarification Request by the Trace and "Eight Essential Principles Behind the Second Amendment"   In this episode, the host provides clarification on a previous episode and discusses an article about the Second Amendment. He clarifies his description of an organization called the Trace, which promotes gun control and presents biased information under the guise o...

Show Notes   Episode 145. Restitution: A Just Approach to Addressing Crime (with Mary Ruwart)   Dr. Mary Ruwart discusses the concept of restitution as a way to address crime. Restitution involves the offender making amends to the victim by compensating them for the harm caused. This approach focuses on restoring the victim and balancing the non-aggression principle of not initiating force, fraud,...

Show Notes   Episode 144.  The NRA's Fall from Grace: Corruption, Trial, and Declining Influence   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley interviews John Richardson, the man behind the “Only Guns and Money” blog and a prominent voice in the firearms community. They discuss the current state of the NRA and the ongoing trial in New York against the organization. The con...

Show Notes   Episode 143. The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Hobgoblins of Anarchy   In this episode, Alex Ooley briefly discusses the news of former President Donald Trump being shot at a rally before discussing the topic of anarchy and the Anti-Federalist papers. He shares Anti-Federalist number six, titled 'The Hobgoblins of Anarchy,' which warns against rushing into a new form of gover...

Show Notes Episode 142. The Tyranny of Gun Control with Jacob G. Hornberger (rerun of Ep. 60)   Jacob Hornberger discusses the importance of gun rights and the right to self-defense in a free society. He explains that the right to keep and bear arms is rooted in the concept of private property and the right to sustain one's life. The Second Amendment protects the pre-existing right to own guns...

Show Notes Episode 141. Resistance to Government Oppression: The Spirit of Jimmy Lai The article discusses the story of Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong entrepreneur and media mogul who sacrificed his wealth and freedom to fight for the preservation of freedom in Hong Kong. Lai's journey from poverty to success is highlighted, as well as the history of Hong Kong under British rule and its subsequent enc...

Show Notes   Episode 140. Loper Bright, the Balance of Powers, and Firearms at the Supreme Court   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom, Alex Ooley discusses recent Supreme Court decisions, focusing on the Loper Bright case that eliminated Chevron deference. Chevron deference is a doctrine that gives administrative agencies the benefit of the doubt in interpreting ambiguous statutes. Ooley argu...

Show Notes   Episode 139. Freedom First: Donald Rainwater's Campaign for Governor   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley interviews Donald Rainwater, a candidate for governor of Indiana. Rainwater discusses his background, the importance of limited government and libertarian values, and his plans for tax reform and drug policy. He emphasizes the need to reduce prope...

Show Notes   Episode 138. Rahimi, Politics, and Originalism   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley discusses the recent Supreme Court decision in the Rahimi case, which challenged the constitutionality of a federal statute prohibiting the possession of firearms and ammunition by someone subject to a domestic violence restraining order. Ooley argues that while some comme...

Show Notes   Episode 137. 2nd Amendment: The Untold Truth Schools Don’t Teach   In this episode, the Alex Ooley discusses the recent Supreme Court opinion on the constitutionality of a provision related to the possession of firearms by individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders. He mentions that the opinion was not a victory for gun rights. Alex also shares an article from the Ten...

Show Notes   Episode 136. ATF Rules on Bump-Stocks and Pistol Stabilizing Braces Shot Down (Cargill and Mock) In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, Mike and Alex discuss two recent cases related to gun rights: Mock v. Garland and Garland v. Cargill. The Mock v. Garland case addresses the pistol stabilizing brace rule, while the Garland v. Cargill case deals with the redefinition of a se...

Show Notes   Episode 135. There Is No Prosperity Without Private Property with Soham Patil   In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, host Alex Ooley interviews Soham Patil, a contributor to the Mises Institute, about his article 'There is No Prosperity Without Private Property.' They discuss the importance of private property rights for economic prosperity and the attack on proper...

Show Notes   Episode 134. Active Shooter Response with Ed Monk   Ed Monk, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with extensive experience in addressing active shooter scenarios, discusses the active shooter problem and the flaws in current approaches to school safety. He emphasizes the need for immediate, deadly, violent counterattacks to minimize the number of victims. Monk criticizes the relian...