DC council mandates Covid-vax for students 12+

D.C. schools expand covid vaccine mandate, unlike most other districts | Washington Post - Lauren Lumpkin & Perry Stein:

July 31, 2022 - "D.C. students who are 12 and older must be vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend school this upcoming academic year. The youth vaccine mandate in D.C. is among the strictest in the nation, according to health experts, and is being enacted in a city with wide disparities in vaccination rates between its White and Black children. 

"Overall, about 85 percent of students between the ages of 12 and 15 have been vaccinated against the virus, but the rate drops to 60 percent among Black children in this age range. If the city does not close this gap but does strictly enforce the vaccine mandate this fall, students of color — who experienced disproportionately large academic setbacks during the pandemic — could be at home in significant numbers next academic year.... School starts Aug. 29 in the D.C. system....

"D.C. is one of few districts to make coronavirus vaccination a requirement for attending school.... The requirement came from the 13-member D.C. Council, not from a school board. And because D.C. is a federal district rather than a state, there is no state health agency.... Elsewhere in the country, the New Orleans public school system in February added the coronavirus vaccine to its list of required immunizations for children 5 years and older. The rest of the state was scheduled to do the same for the upcoming school year, but changed course in May because the vaccines did not yet have full approval from the Food and Drug Administration for children under 16. Full approval for the vaccine for ages 12 to 15 was granted in early July....

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

"Students in New York City public schools must be vaccinated against the coronavirus only if they plan to participate in certain sports, musical theater or other activities the district deems to be 'high-risk.' Los Angeles Unified School District delayed a mandate that was to take effect in the fall, pointing to the vaccination rates among older students and what the district’s superintendent said had been low transmission in schools.... 

"31 percent of children nationwide between the ages of 5 and 11 have been fully vaccinated.... 

"D.C. has a long-standing reputation of failing to enforce its immunization requirements in schools. But officials say that this year will be different and that they have an urgent plan to get students their shots this summer. They are mailing fliers, placing ads at bus stations, sending out mobile vaccine vans to communities and calling thousands of parents whose children’s vaccinations are out of date. Health clinics are opening up hundreds more appointments each weeks for youth vaccinations.

"In addition to coronavirus vaccines, students must receive their routine immunizations — including for measles, polio and whooping cough — to enroll in school. Students have 20 days from the first day of school to be in compliance with vaccine requirements before they are barred from attendance.... Because the FDA has fully authorized the coronavirus vaccine for children 12 to 15 years old this summer, students in this age group have until around the end of September to get that vaccine, according to city law. Children under 12 are not required to get the coronavirus vaccine because the shots for this age group have received only emergency-use authorization....

"D.C.’s youth vaccine mandate has been nearly a year in the making. In October, the D.C. Council introduced legislation calling for the coronavirus vaccine to be on the list of vaccines required for enrollment in school. The law stipulate[d] that the mandate goes into effect only when the shot has received full FDA authorization.... For all vaccines, students can seek religious and medical exemptions.

"In the Washington metro area, D.C. is unique in its student mandate. Montgomery County Public Schools — Maryland’s largest school district, with roughly 160,000 students — has no coronavirus vaccination requirement for students. Under a policy set by the board of education, school district employees are required to submit proof of vaccination or be tested weekly. Prince George’s County Public Schools, also in Maryland, has no coronavirus vaccination requirement for staffers or students.... Among Northern Virginia’s school systems, staff vaccinations against the coronavirus are required in Alexandria City and Arlington public schools. The school districts in Fairfax and Loudoun counties are not mandating employee vaccination."

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/07/31/dc-schools-covid-vaccine-mandate/

Did FBI have role in Capitol riot? AG won't say

RAY EPPS: Mystery Man from Queen Creek and the January 6th Capitol Riot | Liberty First: 

January 5, 2022 - "The January 6th Capitol riot is a blot on the Republican Party and former President Donald J. Trump. What started as a legitimate protest turned ugly. How that happened and why incursions into the Capital began even before Trump had finished speaking, remain a mystery. But ... [t]he Congressional hearings are sadly being conducted more like [a] Soviet show trial, with the guilt of those already determined.... Thus, this proceeding is unlikely to find the truth about who was leading the crowd to break the law.  It is doubtful they are even looking....

"That is where our mystery man from Queen Creek comes into play. Ray Epps is seen in multiple videos firing up the crowd and urging them to enter the Capitol.  These facts cannot be disputed. But so far, he has escaped prosecution.  He has not been mentioned by the [U.S.] mainstream media.... 

"No news organization to date has done more work on the subject than Revolver News.  They ran a long article (Part I) on the role of Mr. Epps in October and elements of that first article were featured in the Tucker Carlson three-part series on Fox Nation.  Now they have come out with Part II.  The role of Ray Epps may prove critical.... If Epps turns out to have been some kind of government operative, which at present is the only clean and simple explanation for his immunity, it is game over for the official 'MAGA insurrection' narrative of 1/6. Epps was the day’s loudest riot recruiter and its apparent leader of the very first breach of Capitol grounds....

"We urge readers to click the links provided and read both Part I and Part II. Revolver News is to be commended for both their curiosity and their diligence.  Still, we would like to see a more complete investigation into the origins and coordination of the 'insurrection'. If our own government was heavily involved in this, we not only need to know as citizens, history needs to know."
Read more: https://libertyfirst.org/ray-epps-mystery-man-from-queen-creek-and-the-january-6th-capitol-riot/

EXCLUSIVE: Pictured on his tranquil Arizona ranch and wedding venue, the ex-Marine accused of being an 'FBI plant sent to help incite January 6 Capitol riot' refuses to answer to right-wing conspiracy theory | Daily Mail - Greg Woodfield: 

December 28, 2021 - "Epps, 60, [is] the former president of the largest chapter of far-right anti-government militia group the Oath Keepers and was seen in video urging supporters to 'go into the Capitol' on the day of the deadly insurrection. He was also spotted in footage at the first barrier to fall to rioters as it was breached at 12:50pm. And he was named Suspect 16 when the FBI published images in its Capitol Violence Most Wanted list of people to identify two days after the insurrection.... 

Courtesy Revolver News

"However, ... some right-wing quarters [are] speculating ... that he was sent out to help incite the riot on behalf of the federal government. Some ... hypothesize that the motive was to frame Trump supporters as domestic terrorists. There is no evidence that Epps, who was a sergeant in the military, ever entered the building himself on that fateful day and he was never arrested in connection with the storming.

"DailyMail.com located the veteran at his Rocking R Farms wedding and hospitality business.... When we arrived at the property in Queen Creek, 30 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix, to give him an opportunity to confront the extreme speculation, he bluntly refused to discuss it. He told us: 'Get off my property'. As we endeavored to further explain, he repeated: 'Get off my property'....

"Epps – who was quickly identified from the January wanted list - was highlighted again in October's House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the Department of Justice, when the FBI theory went mainstream. U.S Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) showed video clips of Epps repeatedly encouraging protestors on the streets of DC to 'go into' the Capitol. Massie linked Epps to his question asking Attorney General Merrick Garland if the government sent agents or assets to 'agitate' protestors into entering the building. Garland said the Justice Department does not comment on pending investigations. [01.47 on video]

"In the first video played to the committee, Epps is seen in the street on January 5 saying: 'In fact tomorrow, I don't even want to say it because I will probably be arrested. Tomorrow we need to go into the Capitol.' [00.37] On the same day, he is recorded saying: 'I'm going to put it out there. I'm probably going to go to jail for it, OK? Tomorrow, we need to go into the Capitol. Into the Capitol…peacefully.' At that point some in the crowd clearly believe he is a plant and begin to chant: 'Fed! Fed! Fed!' [00.42] 

"The following day, Epps can be seen in another clip dressed in military-style clothing and yelling to a crowd: 'OK folks, spread the word. As soon as the president is done speaking, we go to the Capitol, where our problems are.' Pointing behind him, he adds: 'It's that direction. Please spread the word.' [01.03] Shortly afterwards he is seen approaching police barricades holding back chanting protestors. He put his hands on the shoulders of a man in a red MAGA hat and then cups his hands to speak in the man's ear. [00.18] Moments later the man and protestors suddenly topple the barriers and some fight with police. The man in the hat, later identified as Ryan Samsel, is being held in custody on charges of unlawfully entering the Capitol and assaulting a law enforcement officer....

"The most dramatic interpretation of the FBI-plant accusation has so far come from right-leaning blog Revolver. The site is run by former Trump speechwriter Darren Beattie, who was fired after appearing on a panel with a white nationalist. It claims the fact Epps was never arrested and that his details were removed from the FBI wanted list in July without any action against him ... brands him a 'Fed-protected provocateur'.... At one point the blog ... says: 'Ray Epps appears to have worked alongside several individuals – many of them suspiciously unindicted – to carry out a breach of the police barricades that induced a subsequent flood of unsuspecting MAGA protestors to unwittingly trespass on Capitol restricted grounds and place themselves in legal jeopardy.' However the blog offers no direct evidence to back up any allegation that Epps was acting on behalf of the FBI or any other government agency."
Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10347577/Ex-Marine-accused-FBI-plant-sent-incite-Jan-6-riot-pictured-ranch.html

Revolver News series: 
October 25, 2021: Meet Ray Epps: The Fed-Protected Provocateur Who Appears To Have Led The Very First 1/6 Attack On The U.S. Capitol
December 18, 2021: Meet Ray Epps, Part 2: Damning New Details Emerge Exposing Massive Web Of Unindicted Operators At The Heart Of January 6 

Washington D.C. mayor clings to mask mandate

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser Will Finally Relax D.C.'s Stubborn Mask Mandate | Reason - Robby Soave: 

November 16, 2021 - "Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will finally relax the city's mask mandate, she announced on Tuesday. On Monday, November 22, many indoor spaces will once again be allowed to forgo masks for customers, visitors, employees, and residents. Notable exceptions include public schools, public transportation, and government buildings....

"Bowser previously rescinded the mask mandate, then brought it back in July when COVID-19 cases began to increase.... Unlike the actions of local officials in nearby counties, including in Montgomery County, Maryland, who linked the mandate to a certain case threshold, Bowser never gave any indication what metrics would be used to determine when to relax the mandate. And while the delta wave did cause an increase in COVID-19 cases in Washington, it had no effect whatsoever on D.C.'s death rate. The city's seven-day death average has hovered at one or below the entire time that delta has been a serious issue. (It was last above one on May 24, 2021.)

"It would be hard to argue that the mask mandate was what kept delta deaths at bay, since all those masks failed to prevent cases from increasing. Widespread vaccination — which dramatically reduces severe disease and death — is the public health initiative that's working well, not the mask mandate.

"Yet Bowser's administration leaned hard on mask mandates as a pandemic prevention tool, even prioritizing them over vaccination in some curious cases. When D.C. gyms petitioned the city government to allow them to require their customers to be vaccinated rather than masked, for example, city health officials said no.

"Bowser's decision to keep the mask mandate in place for schools is a perfect example of the government's incoherent thinking about COVID-19 risks. While many school-aged children remain unvaccinated, they are at very low risk of a negative coronavirus health outcome — whether they are vaccinated or not. Elderly Americans who are vaccinated have much more to fear from COVID-19 than kids do, so it makes little sense to link the withdrawal of mask mandates to the degree of vaccination among the kinds of people who congregate in a given location.

"It is long past time to accept that COVID-19 is endemic and that there will always be some level of risk associated with it. People can drastically reduce their risk by getting vaccinated, getting booster shots, or even practicing greater caution if they so choose. It is not the government's responsibility to assign the correct level of risk to each individual American, and local officials like Bowser should not get to reimpose mask mandates just because they feel like it."

Read more: https://reason.com/2021/11/16/muriel-bowser-mask-mandate-washington-dc-covid-19/

Voters legalize cannabis in 5 U.S. states

Every Single Marijuana And Drug Policy Ballot Measure Passing On Election Day Bolsters Federal Reform Push | Marijuana Moment - Kyle Jaeger: 

November 4, 2020 - " Marijuana and drug policy reform swept across the board in Tuesday’s elections, giving advocates a major boost as they push to end federal prohibition. Five more states legalized cannabis in some form and Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapy and also more broadly decriminalize drug possession. Meanwhile, voters in Washington, D.C. also approved a measure to decriminalize psychedelics in the nation’s capital....

• "Arizona [v]oters passed an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. This comes four years after voters in the state rejected a similar measure, signaling that support for the policy change continues to grow as the reform movement spreads. Under the new legalization law, adults will be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana at a time and cultivate up to six plants for personal use.
• "Mississippi [a]ctivists overcame numerous obstacles both to qualify their now-passed medical cannabis legalization measure for the ballot.... The proposal will allow patients with debilitating medical issues to legally obtain marijuana after getting a doctor’s recommendation ... and patients would be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana per 14-day period.
• "Montana ... approved a measure to legalize marijuana for adult use. They also passed a separate constitutional amendment stipulating that only those 21 and older can participate in the market. The main statutory reform measure will establish a legal system of cannabis production and sales.
• "New Jersey ... voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to legalize recreational marijuana. The legislature will still have to pass enabling legislation to set up regulations for the program, but a top lawmaker recently said that a bill to accomplish that could be introduced as early as Thursday....
• "Oregon ... became the first in the nation to pass separate initiatives to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic purposes and decriminalize possession of all currently illicit drugs. Under the psilocybin measure, adults will be able to access the psychedelic in a medically supervised environment.... The decriminalization proposal will remove criminal penalties for low-level drug possession offenses. Instead, those caught possessing a controlled substance will be subject to a $100 fine or be required to complete a health assessment within 45 days.
• "South Dakota on Tuesday became the first state in the U.S. to go from strictly prohibitionist to legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana. The recreational measure, which is a constitutional amendment, will make it so people 21 and older will be able to possess and distribute up to one ounce of marijuana, and they will also be allowed to cultivate up to three cannabis plants. The medical cannabis initiative will make a statutory change to allow patients suffering from debilitating conditions to possess and purchase up to three ounces of marijuana from a licensed dispensary.
• "Washington, D.C. [v]oters approved a local initiative to decriminalize possession of a wide range of psychedelics, including psilocybin, ayahuasca and ibogaine.... Under the new law, possession and use of the psychedelics will be among the District’s lowest law enforcement priorities."

Read more: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/every-single-marijuana-and-drug-policy-ballot-measure-passing-on-election-day-bolsters-federal-reform-push/

Libertarians clean up Washington D.C.

Libertarians step in to clean up Washington during government shutdown - Steve Goodale, Newsgrowl:

January 7, 2019 - "Dozens of Libertarian Party members met on the National Mall in Washington, DC yesterday to pick up the litter and garbage piling up around some of America’s most famous monuments. With no regular litter collection happening on federally-owned land during the government shutdown, the burden of keeping much of the city clean has fallen to private citizens.

"Officially sponsored by the Libertarian Party of DC and the Libertarian Party of Northern Virginia, the event drew patriotic LP members from as far away as Pennsylvania. A total of seven teams, each equipped with a roll of garbage bags, fanned out across the Mall on different pre-assigned routes.

"Effort was concentrated on areas most likely to be visited by tourists, which included the Mall itself, the Capitol building, the Lincoln Memorial, and the various war monuments in the area.

"Besides general litter, the Libertarians found debris left over from protesters, and even a bottle of human urine....

“'It’s an example of us practicing what we preach. We want the private sector to step up when government can’t, so that’s what we’re doing here,' said LP of DC chairman and Libertarian National Committee member Joe Bishop-Henchman.

"Libertarian Party national membership manager Jess Mears ... explained. 'Obviously, the federal government does maintain the parks. While it is shut down right now, we’re trying to exemplify other ways that we could have these services without federal dollars contributing to them. Also,' she added, 'it’s getting your hands dirty in politics. Literally'....

"After completely filling a van with full garbage bags a pickup truck was brought in to take away the remainder.

"With no end [to] the government shutdown in sight, provisional plans for the Libertarians to return to the same area next week are in discussion.

"'I think we all have a mutual responsibility to take care of our public spaces, and government doesn’t necessarily need to pay for that,' said participant Ethan Bishop-Henchman. 'It’s definitely not paying for it right now.'”

Read more: https://newsgrowl.com/libertarians-clean-government-shutdown/
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Libertarians end year with 38-state ballot access

The 2016 Election's Biggest Winner: Gary Johnson and The Libertarian Party? - IVN.us - W.E. Messamore:

November 12, 2016 - "The Libertarian Party is now an officially recognized party for the next election in [38] states, the highest ever for the burgeoning third party. Here’s a breakdown of the gains state by state from the LP’s website:

• The Texas LP retained ballot access with Railroad Commission candidate Mark Miller receiving over 5 percent. The party would have had to collect over 80,000 signatures to get back on the ballot if no statewide candidate received 5 percent. This will save the party approximately $220,000 in petitioning cost.
• The LP retained ballot access in North Carolina for four years with Gary Johnson and the gubernatorial candidate, Lon Cecil, each getting over 2 percent. The party would have had to collect over 100,000 signatures to get back on the ballot if neither the presidential nor gubernatorial candidate got 2 percent, saving the party approximately $250,000 in petitioning cost.
• Iowa and Kentucky LPs are recognized parties for the first time, with Gary Johnson getting over 2 percent in both states.
• The New Hampshire LP is a recognized party for the first time in two decades due to gubernatorial candidate Max Abramson getting over 4 percent.
• The DC party is recognized for the second time ever, with candidate for Delegate to the US House of Representatives Martin Moulton getting over 17,000 votes.
• The LP retained ballot access in North Dakota, with Gary Johnson getting over 6 percent.
• In Connecticut, Libertarian Dan Reale for US House in the second congressional district, Richard Lion for US Senate, and Gary Johnson for President all received over one percent of the vote. As a result, the party will not have to petition in these races in the next election.
• Massachusetts’ LP is a recognized party again, with Gary Johnson getting over 3 percent.
• West Virginia’s LP retained ballot access for four years due to David Moran receiving over 2 percent in his race for governor.

"Instant ballot access in these states’ next election, just like the Republican and Democratic parties get, is a coveted status that will save the Libertarian Party a small fortune in money, time, and energy previously wasted on petitioning efforts just to get on the ballot.

"That’s resources that can go toward more fundraising, registering more voters, campaign ads, poaching disaffected voters from the two major parties, and making the case for Libertarian policies to unaffiliated independent voters."

Read more: http://ivn.us/2016/11/12/2016-elections-biggest-winner-gary-johnson-libertarian-party/
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Hundreds smoke cannabis outside White House

Hundreds Inhale Pot at Surreal White House Protest - US News - Steven Nelson:

April 2, 2016 - "When the smoke cleared, nobody was arrested for participating in a large and blatantly illegal marijuana smoke-in outside the White House.

"Attendees of the Saturday event, billed as 'Reschedule 420' by the D.C. Cannabis Campaign, urged President Barack Obama to take action in his remaining months in office to reschedule marijuana -- to allow greater research into its medicinal value -- and to pardon jailed pot offenders.

"Though many were willing to get arrested, it appeared that just two people, seemingly chosen at random from a smoke-filled crowd, were detained by police.  One of them ...  said both received $25 public consumption tickets.

"A light-handed approach to protesters is characteristic of police in the nation’s capital, but Saturday’s restraint surprised attendees well-aware that nearly one million Americans are arrested every year for marijuana....

"Residents of the nation’s capital voted overwhelming in 2014 to legalize personal possession of marijuana under local law, but public consumption remains an arrestable offense. And federal law enforcement officers can arrest people anywhere in the city on federal charges.

"Earlier in the afternoon, the fate of demonstrators appeared uncertain. Many wrote numbers for a legal aid hotline on their arms.

"The first test of officers’ intentions came when protesters, about a half hour before the designated smoking time of 4:20 p.m., ignored Secret Service demands that a giant 51-foot inflatable 'joint' not be filled with air near the White House. Protesters unfurled what essentially was a long plastic bag and flipped on a portable cattle fan to loud cheers as dozens of people paraded the painted prop through Lafayette Park north to H St. NW.

"The inflated joint caused many law enforcement officers to chase after the defiant splinter procession, and left the main event less thoroughly policed ahead of mass public smoking at 4:20 p.m.

"Many seasoned cannabis reformers spoke ahead of the main draw, along with minor party political candidates and members of Rhode Island’s Healing Church, which claims the First Amendment protects their right to consume cannabis – a matter not legally settled.... Some members of the marijuana reform movement ... had expressed unease with plans to smoke marijuana, and no major national cannabis reform group endorsed the protest.

"Though dozens, perhaps hundreds, of people smoked marijuana in public, there did not appear to be complaints about unwitting tourists or children inhaling the smoke.... To anyone nearby, large marijuana-leaf flags and signs on stakes made clear the nature of the event, which swelled with young adults as the time to smoke approached."

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-04-02/hundreds-inhale-pot-at-surreal-white-house-protest
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Oregon, Alaska, D.C. vote to legalize marijuana

Oregon and Alaska voters approve legalise recreational marijuana laws | US news | theguardian.com - Chris McGreal, The Guardian:

November 5, 2014 - "Oregon and Alaska have become the latest US states to legalise recreational marijuana in ballots hailed by supporters as evidence that a national change of policy is underway.

"Voters in both states approved laws which will permit residents over 21 to grow their own marijuana and establish a legal retail trade.

"Anthony Johnson, the chief sponsor of Oregon’s Measure 91, compared the victory for the legal sale and use of cannabis to the recent end of the state’s ban on gay marriage, saying that voters had struck a blow for freedom and equality.

"'We have ended a painful, discriminatory, harmful policy,' he said.

"In Oregon, with 87% of the ballot counted, support for Measure 91 had a decisive lead with 54.8% of votes. In Alaska, the pro-legalisation campaign had 52% of the vote with all precincts reporting but absentee ballots still to be counted.

"There were victories for more liberal marijuana laws elsewhere too. In Washington DC, voters approved possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use – although that move could be blocked by the US Congress, which holds significant legislative authority over the city."

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/05/oregon-legalises-marijuana-recreational

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Q&A with Bruce Majors, DC Libertarian for mayor

Q&A With Bruce Majors, DC’s Libertarian Candidate for Mayor | Politics | Washingtonian:

September 25, 2014 - "If DC’s mayoral race has been a bit drab so far, don’t blame Bruce Majors. The Libertarian candidate for mayor brings humor and an enthusiasm for libertarianism—which began with his introduction to the writings of Ayn Rand when he was in ninth grade—to the race. Majors, a realtor by day, saw that steadfast devotion pay off two years ago when he garnered more than 16,000 votes in his first political campaign. (Mayor Vince Gray won with 97,978 votes.) Major’s haul was more than enough votes for the Libertarians to become an official party for the first time on a DC ballot. 

"Majors is running again, spreading the Libertarian philosophy along the way — 'Let people do what they want, and then address a problem if there is one,' he summarizes — and touting the fact that his party is the fastest growing in DC. We chatted with him about his positions and his goals as an underdog candidate in the mayoral race.

What does your party want to achieve? 

"We want to replace the current paradigm with one where everyone makes choices about their own lives, their own bodies, and their own children. I’m sure occasionally there will be a case where somebody’s doing something and you will have to step in and do something about it, but don’t manage them from the very beginning."

Read more: http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/politics/qa-with-dcs-libertarian-candidate-for-mayor-bruce-majors.php
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District court judge strikes down DC gun-carry ban

Tom Palmer: Meet the libertarians who keep beating D.C.'s gun laws in court, like in the Heller case and Palmer v. D.C. David Wiegel, Slate:

July 28, 2014 - "At the end of last week, Senior District Court Judge Frederick Scullin Jr. handed a huge victory to D.C.'s outnumbered supporters of unfettered Second Amendment rights. The district's handgun restrictions, wrote Scullin, flew in the face of precedent. 'In light of Heller, McDonald, and their progeny,' wrote Scullin, referring to other cases that rolled back the gun laws, 'there is no longer any basis on which this Court can conclude that the District of Columbia's total ban on the public carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home is constitutional under any level of scrutiny.' The District was violating the Constitution by refusing to let people from other states open-carry or conceal-carry their guns....

"Palmer v. District of Columbia is mostly interesting as the second example in just a few days of libertarian lawyers dunking on the liberal state. Tom Palmer, listed first among the plaintiffs, is the director of the libertarian Cato University program, and a vice president of the Randian Atlas Society. He was a plaintiff in the Heller case, too; in attorney Alan Gura's words, he was 'a gay man who had previously, in California, fended off a hate crime using a firearm that he happened to have on him.'"

Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/07/28/meet_the_libertarians_who_keep_beating_d_c_s_gun_laws_in_court.html
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Read the decision: http://ia600408.us.archive.org/2/items/gov.uscourts.dcd.137887/gov.uscourts.dcd.137887.51.0.pdf

DC Libertarians file to be on 2014 ballot

Libertarians poised to take over D.C. - West Palm Beach Libertarian | Examiner.com - Karl Dickey:

November 22, 2013 - "Yesterday, three Libertarian residents of the District of Columbia filed with the D.C. Board of Elections qualification papers to secure their place on the April, 2014 primary ballot....

"Bruce Majors [who] has filed to be the Mayor of the District of Columbia ran for Congress in 2012 earning 16,500 votes which qualified the Libertarian Party for permanent ballot access. Often times, Libertarian Party candidates will need to spend financial and human resources in order to secure themselves a place on the ballot - something not needed by Republican or Democratic candidates. Majors has been a resident of the District of Columbia since 1980 and [is] a popular Realtor for the area.

"Sara Jane Panfil has filed to be a D.C. delegate to Congress and is a graduate of Columbia University. Frederick Steiner is running for the City Council At-Large position and has an MBA from George Mason University. Others are expected to join the trio in their effort to bring libertarian values back to D.C.

"The D.C. Libertarian Party seeks to make political process more competitive in the district, which is virtually a one-party jurisdiction with incumbents serving for life."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/libertarians-poised-to-take-over-d-c
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Adam Kokesh changes not guilty plea to guilty

Libertarian and second amendment rights activist, Kokesh pleads guilty | Washington Times Communities - Susan L. Ruth:

November 6, 2013 - "During an unscheduled hearing today, Libertarian and second amendment activist Adam Kokesh made a surprise plea of guilty on charges which stemmed from an incident on the fourth of July.

"On July 4, 2013, Kokesh videotaped himself loading a shotgun in Freedom Plaza inside Washington D.C., where carrying weapons on the street is illegal. He was arrested at his home in Herndon, Virginia on July 9 where additional weapons and a small amount of marijuana were also found.

"Online court records show that Kokesh accepted a plea today, just two weeks after he had pleaded not guilty to the same crimes, claiming that he was not guilty because he was exercising his constitutional rights.

"Kokesh had been in a D.C. jail since his July arrest but was released today after the plea and will be sentenced on January 17, 2014....

"Kokesh pled guilty to carrying a shotgun, possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, and a separate charge of possession of marijuana.... At his sentencing in January, Kokesh could face more than six years in prison."

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/metro-news/2013/nov/6/libertarian-and-second-amendment-rights-activist-k/
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Video appears to show Adam Kokesh loading shotgun in Washington, D.C.

Video Appears to Show Libertarian Activist Adam Kokesh Loading Shotgun in Downtown D.C.: DCist:

"The libertarian activist Adam Kokesh ... is seen in a 22-second video loading and then pumping a single-barrel shotgun while standing on Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, across from the John A. Wilson Building and a few blocks from the White House. The video is dated July 4, 2013, with the title 'Open Carry March on DC a Success.'

"While loading the gun, Kokesh, 31, recites the last passage of the "Final American Revolution Pledge of Resistance,' a manifesto he posted on his website on Wednesday.

"'We will not be silent,' he says. 'We will not obey. We will not allow our government to destroy our humanity. We are the final' - pausing to pull back the shotgun grip - 'American' - releasing the grip - 'revolution. See you next Independence Day.'

"The Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Park Police say in a joint statement that they have seen the video and are reviewing it: 'The Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Park Police are aware that today Adam Kokesh posted a video that appears to have been taken in Freedom Plaza in Northwest, D.C. We are in the process of determining the authenticity of the video.'"

Read more: http://dcist.com/2013/07/video_appears_to_show_libertarian_a.php
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Libertarians plan toy gun march in D.C. July 3

Libertarians Plan Toy Gun March to Protest "Dangerous Gun Free Zones" - Amanda Schallert, Opposing Views:

June 19, 2013 - "Libertarian gun proponents plan to march in Washington, D.C., on July 3 bearing toy water guns in protest of ongoing efforts to increase gun control, according to Politico.

"The libertarian activists initially organized the march to counter a separate march with members bearing real guns that would serve as an act of “civil disobedience” and occur on July 4, according to USA Today.

"The Independence Day protest march was canceled, but the “Toy Gun March” is still set to commence at 9 a.m. and span from the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the National Mall.

"The "Toy Gun March" is both a protest and a charity event for Toys for Tots. Event organizers intend to raise $1,000 for the charity and have currently reached more than half of their monetary goal. "

Read more: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/guns/libertarians-plan-toy-gun-march-protest-dangerous-gun-free-zones
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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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D.C.’s Newest Major Party: Libertarians

D.C.’s Newest Major Party: Libertarians - Loose Lips - Mike Madden, Washington CityPaper:

November 6, 2012 - "The Libertarian Party became the fourth political organization to hold major party status in D.C. tonight, with Bruce Majors winning enough votes in his losing challenge to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton to get the party officially recognized as such by the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. He needed 7,500, which he cleared easily with 83 percent of the vote counted: By 10:56 p.m., Majors had won 11,213 votes.

"Major party status means the District will conduct a primary for Libertarian candidates in 2014, and that the party won't have to seek ballot access for the general election."

Read more: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2012/11/06/d-c-s-newest-major-party-libertarians/
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