Friday Roundup 12-31-21

While the world’s poor nations complain about their inability to vaccinate their citizens, one African nation recently destroyed a million doses of vaccine. Nigeria had received the vaccines knowing that they would expire in a few weeks, but the government was unable to use them in time. The executive director of Nigeria’s health agency said that destroying the vaccines was an attempt to assure the public that they should have faith in the nation’s vaccination program. He didn’t explain how the inability to administer the life-saving vaccines should assure the public of the nation’s ability to administer the life-saving vaccines.

A Letter to the Editor in the Conway Daily Sun takes issue with a proposed law that would limit the ability of local municipalities to regulate short-term rentals. The sponsor of the bill said that “we protect the rights of the minority over the masses when it comes to your individual rights.” In response, the author writes, “Not sure whose individual rights he referring to mine, yours or his.” This illustrates the widespread confusion over individual rights. Right pertain to freedom of action, and they apply to all individuals. Right protect each individual’s freedom to act on his own judgment, so long as he respects the freedom of others to do the same.

Ameal Woods was pulled over in Harris County, Texas, for allegedly following a semi-trailer too closely. However, the officers soon shifted their focus when they discovered that Woods had $40,000 in cash. He was traveling to Houston to buy a used tractor-trailer. The police seized the money though they didn’t issue Woods a citation or accuse him of any wrongdoing. When the police refused to return the money, the Institute for Justice (IJ) took his case. IJ has filed a class-action lawsuit to provide relief for the hundreds of victims of the city’s asset forfeiture policies. Click here to read more.