The Eastern New Mexico News - Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Here comes Coronavirus; the threat of the month. How scared are you? How scared should I be? I’m not scared or even worried. When Coronavirus hit the news I did some research on it at some...

Whether or not you vote or otherwise pay attention to politicians, do you wish you had a way to see inside their minds to know what they think of you? Libertarian science fiction and nonfiction...

Did you enjoy our recent winter storm? I did, but I know a lot of people didn’t. Most people are not fans of cold and snow. I don’t like temperatures over 85 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if...

New Mexico politicians are hopping on the “red flag law” bandwagon; scheming to commit wrong in the name of imagined “safety.” Red-flag legislation is all the rage, politically. I don’t...

I want you to hunger for liberty; to crave the freedom to do everything you have a right to do, even if you choose to not do it all. I want you to want liberty as much as I want it. I also want you to...

Everyone would be smart to consider “what if?” — especially where their beliefs and assumptions are concerned. While it’s not healthy to dwell on it until the thought paralyzes you, “what if...

I remember the panic I felt about tornado warnings as a child. It didn’t matter whether my family was in danger; I wasn’t informed enough to know whether we were. I didn’t understand that worry...

I’m not a fan of the trend on social media to create artificial divisions to pit people against each other. A recent example is the condescending remark “OK boomer.” This phrase is commonly...

Happy new year and happy new decade. I know, it doesn’t really mean anything to say it’s a “new year” or a “new decade” since it’s arbitrary, but it feels significant — partly because...

Peace on Earth. While it sounds like a wonderful ambition — and under the right conditions, it would be nice — not all peace is good. A cemetery is peaceful. No one is more peaceful than the...

The holiday season is the main time of year when traditions come alive. Everywhere you look, someone’s tradition will be on display; from house decorations, to clothing, to food and music. These...

There’s one Christmas gift I’d love to give you: the gift of liberty. The freedom to do everything you have a right to do. It’s a gift bigger than you can imagine. Alas, it’s not possible to...

It’s the holiday season. This is the time of year when people can celebrate — or not — however they like. It’s also when those who feel they are better than you and assume the moral authority...

How can Thanksgiving Day be here again? Has it really been a year? Yes, it has, and this means it’s time again to remind myself of the things I’m grateful for on this Gratitude Day. You’d...

Are you concerned over how divisive politics has become? Do you notice the growing intolerance for opposing opinions? Do you wish everyone could go back to a time when there was civil debate and...

A common criticism of libertarians is that we are wrapped up in principles; in absolutes. We are called “purists” as if this is a bad thing, yet the opposite of “pure” is “contaminated....

I’m always in favor of cleaning up litter, so Clovis’ semi-annual Trek for Trash last weekend seems like a good idea. A useful task made into a party. An even better idea is to not wait until some...

A tax increase for Clovis’ near-mythical water project has been recommended. This illustrates one danger of allowing government to control access to water. To propose a tax is to admit failure. They...

How much do you respect and obey laws? How much should you? I suppose that depends on what you mean by “laws.” Most people confuse legislation for laws. Laws were discovered — usually thousands...

Sometimes it’s hard to remember to be thankful for life’s little blessings. Recently I was reminded to be grateful I don’t live in California. My electricity went out for a little while a few...

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, and all the rest of you, too! Welcome to the Big Top. Yes, that’s right: the Impeachment Circus, with its dancing elephants and prancing d...

You may find it hard to believe, but my first car was an electric car. Nothing so fancy as a Tesla, though. It was a 1975 Sebring-Vanguard Citicar. That's us in the photograph, in the spring of 1980,...

Libertarians have a saying, often represented by the acronym TANSTAAFL: “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” This is a rule of reality as inflexible as any other law of physics, but...

It’s as predictable as the equinox: school starts in the fall and bullying catches society’s attention anew. It’s not as though bullying stops over the summer break, but then it is usually...

We all have our own likes and dislikes. This means everyone likes some things other people dislike; sometimes the likes and dislikes are passionate and the disagreements get rather heated. There’s...