On December 13, 2011, Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination sent out the following press release announcing his termination of Dr. Tom Stevens as his Campaign Manager:
I have terminated Dr. Tom Stevens as my Campaign Manager because of the direction my campaign was going, which was different from the direction I have intended. The material on bestiality published and emphasized by Dr. Stevens has nothing to do with my campaign, and I strongly dissociate myself from issues being promoted about bestiality. As I have repeatedly stated in my speeches and on my campaign website, my focus is job-creation through specific deregulation of small businesses and of vocational and higher education. I apologize for the unwarranted detour that has occurred, and will make sure that no other detours occur in my campaign.
I want to point out that this 2012 election campaign from the voters’ standpoint is going to be about jobs, jobs, jobs, and that there is not a single candidate from any party who has offered any specific, workable ideas for job creation other than me. I would hope that the Libertarian Party is going to capitalize on its great strength in this election, which is that through Libertarian ideals (of deregulating small business in certain specific areas) we can cure the nation’s job problem.
Dr. Tom Stevens responded as follows:
"It is true Carl Person never placed his stand in support of the decriminalization of bestiality on his website nor did he focus on this issue during his campaign appearances. Nevertheless, it was Carl who brought up the issue, provided a clarification of his position and stood by it when challenged. To recap the history for those who were not paying attention, Carl Person first wrote the following in response to a question asking him what "victimless crimes" he thought should be legalized:
The victimless crimes are prostitution, bestiality, sodomy, drugs, abortion, and the principles are that we shouldn't be regulating what people do to themselves, and the cost of the regulation should be saved and returned to taxpayers, to reduce taxes, and enable the economy to grow with commerce instead of with prisoners, private jails and private jail guards.
In a follow-up with Carl Person to get a clarification with respect his position in support of legalizing bestiality. Carl Person then provided the following statement regarding the issue:
When I mentioned "bestiality" I was referring to animals, not humans (Note: some statutes prohibiting bestiality include children within the definition.) Bestiality as a victimless crime would center on two elements: 1. "property rights" - limiting the practice to one's own animals or with wild animals (not owned by anyone) and 2. "consent" and/or "non-injury" - if the animal is willing and is not injured in the process. If the animal is already dead, the victimless crime would become a variant of necromancy, and have to be analyzed in a similar fashion. I'm not a practitioner or advocate of bestiality and am only trying to apply Libertarian principles to a seldom discussed victimless crime.
These statements were quickly picked up by leaders in the Zoosexual community and many came forward to support Carl Person's campaign for President. They even adopted the following slogan:
What can you do
If you're a Zoo?
Support Carl Person
He'll fight for you!
These developments became news because it involved a candidate seeking the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination. Carl Person decided to take what he perceived to be a "principled stand" on this controversial issue. While Carl has always been Captain of his Campaign Ship. I advised him not to place this issue on his Campaign Website and not to focus on it, which is advice he took.
Nevertheless, now that he has received some negative feedback from Libertarian Party members with respect to his stand on this issue, he is doing what any sleazy politician would do and that is to blame someone else for his situation.
In his Press Release, Carl Person now says:
I strongly dissociate myself from issues being promoted about bestiality.
What exactly does that mean? Does Carl Person no longer believe bestiality is a "victimless crime" or does he simply object to the published reports regarding his stand on the issue and those who have been endorsing him due to that stand? I also know of no "issues being promoted about bestiality" except for Carl's stand on the issue. Does Carl now "dissociate" himself from his own previously stated position? That is unclear.
I will reiterate what I have always said with respect to my position as Campaign Manager for Carl Person. I provided advice but Carl made the final decisions. Whatever Carl's intentions may have been, he made all of the decisions with respect to his campaign. When he was coming out in favor of the establishment of State Banks, I advised against it, yet he came out for them anyway. When he was coming out in favor of his Prosperity Plan for local communities, which called for more powers to be given to local Attorney Generals, I advised against it, yet he came out for it anyway. Carl has been the King of his Campaign and now, in order to try to salvage whatever is left of his Presidential Campaign, he believes that by sacrificing his Campaign Manager, Libertarian Party delegates will now flock to his corner. I believe Carl is mistaken in this belief and by throwing his friend to the wolves in an attempt to revive his campaign, he has now sacrificed his soul at the alter of his ego. I feel sorry for him."
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