2nd Amendment sanctuary movement spreading

The Second Amendment sanctuary movement: Why now? | Press of Atlantic City - Michelle Brunetti Post:

February 24,2020 - "All over New Jersey and the nation, gun rights groups are asking local and county officials to designate the land within their borders 'Second Amendment sanctuaries.' The designation is strictly symbolic, they acknowledge, with no legal ability to change state or federal law. But it sends a message to lawmakers, supporters say, to stop infringing on the rights of lawful gun owners. The resolutions vary from one jurisdiction to the next, but most declare the intention of local officials to oppose any 'unconstitutional restrictions' on the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

"'This idea has kicked around since about 2013 — especially in more rural areas,' said John Froonjian, executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. Froonjian said the movement was energized last year after Democrats took control in Virginia and proposed gun reform.

"'In my mind it’s really different (than other grassroots movements) because ... when people organize for change it’s usually to create reform. This is actually to prevent reform,' Froonjian said. 'This is more akin to the sanctuary cities on immigration. The cities said basically, "We are not going to help the federal government enforce its immigration laws."'

"In just the past two months, the issue has gained traction in South Jersey, with Cape May and Salem county freeholders passing resolutions in favor of gun rights, and Atlantic County freeholders working on a similar resolution....

"Sandy Hickerson, of Absecon, who is organizing the Atlantic County 2A group ... said a couple of people concerned about gun rights in New Jersey started asking on Facebook for volunteers to organize the movement in December. 'Within two weeks, we had a representative in every county in the state of New Jersey,' she said..... So far in the state, three counties and 24 municipalities have passed supportive resolutions, Hickerson said....

"Mark Cheeseman, 55, of Gloucester County, was one of the two men who got the movement started in New Jersey. 'The first town in New Jersey to actually do this was West Milford in Sussex County,' said Cheeseman, who said he grew up around guns and started shooting at age 7. 'Nobody knew about it. Nobody saw it coming.... We’d go to establishments like gun ranges, breweries, diners, anybody that would have us.' They’d talk about gun rights in New Jersey and ask people to take the resolution to their municipal and county legislators, then follow up in person at meetings....

"Cheeseman ... cited the 2018 law that made 15-round magazines illegal, legislating 10 as the largest capacity allowed. 'I am now a felon and looking at a $13,000 fine and three years in jail for every one I have. Yet I purchased them back in 2008 when it was OK.” Cheeseman said. 'Now they are talking about going down to five bullets'....

"But the 'red-flag law' may have caused the most concern for gun owners.... 'Family members, friends, neighbors can turn you in if they feel threatened by you,'  Cheeseman said. 'Granted in a number of cases of domestic violence or abuse, police do need to intervene. But the law is way too broad. It leaves way, way too much room for mistakes — room for innocent people to get caught up. People [can] have firearms taken away just on hearsay.'"

Read more: https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/the-second-amendment-sanctuary-movement-why-now/article_3c75005a-e6ba-5fae-8875-89bf56fd0d1d.html

Vermont House votes to legalize cannabis sales

Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales Officially Passes Vermont House Of Representatives | Marijuana Moment - Kyle Jaeger:

February 27, 2020 - "The Vermont House of Representatives finalized its approval of a bill to legalize the retail sale of marijuana on Thursday, but Gov. Phil Scott (R) said he’s not happy with at least one key component of the legislation. Though the House cast a strong initial vote in favor of the legislation on Wednesday, the measure required one additional vote to formally clear the chamber. Members gave third reading passage to the bill in a voice vote....

"Vermont legalized the possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use in 2018, but there is currently no way for consumers to legally purchase marijuana. The current bill would resolve that by establishing a commercial cannabis market in the state, creating various categories of business licenses, and setting tax rates on legal sales.

"Because the Senate already approved S. 54 — with a veto-proof majority — last year during the first half of the two-year legislative session, House and Senate leaders are now expected to appoint members to a bicameral conference committee to reconcile differences between the two bodies’ versions of the legislation....

"It’s not exactly clear what Scott will do when the final legislation arrives on his desk. He had initially vetoed a noncommercial legalization bill lawmakers passed in 2017 but, after garnering concessions on certain provisions, signed a revised version into law early in 2018. Following the House vote on Thursday, the governor said he’s not satisfied with how the legislation that emerged from the House would require police to obtain a warrant before doing a saliva test....

"That said, top lawmakers and an administration official recently indicated that the governor is “at the table” in discussions about the latest reform move and would be open to using cannabis tax revenue to fund an after-school program he’s pushing. During Wednesday’s earlier floor consideration, an amendment was approved to explicitly provide funding for such an initiative.

"'The House has bent over backwards to address the various issues that Gov. Scott has raised with the legislation,' Dave Silberman, an attorney and pro bono drug policy reform advocate, told Marijuana Moment. '“It appears the only remaining area of disagreement is the governor’s insistence on a warrantless saliva test that would blatantly violate the people’s rights enshrined in Vermont Constitution,” he said. “I hope that as the governor learns more about our Constitution, he will see why his position is untenable.'"

"Vermont residents are strongly in favor of the general reform move, according to a poll released earlier this month by the Marijuana Policy Project. That survey showed that about three-in-four Vermonters support allowing adults to purchase marijuana 'from regulated, taxpaying small businesses.'

"In neighboring New Hampshire, the House approved a bill last week that would create a policy similar to what Vermont currently has, allowing adults to possess and cultivate marijuana for personal use without a retail component."

Read more: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-officially-passes-vermont-house-of-representatives/

Hornberger wins LP Minnesota caucuses

Libertarian Party Results for Caucus Night 2020 | Libertarian Party of Minnesota:

February 25, 2020 - "Though the major parties insist that the 2020 Presidential election will be the most important election of our lifetime, many Minnesotans refuse to accept this repeated lie and showed up to vote at the Libertarian Party caucus on Tuesday, February 25th, 2020. The LPMN does not have a virtual, absentee, or early voting process, therefore every vote was cast in person.

"Each of Minnesota’s eight Congressional districts conducted their own gathering for a ranked choice vote of 17 Libertarian candidates to be the LP Nominee for President (including None Of The Above).....

• CD 1 – Jacob Hornberger
• CD 2 – Jo Jorgensen tie Jacob Hornberger
• CD 3 – Jacob Hornberger
• CD 4 – Jo Jorgensen
• CD 5 – Jacob Hornberger
• CD 6 – Jacob Hornberger
• CD 7 – Vermin Supreme
• CD 8 – Lincoln Chafee

"After tallying all 98 votes accumulated statewide, the winner was Jacob Hornberger in Round 7, followed by Jo Jorgenson, and then Vermin Supreme to round out the top three.

"Political Director for The Libertarian Party of Minnesota Jill Galvan said, 'It’s been a really exciting time for the party. Getting the word out about the unfairness of the ballot access laws here in Minnesota has really brought attention to our cause and spurred people to come out and vote for an alternative here tonight.'

"LPMN Chair Chris Holbrook added, 'Despite the struggles Minnesota now faces to turn people out to caucus due to switching to a super Tuesday primary, we thank all of our conveners and attendees. After seeing empty rooms or none attempted for other political parties in this state, we are proud to be active Libertarians.'"

Iowa registered Libertarians up 84% since 2016

February 17, 2020 - "In 2016, Libertarian Gary Johnson earned nearly 4.5 million votes nationally in the presidential election, and since then, the party whose ticket he led has seen tremendous growth in Iowa....

"Myra Matejka, co-chair of the Libertarian Party of Iowa ... said part of the party’s rise has come from people who aren’t satisfied by either of the two main parties and want to install a more hands-off government. 'There’s other ways that we can solve problems for people without necessarily getting the government involved,' Matejka said.

"The party held its first-ever presidential caucus last weekend, which was attended by nearly 300 participants across 23 different sites around the state, according to party officials. 'Because we know what it takes to be a major party, we’re going to try to mirror the other major parties in a similar way just so that it’s comfortable for Iowans to get into the Libertarian Party,' Matejka said.

"Libertarians claim to be the 'fastest-growing party in Iowa,' and numbers from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office back that up. According to state registration records, the number of registered Libertarians has increased at least 84% over the last four years, a much greater increase than the percentage of new Republicans (3.0%) and new Democrats (4.9%), as well as the overall growth of all active registered voters (3.6%). However, the overall number of registered Libertarians in the state right now, around 14,000, is still well behind both of those parties....

“Megan Goldberg, assistant professor of American politics at Cornell College ... said the country’s political system keeps the Democratic and Republican parties strong, especially when it comes to the Electoral College. 'Even if you had something like 10 or 15% of the popular vote, you could still end up with zero electoral votes'.... She said they might find more success running candidates with their values within one of the two main parties....

"Matejka said some Libertarians do see running as Democrats or Republicans as a more viable option to being elected, but for the party to grow, she’d rather see Libertarians run as Libertarians. 'We need all of the strong voices that we can within our own umbrella, and it’s a big umbrella. We can fit lots and lots of people under it,' Matejka said.

"The Libertarian Party of Iowa said one of its main goals right now is to regain major party status by earning at least 2% of the general election vote in a statewide election. The party did this in the 2016 presidential election but then lost major party status after the 2018 gubernatorial election. Matejka ... believes they can regain this status in this year’s presidential election."

Coronavirus threat to Chinese Communists' power

Why Chinese Communism Could Be the Final Casualty of the Coronavirus | Foundation for Economic Education - Doug Bandow:

February 22, 2020 - "The Maoist totalitarian state is being reborn in China under Xi Jinping.... However, the response of the Chinese government to the COVID-19 virus has undermined the CCP’s credibility — and ultimately may threaten the party’s hold on power....

"The worst pandemic in recent years was Ebola between 2014 and 2016: there were about 28,600 cases and 11,300 deaths.... SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, infected almost 8,100 and killed roughly 800 people in 2002 to 2003. SARS ... also was a coronavirus that originated in a Chinese 'wet market' that featured the sale of live and wild animals. Beijing’s response to that health crisis was heavily criticized.... The regime was more concerned about presenting an atmosphere of calm and stability during a leadership transition than preventing the spread of a disease of unknown potency and transmissibility....

"However, the Chinese government is making similar mistakes in its response to what is now being called COVID-19.... As of mid-February, the number infected exceeds 73,000, with some 1,900 deaths, assuming Beijing’s statistics are accurate. Some doctors and outside researchers estimated that 100,000 or more Chinese actually have been infected.... Nevertheless, the government’s response has fallen short of that necessary to slow if not stop the disease’s spread.... [T]he Wuhan provincial government. ... failed to report a single infection during the first half of January, which coincided with a local party congress, so as not to discourage attendance.

"Beijing decided to lock down the entire city of 11 million. But the Xi government gave advance notice that it was closing the airport and train station, enabling a flood of people to escape.... Five million Wuhan residents ended up elsewhere in China and beyond.... [T]here currently are more than 80 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen, as well as several provinces, under some form of lock-down/quarantine/isolation — more than 45 million people.

"Lack of transparency and honesty may be the regime’s greatest weakness in fighting COVID-19. The CCP previously gained a reputation for covering up the party’s role in disasters, such as earthquakes and train accidents. The regime also lost credibility attempting to limit the political fall-out during the SARS crisis.

"Current skepticism exploded after the death of Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist who sounded the alarm when he observed the rise in suspicious infections. He was detained by the police and accused of spreading 'false information'.... He then treated patients, catching the virus and dying at age 34. The government sought to defuse public hostility by claiming that he was still alive and being treated even after his death.... Li’s death set off a social media explosion ... millions of comments poured in through Weibo, the Chinese Twitter, and other social media platforms.... Many posts declared 'I want freedom of speech,' which the government removed as quickly as possible. Even some Chinese inclined to trust the government went online to express their anger over his treatment....

"In late January the government relaxed control of private reporting, but that ended quickly as Beijing took control of the disease narrative and especially infection statistics. Accounts of doctors, video bloggers, and ad hoc reporters were deleted. Some bloggers, such as lawyer Chen Qiushi, welder Fang Bin, and human rights activist Hu Jia, were detained.... The regime also distributed its new media line: 'Sources of articles must be strictly regulated, independent reporting is strictly prohibited, and the use of nonregulated article sources, particularly self-media, is strictly prohibited.' Social media providers were told they were under “special supervision'....

"This self-serving censorship has highlighted the more fundamental problem of tyranny. Chen Guangcheng, a lawyer and human rights activist who escaped to the US, wrote: 'The Chinese Communist Party has once again proved that authoritarianism is dangerous—not just for human rights but also for public health.' He charged that the CCP 'has succeeded in turning a public health crisis into a health rights catastrophe'....

"A successful conclusion to the epidemic—if infections and deaths soon plateau and start to fall—might minimize memories of the Xi government’s inadequate preparation and slow response. However, economic losses already are huge, in the tens of billions of dollars. And there appears to be no early end to the crisis.... Beijing’s reputation and prestige have suffered.

"Xi and the CCP justify an increasingly authoritarian, even totalitarian regime on the basis of caring for the Chinese people. The COVID-19 crisis has exposed that claim to be a lie. Popular skepticism toward other self-serving government claims will rise in the future.... Ironically, Mao likely would understand the regime’s peril: 'A potentially revolutionary situation exists in any country where the government consistently fails in its obligation to ensure at least a minimally decent standard of life for the great majority of its citizens.'"

Read more: https://fee.org/articles/why-chinese-communism-could-be-the-final-casualty-of-the-coronavirus/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Max Abramson wants to ban sanctuary cities

NH rep. wants to ban sanctuary cities. He put question on WHS school ballot. | fosters.com - Max Sullivan:

February 13, 2020 - "A Seabrook state representative is bringing the debate over sanctuary cities to the local polls this March with a petition on the Winnacunnet Cooperative School District ballot. The non-binding citizen petition put forth by Libertarian state Rep. Max Abramson asks voters to agree that 'no school district nor town official shall establish "Sanctuary Cities" policies that prevent immigration laws from being enforced.' It seeks to see that police officers be permitted to enforce federal immigration laws and comply with detainer requests.

"The petition required 25 signatures to be placed on the ballot, which will go before voters March 10 in Hampton, Seabrook, North Hampton and Hampton Falls. Abramson has drawn criticism from opponents of the petition who said they wished the article could be removed from the ballot for being out of place.

"Abramson co-sponsored a bill that was killed in the Legislature last year seeking to ban sanctuary cities in New Hampshire. He said he chose to poll local voters with an intentionally non-binding article on the school ballot because it would reach a wide swath of residents across four towns. 'Immigration is one of the issues that affects you more than probably any other single one policy issue,' said Abramson, who is also seeking the Libertarian nomination for president. 'I felt it was worthwhile to just open the issue up and let people talk.'

"The issue of sanctuary cities protecting undocumented immigrants from federal authorities has remained a heated debate across the nation. U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced this week there would be a 'significant escalation' from the government against sanctuary communities across the nation.

"In New Hampshire, the city of Manchester, Cheshire County and other communities have been identified as sanctuary cities by the Federation for American Immigration Reform for their policies on how law enforcement handles undocumented immigrants, according to the Union Leader....

"Hampton Police Chief Richard Sawyer said New Hampshire law gives local police chiefs ultimate authority over their department’s enforcement action.... He said from his interpretation of the law, New Hampshire still needs to pass legislation that even allows municipalities to become sanctuary cities. He said New Hampshire is not a 'home rule' state and municipalities cannot enact their own laws without enabling legislation from Concord. 'I’m not aware of any legislation that would permit a designation of a sanctuary community in this state that would be enforceable,' Sawyer said."

Read more: https://www.fosters.com/news/20200213/nh-rep-wants-to-ban-sanctuary-cities-he-put-question-on-whs-school-ballot

Izzit.org promotes free society with free videos

Videos used by schools question minimum wage, climate change | Toronto CiryNews - Matthew Barakat, Associated Press:

February 5, 2020 - "The federal judge’s message to an assembly of social studies students at a Virginia high school seemed straightforward: Courts too often meddle in the affairs of private commerce. The senior appellate judge, Douglas Ginsburg, was talking about the Constitution, telling students how the courts got it wrong by ruling that the commerce clause gave the federal government authority to regulate the cats that roam author Ernest Hemingway’s former home in Key West. 'The Framers didn’t design an almighty federal government that could reach down right into your backyard,' the conservative judge said on a video shown during the presentation.

"Ginsburg’s appearance at Justice High School was a collaborative project between Fairfax County Public Schools and a group called Izzit.org, which provides educational materials and videos to students across the country. Izzit’s materials have a decidedly libertarian outlook, though that’s not always immediately apparent to the teachers who download their free content. A video that questions the rationale for minimum wage laws is under math, for example.

"Another video, called 'Unstoppable Solar Cycles,' downplays man’s role in climate change. The video comes with a quiz in which the correct answer is that man 'plays a small part in global warming.' Another, called 'I am Human,' questions 'America’s historical obsession with race' with criticism of former President Barack Obama for choosing to identify as African American rather than biracial.

Fairfax County schools, on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., defended its collaboration with Izzit. 'Izzit is an educational non-profit that specializes in creating free, standards-aligned content for educators that fosters critical thinking and respectful debate,' the school system said in a statement....

"Samantha Parsons, who works for UnKoch My Campus, said Izzit’s work fits with the agenda of the Charles Koch Foundation, which has given hundreds of millions of dollars to colleges in recent years to bolster what Parsons and others have said is an effort to promote right-wing ideology on campuses. She said Izzit, like the Kochs, uses words like 'liberty' and 'freedom' to mask its right-wing agenda....

"Izzit President and Chief Executive Rob Chatfield said Izzit advocates a distinct philosophical perspective. He was reluctant to categorize it as conservative or even libertarian, because he said those terms carry a political connotation that Izzit has no interest in promoting. 'It’s that people who are free tend to be happier, wealthier,' he said. 'If that’s the underlying theme that students pick up on, we’ve done our job.'

"Tax records show the Koch Foundation gave $83,000 in 2016 and 2017 to Izzit’s parent company, the Erie, Pennsylvania-based Free to Choose Network, according to tax documents. Chatfield, though, said Izzit itself has never received direct funding from the Koch network and primarily gets its funding from 'self-made entrepreneurs.'

"Izzit, founded in 2006, says its goal is to 'help educators teach the next generation about the ideas, institutions, and benefits of a free society.' More than 300,000 teachers — most in public schools — across the country use its materials, Chatfield said."

Read more: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/02/18/videos-used-by-schools-question-minimum-wage-climate-change/

Also read: Stossel teaches kids about free market (video)