Sunday Smiles

David Strom 2:00 PM | June 15, 2025
AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Wow. What a news week. My head is spinning. 

Israel and Iran are duking it out in the Middle East, hundreds of thousands or even millions of Trump opponents marched in the streets--peacefully--and the 250th anniversary parade in Washington sparked both an upswelling of pride in America and genuine anger among liberals. Plus, the riots are still going on in some cities. 

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And then there were the assassinations in my home state of Minnesota. 

Understandably, I was drawn to the last story because it resonated with me more deeply than the others. I used to know Melissa Hortman, although it has been almost two decades since I last spoke to her, and our acquaintance was barely casual. My wife knew her a bit better, since as a staffer at the Minnesota House, Hortman was Speaker, she was part of weekly meetings between her bosses and Hortman. 

She now works at the Minnesota Senate and frequently encounters Senator Hoffman. She doesn't really know him, except to nod and pass by, but it's shocking nonetheless to know the victim of an assassination attempt. 

Please make it all stop. 

War abroad is the natural state of things, but war at home should not be. The difference is that existential conflicts among hostile nations are common enough; civil society is supposed to be about finding ways for people to live together without descending into the state of nature, where wars are an inevitable part of life. 

We've had a lot too much of the nearly war here, with riots becoming common and now multiple assassinations and assassination attempts. College campuses get "occupied," Jews are intimidated on the streets, and the alphabet people talking about "vengeance" quite a bit. 

The secret to making civil society work is to find ways to resolve conflicts before they become existential. This is why politics in liberal democracies emphasize collective decision-making, as much individual autonomy as possible, freedom of speech, and the impartial rule of law. No doing things like this:

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It is also why governments are supposed to be limited in scope--the smaller the government, the less there is to fight about.

Government power is, by its nature, coercive, even if we dress it up the best we can. Follow the law--or else. Pay your taxes--or else. Do this, do that. Don't do this, don't do that. The less government we have, the better. Both because human autonomy is a valuable principle, and because people often rebel against coercion. 

I have been an advocate of smaller government because coercive power always gets abused, so it's best to have as little of it as possible. At its best, we divert competition for resources into the economic sphere because the most effective way to succeed economically, at least without resorting to fraud, is to find a way to please the other party. Trade occurs with mutual consent, and while it is occasionally imperfect, it outperforms the alternative. 

This is a very sad day for me. It rends my heart to see Americans hating and fearing each other even more. 

Every day is a good day for prayers, but right now seems like a perfect time to put in a good word with God for more peace on earth. 

I will be praying for the souls of Melissa Hortman and her husband, and for quick and complete recovery for Senator Hoffman and his wife. 














































BEST OF THE BABYLON BEE:


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BEST OF THE REST:


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AND FINALLY...


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