Atlantica Party registered in Nova Scotia

Atlantica Party rises again for next election | Halifax Chronicle Herald:

July 1, 2016 - "Elections Nova Scotia said this week it has approved the application of the Atlantica Party Asociation of Nova Scotia to again become a registered provincial political party....

"It was formed originally as an association in 2004 and gained party status in 2010 but was deregistered by Elections Nova Scotia at the request of party leader Jonathan Dean in 2012 after the party was suspended for failing to file its 2011 annual reports.

"In the 2013 provincial election, the Atlantica Party ran three candidates, in the ridings of Halifax Citadel-Sable Island, Hammonds Plains-Lucasville and Dartmouth South, as Independents because the party was not registered....

"Dean ran in the provincial election of 2009 in the riding of Halifax Clayton Park, placing fifth with 51 votes. In 2010, he ran in a byelection in the riding of Yarmouth, finishing last with 19 votes, and in 2013 ran in the Nova Scotia general election in Hammonds Plains-Lucasville, and got 104 votes....

"Dean billed Atlantica as a 'reform-minded, pro-democracy' party with policies that included adopting fixed election dates and allowing constituents to recall MLAs....

"The party’s website says they believe in individuals’ freedom and responsibility; free markets; prudent fiscal stewardship and Atlantic Canadian solidarity, hoping to turn Nova Scotia into a ‘have’ province and a model for democracy....

"Dean acknowledges there’s lots of work to be done before the next provincial election, but the party has already started ramping up its presence on social media and blogs to attract members and potential election candidates.

"Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Dean had a career in investment research in Toronto, working for various investment companies including Canada’s largest pension plan and a prominent hedge fund."

Read more: http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1377068-atlantica-party-rises-again-for-next-election
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Marijuana Policy Project endorses Gary Johnson

MPP Endorses Gary Johnson for President - MPP Blog - Michael Wilcox, Marijuana Policy Project:

June 15, 2016 - 'MPP has formally endorsed Libertarian Party nominee and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson in the race for president. Johnson is one of two candidates who received an “A+” grade in MPP’s presidential candidate report card.

'Below is a statement from our Executive Director, Rob Kampia, that contextualizes MPP’s endorsement.

'“MPP is a single-issue organization, and our mission is simple: ‘Regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol in the United States.’ We don’t take a position — and we therefore don’t take into account a candidate’s position — on other issues, such as abortion, guns, gay rights, Iraq, taxes, or Social Security. We also don’t work in Canada or Portugal.

'“Of the three presidential candidates who will appear on the ballot in all 50 states and D.C., Gary Johnson clearly has the best position on marijuana policy. When he first advocated for legalization in 1999, he was the highest-ranking public official in the U.S. to do so — as the sitting Republican governor of New Mexico, no less.

'“Shortly after he left office, Johnson and I drove around New England lobbying the governors of VT and RI, the speaker of the NH House, and staffers in the NY governor’s office. Johnson is a forceful advocate for legalization and is still one of MPP’s strongest allies.

'“Legalization has been Johnson’s number-one issue for 17 years. MPP’s endorsement of Johnson was an easy call; the more difficult question is whether MPP should support a candidate who’s good on medical marijuana but bad on legalization, when the candidate is facing an opponent who’s bad on everything.

'“It’s fine if voters prefer to consider a candidate’s marijuana position in the context of a dozen other positions, but that’s not MPP’s mission. We’re narrowly focused on marijuana policy and are happy to work alongside anyone who shares our mission, whether they’re Socialists, Republicans, or otherwise.”'

http://blog.mpp.org/prohibition/mpp-endorses-gary-johnson/
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A libertarian look at the fourth of July

What to a Libertarian is the Fourth of July? | Bleeding Heart Libertarians - Matt Zwolinski:

July 4,204 - "Most libertarians have a special place in their heart for the Declaration of Independence. With its ringing endorsement of natural, inalienable rights, its insistence of the right of the people to 'alter or abolish' those governments that trample upon those rights, and the stirring commitment of its signatories to pledge their 'Lives…Fortunes…and Sacred Honor' to defending those rights, the Declaration still stands as a masterfully inspirational document to lovers of liberty all around the world....

"Thomas Jefferson produced in the Declaration a brilliant synthesis, summation, and application of 17th and 18th century natural law theory to the particular situation of the United States, drawing not merely (if most obviously) on the work of John Locke, but also on a variety of lesser-known figures such as Frances Hutcheson, Jean-Jacques Burlamaqui, and Algernon Sydney....

"The Declaration of Independence is a promise of liberty. But libertarians recognize better than most that it is a frustrated promise.... It was frustrated, of course, right from the start. At the same time that Jefferson was declaring all men to have been endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, almost 20% of the American population was suffering the most egregious violation of those rights imaginable under the institution of slavery...

"There have been numerous commentaries on the contradictions between the Declaration’s ideals of equal liberty and the monstrosity of American slavery. But none, I think, are so eloquent, or so appropriate to the day, as the words Frederick Douglass delivered on July 4th, 1852, in a speech that has come to be known as 'What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?.... in one of the speech’s most memorable passages, Douglass makes the following impassioned plea:

Fellow-citizens! I will not enlarge further on your national inconsistencies. The existence of slavery in this country brands your republicanism as a sham, your humanity as a base pretence, and your Christianity as a lie. It destroys your moral power abroad; it corrupts your politicians at home. It saps the foundation of religion; it makes your name a hissing, and a by word to a mocking earth. It is the antagonistic force in your government, the only thing that seriously disturbs and endangers your Union. It fetters your progress; it is the enemy of improvement, the deadly foe of education; it fosters pride; it breeds insolence; it promotes vice; it shelters crime; it is a curse to the earth that supports it; and yet, you cling to it, as if it were the sheet anchor of all your hopes. Oh! be warned! be warned! a horrible reptile is coiled up in your nation’s bosom; the venomous creature is nursing at the tender breast of your youthful republic; for the love of God, tear away, and fling from you the hideous monster, and let the weight of twenty millions crush and destroy it forever!

"Slavery, as Douglass experienced it, is gone. But the promise of the Declaration remains unfulfilled. Our government daily tramples upon our liberty and the liberty of those abroad. The reptile is still coiled. Let us lend our weight to Douglass’ effort and continue to work until it is destroyed forever."

Read more: http://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2014/07/what-to-a-libertarian-is-the-fourth-of-july/
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Ghostbusters most libertarian Hollywood film ever

Why 'Ghostbusters' is the most libertarian Hollywood blockbuster of all time | Washington Examiner - Philip Klein:

June 27, 2016 - "With the new Ghostbusters movie set to hit theaters, it's worth paying tribute to the original 1984 film, and recalling why it is the most pro-limited government film Hollywood ever made.

"In Ghostbusters, paranormal activity is becoming a growing problem in New York City. Government doesn't do anything to stop the problem, so private entrepreneurs set up a small business that successfully captures and stores ghosts — for a fee.

"But then, the villain — a regulator from the Environmental Protection Agency — decides to interfere with the private business by cutting off their power, thereby releasing all of the captured ghosts. Here is the clip. The EPA agent orders the shut down of the ghost containment unit over the protests of Ramis' character, Dr. Egon Spengler, who says: 'Excuse me, this is private property!'....

"The movie's heroes are taken into police custody after the release of the ghosts. Once the assault by the ghosts causes apocalyptic chaos in New York City and the government is completely helpless in solving the problem, the mayor releases the small-business owners who once again save the day.

"How many Hollywood blockbusters involve private businesses as the heroes and government regulators as the villains?

"Not to mention the fact that the film is also peppered with lines like this: 'I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities. We didn't have to produce anything! You've never been out of college. You don't know what it's like out there. I've worked in the private sector. They expect results.'

"The director of the original movie, Ivan Reitman, once told Entertainment Weekly, 'I've always been something of a conservative-slash-libertarian. The first movie deals with going into business for yourself, and it's anti-EPA—too much government regulation. It does have a very interesting point of view that really resonates.'

"Editor's note: The original version of this item was posted in February of 2014 following the death of actor and writer Harold Ramis and has been reprinted."

Read more: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/why-ghostbusters-is-the-most-libertarian-hollywood-blockbuster-of-all-time/article/2544522
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Will Hammer wins LP's Patrick Henry Award

Local Libertarian candidate earns national award from party - The Daily Progress: Politics - Bob Stuart:

June 30, 2016 - "Staunton [Virginia] resident Will Hammer is the recipient of the National Libertarian Party's Patrick Henry Candidate Award for his work in two campaigns for political office.

"Hammer ran as a Libertarian candidate against 6th District Rep. Bob Goodlatte in 2014, and House District 20 Del. Dickie Bell in 2015..... Hammer garnered 12.3 percent of the vote in 2014 when running against incumbent Rep. Goodlatte. In 2015, Hammer received 24.1 percent of the vote in his bid to unseat Bell.

"'It's an honor to have my hard work recognized,'' Hammer said of the Patrick Henry Award. "But I really couldn't have done it without the volunteers working behind the scenes."

"Volunteers assisted Hammer in getting on the ballot for both of his campaigns, and in the actual campaigns. The release detailing his award also speaks of how Hammer spent one sleepless 40-hour stretch in the 2014 congressional campaign traveling to events, speaking and mounting yard signs between Lexington and Front Royal.

"The former candidate said he is hoping for the Libertarian moment. He describes that moment as when a Libertarian 'actually gains election to local or state office. Hammer said he is encouraged by the recent showing of Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson in the polls. The most recent Quinnipiac University poll gives Johnson 8 percent of the vote....

"The Libertarian philosophy is one of empowering the individual and making government as limited as possible, Hammer said. He said Libertarians are fiscally conservative and socially tolerant.

"Hammer, 29, co-founded the first Libertarian group on campus while a student at Hampden-Sydney College. The group was known as the Hampden-Sydney Classical Liberals. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney, Hammer works as a realtor and entrepreneur."

Read more: http://www.dailyprogress.com/townnews/politics/local-libertarian-candidate-earns-national-award-from-party/article_834a2338-3f23-11e6-9037-33574d006225.html
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NS man charged with swearing in public

Civil libertarian cries foul after Nova Scotia man charged for public profanity | CTV News:

June 24, 2016 - "In a case one civil libertarian warns could set a 'very chilling precedent,' a Nova Scotia man will face trial for swearing in public.

"Joseph Currie was arrested during a Halifax protest against the Conservatives' anti-terror legislation, Bill C-51, last year, and charged with 'unlawfully (causing) a disturbance ... by swearing.'

"The 26-year-old's lawyer said his client, who is alleged to have shouted obscenities into a megaphone, has no criminal record and will defend his 'right to criticize the government publicly'....

"According to police reports, Currie was one of 200 protesters in the Spring Garden Road area last June. Two other protesters were arrested for blocking traffic by sitting on a crosswalk, but police only laid charges against Currie.

"A video of the arrest on YouTube shows a handcuffed Currie telling police he 'won't swear again' as an officer takes off the activist's Guy Fawkes mask and puts him in the back of his car. Fellow protesters heckle the officer, who tells them he received 'numerous' complaints about the disturbance....

"Josh Paterson of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, who himself participated in protests against Bill C-51, said he worries restricting what people can and cannot say during political speech could set a 'very chilling precedent.'

"'If you feel strongly about something and those kind of words are the ones that suit your sentiment then you should be free to use them,' said the lawyer and executive director of the civil liberties organization. 'We don't have the criminal law to guard against people being offended by the use of indelicate language....

"'If what we've read about what happened is true ... that would then call into question the ability of Canadians right across the country to express themselves politically in public,' he said."

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/civil-libertarian-cries-foul-after-nova-scotia-man-charged-for-public-profanity-1.2960832
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BC moose rider charged under Wildlife Act

'Man riding a moose' video leads to charges under Wildlife Act | CTV Vancouver News:

June 30, 2016 - "Two suspects have been charged a year after a video of a man jumping onto a moose in the water was posted online.

"In the video posted to YouTube in June 2015, a shirtless man is seen standing at the front of a boat as it approaches a large moose wading or swimming in the water.... The driver moves the boat closer to the moose, until it is directly behind the giant creature. The man then jumps off the boat and onto its back, where he stays seated, fist in the air, for a few seconds before falling off.

"The video, posted by B.C.-based group Wolftracker TV, ... sparked an investigation by B.C.'s Conservation Officer Service. As officers investigated, the video reached more than two million views on YouTube.

"A year after that investigation began, a report was submitted to Crown counsel recommending charges against two men from Fort St. John. Bradley Crook and Jaysun Pinkerton have each been charged with three offences under The Wildlife Act: harassing wildlife with the use of a boat, attempting to capture wildlife and hunting big game that is swimming."

Read more: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/man-riding-a-moose-video-leads-to-charges-under-wildlife-act-1.2968842
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