Saturday, January 30, 2010

Sam Sloan Elected To Represent The Manhattan Libertarian Party On The LPNY State Committee

On January 30, 2010, Samuel Howard Sloan was unanimously elected to serve as the representative of the Manhattan Libertarian Party to the State Committee of the Libertarian Party of New York. The election took place at the Manhattan Libertarian Party's Annual Convention, which was held at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant located at 140 2nd Avenue in New York, New York.

Sam Sloan is currently a resident of the Bronx and has announced his intention to seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party of New York for Governor in 2010. He was given an opportunity to address the packed convention hall and surprised everyone by beginning his remarks in Pashtun, which he claims to have learned while imprisoned in an Afghan jail. Sam Sloan is a Muslim and is known in Islamic circles as Haji Mohammed Ismail Sloan.

Mr. Sloan previously served as an officer of the Manhattan Libertarian Party, having been elected Director of Media Relations for a one-year term in 2006.

Read more about Sam Sloan in an article that appeared in the New York Sun on June 30, 2004 entitled "The Man In The Yellow Cab: Sam Sloan" at: http://dackman.homestead.com/SamSloanSun.htm

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

OPNY, OPAZ & OPIN Adopt Joint Affiliate Platform

The Objectivist Party of New York, Objectivist Party of Arizona and Objectivist Party of Indiana have adopted the following joint affiliate platform, which has been uploaded to the Affiliate Platforms section of the Objectivist Party website at http://www.objectivistparty.com/

VICTIMLESS CRIMES: We believe the government has no right to criminalize conduct consensually agreed to between adults that cause no direct harm to others. We believe in people taking responsibility for their own lives and oppose paternalistic government. As a result, we seek the immediate decriminalization of marijuana, prostitution, pornography, gambling and other victimless crimes.

MONETARY POLICY & TAXATION: We believe the government has no right to cause inflation and devalue our currency by permitting the Federal Reserve to "print money" or by borrowing money in order to balance the budget. We also oppose the large percentage of people's earnings the government takes through taxation. As a first step toward the goal of drastically reducing taxation on a federal, state and local level, we support the institution of a 10% federal flat tax and the elimination of all income and property taxes.

GAY ISSUES: We believe the government should not discriminate against anyone on the basis of that person's sexual orientation. On a federal level, we support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and the military's policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". On a state level, while our ultimate goal is to get the government out of the marriage business, we support full recognition of gay marriages so long as the government continues to issue marriage certificates to heterosexual couples.

IMMIGRATION: We support the right of all countries to control their own borders and to set the conditions immigrants must meet in order to obtain permanent residence and citizenship. We would give state law enforcement officials the power to enforce immigration law and to deport illegal aliens. We would grant immigration preferences to those with special skills; to those who would create jobs; to those who ideologically support free enterprise and respect for individual rights; to those who are committed to the use of science and reason instead of faith and mysticism when evaluating and discovering objective reality; and to those who believe in self-reliance and the pursuit of productive and purposeful lives.

DEFENSE: We believe one of the primary purposes of the federal government is to provide for the national defense. Toward that end, we would support expanding the incentives offered to encourage citizens to join the military and the National Guard. However, we oppose any form of involuntary servitude including the reinstitution of a draft.

CIVIL LIBERTIES: We believe the government must respect the individual and constitutional rights of all citizens including the right to keep and bear arms. We oppose all forms of censorship and invasions of privacy. We believe in the strict separation of church and state and believe "In God We Trust" should be removed from the country's coins and courtrooms.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP & MONUMENTAL PROJECTS: We believe the entrepreneurial spirit should be encouraged by reducing corporate taxation and bureaucratic regulation. We support the identification and development of privately financed grand scale monumental projects that can inspire citizens to lead heroic lives and to contribute more to their civilization.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Objectivist Party Of Georgia Adopts Affiliate Platform

On January 26, 2010, the Objectivist Party of Georgia adopted the following platform, which has been uploaded to the Affiliate Platforms section of the Objectivist Party website at http://www.objectivistparty.com/

FREE MARKET CAPITALISM: We advocate a completely free market with no government interference. We oppose tariffs, embargoes, rent controls, wage controls, corporate taxes and all other forms of government interference in private businesses. We oppose any and all legislation which forces or "encourages" employers to hire employees based on any standard other than their ability to perform the required tasks (e.g. affirmative action). We oppose any and all legislation which forces banks to lend money to unqualified candidates (e.g. the Community Reinvestment Act). We oppose all government bureaucracy which interferes with the rights of individual citizens to contract freely with businesses and individuals of their choice (e.g. the Food and Drug Administration), and we radically oppose the socialization of ANY industry in the United States and its territories, especially the health care industry.

TAXATION: We advocate a flat-rate income tax at both the Federal and State levels. We oppose all sales tax, property tax and progressive income tax structure. We radically oppose all tax-funded welfare programs, including but not limited to medicare, medicaid, government subsidized housing, and food stamps.

EDUCATION: In order to reduce the burden of taxation on citizens who do not have children, and to raise the overall standard of achievement in our nation's schools and universities, we advocate the gradual dissolution of the public school system in favor of privately funded education.

IMMIGRATION: We support the right of all countries to control their own borders and to set the conditions immigrants must meet in order to obtain permanent residence and citizenship. We would give state law enforcement officials the power to enforce immigration law and to deport illegal aliens. We would grant immigration preferences to those with special skills, to those who would create jobs and to those who ideologically support free enterprise and respect for individual rights.

GAY RIGHTS: We oppose all forms of prejudicial discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation. We advocate the immediate and unconditional legalization of gay marriage nationwide, and condemn the United States Military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.

VICTIMLESS CRIMES: We advocate the immediate and unconditional legalization of gambling, prostitution, marijuana, alcohol and tobacco use for all individuals aged 18 years or older. We also call for the gradual legalization of other narcotics with restrictions (no driving under the influence, no using in the vicinity of children, no sale to minors, etc.) for all individuals aged 18 years or older. We advocate the right of adults to willfully engage in any activity that does not negatively affect others.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Fraternity Initiations - Group Showering

Fraternities throughout the 1970s engaged in many initiation activities that were "rites of passage" for the new pledges. Many of these rites included sexual activities that the senior members of the fraternity went through when they pledged and that were then visited upon proposed new fraternity members. These rites were believed to create a special bond between the brothers as evidenced by similar hazing in fire departments and in military units throughout the years.

None of these hazing activities were considered gay in nature and, in fact, most fraternities did not accept gay members. The rule was "As long as you're not gay, it's O.K." even if the fraternity initiation rite contained an extreme amount of sexual conduct. The justification was clear and logical. The pledges who engaged in these sexual hazing activities were being forced to do so to get into the fraternity so they weren't gay and the older brothers forcing the pledges to engage in the behavior were doing so to denigrate and belittle the pledges so their activities weren't gay either.

One such fraternity initiation activity I witnessed (although did not participate in) was Group Showering. Most of the fraternities that had their own houses had open showers with no stalls that had multiple shower heads. Whether the pledge lived in the house or off campus, they were required to assemble in the very early morning (usually around 7 a.m.) to take a group shower with the rest of the pledges and then to have breakfast together with the rest of the fraternity brothers.

All the pledges were required to get naked and to enter the shower at the same time. Each was given a bar of soap and they were told to "lather up" their fellow pledges and "to clean every inch of their bodies". No pledge was allowed to clean himself. All were encouraged to remain in a group and to work on each other. If a pledge sported an erection, the supervising brother would instruct the pledges to make sure every inch of that erect cock was clean as well. This often led to the pledges cumming. If a pledge did not get hard, he was left alone. Any brother not enthusiastically participating in the group showering activities would receive a black mark on their pledge record, which often resulted in that pledge receiving especially unfavorable treatment during future pledge activities. After the group shower, the pledges dried each other off with towels and then were required to eat breakfast naked before dressing and going to class.

These "rites of passage" were favorably looked upon by most fraternities. They promoted bonding and yet did not involve hazing that risked the life or health of the pledges. They did not involve forced alcohol consumption or the infliction of pain. Also, these activities took place prior to A.I.D.S. being a consideration and before all such activities were being classified as "gay" by future pledge classes.

Dr. Tom Stevens had an opportunity to observe fraternity initiation activities during the time he served as President of the Student Council of the Washington Square & University College of Arts & Science at New York University in Greenwich Village, New York where he was influential in approving budgetary requests made by fraternities associated with that school. He was not a member of any fraternity at the time but was given access to witness many fraternity initiation rites.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Fraternity Initiations - Giving Your Brother A Helping Hand

Fraternities throughout the 1970s engaged in many initiation activities that were "rites of passage" for the new pledges. Many of these rites included sexual activities the senior members of the fraternity went through when they pledged and that were then visited upon proposed new fraternity members. These rites were believed to create a special bond between the brothers as evidenced by similar hazing in fire departments and in military units throughout the years.

None of these hazing activities were considered gay in nature and, in fact, most fraternities did not accept gay members. The rule was "As long as you're not gay, it's O.K." even if the fraternity initiation rite contained an extreme amount of sexual conduct. The justification was clear and logical. The pledges who engaged in these sexual hazing activities were being forced to do so to get into the fraternity so they weren't gay and the older brothers forcing the pledges to engage in the behavior were doing so to denigrate and belittle the pledges so their activities weren't gay either.

There was an exception to the "denigrating and belittling" aspect of fraternity initiation rites that came up in the bonding that was supposed to take place between a pledge and his assigned Big Brother. It was the Big Brother's responsibility to help the pledge through the initiation process, to help the pledge learn about the history of the fraternity and to be mentally ready to accept the "proofs of loyalty" that were to follow. This bond between the Big Brother and the pledge was expected to last for life. As a result, there were a number of bonding activities a Big Brother could utilize to create that special bond.

The most common bonding activity used by Big Brothers in the fraternities I was familiar with was generally referred to as "Giving A Brother A Helping Hand". This activity did not take place in public but usually in the Big Brother's dorm room. The reciprocal activity included the Big Brother and the pledge getting naked. One would lie on his back on the bed while the other would massage his body with a soothing lotion. The purpose of this activity was to provide a relaxing and pleasurable experience for the person massaged. At some point, the massaged guy would get hard and the massager would then give him a "helping hand" until he came. After being cleaned up, they would change places. This bonding would be repeated many times during the pledge period and the goal was to create a special bond between the two guys. It was considered most likely that this was the first time the pledge ever had another guy touch his dick so this first experience was expected to, and did, create a bond between them that could never be broken.

Depending on the inclinations of the two guys involved, this "secret" activity sometimes was shared later in life whenever the two got together, sometimes even after the two married their respective wives. This was not considered "gay sex" because neither dude was attracted to guys sexually. It was just considered two guys giving each other a "helping hand".

These "rites of passage" were favorably looked upon by most fraternities. They promoted bonding and yet did not involve hazing that risked the life or health of the pledges. They did not involve forced alcohol consumption or the infliction of pain. Also, these activities took place prior to A.I.D.S. being a consideration and before all such activities were being classified as "gay" by future pledge classes.

Dr. Tom Stevens had an opportunity to observe fraternity initiation activities during the time he served as President of the Student Council of the Washington Square & University College of Arts & Science at New York University in Greenwich Village, New York where he was influential in approving budgetary requests made by fraternities associated with that school. He was not a member of any fraternity at the time but was given access to witness many fraternity initiation rites.

Fraternity Initiations - Eat The Cookie!

Fraternities throughout the 1970s engaged in many initiation activities that were "rites of passage" for the new pledges. Many of these rites included sexual activities that the senior members of the fraternity went through when they pledged and that were then visited upon proposed new fraternity members. These rites were believed to create a special bond between the brothers as evidenced by similar hazing in fire departments and in military units throughout the years.

None of these hazing activities were considered gay in nature and, in fact, most fraternities did not accept gay members. The rule was "As long as you're not gay, it's O.K." even if the fraternity initiation rite contained an extreme amount of sexual conduct. The justification was clear and logical. The pledges who engaged in these sexual hazing activities were being forced to do so to get into the fraternity so they weren't gay and the older brothers forcing the pledges to engage in the behavior were doing so to denigrate and belittle the pledges so their activities weren't gay either.

One such fraternity initiation activity I witnessed (although did not participate in) was Eat The Cookie! (referred to elsewhere as Soggy Biscuit). In its simplest, and most innocent form, pledges were lined up naked in a circle facing each other. On the floor in the middle was usually a black and white cookie, which is pretty solid and larger than most cookies. Pledges had to jerk off on the cookie and the last pledge to cum had to eat the cookie. This turned out not to be as horrible as it sounds because most of the guys couldn't shoot straight and in most instances missed the cookie entirely.

The more common form of Eat The Cookie! which had more bonding potential and lasted much longer had the pledges lined up naked next to each other. Usually the other fraternity brothers took seats facing them in order to observe the rite with a ringside seat. The first pledge was told to jerk off on the black and white cookie. After he did so, he passed the cookie to the pledge to his right. That pledge held the cookie near to his cock while the first pledge jerked him off. There was usually a time limit placed on how long each pledge now had to cum on the cookie, which increased the pressure. If the pledge could not cum on the cookie, he had to eat it. But in order to increase the chances of the pledge succeeding in his task, he needed to coach the first pledge as to how best to get him off. Such instructions included such advice as "hold it harder", "squeeze tighter" and "do it faster".

If the second pledge was able to ejaculate on the cookie, it was passed to the third pledge and then it was the duty of the second pledge to help the third pledge cum. If the second pledge failed to cum and ate the cookie, then the third pledge was given a new black and white cookie to cum on (without any time limitation) and then he aided the fourth pledge in the same manner described above. This went on for two or three full rounds so everyone had a chance to succeed or fail.

These "rites of passage" were favorably looked upon by most fraternities. They promoted bonding and yet did not involve hazing that risked the life or health of the pledges. They did not involve forced alcohol consumption or the infliction of pain. Also, these activities took place prior to A.I.D.S. being a consideration and before all such activities were being classified as "gay" by future pledge classes.

Dr. Tom Stevens had an opportunity to observe fraternity initiation activities during the time he served as President of the Student Council of the Washington Square & University College of Arts & Science at New York University in Greenwich Village, New York where he was influential in approving budgetary requests made by fraternities associated with that school. He was not a member of any fraternity at the time but was given access to witness many fraternity initiation rites.

Fraternity Initiations - The Elephant Walk

Fraternities throughout the 1970s engaged in many initiation activities that were "rites of passage" for the new pledges. Many of these rites included sexual activities that the senior members of the fraternity went through when they pledged and that were then visited upon proposed new fraternity members. These rites were believed to create a special bond between the brothers as evidenced by similar hazing in fire departments and in military units throughout the years.

None of these hazing activities were considered gay in nature and, in fact, most fraternities did not accept gay members. The rule was "As long as you're not gay, it's O.K." even if the fraternity initiation rite contained an extreme amount of sexual conduct. The justification was clear and logical. The pledges who engaged in these sexual hazing activities were being forced to do so to get into the fraternity so they weren't gay and the older brothers forcing the pledges to engage in the behavior were doing so to denigrate and belittle the pledges so their activities weren't gay either.

One such fraternity initiation activity I witnessed (although did not participate in) was the Elephant Walk. Pledges were lined up in a circle naked (on their feet or on their knees). They were told to place one of their thumbs in their mouth and their other thumb deep into the crack of the ass of the pledge in front of them. When everyone was in place, they were instructed to more forward together as a group. If any of the guy's thumbs fell out of the ass crack of the guy in front, they had to switch thumbs and continue on their journey.

Another version of the Elephant Walk I witnessed had the guys lined up naked in a circle. Their left hand was placed on the left shoulder of the guy in front of them. Their right hand had to reach behind and get a good grip on the erect cock of the guy following behind. Then they all had to move in a circle as instructed.

These "rites of passage" were favorably looked upon by most fraternities. They promoted bonding and yet did not involve hazing that risked the life or health of the pledges. They did not involve forced alcohol consumption or the infliction of pain. Also, these activities took place prior to A.I.D.S. being a consideration and before all such activities were being classified as "gay" by future pledge classes.

Dr. Tom Stevens had an opportunity to observe fraternity initiation activities during the time he served as President of the Student Council of the Washington Square & University College of Arts & Science at New York University in Greenwich Village, New York where he was influential in approving budgetary requests made by fraternities associated with that school. He was not a member of any fraternity at the time but was given access to witness many fraternity initiation rites.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

LPQC Elects New Officers At Annual Convention

The Annual Convention of the Libertarian Party of Queens County was held on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at Bohemian Hall at 29-19 24th Avenue in Astoria, New York.

The following officers were unanimously elected at the LPQC Convention to serve during the remainder of 2010 and until the next Annual Convention is held:

Chair - John Procida
Vice-Chair - John Clifton
Secretary - Dallwyn Merck
Treasurer - Ronald S. Ramo
Membership Director - Dr. Tom Stevens
State Representative - Dr. Tom Stevens

Congratulations to all who were elected!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Libertarian Party Of Queens County Endorses Sam Sloan For Governor

The Annual Convention of the Libertarian Party of Queens County was held on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 10: 30 a.m. in Bohemian Hall located at 29-19 24th Avenue in Astoria, New York.

The delegates attending the LPQC Annual Convention voted unanimously to endorse Sam Sloan, who is seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party for Governor in 2010. Items mentioned favorably during debate included Sam Sloan's commitment to donate $5,000.00 to the statewide petition drive should he receive the nomination and his active involvement in the Libertarian Party over the past few years.

Sam Sloan first joined the Libertarian Party in the 1970s but became increasingly active in the party starting in 2002. In 2006, Sloan was elected to serve as Director of Media Relations of the Manhattan Libertarian Party. He sought the nomination of the Libertarian Party for Governor in 2006 and Mayor in 2009. He recently addressed the Libertarian Party of Queens County regarding his book "The Slave Children of Thomas Jefferson". Mr. Sloan was also a candidate for an At-Large position on the National Committee of the Libertarian Party and was a delegate to the LP's National Convention in Denver, Colorado in 2008.

Samuel Howard Sloan was born September 7, 1944 in Richmond, Virginia. Sloan attended the University of California, Berkeley and later worked for two years for the Wall Street Investment Banking firm of Hayden, Stone & Co. in the over-the-counter trading department. In 1970, he established Samuel H. Sloan & Co., a registered broker-dealer primarily trading over-the-counter stocks and bonds. The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) brought civil actions against Sloan & Co. in 1971-1975 alleging he had failed to maintain adequate books and records. After years of litigation, Sloan in 1978 prevailed in the U.S. Supreme Court. Sloan argued the case pro se even though he was not an attorney. The opposing attorney was Harvey Pitt, who was later Chairman of the SEC from 2001 to 2003. Sloan won before the U.S. Supreme Court 9-0. Sloan is the last non-lawyer to argue before the court. In July, 2006, Sam Sloan was elected to the Executive Board of the United States Chess Federation.

Sloan has written an extensive lexicon of Khowar, a language spoken in Chitral, Pakistan. Sloan had a minor role in a commercially-produced film, that later became a video game, Mahjong Horoki Classic. Sloan drove a taxicab in New York City for several years. He is now primarily a publisher of books and DVDs about chess, go and other subjects. Sloan has travelled to over 80 countries. Sloan has been married three times. Sloan's second wife, Honzagool, was a native of Khowar and together they had a daughter born in New York State on October 15, 1981. Sloan converted to Islam and thus is also known as Haji Mohammed Ismail Sloan.

The LPNY Annual Convention, at which the decision regarding the nomination will be made, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 1389 Washington Avenue in Albany, New York.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Dr. Tom Stevens Designated Delegate To 2010 Libertarian Party National Convention

On Sunday, January 3, 2010, the State Committee of the Libertarian Party of New York designated Thomas Robert Stevens a delegate from New York State to the 2010 Libertarian Party National Convention that will be held from May 27-31, 2010 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Tom Stevens served as a delegate from New York State to the Libertarian Party National Conventions held in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

The 2004 LPUS National Convention was held from May 27-31, 2004 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 2006 LPUS National Convention was held from June 28-July 3, 2006 at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower located in Portland, Oregon.

The 2008 LPUS National Convention was held from May 23-26, 2008 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel (formerly the Adam's Mark Hotel) located in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Tom Stevens currently serves as Membership Director of the Libertarian Party of Queens County and serves on the State Committee of the Libertarian Party of New York representing the LPQC as its State Representative.