Saturday, August 7, 2010

Christopher Cantwell, LP Congressional Candidate In New York, Looking Forward To Using Violence To Pursue The Cause Of Liberty

Is former and future ex-con Christopher Cantwell, the Suffolk County Libertarian Party's nominee for Congress in the 1st C.D., a potential right-wing, home-grown terrorist?

There appears little doubt this is true, especially since in a statement made on August 7, 2010, Christopher Cantwell said he wouldn't mind "sacrificing" his "body for Liberty" and "would die for it if it made a worthy impact". Mr. Cantwell recently decided not to use violence against Park Police officers who objected to his petitioning on park grounds but responded as follows when challenged as to why he did not use violence in this instance: "I did not think violence was the most effective way to pursue the cause of Liberty. Though at other moments, it may very well be, and I look forward to participating then."

Mr. Cantwell's full statement was:

I've been beaten before, not that big a deal. Arrested too, I had enough cash for bail. I don't mind sacrificing my time or my body for Liberty. Truly I would die for it if it made a worthy impact. It just so happened, that at this particular moment, I did not think violence was the most effective way to pursue the cause of Liberty. Though at other moments, it may very well be, and I look forward to participating then.

Dr. Tom Stevens, Founder of Empire State Libertarians, responded:

I am very disturbed by the fact that the Suffolk County Libertarian Party has endorsed an individual who looks forward to participating in violence as a means to pursue liberty. Violence is never an effective way to pursue the cause of Liberty and only turns law-abiding people against the right-wing terrorists and their causes. I would think that Christopher Cantwell would have learned that lesson after seeing how the country turned against Timothy McVeigh. The only way to change the hearts and minds of Americans to make them more conscious of the benefits of smaller government, lower taxes and respect for our constitutional principles is through reasoned debate and non-violent political advocacy.

I do not believe Christopher Cantwell is lying about his willingness to turn to violence and become a martyr for the cause of Liberty. This is a man who is an ex-convict and who, in November, will be a convict again; this time to serve a short jail sentence on what could have been a 4-year stint in the state penitentiary, had he not plea bargained at the last moment. I have no doubt, based on the reactions and behavior I have observed, that Christopher Cantwell is serious about looking forward to using violence to pursue the cause of Liberty. I am shocked the Suffolk County Libertarian Party would embrace such a man as a candidate for Congress and that Free Libertarian Party, Inc., the State Affiliate of the national Libertarian Party, would elect such a man to serve on its State Committee as an At-Large Representative.

Dr. Tom Stevens is the Political Director of the Libertarian Party of Queens County and is Founder of Empire State Libertarians.

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