Mike Collins, host of Charlotte Talks, received the 2016 Liberty Bell Award at the MCB Law Day Luncheon on May 6, 2016. As his nomination noted Mr. Collins has devoted nearly two decades of service to our community “in providing a balanced discussion of current issues thereby helping to strengthen our courts, schools and other institutions which are vital to the freedoms we enjoy.”
The annual Liberty Bell Award recognizes an individual who has performed community service that has strengthened the American system of freedom under the law, including 1) promoting a better understanding of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights; 2) encouraging greater respect for law and the courts; 3) stimulating a deeper sense of individual responsibility so that citizens recognize their duties as well as their rights; 4) contributing to the effective functioning of our institutions of government; and/or 5) fostering a better understanding and appreciation of the rule of law.
Launched in April of 1998, Charlotte Talks has become one of this region’s most important forums for the discussion of politics, growth, the arts, culture, social issues, literature, human interest, the environment and more. Mr. Collins encourages individual responsibility so that citizens better recognize their duties as well as their rights. He has demonstrated a clear understanding and appreciation for the rule of law and enhances the knowledge of our community by presenting both sides of issues. He also produces, directs and appears each year in Charlotte Squawks, a thoughtful and raucous commentary on current events. These are just a few examples of the ways in which Mr. Collins exemplifies the ideals of a Liberty Bell Award winner.