John Fogerty says he's 'some kind of libertarian’

Rock Legend John Fogerty: ‘I’m Probably A Lot More Like Some Kind Of Libertarian’ | Mediaite - Andrew Kirell

May 30, 2013 - "During a recent interview with comedian Marc Maron, rock legend John Fogerty explored his political leanings, expressing a bit of 'libertarian' nuance beyond his reputation as a 'liberal Democrat' from the 'hippie' era....

"Asked whether he agreed with the overarching 'hippie' philosophy of the 1960s, Fogerty explained: 'The idea of — certainly being a liberal person is who I am — thinking that we have an obligation to our fellow man. The idea of trying to care for the less fortunate. You know, these were all pretty much liberal Democrat precepts, at least, in the 50s and 60s when I grew up.

"But that clear political definition has become 'blurred' for Fogerty, as he explained to Maron that 'I’d still loosely call myself a Democrat, but you know, I realize I’m kind of a lot more like some kind of libertarian or something.'"

Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/online/rock-legend-john-fogerty-i%E2%80%99m-probably-a-lot-more-like-some-kind-of-libertarian/
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Libertarian Chris Delamo goes homeless for a week

Libertarian Chris Delamo Goes Homeless for a Week - Page 1 - News - Miami - Miami New Times - Michael E. Miller:

May 30, 2013 - "Chris Delamo ... has decided to take to the mean streets of Miami for a week to see what it's really like to be homeless. He's taking nothing but the clothes on his back — oh, and his $800 camera, tripod, and laptop computer....

"Delamo says he's always been 'pretty much a normal guy who for some reason always had a greater tendency to question social norms.' The G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School grad ... dropped out and founded a blog called Red Pill Philosophy (motto: 'One pill a day keeps the falsehoods at bay'). Much of the website is devoted to 'voluntaryism,' which Delamo describes as the belief that 'nobody should ever be forced to do anything against their will.'

He also began making short man-on-the-street videos in which he challenges passersby to debate political philosophy. In one clip from the last Election Day, Delamo points a plastic revolver at voters and asks them how taxation is any different from armed robbery. 'The government should not have the right to point a gun to our heads and force us to give up our money,' he says."

Read more: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2013-05-30/news/chris-delamo-miami-homeless/
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NJ Libertarian candidate charged with marijuana possession

Libertarian senate candidate from East Windsor charged with pot possession at Philadelphia legalization rally - Mike Davis, Times of Trenton:

May 29, 2013 - "The Libertarian candidate for state Senate in New Jersey's 14th District said today that he was arrested for marijuana possession at a legalization rally earlier this month, after lighting up and smoking a joint in public.

"Don DeZarn, an East Windsor resident who works at Princeton University, said he was one of five activists arrested on May 18 at Smoke Down Prohibition V, a monthly event hosted by the Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws at Independence Hall.

"Calling the rally and arrest acts of civil disobedience, DeZarn emphasized his support for legalizing marijuana, a chief tenet of his campaign platform.

"'I honestly believe that nothing is going to change unless the people in mass stand up, speak out and fight for their rights,' DeZarn said today. 'They can’t just sit back, relax and wait for the government to change things that we think are unjust laws'....

"On May 13, DeZarn announced his candidacy for the state Senate seat at a press conference at Veterans Park in Hamilton, while smoking a marijuana joint to highlight his position on legalizing the drug."

Read more: http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/05/libertarian_senate_candidate_a.html
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Rand Paul coming to Silicon Valley this week

Rand Paul coming to Silicon Valley for a libertarian lovefest | Politics Blog | an SFGate.com blog - Joe Garofoli:

May 28, 2013 - "There’s a huge libertarian vein running through Silicon Valley and Sen. Rand Paul ... is heading to the Valley this week for stops Thursday at Facebook and Friday at eBay.....

"On Friday, he’ll deliver the Reagan Forum address at a sold-out event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library. He’ll be signing copies of his book released last September entitled Government Bullies: How Everyday Americans are Being Harassed, Abused, and Imprisoned by the Feds....

"Paul is also scheduled ... at the conservative Hoover Institution think-tank in lovely Palo Alto."

Read more: http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2013/05/28/rand-paul-coming-to-silicon-valley-for-a-libertarian-lovefest/
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LP: Cut government waste to fund infrastructure repair

Libertarian Party: Cut government waste to fix dangerous bridges - Your Houston News: Opinion:

May 24, 2013 - "In the wake of the dramatic collapse of the Interstate 5 bridge in Mount Vernon, Wash., on May 23, federal and state politicians will make their usual claims that ever-higher government spending is needed — funded by more taxpayer dollars and more deficit spending — to fix the country’s roads in need of repair.

"But it’s a fraud. More money is not the answer. Much lower total government spending is.

"The first step is to open the government’s books to learn how those federal and state government politicians are spending the trillions of dollars they already collect and spend every year.

"'Don’t be surprised to learn that, in most states, less than 2 percent of state government spending goes toward building, fixing, or maintaining roadways,' said Libertarian National Committee Executive Director Carla Howell."

Read more: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/atascocita/opinion/libertarian-party-cut-government-waste-to-fix-dangerous-bridges/article_5b738d90-022f-522b-8168-173b633bb223.html
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Free State Project gaining in New Hampshire

Libertarian movement gaining steam in New Hampshire | Fox News - Joseph Weber:

May 25, 2013 - "Libertarians eager to move beyond mere ideological victories are making progress in a long-term effort to migrate to one state to concentrate efforts and reshape communities based on their ideals of less government and individualism.

"The grand social experiment can be traced to a 2001 essay by a Yale doctoral student who lamented about Libertarians’ failure to get candidates elected and argued the best way to make a real impact is for 20,000 activists to move to a relatively small state with low taxes and job opportunities, then making inroads in government, communities and courts.

"New Hampshire won in a 2003 online vote. And 10 years later, more than 1,200 activists have already moved there, with roughly 13,000 others pledging to follow after the 20,000 sign up for the so-called Free State Project.

"Though their numbers remain relatively small, and achieving full strength appears at least several years away, Libertarians now living in New Hampshire say they have already had several successes, including at least a dozen members winning seats in the 424-member state legislature."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/25/libertarian-movement-in-new-hampshire-10-years-later-successes-more-challenges/
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Rand Paul’s Risks | The American Conservative

Rand Paul’s Risks | The American Conservative - W. James Antle III:

May 22, 2013 - "Rand Paul has emerged as the leading politician preaching the liberty-movement gospel, but occasionally he still runs afoul of the faithful. A recent example was the reaction to remarks he made at an evangelical gathering in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

"'I’m not advocating everyone go out and run around with no clothes on and smoke pot,' the Washington Post quoted Paul as saying. 'I’m not a libertarian. I’m a libertarian Republican. I’m a constitutional conservative.'

"Damn straight you’re no libertarian, responded Reason’s Mike Riggs. 'He wants to keep everything illegal, but institute gentler penalties,' Riggs wrote of the senator from Kentucky. 'That’s not remotely libertarian.'

"Riggs’s colleague Nick Gillespie added, 'If he’s serious about scraping the moss off the Republican Party, he needs to boldly defend his most contrarian, libertarian positions rather than temper his comments based on his speaking venue.'"

Read more: http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/rand-paul-republican-hopes-libertarian-fears/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rand-paul-republican-hopes-libertarian-fears
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Ron Paul loses WIPO dispute over RonPaul.com

Ron Paul Domain Dispute Ends Poorly for Ron Paul | Geekosystem - Victoria McNally:

May 24, 2013 - "Ron Paul ... asked the UN, an organization he notoriously does not like, to take the domain RonPaul.com from the huge supporter base that runs it so that he can have it. Now not only has the UN ruled in favor of those supporters, but they’ve also found Paul guilty of reverse domain name hijacking....

"RonPaul.com is currently run by an extremely fervent base of Ron Paul supporters who were reluctant to disrupt their already-existing online community to give Paul their domain when he asked for it. Instead they offered to either sell him the .com domain, or to give him the domain RonPaul.Org at no charge. For some reason Paul took this as a slight against him, and his lawyers tried to claim that the gesture was evidence of malicious intent. Or something. Maybe his lawyers don’t get the Internet, either.

"Paul filed an official URDP complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization in February, attempting to [seize] both the .com and the .org domain name[s]. WIPO is one of 17 specialized agencies within the United Nations and deals primarily, as the name suggests, with the protection of intellectual property among UN member states."

Read more: http://www.geekosystem.com/ron-paul-domain-dispute/
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Teen jailed 3 weeks awaiting trial over Facebook posts

Student jailed for three weeks awaiting trial over Facebook posts — RT USA:

May 23, 2013 - "A Boston-area teenager remains in custody on $1 million bond nearly one month after being arrested over what he said on the Internet.

"Eighteen-year-old Cameron B. D’Ambrosio of Methuen, Massachusetts was arrested on May 1 after police were alerted to 'disturbing verbiage' on his personal Facebook page discovered by a fellow student at Methuen High School. D’Ambrosio allegedly posted original rap lyrics that prompted authorities to charge him with terrorism, and now he faces a potential 20 years in prison....

"'A kid is in prison. Away from his family. All for something he posted on Facebook' reads a support page for the high school student established this week by the Center for Rights and Fight for the Future. In 48 hours, the website received more than 500,000 views, and on Thursday the administrators said 1.2 million people had visited the page."

Read more:
http://rt.com/usa/methuen-expletive-facebook-dambrosio-706/
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AP & CBS highlight establishment / libertarian divisions in GOP

Libertarian-Leaning Politicians Create Rift In Republican Party « CBS DC - Associated Press:

May 22, 2013 - "A string of unrelated events is highlighting divisions among Republicans just when they’d like to show a united front and take full advantage of President Barack Obama’s latest political problems.

"Tensions between libertarian-leaning and more mainstream Republicans were on vivid display Tuesday as Sens. Rand Paul and John McCain clashed over Apple Inc.’s tax-avoidance strategies. Paul, a tea party favorite and son of a libertarian hero, had feuded earlier with McCain — the party’s 2008 presidential nominee — over the use of unmanned aircraft to kill suspected terrorists."

Read more: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/05/22/libertarian-leaning-politicians-create-rift-in-republican-party/
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Adam Kokesh arrested at protest in Philadelphia

Adam Kokesh arrested at protest in Philadelphia - Charlotte Libertarian news | Examiner.com - Matthew Reece:

May 19, 2013 - "On May 18, talk radio host and civil rights activist Adam Kokesh was arrested during a marijuana legalization protest in Philadelphia, Pa.

"The event, known as Smoke Down Prohibition V, has been a monthly event in Philadelphia since February, with an initial event in December 2012. The events feature music and public speakers, and are intended to be peaceful demonstrations against drug laws.... Unlike the previous four protests, police cracked down on Saturday's protest, arresting between six and ten protesters, focusing on the organizers and speakers at the event....

"It has been theorized that Kokesh was arrested because of his connection to the Open Carry 130704 event, but this has not been confirmed by any government spokesperson."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/adam-kokesh-arrested-at-protest-philadelphia
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Former LP of Canada leader Neil Reynolds dead

Neil Reynolds, an editor who never ran with the pack, dies at 72 | Canada | News | National Post - Tom Spears, Postmedia News:

May 19, 2013 - "Neil Reynolds made a career out of steering Canadian newspapers along uncharted courses, looking for stories with scant regard for the safe or predictable..... Reynolds died of cancer in Ottawa on Sunday at the age of 72.

"Born in Kingston, Ont., Reynolds was a high-school dropout who became city editor and assistant managing editor at the Toronto Star — but left Canada’s biggest newsroom in 1977 for a much smaller daily. He became editor-in-chief of the Kingston Whig-Standard. He stayed there 17 years....

"Reynolds was editor-in-chief of the Ottawa Citizen from 1996 to 2000, chosen by Conrad Black.... Russell Mills was the publisher then, and recalls Reynolds taking the job eagerly....

"Reynolds was a libertarian who believed in small government and hard work, and was national leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada for a time. Some readers accused him of every sin from promoting slavery to denying women the vote, but Mills says this was just what made him a good columnist. 'Neil had a real point of view … You might not always agree with him, but you usually came away from his columns more informed about an issue and thinking more deeply about it than you would otherwise.'"

Read more: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/19/neil-reynolds-an-editor-who-never-ran-with-the-pack-dies-at-72/
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Rand Paul blocks tax treaties, angers business interests

Libertarian lawmaker blocks international tax treaties, making strange bedfellows - The Hill's On The Money:

May 5, 2013 - "Sen. Rand Paul’s efforts to block international tax treaties are making some strange bedfellows between business groups and anti-tax evasion crusaders.

"Paul (R-Ky.) has been holding up treaties with Hungary, Luxembourg and Switzerland in the Senate for well over a year now, a turn of events that has angered business interests that have called approval of those sorts of agreements routine.

"Liberal groups have more recently joined in the efforts to free up the treaties, which they say would help smooth the implementation of a law aimed at cracking down on Americans who use foreign banks to cheat on their taxes....

"But a Senate aide told The Hill in 2012 that Paul had privacy concerns about the treaties, which the aide said would 'allow the government to obtain a wide array of records without evidence that people may be hiding money.'"

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/international-taxes/297741-libertarian-lawmaker-blocks-international-tax-treaties#ixzz2TkA3Jsv1
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Libertarian party state Senate candidate smokes marijuana at press conference

Libertarian party's senate candidate smokes marijuana in Hamilton park | NJ.com - Mike Davis, Times of Trenton:

May 13, 2013 - "Staring off into Veterans Park, the Libertarian candidate slowly raised the marijuana cigarette to his lips and took a deep breath.

"As photographers snapped pictures, his wife captured video of Don DeZarn on a cellphone and asked him 'who' it was for.

"'Who is this for?' DeZarn said, exhaling a puff of smoke. 'This is for all my brothers and sisters who are currently being held prisoners of war by our government as a result of the war on drugs.'

"Though no police were on the scene to arrest him, DeZarn, 46, of East Windsor, called the stunt a public statement for marijuana legalization, one of the chief tenets of his campaign for the state Senate seat in the 14th District."

Read more: http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/05/libertarian_partys_senate_cand.html
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Conservative baffled that libertarians would honor transgender economist

Conservative So Baffled That Libertarians Would Honor Transgender Economist, He Wrote Column About It (UPDATED W/ Apology) | Mediaite:

May 16, 2013 - "Late this afternoon, Washington Examiner senior editorial writer Sean Higgins posted a column with the blaring headline, “Competitive Enterprise Institute to honor transgender woman at annual dinner,” expressing bewilderment at the libertarian think-tank’s decision to honor transgender economist Deirdre McCloskey with an award....

"CEI is well-known for its libertarian politics, taking a hardline stance in favor of legalizing online gambling and seeking more classically-liberal reforms to our immigration system, as opposed to the restrictive desires of conservative think-tanks. Part of that libertarian ideology also includes an apathy towards the things at which social conservatives — a group which presumably includes Higgins — frequently wring their hands.

"McCloskey’s transgender identity does nothing [to] discredit her work or make her any less an accomplished and worthy economist; and to breathlessly bring negative attention to it would seem rather strange. "

Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/online/conservative-so-baffled-that-libertarians-would-honor-transgender-economist-he-wrote-column-about-it/
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Hardy Macia, libertarian, activist, loses his battle with cancer

Hardy Macia, libertarian, activist, loses his battle with cancer | Concord Monitor - RayDuckler:

May 14, 2013 - "Hardy Macia, whose soft whisper boldly asked Gov. Maggie Hassan to allow cancer patients in need of relief to grow their own marijuana plants, died in Vermont yesterday after a nine-month fight against Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his brother said last night....

Macia, a Vermont native who owned a computer software company in Canterbury, had posted a video last week from his hospital bed in Burlington, Vt., asking Hassan to sign a bill allowing for the growth of no more than three marijuana plants by individuals.... Macia asked for help from Hassan, a former senator who had approved the home-cultivation measure four years ago, but has since changed her mind after her election last November, and after conferring with law enforcement officials."

Read more: http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/6211550-95/hardy-macia-libertarian-activist-loses-his-battle-with-cancer
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IRS targeted groups "educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights"

Michael Gerson: IRS abuses bring out the libertarian in each of us | Deseret News:

May 14, 2013 - "For years, tea party and patriot groups have breathlessly alleged that federal bureaucrats were conspiring against the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Then federal bureaucrats conspired to target conservative groups because their tax documents contained the words 'tea party' or 'patriot,' and because they were 'educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights.'

As the scandal has unfolded, the IRS has shown characteristic forthrightness and transparency. In March 2012, the then-commissioner of the IRS, Doug Shulman, assured a congressional committee: 'There's absolutely no targeting.' But senior officials at the agency, according to a leaked IRS inspector general report, were briefed about the targeting as early as the summer of 2011. Now the agency has backtracked to this position: 'IRS senior leadership was not aware of this level of specific details at the time of the March 2012 hearing.' It will probably take many further congressional hearings to explore the considerable gap between 'absolutely no targeting' and 'not aware of this level of specific details.'"

Read more: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765629522/IRS-abuses-bring-out-the-libertarian-in-each-of-us.html
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Early 2016 poll: Rand Paul holds big lead in Iowa

Early 2016 poll: Rand Paul holds big lead in Iowa | The Daily Caller - Alexis Levinson:

May 7, 2013 - "In an early poll conducted in Iowa, the state that holds the first presidential nominating caucus in the country, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul far outpaced his potential Republican presidential opponents.

"A poll conducted by Illinois-based pollster McKeon & Associates for Freedom to Choose PAC, a pro-gun group, ... surveyed 804 registered Iowa voters using phone interviews. 328 usually participated in the Republican presidential caucuses, and 247 said they usually participated in the Democratic caucuses. The poll was conducted on April 18 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points."

"Among voters who said they usually took part in the Republican presidential caucuses, 39 percent said they would vote for Paul if the caucuses were held today. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was in a distant second place with 20 percent. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was at 11 percent....

Paul’s lead was buoyed by his strong support among independent voters.... Sixty-seven percent said they would support Paul. The other 33 percent said they would support Christie.... Among self-identified Republicans, Rubio and Paul ran close, with Rubio getting the support 24 percent and Paul getting the support of 30 percent. Christie’s share of the vote fell to four percent among such voters."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/06/early-2016-poll-rand-paul-holds-big-lead-in-iowa/#ixzz2TJ0ds3Nn
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Rand Paul raises profile with eye on 2016

Kentucky's Rand Paul raises profile with eye on 2016 » Evansville Courier & Press - Thomas Beaumont:

May 10, 2013 - "Sen. Rand Paul ... is unabashedly clearing a path to seek the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, with a series of early voting state visits, a beefed-up political operation and a deliberate plan to appeal to mainstream voters and raise his national profile.

"Paul's presidential coming-out begins on Friday in early-voting Iowa.

"The senator is billed as the main speaker at the state Republican Party's annual spring fundraising event — called the Lincoln Day Dinner — in Cedar Rapids. He'll also address the Iowa Federation of Republican women and meet with Johnson County Republicans during the two-day trip.

"Ten days later, Paul is slated to deliver the keynote address at a similar event for the New Hampshire GOP — the Liberty Dinner — in that important early primary state. He'll cap May's busy travel schedule with a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California on May 31.

"The senator also has plans to attend a June 28 fundraiser for Republicans in South Carolina, another early-primary state in presidential nominating campaigns. Paul made his interest in the state known last week when, in a break with national Republicans, he supported scandal-scarred former Gov. Mark Sanford in an ultimately successful bid to return to the U.S. House."

Read more: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/may/10/kentuckys-rand-paul-raises-profile-with-eye-on/
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Do Rights Exist?

Do Rights Exist?: by George J. Dance, Nolan Chart

Saturday, May 11, 2013 - "Libertarians believe in universal, individual, human rights. But rights cannot be observed: we cannot see, hear, touch, or smell them, or detect them with any kind of instruments. How, then, do we justify claiming that they are not just an idea, but actually exist?

"One reasonable answer would be: we are justified in believing that rights exist if there is evidence that they do, and no evidence that they do not. The only available evidence is testimonial – people speaking and acting as if rights exist – and it is not reasonable to believe something simply because of testimonial evidence, if there is other testimonial evidence to the contrary. If, however, there is no contrary evidence – if all the testimony is to the same effect – then it is reasonable to believe the only conclusion supported by any evidence. We can observe whether that is the case regarding the existence of rights."

Read more: http://www.nolanchart.com/article10244-do-rights-exist.html
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Young Americans flock to liberty-leaning groups

Pro-liberty generation: Limited government groups grow in OR and beyond « Watchdog.org - Shelby Sebens, Northwest Watchdog:

May 9, 2013 - "Meet the new pro-liberty, limited-government generation, frustrated with the establishment and, maybe, a burgeoning trend.

"As more young people buck the traditional college political groups in favor of liberty-minded organizations, an older generation of libertarian and conservative politicos is taking notice....

"Ashley Greenacre is a sophomore at Oregon State University who  started Libertas, a freedom focused group named after the Roman Goddess of liberty. The national Campaign for Liberty, which focuses on holding government accountable to the U.S. Constitution, helped to entice Greenacre....

"The fast-growing national group Young Americans for Liberty began in 2008 as Students for Ron Paul and has grown to nearly 400 chapters nationwide and about 125,000 activists, YAL communications director Bonnie Kristian said....

"The Western Liberty Network, a nonprofit education organization focused on training at the grassroots level, is holding a 'passing the torch' youth conference May 24-25 at the Valley River Inn in Eugene. The event is $50, including breakfast and lunch but financial assistance and registration scholarships are available. Students selected for the registration scholarships are also eligible for travel and lodging assistance."

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Lewis Dalhby, Libertarian candidate for New Westminster, B.C.

Lewis Dalhby, Libertarian candidate for New Westminster - Theresa McManus, The Record:

Q: Why do you think you are uniquely qualified to represent the riding?

A:"I am trying to promote liberty, and so the concept of representing a riding, it actually kind of doesn't fit with Libertarian philosophy. We are trying to reduce the size of government. Most Libertarians actually believe in zero government, but you could still have government through voluntary consent. That's what I would advocate. I would actually voluntarily consent to a very minimal type of government. But for those people that want the security of government and socialized medicine and education they can have voluntarily consent to that kind of a system... It could be just like a government but the word government implies that you can't opt out, you are forced into it and you have to comply with all the rules. It's kind of like the word rape; you can't voluntarily consent to rape because the word implies that you haven't voluntarily consented. Well, government and taxes are the same way. ... I live in a townhouse complex. That's kind of an example of voluntary consent through a democracy because we can opt out whenever we want and we understand there is an elected council that sets the rules. ... I was born in Canada and I shouldn't have to leave the country to find liberty."

Read more: http://www.royalcityrecord.com/news/Lewis+Dalhby+Libertarian+candidate+Westminster/8366993/story.html
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COAST endorses Libertarian Jim Berns for Cincinnati mayor

COAST endorses Libertarian Berns for mayor | Politics Extra - Ryan Hoffman - Cincinnati.com::

May 8, 2013 - "COAST, the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes, officially endorsed Libertarian candidate Jim Berns for mayor Tuesday night.

"Chris Finney, a COAST attorney, confirmed the endorsement, which Berns announced.

"'I am delighted to receive the COAST endorsement.  I believe their decision was based on my long- standing record as a tax fighter and my recent work on the successful effort to put the parking meter lease referendum on the ballot,' Berns said in a press release....

"'Jim Berns has shown for years and years and decades and decades that he opposes additional spending and taxes,' said Tom Brinkman, founder of COAST."

Read more: http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2013/05/08/coast-endorses-libertarian-berns-for-mayor/
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Gun made on a 3D printer successfully fired (video)

A gun made on a 3D printer has been fired – let's look at this in perspective | Alex Hern | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk:

May 6, 2013 - "The world's first gun made almost entirely with a 3D printer has been successfully fired in the US. But it's not going to herald an age of widespread weapon ownership, and it's certainly not proof that 3D printing technology needs to be controlled for our safety.

"The gun – called the 'Liberator' and produced by Defense Distributed, a group that describes itself as aiming to 'defend the civil liberty of popular access to arms" through "information and knowledge related to the 3D printing of arms' – is the second to have made the headlines in the past year.... All of the necessary parts can be printed from a 3D printer except for the metal firing pin, which is made from a single nail. (In order to comply with US laws, the gun as produced also has a 175g chunk of steel inside it, so that it doesn't ev evade metal detectors). It is a fullblown gun, and recognisably so."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/06/3d-printer-gun-has-been-fired
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Libertarian Slantz says he isn't beholden to special interests

seMissourian.com: Local News: Libertarian Slantz says he isn't beholden to special interests - Erin Ragan:

May 6, 2013 - "A break from the "duality of major party representation" is what 8th Congressional District candidate Bill Slantz, a Libertarian, said he wants to offer constituents.

"Slantz is among four candidates whose names will appear on the ballot in the June 4 special election. When over, the election will produce a successor to Jo Ann Emerson, a Republican who represented the district in Congress for more than 16 years. Emerson resigned in January to become CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

"Libertarians in February nominated Slantz, a St. Charles, Mo., business owner, to run as their party's candidate."

Read more: http://www.semissourian.com/story/1966267.html
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Radio host to lead armed march on DC July 4

Radio Host to Lead Armed March on DC July 4th 'To Put Gov't on Notice that We Won't be Intimidated' | CNS News - Gregory Gwyn-Williams, Jr.:

May 5, 2013 - "Libertarian activist and radio host, Adam Kokesh plans to lead an armed march on Washington, D.C. this Independence Day.

"Launched as a group on Facebook, the "Open Carry March on Washington" hopes to get 1,000 supporters to march into the nation's capital with loaded rifles.

"The group plans to meet at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.  From there, they will march across the Memorial Bridge into Washington, D.C. and continue down Independence Avenue.

"While Virginia permits open carry, Washington, D.C. does not issue any permit/licenses to carry a firearm.

"The Facebook page states:

This is an act of civil disobedience, not a permitted event. We will march with rifles loaded & slung across our backs to put the government on notice that we will not be intimidated & cower in submission to tyranny.

"The event is said to be non-violent and states that if the group is met with physical resistance, they will turn back."

http://cnsnews.com/blog/gregory-gwyn-williams-jr/radio-host-lead-armed-march-dc-july-4th-put-govt-notice-we-wont-be
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Joseph S. Diedrich interviews Sheldon Richman

Libertarian America: A conversation with Sheldon Richman | Washington Times Communities- The Business of Living, Joseph S. Diedrich:

"MADISON, Wisc., April 28, 2013 ― Sheldon Richman, a native of Philadelphia and a now-Arkansas resident, is a life-long libertarian..... A 1971 graduate of Temple University, Richman has worked tirelessly his entire adult life to spread the message of freedom, primarily with his pen.

"For many years, Richman was the editor of The Freeman, the flagship publication of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). He recently started a new chapter in his career, becoming the Vice President of the Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF). In his role at FFF, he edits their monthly publication, Future of Freedom, and also writes multiple pieces every week, including in his column, TGIF (“The Goal Is Freedom”).

"Richman is the author of Separating School and State: How to Liberate America’s Families, in which he proposes government should have absolutely nothing to do with education."

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/business-living/2013/apr/28/libertarian-america-conversation-sheldon-richman/#ixzz2SKjwMagf
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Americans choose civil liberties over stricter security laws

No Patriot Act II: Americans choose civil liberties over security laws | Harry J Enten | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk:

May 3, 2013 - "Terrorist attacks offer lawmakers an ability to react. After 9/11, the American government decided to go to war in Afghanistan and to enact new laws ... The Patriot Act, for instance.... So, has the Boston bombing opened up an avenue for lawmakers to pursue controversial new anti-terrorism measures that may limit civil liberties?

"Almost certainly not. The latest CNN/Time/ORC poll finds that 49% of Americans are not willing to give up civil liberties in order [to] curb terrorism, while only 40% are. In fact, 61% of Americans are more fearful that the government will overreact to the Boston bombing, compared to 31% who are worried that the government won't act strongly enough.

"Other polls confirm these findings. Just after the attacks, Fox News found that 43% of Americans were willing to give up 'some personal freedom' to reduce the threat of an attack, while 45% were not. A Washington Post poll, from before the bombers were caught, reported that only 41% of Americans were most worried that the government wouldn't go far enough because of constitutional concerns. Almost half of Americans, 48%, were worried the government would go too far and compromise constitutional rights."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/03/americans-choose-liberties-over-security-after-boston
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Ron and Rand Paul endorse Mark Sanford for Congress

Sen. Rand Paul endorses Mark Sanford for Congress - Catalina Camia, USA Today:

April 30, 2013 - "GOP congressional candidate Mark Sanford was formally endorsed Tuesday by Sen. Rand Paul, a Tea Party favorite whose support could help in the final days of the special election for South Carolina's 1st District seat. The senator's father, former Texas congressman Ron Paul, threw his support behind Sanford last week.

"'More than anything, Washington needs strong and consistent voices for fiscal responsibility and liberty,' the younger Paul said in a statement. 'Mark has proven during his time in office that watching out for taxpayers and holding the line on spending are his top priorities.'

"Sanford, a former South Carolina governor, faces Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a May 7 election for his old House seat. Once the favorite in the race, Sanford has had to deal with renewed attention on his 2009 extramarital affair and the loss of support from the House GOP campaign committee."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2013/04/30/mark-sanford-rand-paul-endorsement-congress/2123843/
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Encouraging polling on civil liberties

Encouraging polling on civil liberties - Greg Sargent, The Plum Line, Washington Post:

May 1, 2013 - "A new Post poll finds that a large majority of Americans, 70 percent, support the death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnev.... But the ... Lindsey Graham-John McCain crusade to have Tsarnaev tried in a military court doesn’t appear to have exactly caught on.... Seventy-two percent of Republicans, and 71 percent of conservatives, support trying the suspect in the civilian court system....

"And that’s not all! A separate Time/CNN poll finds:

When given a choice, 61 percent of Americans say they are more concerned about the government enacting new anti-terrorism policies that restrict civil liberties, compared to 31 percent who say they are more concerned about  the government failing to enact strong new anti-terrorism policies....

"A plurality of 49 percent — a new high – say they wouldn’t trade civil liberties for security. The effort by Graham and McCain to recreate those glorious post-9/11 anti-civil liberties atmospherics in the wake of the Boston bombings seems to have flopped."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/01/encouraging-polling-on-civil-liberties/
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Canadian government kills sheep to ensure they aren't sick

Canadian Government Destroys Heritage Sheep Herd and Wants to Send Farmer to Prison | Health Impact News - Brian Shilhavy:

April 25, 2013 - "Shepherdess Montana Jones began accumulating her flock of rare Shropshire sheep in 2000.... But in early 2010, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) suddenly quarantined Montana’s farm. A single sheep that she had sold in 2007 had died on a farm more than 1,500 miles away. It tested positive for a disease called scrapie. The CFIA thought the rest of Montana’s flock might be infected.

"The CFIA conducted live biopsies on Montana’s flock during 2011. All were negative for disease. None showed any symptoms of illness. But the CFIA said the live tests were only 88% accurate. They would need to kill the sheep and dissect their brains to know for sure whether they were ill, they said.

"Montana and her lawyer Karen Selick of the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) fought the CFIA throughout the early months of 2012, pointing out the absurdity of killing the sheep to make sure they weren’t sick.... Intransigent, the CFIA ordered that the sheep be destroyed. They told Montana they’d be coming to seize the sheep early on the morning of April 2, 2012.

"On the morning of the scheduled slaughter, Montana found that the sheep had disappeared.... The CFIA and Ontario Provincial Police mounted a massive search for the sheep, conducting door-to-door searches throughout rural Ontario and employing helicopters for aerial surveillance.

"About 9 weeks after the sheep’s disappearance, the CFIA received a tip-off from an undisclosed source. The sheep were located 200 miles away from Montana’s farm, at a farm very close to raw milk crusader Michael Schmidt’s farm. The CFIA seized, killed and tested all the sheep, including numerous lambs that had been born to them during their absence. All were negative for scrapie.

"Now Montana Jones has been charged with numerous criminal offences, including conspiracy, breach of quarantine, and disobeying a regulatory order. The CFIA also alleges that Michael Schmidt is involved in the conspiracy. He too is facing criminal charges. If convicted, Montana faces up to 12 years in jail and fines of $1.5 million. Michael, charged with one less charge, faces up to 10 years in jail and fines of $1.25 million.

Read more: http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/canadian-government-destroys-heritage-sheep-herd-and-wants-to-send-farmer-to-prison/
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