Bad Drug Policy Claims Another endless crimes to fund tobacco habits. Had there been no war on drugs, this incident never would have occurred, Victim, Polarizes Community James Harper would be alive, and he would not have the criminal record that exposed him to this kind of violence. by Jordan Wagnon Might he be a user and/or dealer? Perhaps, but that was Tuesday Afternoon, July 24, 2012 - already the case. These substances already permeate the entire Rabid news stations all over Dallas city of Dallas. began airing scenes from a South Dallas neighborhood where hundreds of citizens emerged from their homes in response to the police shooting of 31 year-old James Harper. Dozens of police cars and officers armed with riot gear worked to contain the crowd while distraught family and friends sought answers that still have yet to come.

Harper's death immediately divided the entire city. On the one hand, neighborhood residents condemned the excessive use of force against an unarmed man. Rumors even circulated that Harper was shot in the back, and all agreed that no one should die because of alleged drug possession. Meanwhile, the official narrative described a man with a history of drug crimes who fought with 8 year veteran police officer Brian Rowden to the point where the officer feared his life. The Dallas Observer's Jim Schutze later wrote a headline and article that What creates the environment for violence is not drug use. The asked, "If You Fight With a Cop, Why Shouldn't the Cop violence comes from the underground market that prohibition Shoot You?" Many blog comments essentially expressed the creates. Ridiculously exaggerated prices make drugs worth sentiment that, "He had it coming." So which side should we killing for, and it makes them too costly for poor people to take? And the answer of course is....neither. Everyone in this afford without stealing. Economics makes for a less dramatic case is a victim of a culture of violence created by the drug story for a media and public thirsting for a scapegoat, but the war. economics of our failed drug policy is responsible for the shootings. So while the police state's coercive crackdown fails Here again we have another case where the popular discourse to keep drugs off the street, as this case clearly illustrates, it and media cheerleading present us with faulty options. The does succeed in feeding the violence right here among our frustration of the people combined with journalists' enthusiasm neighbors and loved ones. for conflict create a two-sided debate with no room for alternatives. The real question we need to be asking here is not So we have a choice. We can have drugs in our communities. who was a fault in this particular incident, but to ask what set Or we can have drugs in our communities, plus police the stage for the shooting in the first place. And the answer to shootings, plus gang and drug cartel violence, plus property that question is the government's relentless prosecution of the crimes, plus jail overcrowding, plus lives and families ruined failed war on drugs. by imprisonment and felony records. It's time to end the violence. It's time to end the war on drugs. We can't save We never see police shootings over tobacco and alcohol, nor James Harper, but we can save the future victims violence if do we see rival gangs attacking each other for their share of we pursue a policy of freedom. the spirits market, nor do we have "cigarette houses" blighting our neighborhoods, nor do our communities suffer from

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Aurora, Colorado Theater Shooting and To Pre or Not to Pre Blowback by Ed Kless by Dave McElwee Fact #1 – I travel a lot for work. In the next five weeks it is unlikely that I will Some of the blowback from the recent spend ten nights at home with my Aurora, Colorado, massacre beautiful wife and kids. This is not advocates everything from the meant as a plea, but only to emphasize confiscation of assault weapons (or all the first sentence of this post. guns) to mass-registration of all guns. Some propose that these new Fact #2 – I am also a staunch government regulations should not Libertarian. I am running for Texas State only apply to new gun purchases, but Senate. This is not plea for money, but to all weapons currently in the only to emphasize this second point. possession of citizens. It is these two facts which have caused me some personal But such restrictive legislation provides no added protection conflict. Because most of my travel requires air transport, I am for the public. The criminal element, those with mental intimately familiar with the TSA. I am guessing that by now problems, and those bent on creating mayhem pay no attention you see the challenge. to such laws. In any case, about three months ago I received an email from Had there been one or two armed, trained, and experienced American Airlines asking me if I would like to sign up for the people in the Aurora theater at the time the shooting started, TSA’s Pre program the audience would have had a fighting chance. Granted, one (http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/escreening.shtm). This or two armed, trained, and experienced weapons carriers program allows travelers to register with the TSA and undergo probably couldn't have kept the casualties to zero. But armed a background check. In exchange, travelers get to go through a citizens could have reduced the number of casualties lower security regimen at airport security. substantially.

Armed citizens, adequately prepared to react to such situations, probably wouldn't have been able to put the shooter down with one shot, but their presence would have at least distracted the shooter and drawn his fire. Suppression fire, distracting or drawing an assailant's fire, is an all too familiar tactic used by police and the military.

In Colorado, the distraction factor would have allowed more time for individuals to escape or find protection from the shooter's wrath. In these sort of situations, seconds count.

This sort of protection is precisely what the founders intended when the Second Amendment was adopted. For the founders, there was no "failure of imagination." Citizens (and that word is critical) who want to protect themselves, their families, friends, neighbors, and others ought to have the right to carry whatever weapon best fits their needs. If an airport has the Pre line (and my home airport of DFW does), you can cut right to the security gate where you do not Most assuredly, there will be more Columbine's, Aurora's, have to take off your shoes or remove your computer or Virginia Tech's and similar massacres if the government liquids from your travel cases. Instead, your bags are x-rayed continues to place obstacles to legitimate gun ownership. It is and you walk through a metal detector only, no micro essential that citizens have the right to self protection. scanning (and therefore no naked pictures). Basically, this is the same security procedure as existed on September 10, 2001. Editor's Note: Just as the author eluded to, this analysis is also applicable to the recent shooting of the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, among other such situations. Now the dilemma:

Page 2 Libertarian Party of Dallas County, Texas August, 2012

To Pre, or not to Pre: that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The pokes and prods of outrageous agents, Or to take arms against a sea of lawyers, And by opposing end them? To Pre: to bypass; No more; and by a bypass to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand unnatural scans That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d.

The Short Life of Personal Sovereignty by Seth Hollist

For most of recorded history, the state’s right to representation in Congress overwhelming political world-view (http://worldhistory.spaldam.com/index.php5? has been that of a King or dictator as title=Seth_Hollist's_treatise_on_The_US_Constitution#Amen the sole possessor of sovereignty to dment_XVII), giving the once-stable U.S. Senate over to rule over a country. Especially in whims of the popular vote; the other initiated a very unfair and Europe during the Dark Ages, the manipulative means of taxation King was believed to be ordained by (http://worldhistory.spaldam.com/index.php5? God via a religious leader as the only title=Seth_Hollist's_treatise_on_The_US_Constitution#Amen sovereign person within his kingdom. dment_XVI) which is targeted at our hard-earned income. In 1776, the course of history was changed when 56 men in what would later become the USA That same year, another notable law was passed creating a signed a document declaring that EVERYONE is created new Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), deviously equal, meaning we are all sovereign, and nobody has the right called the Federal Reserve to rule over any one of us without our permission. This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Act). This new document also declares that we ALL have “certain unalienable body created a monopoly banking system with control over Rights” including, but not limited to: “Life, , and the the monetary policies in this country, and it quickly infested pursuit [but not the guarantee] of Happiness”. In other words, the world. Also in 1913, the population of the House of this Declaration of Independence Representatives reached 435 Congressmen, so in 1928 a law ( http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_tr anscr was passed to prevent it from increasing any further; which ipt.html) created the moral justification for our nation, with a today gives us an average of over 2/3 of a million people per unique ideology of personal liberty and freedom. representative (http://www.thirty- thousand.org/). Can we really expect one person to be acquainted with the wishes of that many constituents well enough to know how to properly represent them?

Since the progressives started infecting our nation over a century ago, both Republicans and Democrats have been complacent with a continual growth of government and loss of freedoms, leading us deeper and deeper into a very socialistic state. Today, we have a Federal Government that seems determined to take away the personal sovereignty declared to Unfortunately, there were struggles for unity in the early years us under the Declaration of Independence, and our freedoms of our nation that, by the mid-1800’s, erupted into a guaranteed under the Bill of Rights, all under the guise of devastating civil war. In the aftermath of this conflict, a safety and security. The TSA, the Patriot Act, the DHS, and “progressive movement” began to show its influence in sections of the NDAA have allowed for unwarranted searches, American politics. By 1913, this movement managed to get nearly unrestricted spying, and indefinite detention of anyone two Constitutional amendments ratified: one took away the deemed to be a terrorist. Page 3 Libertarian Party of Dallas County, Texas August, 2012

To stop the erosion of our freedoms, to stop the devaluation of As Ayn Rand pointed out and control over our hard earned money, to stop crony (http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/identity.html), channeling capitalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism), Aristotle's Law of identity private-government partnerships (or NGO’s) that seek to (http://www.importanceofphilosophy.com/Metaphysics_Identi control our lives, and government sanctioned and protected ty.html), "A is A." Or as Shakespeare monopolies that are “too big to fail”, join us (http://lp.org/) as (http://onphilosophy.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/a-rose-by- we seek to bring about the next great American Revolution: a any-other-name-would-smell-as-sweet/) more eloquently put Revolution of love for liberty and freedom. What I like to call, it, "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell “The Liberty R[ƎVO˩]UTION!”. as sweet."

- Seth.Hollist.org It means that a thing is what it is, no matter what someone may choose to call it. ? Penalty? C'mon Supremes, the It means that no magic word or phrase, such as "abracadabra" or "presto change-o" or "Shazam" or "" or word is '!' "consent of the governed" or "redistribution of wealth" or "entitlement" can transform theft into non-theft. by Garry Reed

Responding to the Obamacare decision It means that theft is theft even if the great old grey-haired (http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/06/28/north- black-robed solons of The Law declare that theft isn't theft if texas-politicians-advocacy-groups-respond-to- only we call it a tax. health-care-ruling/), US Rep Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Dallas) gushed, "The Supreme The same goes for all the spinmeister quibbling over the word Court ruling is a victory for the American "penalty (http://www.examiner.com/topic/penalty/articles)." people." Taking something that rightfully belongs to someone else is theft. Period. Not exactly. It is a victory for about half of the American people.

The coercive government takeover of yet another big chunk of America's economy means that someone has to pay for it.

That would be the roughly fifty percent of the population who are actually productive workers. They, under threat of everything that libertarians reject – coercion, intimidation and fraud – will have billions of their income dollars forcibly redistributed to the roughly fifty percent of the population who are not productive workers.

According to the Supreme Court, this is perfectly acceptable if it is done as a tax (http://www.examiner.com/topic/tax).

Video: Art Carden on Taxation as Theft (http://www.examiner.com/video/art-carden-on-taxation-as- The reason Republicans will likely tweak and tinker with theft) Obamacare but never actually repeal it is that they are just as corporatist/statist as the Democrats. Contrary to everything By "tax" is meant "legalized theft they say, you can bet they're eagerly rubbing their fat sweaty (http://www.examiner.com/topic/theft)." palms together anticipating how much of this new public loot they can "redistribute" into their own pockets. And make no mistake; taxation is just another word for theft, no matter who does it to whom. Politico's Law: The bigger the boondoggle the better the opportunities for graft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graft_ Theft is still theft even when it's done by a government to its %28politics%29). own citizens.

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All the pretending, evasion, denial, self-delusion, wishful ◦ Free to Choose, Milton Friedman thinking and desperate anti-Ayn Rand and anti-libertarian ◦ America: Freedom to Fascism, Aaron Russo (http://www.examiner.com/topic/libertarian) name-calling will ever change that. • Websites ◦ The Libertarian Party of Dallas County A rose is a rose, a tax is a tax, theft is theft. lpdallas.org ◦ The Libertarian Party of Texas Editor's Note: Re-published from the Dallas Libertarian Examiner (www.examiner.com/libertarian-in-dallas) with permission from the author. lptexas.org ◦ The National Libertarian Party Upcoming Meetings www.lp.org ◦ Free Talk Live www.freetalklive.com ◦ • Freedom Knights at the Free Man! The Cato Institute www.cato.org ◦ Wednesday, August 8, 2012, 7:00 PM ◦ Molinari Institute ◦ The Free Man praxeology.net/molinari.htm 2626 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX ◦ In-Brief mol.redbarn.org/objectivism/writing/InBrief • Locked and Loaded ◦ Saturday, August 11, 2012, 4:00 PM ◦ Elm Fork Outdoor Gun Range LPDC Officer List 10751 Luna Road, Dallas, TX Chair – Paul Petersen ([email protected]) Vice-Chair – Curry Taylor ([email protected]) • Liberty Soundoff Secretary – Jordan Wagnon ([email protected]) ◦ Saturday, August 11, 2012, 6:30 PM Treasurer – Paul Osborn ([email protected]) ◦ MCM Eleganté Dallas LPDC At-Large Directors 2330 West Northwest Hwy, Dallas, TX Marshall Beerwinkle ([email protected]) Ethan Brockman ([email protected]) • Trivia Night at Trinity Hall Kevin Frederickson ([email protected]) ◦ Every Sunday Night, 7:00 PM Marcus Huffer ([email protected]) ◦ Cory Lane ([email protected]) Trinity Hall Irish Pub & Restaurant John Lindsay ([email protected]) 5321 E Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, TX Dave Mason ([email protected])

• Outreach Group Meeting Working Committee Leaders ◦ Saturday, August 25, 2012, 4:00 PM Marketing – John Lindsay ([email protected]) ◦ Corner Bakery Cafe Events – Kevin Frederickson ([email protected]) 11700 Preston Road, Dallas, TX

Up-to-date meeting announcements and details can always be The LPDC is a local branch of the Libertarian Party based in Dallas found on meetup.com. (www.meetup.com/Dallas- County, Texas. Find out more about the LPDC at http://lpdallas.org. Libertarians/) The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the United States, and was established in 1971 to promote more freedom and less intrusive government in all aspects of life. Find out more about Libertarian References the LP at http://www.lp.org.

• Books ◦ Good to be King, Michael Badnarik ◦ Why Government Doesn't Work, Harry Browne ◦ Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand ◦ : A Primer, David Boaz

• Videos ◦ Neitzsche and the Nazis, Stephen Hicks ◦ Bullsh*t!, Penn & Teller

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