Archive for April, 2008

The DEA Show

Posted in NtheDrgWar by R Lee Wrights on April 30th, 2008

by Tony Ryan

Tony RyanYou might have noticed last month that Spike TV launched a new series (14 weeks, I believe) on their channel called DEA.

If you’re a rough and tumble guy (or a tough gal or tough guy watcher), you probably saw, at a minimum, the show’s previews. There, in all their glory, were a bunch of Detroit area guys dressed to the law enforcement nines - ninja mimicry, hardware, guns, ammo, guns, masks, guns. And, just like the old real life series, COPS, they were uttering phrases only sudden stardom can bring out. In other words, they sounded a bit like professional wrestlers, but with more clothing.

The part I really, really liked (NOT!) was the statement about having the most dangerous job in the world …universe… earth - something. At any rate, as you know, I like it when other writers say things for us, just so people know we’re not the only ones. So, here’s a quote from a New York Times TV show reviewer named Neil Ginzlinger:

This being Spike TV, the show is heavy on the macho side of drug-enforcement work, light on the painstaking investigation and drudgery. But it’s all stuff you’ve seen before, in shows real and fictional: doors being bashed in by raiding officers; suspects being forced to the ground; plastic bags full of illegal this and that being displayed.

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Land use and the oil crisis: How best to use it?

Posted in The Freedom Beam by R Lee Wrights on April 30th, 2008

by Roderick T. Beaman

Liberty BellThere is no more efficient mechanism for the assignation of resource utilization than the pricing mechanism and the free market. That has been demonstrated time and again by Milton Friedman, Murray Rothbard, Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams.

A rise in price is a sign that there is a greater need for a particular item. It is a piece of information that can be passed around the world instantaneously today with the Internet. From the steps of The New York Stock Exchange to the humblest yurt in Mongolia, everyone understands this.

In economics, as in almost everything else, nothing arises in or functions in a vacuum. In the case of the ongoing rise in oil prices, every soul on the face of the earth is aware that the Iraq War and Mid-East unrest are the immediate causes of the run-up. There are many other factors.

Of course, the politicians have all jumped in line and blamed everyone but themselves. There are the usual calls for mandated increased automobile efficiencies. This has happened in every crisis since the 1970s.

The politicians seem to think that if they mandate something, it will happen. It strikes me as like mandating the repeal of the Law of Supply and Demand. Although I don’t trust automobile manufacturers and oil companies, I trust them to undercut each other far more that any politician. Show me a politician or a government official and I’ll show you a liar, a thief, a prostitute or a pimp.

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Ron Paul and victory in November with Mary Ruwart

Posted in Walking Towards Liberty by R Lee Wrights on April 29th, 2008

by Melinda Pillsbury-Foster

Melinda Pillsbury-FosterThe candidacy of Wayne Allyn Root is yet another in a long line of attempts to use Libertarianism for purposes having nothing to do with the philosophy of freedom. What does he hope to gain? Notoriety to feed his gambling ventures? A well-burnished ego? Does it matter?

His candidacy has reached depths previously unplumbed. Normally, ambitious and well-heeled wanna-be presidential candidates confine themselves to meaningless but entertaining flights of oratory. Since these platitudinous extrusions sell some extra packages we have long tolerated such ego indulgences. And Root followed the usual pattern - until Indiana. There things changed.

Using as his mouthpiece Mark Schreiber, a former LP employee whose debts to the LP were eventually written off, Root launched an obviously carefully planned attack on the most credible candidate opposing him, long time activist Dr. Mary Ruwart. Root stayed away from the Indiana LP Convention, letting Schreiber do the dirty work for him. At the candidate forum, in the morning session, Schreiber loudly accused Mary of approving of pedophilia. Mary produced forthwith her book that says otherwise. Later Schreiber blurted out that it would not have happened if Ruwart had agreed to accept the nomination for vice-president.

An honest moment in a campaign of lies.

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Phillies issues defense policy statement

Posted in Stand Up For Liberty by R Lee Wrights on April 29th, 2008

from Phillies campaign staff

George PhilliesSeattle, Wash., April 21: Libertarian Presidential candidate George Phillies today issued a core policy statement on defense policy.  “We need an adequate military,” Phillies said, “not the bloated military of the Bush Republican War Party.  George Bush’s absurd overspending impoverishes our people, weakens our industry, and in the long run leaves us weaker and less secure.”

Core Phillies positions include:

*The Cold War is over.  Most world military spending is by America and its friends.  After leaving Iraq, we can and should safely deploy a far smaller army.

*Our navy is far more powerful than all the other navies in the world put together.  Lost of those other navies belong to our friends.  Large parts of the navy should be mothballed.

*New military technologies imply radical changes in effective ship and aircraft types.  We should emphasize research, development, but only limited deployment of novel ship types.

*State militias should be returned entirely to the states, so when disaster strikes your National Guard is ready, not half the world away.

*The use of mercenaries by our government is an unAmerican abomination that should be ended.

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Unalienable

Posted in Liberty Rant by R Lee Wrights on April 28th, 2008

by Larken Rose

Gadsden FlagAs I’ve explained before, a “right” is a negative concept. In short, it is something that other people shouldn’t forcibly prevent you from doing. For example, the “right” to freedom of speech merely means that no one else should force you to be silent. Having laryngitis, for example, doesn’t violate your rights, even though you can’t speak.

But what does it mean for a right to be unalienable? Obviously it does not mean that it is impossible for others to prevent you from doing something; it just means that they are always wrong to do so, no matter what any “law,” any “government,” or anything else says. In other words, “I have the right to do X, and no one has the right to stop me.”

But now comes the part that most “civilized” people don’t like to talk about. If you have the right to do “X,” and someone tries to stop you by force, you are morally justified in using force to preserve your rights (though it’s often dangerous to do so). For example, all those people down in Louisiana who had the “right to keep and bear arms,” but who were nonetheless disarmed by a bunch of jackbooted fascists, would have been justified in preserving their rights by killing those trying to deprive them of those rights.

People who talk about preserving their rights by way of “the system” don’t understand what a right is. By definition, a “right” is something that you don’t NEED “legal” permission to do. You have the right to do it no matter WHAT any “law” says. I know it’s about as politically incorrect as you can get to say this, but the proper response to “gun control” is not lobbying and petitions–which imply that its up to the damn politicians to decide whether we can be armed or not. The proper response, if one actually believes in unalienable rights, is to declare, “I have the right to be armed, and trying to violate that right will be hazardous to your health.”

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Learning in a libertarian society

Posted in Liberty's Friend, Student Union by R Lee Wrights on April 27th, 2008

by Mary J. Ruwart

Mary RuwartExcerpted in part from Chapter 10 of “Healing Our World” (Kalamazoo, MI: SunStar Press, 2003).

Can you imagine what a successful school might look like if education were totally freed from government control? Can you imagine what education might look like if teachers didn’t need to be licensed; children were not forced into the classroom for a decade or more; and parents, teachers, and children picked the curriculum rather than the state?

You might think it’s easy to imagine school without the state, but our educational system is so shaped by the government, it’s tough to think outside the box. Consequently, when imagining what education in a free society might look like, starting inside the box and working our way out might be the best strategy.

My book, Healing Our World, takes such an approach. It describes one possible school - which we’ll call Quest - in an educational free market. Although Quest doesn’t actually exist, many of its components do. These are footnoted so that you can learn more about them. Some other possibilities are mentioned as well.

Quest would probably start out small, expanding each year as its reputation for excellence grew. New students, entering at any age, would take tests to discover their aptitudes and their optimal learning modes. Sylvan Learning Centers, which guarantees students a one-grade improvement in a matter of weeks, does such testing today so that teaching materials are geared to the way a child learns. Some children are visual learners who remember best what they see; auditory-oriented youngsters learn fastest when they hear their lessons; kinesthetic children understand best what they are able to feel and manipulate.1

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Gun Rights Rally Day

Posted in Doing Something by R Lee Wrights on April 26th, 2008

from CCRKBA

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear ArmsPlace and date to be there: Jefferson City, MO, Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Everyone is getting ready for the 2008 Gun Rights Rally Day in Jefferson City. Now more than ever our politicians need to see and hear Missouri Gun Owners and understand that we are a major voting bloc capable of turning out large numbers. Nobody knows what the next year or two will have in store for gun rights and gun owners and speculation is running wild with the current political climate.

Politicians need to understand that we as a voting bloc have the power to end careers if they fail to uphold our freedoms. We all remember “one-term” Bob Holden.

All the time I get emails from gun owners and fans of MissouriCarry.com asking how they can help and what they can do to help make a difference. THIS IS IT! Now is your chance to make a difference. So take a day off of work, call in sick, take a day away from school classes, and show up to the 2008 Gun Rights Rally Day. Your attendance sends a message to our elected officials that you care how they vote.

When: 10:00am Tuesday April 29, 2008.

Where: Capitol in Jefferson City, 1st Floor Rotunda.

Notes: No CCW inside the Capitol.

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Editorial from jail

Posted in LFA Flashback by R Lee Wrights on April 25th, 2008

by Rick Stanley

courtesy of Kevin TumaAmerica’s Symbolic Speech

Our Country’s history is rich with examples of symbolic speech from fiery men who had principles, integrity, honor, and strength of character. Today, as in the time of our forefathers, symbolic speech is once again persecuted by the government powers, once again jailing those who would dare to challenge the authority of men acting under the “COLOR OF LAW,” abusing the God-given rights of Americans.

The Constitution of America was written by men such as the first mentioned group, not the second, those who would destroy this time-honored document. The Constitution was born from the Declaration of Independence, after Americans had enough of the usurpation and abuse of power from the government of the day, and as Jefferson quoted, “From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.” These patriots were willing to demand their God given rights of freedom, self-defense, and the fruits of their labor: wages and property. This Constitution was the culmination of efforts, by those Patriots, to forever bind their New American government within the boundaries of rule of law, the authority of the people to men and women who were supposed to have conscience, while given the authority to govern in this country.

Fifty-six men of the day signed the Declaration of Independence. Each of these God loving, Christian men gave heartfelt and fiery orations around the thirteen colonies, which have been historically and affectionately called by America, “symbolic speech.”

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What it means to be sovereign

Posted in Of The People by R Lee Wrights on April 24th, 2008

by Ed Lewis

courtesy of Kevin Tuma“We must be the change we wish to see.”

- Gandhi

It is said that we are undergoing great changes in government, that September 11, 2001, changed the world forever.  Perhaps it did but, then again, for the most of Americans - people steeped in ignorance - nothing changed.  They continue as they did before the attacks, dumbly obeying any edict from government and agreeing “it” is a good thing - we are now safer.

Then, there are those who began to understand the importance of relying on one’s self for security.  September 11 proved that the federal government failed in one of its primary duties - to defend the shores against invasion - whether by domestic or foreign enemies.  People who had not been armed became armed.

The government is fully planning to take additional measures to assure our security - by denying the very measures we as human beings have to defend ourselves.  It uses scare tactics that analysis shows the measures are contradictory to the facts our forefathers knew to be essential for security and defense of a nation against domestic and foreign enemies.

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SAF blasts ‘Killadelphia’ mayor and council over measures defying state law

Posted in Dangerous Politics by R Lee Wrights on April 23rd, 2008

by SAF staff

SAFPhiladelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and the City Council have defied state statute by enacting several anti-gun measures, essentially “acting like urban vigilantes under color of law,” the Second Amendment Foundation said today.

“How can Mayor Nutter and the council expect anyone else, especially criminals, to obey the law if they don’t live up to the same standard,” SAF founder Alan Gottlieb wondered. “Just because the mayor doesn’t like the fact that the state legislature retains sole authority over gun laws does not give him or the city council any right to essentially set up their own fiefdom. What kind of example does that set? What does it accomplish?”

The Pennsylvania Legislature has reserved the authority to regulate firearms within the state since 1974. That authority was upheld by a 1996 Supreme Court ruling in the Ortiz case.

“The city is earning the nickname ‘Killadelphia’ not because of state preemption,” Gottlieb said, “but because the mayor and city council think punishing law-abiding gun owners will somehow cause criminals to stop killing one another. Does he seriously think limiting legal handgun sales to one a month will prevent drive-by shootings by recidivist gang bangers? Can he honestly believe that penalizing someone for not immediately reporting a stolen firearm will prevent the thief from selling that gun to someone else who uses it in a crime? Where does he get the notion that restricting the rights of honest citizens is going to fix the broken court system that repeatedly returns these thugs to the streets?

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