Legalize Drugs - Conserve Valuable Time & Resources

This article was written by Melissa Clark as original content for Rising Action:

Legalize Drugs - Conserve Valuable Time & Resources

While the face of politics may be changing both locally and nationally, the message for freedom of choice and personal liberty remains the same. Libertarianism is changing too, with the emergence of new political parties such as the Personal Freedom Party and the Objectivist Party in response to divergence of objectives in the Libertarian movement. The platform on personal freedom under the Constitution however remains unchanged.

Taking the Pragmatic View on Drugs

America has more people behind bars than any other country in the world. With federal prisons at 40% over capacity and almost half of their inmates serving sentences for drug-related crime, it is time to take decisive action.

Plans have been unveiled this week by Attorney General Eric Holder to change the way in which low-level drug offenders are dealt with under the legal system. Proposals have been put forward that the Justice Department is to direct federal prosecutors in low-level drug cases to charge defendants on a basis under which they would not be subject to existing mandatory sentences. This is to be achieved by omitting the amount of drugs involved from the paperwork charging the defendant, ensuring that non-violent defendants with little or no criminal history will not receive long sentences. Labelling mandatory sentences currently required under the criminal justice system as unjust, Holder has mandated modification of charging policies to sidestep the charging of low level drug offenders altogether.

With the "War on Drugs" now in its fifth decade, it is clearly completely ineffective and has done little more than expend valuable resources which would be far better spent elsewhere.

Legalization not Decriminalization

The government has no right to interfere with or dictate to any citizen what they may or may not put into their body. Before the 1914 Harrison Opiate Control Act, many drugs which today are illegal to sell, have or use were freely available. At a time when it was perfectly legal to use cocaine, heroin or marijuana, very few Americans did so, with only 0.25% of citizens being regular users. After having spent nearly a trillion dollars, the number of opiate users has increased to around 3% of the population. A recent poll found that 99.4% of Americans, when asked if they would use hard drugs such as cocaine if it were made legal, said no. This is on a par with usage rates prior to 1914; as well as being lower than hard drug use rates in 2009.

The example of the Prohibition of alcohol is there to illustrate beyond any doubt that making drugs illegal simply does not work. Not only did Prohibition fail, but it failed spectacularly. The very reasons for its failure are as applicable today to drugs as it was then for alcohol.

Far from reducing crime and reducing prison populations, Prohibition had entirely the opposite effect. It is on record that thirty major cities experienced a rise in crime of 24% between 1920 and 1921. More money was expended on policing and greater numbers of people arrested for violation of Prohibition laws; but despite this, drunk and disorderly arrests experienced an increase of over 40%, and drunk-driving arrests went up by more than 80%. As a result of Prohibition, more crimes occurred as well as a substantial rise in black market violence. Far from emptying the prisons, Prohibition filled them to capacity.

Treating Drug Use as Illness not Crime

By treating the use of drugs such as cocaine or heroin as an illness rather than a crime, resources can be focused on treatment and rehabilitation of addicts. The solution to drug abuse through treatment and education produces far better results than criminalization ever did. It is evident from the example of Portugal, where drugs have been decriminalized for over ten years now, that offering an addict cocaine detox instead of sending them to prison, where drugs are freely available, is more cost effective and is more likely to lead to sustainable rehabilitation. According to The Guardian, the stance of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is that cocaine addiction and other hard drug dependency should be treated as an illness and that those people who take drugs need medical help, not prison sentences. Instead of being sentenced to long mandatory sentences for their drug habit, addicts should be offered support and rehabilitation. However, it needs to be said that not all drugs or drug use leads to addiction. Furthermore, not all drug use should be considered an illness. Addiction is a kind of illness, but recreational use with control is completely different to someone with an addictive personality who cannot control their use of any substance be it drugs, alcohol or even sugar.

Focus on Traffickers and not Users

UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, spoke about the continuing need to focus on drug traffickers to reduce drug use. He illustrated the failure of the American Government to prosecute the world’s largest banks for drug money laundering on behalf of the drug cartel and said that drug users and addicts need help rather than stigmatization.

Charles Intragio, of Miami-based Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists, commented on the zero tolerance shown towards individuals, who repeatedly receive sentences for personal drug use, while billion dollar money laundering and violation of international sanctions attracts nothing more than a fine.  

Kristin M. Davis Appointed Women's Outreach Coordinator Of The Libertarian Party Of Queens County (NY)

On September 14, 2013, the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Queens County appointed Kristin Davis to serve as the group's Women's Outreach Coordinator. Ms. Davis, formerly known as the Manhattan Madam for having run a high-end prostitution ring in New York City, was most recently nominated by the Libertarian Party to run for New York City Comptroller at a Nominating Convention held on April 9, 2013. In 2010, she was the gubernatorial candidate of the Anti-Prohibition Party. In that race, she stated she was confident she could "collect more than enough signatures from cadres of escorts, ex-escorts, strippers, dancers, dommes, gays, lesbians, Libertarians, Ron Paul supporters, U.S. Marines, rappers who revere the pimp and other lovers of freedom moving my petitions." Ms. Davis got on the ballot, participated in the official New York Gubernatorial Debate at Hofstra University on October 18, 2010 and ended up receiving 20,898 votes in the official tally.

Kristin Davis, who claims to have been the woman behind "the most successful prostitution ring in the history of the sex industry" with over 30,000 clients, was a former Hedge Fund Vice-President. She graduated Valedictorian from her High School at age 15 and Sum Cum Laude from St. Mary's College where she obtained a degree in business. Busted as the Manhattan Madam, she served 4 months at Riker's Island and forfeited all her assets. She recently dropped out the race for New York City Comptroller after being arrested for peddling hundreds of painkillers and other prescription drugs. Ms. Davis has plead "not guilty" to the current charges pending against her.

John Clifton, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Queens County, said:

The Libertarian Party of Queens County proudly takes a risk, and stands up for a friend and ally of liberty, Kristin Davis, by appointing her Women's Outreach Coordinator for the chapter. She will be brainstorming approaches to attracting more women into the Libertarian Party, using our county as a testing ground. I believe freedom is popular with both genders, thus the lopsided male configuration of the liberty movement has lasted for too long. It's time our party solved this problem, once and for all.

Both the recent allegations against her, and her convicted felon status are derived from, morality aside, consensual, non-violent activity that victimized no human being. I do not believe any of the drug laws are even constitutional, thus the politically-timed attack on Davis, disguised as criminal charges based on these or other anti-liberty laws, ultimately should not prevail.

Kristin Davis, gratefully accepted the appointment as Women's Outreach Coordinator, saying:

I am proud to be a member of the Libertarian Party of Queens County and to now serve the organization by bringing the message of liberty to as many women as possible. The Queens LP has always welcomed me with open arms and I have long considered the chapter to be my home in the Libertarian Party. When I was under pressure and faced stress in my private life, officers in the chapter reached out to me to say they stood solidly behind me and that I could count on their friendship. This kind of loyalty is rare in the political world so when Dr. Tom Stevens, the Political Director of the Libertarian Party of Queens County, asked if I would be interested in serving as the chapter's Women's Outreach Coordinator, I was honored and expressed my interest. Now that the Executive Committee has formally made the appointment, I am eager to get to work.

Kristin M. Davis is the Founder of Hope House and the www.WeStopTrafficking.com website. Hope House offers shelter and supportive services to victims of sex trafficking and provides those trafficked with transitional housing, counseling, legal assistance, victim recovery services and also an immediate response team for emergency cases.

NYC Libertarians Make Candidate Strides, Build Pro-Liberty Alliances In 2013

The Libertarian Party of Queens County (LPQC) reports one of the best years New York City area Libertarians have had in fielding pro-liberty candidates for office, including three strong contenders for all the citywide offices. In a parallel development, LPQC advises it has made a host of inroads in major party development, and in fostering alliances with pro-liberty groups and projects within the state and metropolitan area, among them the newly formed Tea Party of New York.

 

After an internal dispute involving two party nominating conventions, the following nominees have obtained ballot status as the LP candidates for citywide office: Michael Sanchez for Mayor, Hesham El-Meligy for Comptroller, and Alex Merced for Public Advocate. Libertarians are particularly supportive of Sanchez, a strong young local advocate for liberty causes who has been active in LP campaigns and other liberty events in the city prior to his nomination. He is running for Mayor because “New York City has an out-of-control government hell-bent on running our lives. It continues to violate the fourth amendment rights of our citizens with its stop and frisk policy. I plan on terminating this policy.”

 

Altogether, LP activists fielded “a record eight candidates on the ballot as Libertarians for various local offices throughout the nation's largest city this November,” reported LPNY Chair Mark Axinn. Another candidate, ex-madam turned libertarian Kristin Davis, was also initially nominated for Comptroller. She later withdrew her candidacy due to criminal allegations announced mid-summer, which some observers feel were suspiciously timed to discredit her. Queens LP members have encouraged her instead to become the new Women’s Outreach Coordinator for LPQC. In addition to Davis, LPQC also appointed Tom Miller as the chapter’s current Youth Outreach Coordinator, to foment a college based libertarian movement on Queens campuses.

 

That commitment to outreach extends to the chapter’s successful networking campaign with Oathkeepers, the Queens Campaign for Liberty, the Equal Access Ballot Coalition, and Tea Party groups over the past year. “Liberty needs friends, and we go beyond exchanging cards or phone numbers. Several of these groups’ members are now officers with LPQC, or vice versa,” says LPQC Chair John Clifton. Most recently, LPQC Membership Director and former State LP Chair Tom Stevens was elected Vice-Chair of the Tea Party of New York. In all, these ‘cross-pollination’ efforts are expected to forge long term alliances for liberty throughout the metropolitan area. 

  

Michael Sanchez for Mayor site:  https://www.facebook.com/MichaelSanchezForNYCMayor

Hesham El-Meligy for Comptroller site:  https://www.facebook.com/Meligy4NY

Alex Merced, Public Advocate site:  https://www.facebook.com/AlexMercedForNewYork 

Video On the 2013 NYC LP Candidates:  http://youtu.be/WHWhGwow4dA 

 

Note: Upcoming events of the Libertarian Party of Queens County are listed at the following url:

http://www.meetup.com/QueensLP/

Equal Access Ballot Coalition Formed With First Affiliates In New York & Pennsylvania

The Equal Access Ballot Coalition, a new organization with affiliates in New York and Pennsylvania, exists for the following purposes:

1. To educate the public regarding the importance of allowing independent candidates and nominees of political parties to obtain placement on the general election ballot with few, if any, barriers, which should be the same for all candidates seeking elective office.

2. To seek an end to all regulation and involvement of government in the internal affairs and nomination processes of all political parties.

3. To end taxpayer funding for party primaries and nominating conventions of political parties.

4. To allow all candidates to list a party affiliation to appear by their name on the general election ballot.

5. To have an Independent Election Commission responsible for the coordination and running of all elections, said members to be trained and selected on merit and not because of their affiliation with a particular political party.

Two chapters of the Equal Access Ballot Coalition have been chartered in New York and Pennsylvania. Activists work to build the number of organizations in the coalition and to help the group make progress towards the achievement of its main goals.

Evan Laufer, County Chair of the Personal Freedom Party of Allegheny County, who joined the Equal Access Ballot Coalition of Pennsylvania as an Activist on September 4, 2013, said:

Pennsylvania has a great need for an activist coalition of organizations fighting for the right of all candidates to obtain equal ballot access and to end the micromanagement by government bureaucrats of the internal affairs of political parties. Pennsylvania law makes it very difficult for minor party candidates to obtain placement on the general election ballot resulting in reduced political competition, less political dialog and fewer choices for the voters. The current system is unfair and does a disservice to the ideal of democracy.

The only similar group in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition, that has an out-of-date website announcing an "upcoming fundraiser" at The Shady Maple Farm Market & Smorgasbord, which took place on October 21, 2011. Dr. Stevens, the Founder of the Equal Access Ballot Coalition, attended that fundraiser and was shocked by the group's lack of a strategic game plan and by the inactivity and general lack of enthusiasm of members of the group. Bob Small, who is the self-appointed Facilitator of the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition, actually rejected the request of the Objectivist Party of Pennsylvania and the Personal Freedom Party of Pennsylvania to join saying that, in his opinion, those Minor Parties weren't active enough to meet his subjective standards for membership in the coalition and that they didn't need the extra help. In addition, during the GOP challenge to the petitions of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPA) in 2012, the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition did not send out a single News Release exposing the inequities in the system and, hence, lost an excellent opportunity to obtain more public support for fairer ballot access laws in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.   

Pennsylvania needs a strong voice advocating for Equal Access to the ballot for Independent and Minor Party candidates. The Equal Access Ballot Coalition of Pennsylvania is that voice!

Tom Miller, Vice-Chair of Downstate Libertarians (a chartered chapter of Empire State Libertarians), who joined the Equal Access Ballot Coalition of New York as an Activist on September 6, 2013, said:

Political parties are private entities and their internal affairs should not be dictated by government bureaucrats enforcing unconstitutional laws. Every political party should have the absolute right to decide who may join it and the manner in which candidates will be nominated. Citizens should be required to register to vote but membership in a political party should be established in accordance with the bylaws of that party and not by the state. All candidates for public office, whether formally nominated by a political party or not, should be placed on the general election ballot, with few, if any, barriers. If a candidate has been formally and properly nominated by a political party in accordance with its rules, that candidate should be permitted to have the name of that party appear on the ballot next to the candidate's name. Voters should be permitted to cast ballots online or in person at any polling place. Once the identity of the voter in confirmed, the races that voter is eligible to cast a ballot in should be immediately accessed through secure software and a physical receipt of that voter having cast a ballot should be maintained.  

The Equal Access Ballot Coalition of New York calls for the establishment of an Independent Election Commission to supervise elections, to count the ballots and to certify the results. Allowing members of the two main political parties to be directly involved in the election process violates international standards for free and fair elections. Members of the Independent Election Commission must be selected based on competency and merit and not because of their affiliation with a political party. 

There is a group entitled Coalition For Free & Open Elections (COFOE) that has existed since 1985 and held its last Board Meeting on July 14, 2013 in New York City. It supports Universal Registration and a Federal Law creating uniform standards for state and local elections dictated by the federal government. These are goals not shared by the Equal Access Ballot Coalition. In addition, the Coalition For Free & Open Elections charges individuals $30.00 annually to join and charges organizations $50.00 annually if the other groups in the coalition approve the organization's application for membership at the one Board Meeting they hold each year. Anyone can join the Equal Access Ballot Coalition and become an Activist for free and organizations who wish to become coalition members are welcomed.

Major changes need to be made in the election law of this state and the Equal Access Ballot Coalition of New York will be in the forefront of educating the public regarding these issues.

The Equal Access Ballot Coalition was established by Thomas Robert Stevens on August 27, 2013.

Allegheny County Chapter of the Personal Freedom Party of Pennsylvania Organized

The Personal Freedom Party of Allegheny County was organized and granted a charter by the Personal Freedom Party of Pennsylvania on September 4, 2013.

Evan Laufer, an Eagle Scout born and raised in Pittsburgh, was elected as its County Chair. He is studying Economics and Music at the Community College of Allegheny County. Mr. Laufer graduated from Plum Senior High School. His interest in Free Markets, Individual Freedom and people such as Dr. Ron Paul and Ludwig Von Mises inspired him to join the Personal Freedom Party of Pennsylvania. He was formerly active in the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania as a member of the Media Relations and Legislative Action Committees but left due to the dysfunctionality of that organization.

In accepting the position, Mr. Laufer said:

I am very honored to have been elected County Chair of the Personal Freedom Party of Allegheny County. Exciting opportunities lie ahead for the Personal Freedom Party of Pennsylvania founded by Dr. Tom Stevens on July 20, 2013. I reached out to Dr. Stevens to get involved in this new political party because of my respect and admiration for all he accomplished serving as State Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania from April 22, 2012 to April 5, 2013. After he left and most of his leadership team resigned or left the party in disgust at the internal antics and destructive behavior of a handful of toxic libertarians, I had no interest in remaining active in an organization run by amateurs and anarchists whose only interest seemed to be attacking committed pro-liberty activists within its ranks. Dr. Stevens brings his leadership experience and dedicated activism to the new Personal Freedom Party of Pennsylvania and I wanted to get in on the ground floor. I am very excited about this voice for liberty and I will do my best to make a difference.

The Personal Freedom Party Platform includes support for the Legalization of Marijuana, Decriminalization of Prostitution, Legalization of Gambling, Lowering of the Voting Age, Legalization of Gay Marriage, Elimination of Excessive Taxation and Elimination of Excessive Regulation. Its slogan is Tell Your Children! Fight The Menace! Kill The Devil! Save The Country!. The phrase was used in the song Reefer Madness from Reefer Madness: The Musical, which is a musical satire of the 1938 cult movie classic Tell Your Children (now commonly referred to as Reefer Madness).

The Personal Freedom Party was founded on June 6, 2010.

Applause! Applause! Review of Jesus Christ Superstar at Cultural Arts Playhouse by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens

This review of Jesus Christ Superstar performed at the Cultural Arts Playhouse was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 3 (2013) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!

Jesus Christ Superstar
Cultural Arts Playhouse (44 Lincoln Avenue, Rosyln Heights, NY)
Reviewed 7/24/13

Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The show opened on Broadway on October 12, 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre and closed on June 30, 1973 after 711 performances. The musical is loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the last week of Jesus' life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. It highlights political and interpersonal struggles that may have existed between Judas Iscariot and Jesus but which are not mentioned or referenced in the Bible. There was a Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2000 at the Ford Center that lasted for 161 performances and on March 22, 2012 another Broadway revival of the rock opera was staged at the Neil Simon Theatre, which ended July 1, 2012 after 116 performances.

This production of Jesus Christ Superstar has a fresh feel to it and features a very talented ensemble cast. The two standout performers were Michelle Belio, who played Mary Magdaline, and Roger Leonardis, who brought gravitas to the role of Pontius Pilate. Ms. Belio's rendition of "I Don't Know How To Love Him" captured my attention as I sat in awe of her amazing vocal abilities and her realistic portrayal of Mary Magdaline, a prostitute who is Jesus' current lover in the musical. This relationship and the increasing radical political activism of the followers of Jesus are objected to by Judas Iscariot, a long-time follower of Jesus, who believes his partnering with a prostitute and challenges to the existing Jewish religious hierarchy, places his ministry at risk, opens them up to criticism and takes them away from their original message of helping the poor, a goal now apparently abandoned by Jesus. Matthew Demaria, who plays Judas, has a powerful voice but I believe he was not the best choice for this part. With Jesus, Judas and Mary being the main characters in this rock opera, the jealousy, sexual tension and strategic disagreements need to be highlighted to make the play work and that was absent in this production. Also disappointing was Joe DeMaria, who played King Herod. "King Herod's Song" should have brought the house down but Mr. DeMaria wasn't strong enough to pull it off. Christopher Russo portrayed Jesus as an introverted character with delusions of grandeur who believed God was ordering his death and that he must comply. Mr. Russo's most brilliant moment came during his extraordinary rendition of "Gethsemane".

It is hard to discern Judas' true motives in betraying Jesus. Was he afraid the revolutionary activism of Jesus' followers would result in retaliation by Roman authorities causing the suffering of many Jews, did he believe the ministry had deviated from its original goals and purpose, or was Judas jealous of Mary Magdaline's new role in the ministry replacing him as Jesus' confidant and right-hand man. Another possible interpretation presented in the 2012 Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar was that Judas was sexually attracted to Jesus and got angry when Jesus turned his affections to Mary Magdaline, rationalizing his betrayal with the argument that Jesus having a relationship with a prostitute undermined Jesus' moral preaching and would ultimately lead to the destruction of the entire ministry. The one line in this rock opera that made me cringe was when Jesus confronted Judas for betraying him and said, "You Liar, You Judas!" using the word Judas to mean traitor well before it gained that secondary meaning.

All in all, I was very pleased with this production of Jesus Christ Superstar and I recommend you see it. 

Tea Party of New York Organizes To Run More Pro-Liberty Candidates In 2014

On Tuesday, August 6, 2013, the Tea Party of New York was formed at an Organizational Meeting held at the Massapequa Public Library located at 40 Harbor Lane in Massapequa Park, New York. Brian Mahon was elected State Chair and Dr. Tom Stevens was elected Vice-Chair.

The motion that unanimously passed forming the Tea Party of New York read as follows: "that it is the purpose of those assembled, after having received proper notice, to form a new Political Party in the State of New York entitled "Tea Party of New York" and that those individuals recording their name on the Founding Members sign-in sheet shall permanently be known as the Founding Members of the Tea Party of New York, the purpose of which shall be to run pro-liberty candidates for public office in the State of New York."

Brian Mahon, the newly elected State Chair of the Tea Party of New York, said:

I live, work and play in New York. The obvious critical conditions of all phases of our society demand that people of all kind make an effort to do something before our way of life becomes a faded memory. The simple inverse relationship, between liberty, and the size and scope of government, is the growing cancer on the heart and soul of our way of life. If government is indeed a necessary "evil", it is no wonder that the growing threat to our freedom and individual liberty is the very government we created.

We the people are the Dr. Frankenstein of our time, as well-intentioned as we were, our creation has now turned on us, and has come to destroy the very people it was meant to serve. The worst is yet to come!

Over time as with many great nations, its original intent has been lost, stolen, sold, negotiated, or simply sold out! In my New York, the disappearance of the two-party system has fed the monster that is our government on all levels. That, plus the fact the New York State Republican Party to this day remains in the hands of a single man so devoid of any concern for anything other than how much money, power and influence he can wield, regardless of the harm and destruction it causes.

The rise of the Tea Party is the perfect medicine for this disease, and what better place to apply this than in New York, the bluest of states suffering these blues. 

Some of the values I intend to reinforce with the New York Tea Party are support for a veterans bill of rights, the flat tax, the right to privacy, as well as strong support for the 2nd and 4th Amendments.

I seek a return to the simple genius our Founding Fathers gifted us when they created our system of government or non-government government, as the value of the individual, freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness was the defining purpose and its protection of these values, by the government, which has become totally lost.

Dr. Tom Stevens, the newly elected Vice-Chair of the Tea Party of New York, commented on the party's prospects:

I am very honored the delegates in attendance at the Organizational Meeting of the Tea Party of New York elected me to serve as its Vice-Chair. I see great promise for this new political party and will do all I can to recruit pro-liberty candidates to run for public office and to enable the party to be a strong and effective voice for liberty in the State of New York. Under the able leadership of Brian Mahon, the party's new State Chair, I expect there will be significant growth in this new grassroots movement. I will use all my political experience and expertise to help the Tea Party of New York make its mark on the political scene in New York State.

The Tea Party of New York has decided not to charge membership dues and will instead rely on donations and contributions to fund its activities.

Russia Should Be Applauded For Granting Asylum To Edward Snowden

Patrick Lembo, Chair of Downstate Libertarians, wrote the following article regarding Russia recently granting temporary asylum to Edward Snowden:

"Russia granting asylum to Edward Snowden sets up a beautiful libertarian opportunity; a criticism of foreign policy and civil rights violations should be pushed to highlight the maladministration and oppressive nature of the federal government; the Snowden situation should be used as a rallying cry for liberty seeking Americans to join together and take back individual freedoms and root out overbearing globalist politicians and activists from decision making. Human rights advocates, U.S. foreign policy experts and members of Congress are clearly upset by Russia's decision to give temporary asylum to Snowden. It is perceived as a sign of disrespect and lack of understanding to these experts who, with their superfluous arrogance, want complete control over the world's decision making and are deflated that the incredibly weak President Obama has again failed to show assertiveness in a trying situation. Russia should be applauded for granting Snowden asylum and thumbing its nose at the feds.

The saddest thing about the Edward Snowden situation is that his actions are what it took to reinvigorate the issue that constitutional rights are being shattered by the federal government with the coerced help of the major telecommunication companies. Mark Klein, the former AT&T employee, divulged details about the NSA installing equipment to capture telecommunications data in 2006 and this revelation caused considerable stir; it eventually faded away from the American consciousness like most news stories do. These constitutional violations have never been forgotten by Libertarians, but even after congressional admissions and countless reports seem to only affect the average American when a "whistle blower" comes forward. For this reason, whether the person is a government employee, a contractor or neither, anyone with privy information speaking out about massive constitutional violations is a hero. Some Americans, but not enough, have been constantly tracking the egregious civil liberty infractions imposed by the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act, FISA and its continued extensions. There is nothing shocking about the Snowden revelations aside from the ignorance of the majority of Americans as to what has been happening and what is surely to come.

The Libertarian Party has always been at the forefront of defending Americans' 4th Amendment rights in regards to blanket, pre-emptive data collection; however the Democrat and Republican parties have massively failed and are both to blame for the lack of constitutional probity. Recently, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie attacked libertarian thinking, saying there is a dangerous libertarian strain in the Republican Party right now, and esoteric, intellectual debates don't hold up when talking to family members of 9/11 victims. Christie's fear based rhetoric sends the clear message that many Republican leaders aren't interested in fighting for constitutional privacy rights and are intent on broadening the powers of the NSA and FISA. Leading Democrat thinkers like John Podesta, the chairman of Center for American Progress, have not directly criticized the spying, but that there are too many government contractors involved, like Snowden, and that everyone involved in the data collection on Americans should be a government employee. Ultimately, neither of the two parties can be trusted on the issue. There are isolated examples of Senators and Representatives on both sides showing concern about privacy and constitutional rights of citizens, but the majorities continue to support the Executive Branch. Both the Bush and Obama administrations have misled and fobbed off the nation while violating the premise of the 4th Amendment.

All the evidence points towards every single phone call, text message, and e-mail being recorded and eventually stored in the NSA facility being built in Utah; a massive data collection center with the capability to store mind boggling amounts of data. We cannot trust the explanation that although the data is being preemptively collected it has to be approved by a judge before being examined. The process is completely secret and, as we saw the Bush Administration already do, a secret court can and will be set up outside of FISA, effectively blocking all checks and balances of the judicial process. The Bush Administration granted retroactive immunity to telecom companies for violating the Constitution on the grounds that they were aiding the fight against terror. It is now basically fruitless to sue the telecom companies as the suit will be tossed out. Again, all of this information was already known but brought to the American consciousness and expanded by the Snowden situation.

As bad as the situation is with the NSA, apparently and predictably it doesn't stop there. Other federal agencies feel snubbed that they aren't privy to the endless data collection and have been clamoring for access. The D.E.A., Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service, and the Pentagon have been frequent complainers that the mass data pool isn't easily available to everyone in the federal government. In the name of foreign policy and national security, every major fed wants their slice of the illegally recorded data. It won't stop there either; all of the other expanding departments are eventually going to have access to this metadata. For now the pretext is safety and security; constitutional rights are nothing more than a pesky hurdle.

Hopefully Snowden's asylum continues to garner media attention to highlight the current pathetic bully tactics behind American foreign policy and keeps constitutional violations in the minds of citizens who will hopefully take action against it. Threatening other countries for harboring a national hero shows the flimsy certitude that the federal government exhibits and believes in by trying to control its citizens and other nations."

Downstate Libertarians is a chartered chapter of Empire State Libertarians covering Richmond, New York, the Bronx, Westchester & Rockland counties. Empire State Libertarians was founded on July 4, 2010.

Independent Political Report Disparages The Very Third Parties It Seeks To Cover

Independent Political Report, a website that claims to have reported on "Third Parties & Independent Candidates Since 2008", often disparages the very third parties it reports on in "news articles" that are little more than hit pieces designed to place a number of third parties in a bad light. Krzysztof Lesiak, one of the main contributors, is the most egregious offender.

The Personal Freedom Party's New York City Nominating Convention held on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Boulder Creek Steakhouse in College Point, New York nominated Sam Sloan to be its candidate for Mayor of New York City. Mr. Sloan recently spent $22,900.00 on a petition drive to get his slate into the Republican Party Primary for Mayor, Comptroller and Public Advocate. The Personal Freedom Party petition drive is still ongoing.

In writing an article about this situation, Krzysztof Lesiak, a contributor to Independent Political Report, referred to the Personal Freedom Party as an "essentially nonexistent political party in New York State" "without more than a handful of legitimate members". He said Sam Sloan's nomination took place "at what was termed a nominating convention" and called the party a "frivolous political organization...without state recognition of any kind or anything else". Mr. Lesiak placed the party's name in quotation marks to further denigrate its legitimacy and later in the article referred to it as "a paper organization".

Dr. Tom Stevens, National Chair of the Personal Freedom Party objected to these characterizations. Thane Eichenauer, commenting on the article at the Independent Political Report site, wrote:

I agree with Dr. Tom Stevens in his objection to the description of the Personal Freedom Party (of New York State) as "virtually non-existent", a "frivolous political organization" and a "paper organization."

The Libertarian Party and its candidates (not to mention most third parties in the last 3 decades) have in the past been labelled with similar terms that disparage the passionate, principled and very real efforts that people put into its behalf.

So long as a person is willing to attempt to place a political party and its candidates on the ballot, it should be given fair and dispassionate coverage on IPR or any other media. An aspiring political party may not have a "website, formal organization, bylaws, more than a handful of legitimate members, state recognition of any kind" but so long as it is possible for it to qualify it should not receive coverage of this sort.

"State Recognition"? Come on now, that is what the bureaucratic endeavor is intended to accomplish.

If your contribution to IPR is to write articles that are clearly biased about certain people and their political endeavors, then you have done that and done it well.

Several of the disparaging terms in your article are only true in some people's opinion, some, perhaps most may be true and yet still be clearly biased in their use. How many of the terms are relevant when it comes to discussing, describing and covering the issue of the quest for ballot access for a new political party in New York? I would asset that few to none of the terms are topic relevant. If any of the disparaging terms are relevant as far as ballot access and the legal hurdles involved certainly your article does nothing to point out which are and which are not. Those terms that are potentially not relevant should either be omitted or modified so they are neutral and descriptive and not clearly disparaging.

You then further comment that the "Personal Freedom Party is a bullshit organization that exists in theory only." There are two claims packed into that sentence. I would assert that a person could argue either side of "is the PFP or is not the PFP a bullshit organization?" and have a 50%+ chance of persuading any given audience as to the truth or falsity of the claim. As for "exists in theory only", I would say that as soon as someone hired two paid petitioners that the Personal Freedom Party ceased by any reasonable measure to exist in theory only.

I believe it would be possible to write an article on the effort of Stevens to qualify the PFP for the New York ballot which accurately describes the party and the likelihood of success (or lack thereof) of its ballot access effort without using terms that Stevens or I would object to. What is it that prevents you from doing so? Are you unable or just disinclined? If you are capable of writing an article full of facts such that neither Stevens nor I can dispute the accuracy of then I strongly encourage you to do so.

I live in Arizona and have minimal first hand knowledge of New York state ballot access laws. I haven't met Dr. Tom Stevens. I would prefer to read unbiased new reporting on any political party especially those that claim to wish to advance freedom so as to accurately identify people and groups worth supporting. Your article and comments only muddy the water in this regard due to your mix of what may well be facts and other information which is clearly included because of your personal opinion.

In case there was any doubt about the defamatory intent of Krzysztof Lesiak, who wrote the "news article", in the comments section, he defended himself by saying, "'Doctor' Stevens is a dangerous person to the LP and he needs to be ostracized from it at all costs". Mr. Lesiak also referred to Dr. Tom Stevens as a "deranged moron".

Matthew Kelly, a member of the Personal Freedom Party of New York who was the elected Secretary Pro Tem of the party's New York City Nominating Convention held on May 11, 2013, reacted as follows:

The Personal Freedom Party has been a pro-liberty activist organization in New York State for over three (3) years with many committed members and none of the infighting often present in other political parties and organizations. It is not as the IPR contributor Krzysztof Lesiak said, "essentially nonexistent" nor is it a "frivolous political organization". It is outrageous that a site committed to reporting on the activities of third parties would disparage the reputation of those very parties. Krzysztof Lesiak should be immediately dismissed as a contributor to Independent Political Report. To me, he appears to be nothing more than an immature, pot-smoking pipsqueak who shouldn't be given serious responsibilities.   

Dr. Tom Stevens founded the Personal Freedom Party on June 6, 2010. Its initial focus has been to recruit candidates to run for public office as well as to seek out pro-liberty individuals willing to serve in leadership positions. The Personal Freedom Party Platform (adopted on November 5, 2010) includes support for Legalization of Marijuana, Decriminalization of Prostitution, Legalization of Gambling, Lowering of the Voting Age, Legalization of Gay Marriage, Elimination of Excessive Taxation and Elimination of Excessive Regulation. On November 11, 2010, the Personal Freedom Party adopted the slogan, "Tell Your Children! Fight The Menace! Kill The Devil! Save The Country!" The phrase was used in the song "Reefer Madness" from Reefer Madness: The Musical, which is a musical satire of the 1938 cult movie classic Tell Your Children (now commonly referred to as Reefer Madness).

Casey's Revenge (Sequel to Casey At The Bat) by Grantland Rice

Casey's Revenge, a sequel to Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic, Sung in the Year 1888, was written in 1906 by Grantland Rice (1880-1954). Its first known appearance in print was in the quarterly magazine The Speaker in June, 1907 published under the pseudonym of James Wilson.

The original version of the poem is the following:

There were saddened hearts in Mudville for a week or even more;

There were muttered oaths and curses - every fan in town was sore.

"Just think," said one, "how soft it looked with Casey at the bat,

And then to think he'd go and spring a bush league trick like that!"

All his past fame was forgotten - he was now a hopeless "shine."

They called him "Strike-Out Casey," from the mayor down the line;

And as he came to bat each day his bosom heaved a sigh,

While a look of hopeless fury shone in mighty Casey's eye.

He pondered in the days gone by that he had been their king,

That when he strolled up to the plate they made the welkin ring;

But now his nerve had vanished, for when he heard them hoot

He "fanned" or "popped out" daily, like some minor league recruit.

He soon began to sulk and loaf, his batting eye went lame;

No home runs on the score card now were chalked against his name;

The fans without exception gave the manager no peace,

For one and all kept clamoring for Casey's quick release.

The Mudville squad began to slump, the team was in the air;

Their playing went from bad to worse - nobody seemed to care.

"Back to the woods with Casey!" was the cry from Rooters' Row.

"Get some one who can hit the ball, and let that big dub go!"

The lane is long, some one has said, that never turns again,

And Fate, though fickle, often gives another chance to men;

And Casey smiled; his rugged face no longer wore a frown -

The pitcher who had started all the trouble came to town.

All Mudville had assembled - ten thousand fans had come

To see the twirler who had put big Casey on the bum;

And when he stepped into the box, the multitude went wild;

He doffed his cap in proud disdain, but Casey only smiled.

"Play ball!" the umpire's voice rang out, and then the game began.

But in that throng of thousands there was not a single fan

Who thought that Mudville had a chance, and with the setting sun

Their hopes sank low - the rival team was leading "four to one."

The last half of the ninth came round, with no change in the score;

But when the first man up hit safe, the crowd began to roar;

The din increased, the echo of ten thousand shouts was heard

When the pitcher hit the second and gave "four balls" to the third.

Three men on base - nobody out - three runs to tie the game!

A triple meant the highest niche in Mudville's hall of fame;

But here the rally ended and the gloom was deep as night,

When the fourth one "fouled to catcher" and the fifth "flew out to right."

A dismal groan in chorus came; a scowl was on each face

When Casey walked up, bat in hand, and slowly took his place;

His bloodshot eyes in fury gleamed, his teeth were clenched in hate;

He gave his cap a vicious hook and pounded on the plate.

But fame is fleeting as the wind and glory fades away;

There were no wild and woolly cheers, no glad acclaim this day;

They hissed and groaned and hooted as they clamored: "Strike him out!"

But Casey gave no outward sign that he had heard this shout.

The pitcher smiled and cut one loose - across the plate it sped;

Another hiss, another groan. "Strike one!" the umpire said.

Zip! Like a shot the second curve broke just below the knee.

"Strike two!" the umpire roared aloud; but Casey made no plea.

No roasting for the umpire now - his was an easy lot;

But here the pitcher whirled again - was that a rifle shot?

A whack, a crack, and out through the space the leather pellet flew,

A blot against the distant sky, a speck against the blue.

Above the fence in center field in rapid whirling flight

The sphere sailed on - the blot grew dim and then was lost to sight.

Ten thousand hats were thrown in air, ten thousand threw a fit,

But no one ever found the ball that mighty Casey hit.

O, somewhere in this favored land dark clouds may hide the sun,

And somewhere bands no longer play and children have no fun!

And somewhere over blighted lives there hangs a heavy pall,

But Mudville hearts are happy now, for Casey hit the ball.  

Casey At The Bat: A Ballad Of The Republic, Sung In The Year 1888 by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic, Sung in the Year 1888 is a baseball poem written by Ernest Lawrence Thayer (1863-1940) that first appeared in San Francisco's The Daily Examiner on June 3, 1888. The poem was originally published anonymously (under the pen name "Phin") based on Thayer's college nickname "Phineas".

The original text is the following:

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day;

The score stood four to two with but one inning more to play,

And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,

A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest

Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;

They thought if only Casey could but get a whack at that -

We'd put up even money now with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,

And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;

So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,

For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,

And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;

And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,

There was Johnnie safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;

It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,

For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;

There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.

And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,

No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;

Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.

Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,

Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,

And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.

Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped -

"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,

Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.

"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted some one on the stand;

And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;

He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;

He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;

But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;

But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.

They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,

And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clinched in hate;

He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.

And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,

And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.

Sam Sloan Switcheroo Sinks Slate

The Personal Freedom Party held its New York City Nominating Convention on May 11, 2013. Sam Sloan was nominated for Mayor, Thomas Robert Stevens was nominated for Public Advocate, and Richard Bozulich was later nominated for Comptroller. John Clifton, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Queens County, was hired to be Petition Coordinator and liaison to Darryl Bonner and Gerald Bundy, the two paid petitions who were required by contract to obtain 7,000 signatures in support of the drive. Matthew Kelly, Vice-Chair of Long Island Libertarians, agreed to serve as Treasurer of the Committee to Elect Sam Sloan Mayor and opened a checking account on behalf of Sam Sloan's campaign. Payment for the first week of two weeks lodging for the petitioners was paid out of that account and the petition form was carefully scrutinized and approved by all involved. Sam Sloan, Darryl Bonner and Gerald Bundy signed a written contract detailing the obligations of all parties.  

On Monday, July 8, 2013, Sam Sloan, Darryl Bonner and John Clifton met in Queens to discuss the implementation of the contract in anticipation of the collection of signatures on behalf of the slate nominated by the Personal Freedom Party. That evening, Sam Sloan told Darryl Bonner he had a side-contract he wanted him to execute first, namely, the collection of petition signatures to get his Personal Freedom Party slate on the ballot as Republican Party candidates. Darryl Bonner and John Clifton confirm Sam Sloan told them they were not to tell anyone about this side-contract, which included his candidates, Richard Bozulich and Tom Stevens, the State Chair of the Personal Freedom Party. Sam Sloan provided Darryl Bonner with Republican Party petitions to circulate and had opened a separate checking account to write checks for expenses associated with this side-contract without the knowledge of Matthew Kelly, who was under the impression the petition drive was to get the Personal Freedom Party nominees on the ballot in November.

Given that the deadline for the submission of petition signatures for Republican Party candidates was midnight on July 11, 2013, there was only a window of 3 days to obtain the required 3,750 signatures. Darryl Bonner and John Clifton confirm that Sam Sloan told Darryl Bonner to just go out and get whoever he could to sign the petitions, without asking whether the signer was a registered Republican or even a registered voter. Sam Sloan spent $22,900.00 to pay for the expenses of paid petitioners, a number of whom were flown in from out of state. He contends Darryl Bonner was paid for 5,200 petition signatures while 4,517 signatures were actually filed.

The petition signatures were objected to by a challenger (who counted 4,269 signatures) and at a Hearing held at the New York City Board of Elections on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 1:30 p.m., all petitions submitted on behalf of Sam Sloan's slate were rejected because the witnesses to those petitions were not registered Republican Party members. Sam Sloan has three days to challenge the decision in Court. 

It is not yet clear whether Sam Sloan will still finance the Personal Freedom Party petition drive. As a result, the Personal Freedom Party is currently looking for alternative sources of financing. 

Christian Cameron Russell Appointed President Of Objectivist Party Of California

On July 30, 2013, Christian Cameron Russell was appointed to serve as President of the Objectivist Party of California.

In accepting the appointment, Mr. Russell said:

I am looking forward to taking on the responsibilities of President of the Objectivist Party of California (OPCA). I am committed to promoting Objectivism and will do all I can to make the Objectivist Party a major player in promoting liberty and respect for individual rights in California.

I thank Dr. Tom Stevens, Founder & Chair of the Objectivist Party, and the Governing Board for having confidence in my ability to fulfill my duties as OPCA President. I consider myself a leader and have served in a number of leadership roles in various small groups and volunteer organizations.

I look forward to working with my fellow officers and all OPCA members to bring reason and logic to the political debates in California and to offer the citizens of this state real solutions to the problems we face.

The Objectivist Party of California was chartered on August 9, 2008. The following individuals have served as President:

Nicholas Huber - August 9, 2008 to August 12, 2010
Maxfield Bern - August 12, 2010 to May 14, 2013
Luis Rivas - May 14, 2013 to July 30, 2013
Christian Cameron Russell - July 30, 2013 to Present

The Objectivist Party was founded by Thomas Robert Stevens on February 2, 2008, Ayn Rand’s birthday. It seeks to promote Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism in the political realm.

Lower The Voting Age To 14, Says Alun Michael, Former Labour Party MP & Current Police & Crime Commissioner For The South Wales Police Area

Alun Michael, who served as a Labour Party MP for Cardiff South & Penarth in Wales (U.K.) and who currently is Police & Crime Commissioner for the South Wales Police Area, has repeatedly spoken out in favor of lowering the voting age to 14 as a way to increase voter turnout and to encourage young people to engage with politics. He hopes that by starting them out at this age, young people will get into the habit of voting and become life long voters.

In various publications, Alun Michael has said the following statements in support of lowering the voting age, not to 16 as the Labour Party Platform calls for, but to 14:

14 (is) an age which I find young people far better informed and sensibly engaged than was the case in the past. Young people are under-represented and I believe people as young as 14 should be able to vote in general elections. Lowering the voting age by 4 years would increase voter turnout as well as encourage youngsters to engage with politics. They will then know how to vote if and when they come to engage with political issues later in life.

My experience, going into schools is that young people are very acute at picking up on social issues, environmental issues, and all the things that are important. I find that young people are more capable of making intelligent decisions than many other people and as the decisions taken by MPs affect their world just as much, it makes sense to include them.

Currently, there is only a 50/50 chance of first-time voters actually using their vote. Something surely needs to be done. We have the opportunity to engage young people at exactly the time when they are learning how the world works, and not just those who go to college. Once they know how to vote and are registered, they are much more likely to vote again in future elections. Hopefully, they will get into the habit of voting and become life-long voters.

Politicians would have a new impetus to engage with young people at election time if votes were at stake. I am absolutely sure the knowledge that young people would have the chance to vote would affect the way parties thought about issues. My guess is that candidates will change how they campaign if they have to ask for the support of people who will have to live with the effects of our legislation for the longest.

Liam Preston, chairman of the British Youth Council, commented:

I am delighted Alun Michael recognizes young people are both better-informed and more engaged than they were in the past. Locking young people out of the political system is patronising: it relies on out-dated views about young people's capacities.

Alun Michael served 16 years as a Youth & Community activist in his early career.