Students, former police officers argue for marijuana legalization at Libertarian conference

Students, former police officers argue for marijuana legalization at Libertarian conference - Molly Braswell, Red Alert Politics:

February 18, 2013 - "A common misconception about marijuana is that individual, recreational consumption is permissible, but widespread legalization would wreak havoc upon our society.

"Several libertarians and other supporters of marijuana for recreational use were determined to break down that misconception at the International Students for Liberty Conference this weekend....

"Colorado and Washington state have already legalized pot for recreational use, and Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Rhode Island most likely to be the next states to ratify a legalization law.

"Legalization is the ultimate goal for many libertarians, but 14 states, including California, Mississippi, Nebraska and New York, have decriminalized the recreational activity. This means that if cases of marijuana use are brought in front of a judge, then they will be tried as a civil action in a court, not as criminal cases. This would leave the [accused's] record clean for instances such as background checks from prospective employers."

Read more:
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Libertarian Party of North Carolina breaks voter registration record

Libertarian Party of North Carolina breaks voter registration record - Charlotte Libertarian news | Examiner.com - Matthew Reece

February 19, 2013 - "On Sunday, Ballot Access News reported that the latest North Carolina voter registration tally shows that 0.31% of the state's voters are registered as Libertarian. This is the highest percentage of registered voters that a third party has ever had in North Carolina since statistics began to be kept in 1966.

"The old record for third party voter registration in North Carolina was set in October 1972 by the American Party, with a 0.30% share. The American Party gained ballot access in 1968 but lost ballot access after the 1972 election. When a party loses ballot access in North Carolina, the state converts the registered voters of that party to unaffiliated (independent) voters, thereby making a third party start all over again if it regains ballot access."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/libertarian-party-of-north-carolina-breaks-voter-registration-record
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Libertarian student group: Glenn Beck is no libertarian

Libertarian student group: Glenn Beck is no libertarian | The Daily Caller -Robby Soave, Daily Caller News Foundation:

February 18, 2013 - "A leader of a libertarian student organization challenged Glenn Beck’s self-described libertarianism at an annual gathering of pro-liberty students in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

"In his remarks to conference attendees, Students for Liberty President Alexander McCobin criticized Beck for trying to co-opt the word 'libertarian'....

"Though the conservative talk show host declared himself a libertarian last month, if Beck wants to call himself a libertarian, he needs to disassociate himself from many of his past views, said McCobin.

"'I am fine with Glenn Beck becoming a libertarian, but you can’t just apply that term to yourself and expect it to be accurate unless you have the right stances that agree with libertarianism,' said McCobin, president of Students for Liberty, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/18/libertarian-student-group-glenn-beck-is-no-libertarian/
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Rand Paul: Country Is Ready For A "Libertarian Republican Narrative" | RealClearPolitics

Rand Paul: Country Is Ready For A "Libertarian Republican Narrative" | RealClearPolitics:

"February 17, 2013 - "[Chris] WALLACE: Finally, let's talk about 2016. How serious are you about ... running for president? And would it be to make a point as your father did, in his presidential runs, or would it be to win?

"PAUL: I would absolutely not run unless it were to win. You know, points have been made and we'll continue to make points, but I think the country really is ready for the narrative coming, libertarian Republican narrative, also because we have been losing as a national party. We are doing fine in congressional seats but we're becoming less and less of a national party because we don't win on the West Coast, we don't win in New England. We really struggled all around the Great Lakes.

"I think people want a party that's a little bit less aggressive on foreign policy, still believes in a strong national defense but less aggressive. They want -- the young people want politicians who don't want to put them in jail for 20 years for a nonviolent drug possession charge. So, they want a little bit different face. I think people want a little different face on immigration frankly. They don't want somebody who wants to round people up, put them in camps and send them back to Mexico."

Read more: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/02/17/rand_paul_country_is_ready_for_a_libertarian_republican_narrative.html
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Libra, the 21st century libertarian space colony

Libra: The 21st Century (Libertarian) Space Colony | Paleofuture - Matt Novak:

February 15, 2013 - "There’s nothing hotter right now than starting your own libertarian-minded community from scratch.... Glenn Beck imagines building a community/theme park somewhere in the United States called Independence Park.... Others envision Idaho as the perfect spot to build a fortress-like libertarian utopia called The Citadel.... Still others — like PayPal founder Peter Thiel – are drawn to the idea of floating cities in the ocean, a libertarian dream of the future called seasteading.

"But all of these dreams pale in comparison to the grand utopian vision of a 1978 film called Libra. Produced and distributed by a free-market group based in San Diego called World Research, Inc., the 40-minute film is set in the year 2003 and gives viewers a look at two vastly different worlds. On Earth, a world government has formed and everything is micromanaged to death, killing private enterprise. But in space, there’s true hope for freedom.

"The film explains that way back in 1978 a space colony community was formed using $50 billion of private funds. Back then, government regulations were just loose enough to allow them to form. But here in the year 2003, government regulators are trying to figure out a way to bring them back under their oppressive thumb through taxes and tariffs on the goods they ship back to Earth."

Read more: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2013/02/libra-the-21st-century-libertarian-space-colony/
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Dave Nalle on the GOP's growing libertarian movement

Dave Nalle on the GOP's growing libertarian movement | Washington Times Communities - interview by Joseph Cotto:

February 16, "It has been noted that younger Republicans are far more moderate than preceding generations on social policy. During the years ahead, might social issues fall by the wayside and be replaced by fiscal as well as national security concerns? Speaking of national security, it is a subject on which libertarians are criticized due to their almost peacenik stances. Generally speaking, do libertarian Republicans differ from the stereotype?

"Dave Nalle is the chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, an organization devoted to promoting the ideas of limited government. He is also a columnist here at The Washington Times Communities. In this second part of our discussion, he shares his answers to the aforementioned questions."

Read interview here: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/conscience-realist/2013/feb/16/dave-nalle-gops-growing-libertarian-movement/
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Libertarian Super PAC pledges ‘six to seven figures’ for Amash Senate run

Libertarian Super PAC Encourages Amash Senate Run, Pledges ‘Six to Seven Figures’ - By Robert Costa - The Corner - National Review Online:

February 15, 2013 - "Liberty for All, a libertarian super PAC, says it’ll put 'six to seven figures' behind Justin Amash, should he run for Senate next year.

"'If he runs, he can count on six to seven figures,' says Preston Bates, the super PAC’s executive director, in an interview with National Review Online. 'He represents a fresh start for a state whose economy has been devastated by sugar-high economics and crony capitalism.'

"NRO broke the news on Thursday that Amash, a 32-year-old Michigan Republican, is seriously considering a bid. Democrat Carl Levin, the incumbent, is up for reelection in 2014, but he is reportedly considering retirement.

"John Ramsey, a 22-year-old venture capitalist, has poured millions into Liberty for All, which he founded after supporting Ron Paul’s presidential campaign."

Read more: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340825/libertarian-super-pac-encourages-amash-senate-run-pledges-six-seven-figures-robert-cos
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