Monks need a free market too

August 13th, 2010 12:19 am  |  by  |  Published in Activism, Big Government, Civil Liberties, Free Market, Market Regulation  |  0

No, this isn’t the punchline to a joke. The Institute For Justice has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a group of monks from Saint Joseph Abbey to permit them to participate in an unfettered market for selling caskets in Louisiana.

Mark Meranta from IJ writes:

To sell caskets legally, the monks would have to abandon their calling for one full year to apprentice at a licensed funeral home, learn unnecessary skills and take a funeral industry test. They would also have to convert their monastery into a “funeral establishment” by, among other things, installing equipment for embalming human remains.

The monks face crippling fines and up to 180 days in jail. This is classic economic protectionism, and this case has a great chance of making it to the Supreme Court.

Here is a short video about the case:

The Institute for Justice does some wonderful work. This is no exception. For more information see their page regarding the suit.

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