Stevens & Sloan Demand A More Pro-American, Patriotic Libertarian Party

Dr. Tom Stevens, State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County to the Liberarian Party of New York, and Sam Sloan, State Representative of the Manhattan Libertarian Party to the Libertarian Party of New York recently attended the Libertarian Party's National Convention, which took place from May 29-31, 2010 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Over five-hundred delegates from throughout the nation were in attendance. Stevens was shocked that American Flags were nowhere in sight during this LPUS National Convention taking place over Memorial Day Weekend and sought to rectify the situation.

On Friday, May 29, 2010, Dr. Stevens brought the issue to the attention of Michael Jingozian, Vice-Chair of the Libertarian Party. Stevens said, "at least one American Flag should be present in the room, and if they are available, perhaps one can be placed on either side of the dais." He told Jingozian, "This is the National Convention of an American Political Party being held over Memorial Day Weekend. The absence of an American Flag sends the wrong message about this party and only reinforces the belief that we are dominated by open-border anarchists that do not have the best interests of the United States in mind." Jingozian responded, "This is something I can handle. I will rectify the situation."

Throughout Friday and Saturday, no American Flag was brought into the room despite the fact it was confirmed that the Hotel had many American Flags available for functions such as this. Stevens again confronted Jingozian in the hallway outside the Texas Hospitality Suite on Saturday evening and Jingozian simply said he "could not get it done."

Frustrated by this apparent deliberate desire to avoid patriotic symbols at its National Convention, Sam Sloan authorized Alden Link, the LPNY candidate for Lt. Governor, to mention in his nominating speech of Mr. Sloan for the position of At-Large Representative on the LPUS National Committee, that if Mr. Sloan was elected, he would "make certain an American Flag would be in the room during future conventions."

Dan Halloran, a New York City Councilman who is "the highest Libertarian Party official elected to a single district in a partisan race" and who was also present at the Libertarian Party's National Convention said, "I cannot understand how a national political party in the United States can hold a convention and not have the national anthem sung or even an American Flag present in the room."

Dr. Tom Stevens said, "I want to see the Libertarian Party become an unapologetic, pro-American, patriotic political party. Libertarian Party leaders wonder why they have not been able to take advantage of the growing Tea Party movement to recruit new members into the party. The reason for that, in my opinion, is the continued influence in the party of open-border anarchists who disdain symbols of patriotism and would have the United States end its influence as a world power. This is not a sentiment shared by most of the patriots currently active in the Tea Party movement and that is why the Libertarian Party has lost its ability to take a leading role in this new grassroots activism."