Greeting
2012: Preventing a Stolen Election
Liberty Festival in Manchester

Other LPM News and Announcements
   Winner: Great Lakes Bay LP Big .50 Raffle
   LPM Affiliates Contest, Final Month
   Gearing up for the 2012 Convention
   Jack Kevorkian, John Hospers, Nathan Allen RIP

Image of the Month
Quote of the Month
Past Blast
Letters
Book and Movie Reviews
Contacts
Calendar

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Welcome to the October 2011 issue of the online newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Michigan, the Michigan Libertarian. The newsletter is our main vehicle for sharing what's happening for Libertarians in Michigan. You may manage your subscription by going here or visiting our Web site www.mi.lp.org (same as www.michiganlp.org).

Precautionary notions from leading alt-journalist, Greg Palast
courtesy Will White, Mid-Michigan Libertarian Party
whitewi5@msu.edu

Part of my work with the Michigan Election Reform Alliance is educating the public about the dismal state of our electoral system. If you would like to acknowledge this as a forward from the Michigan Election Reform Alliance (MERA), that would be great. Thanks!

Will White Chairman
Mid-Michigan Libertarian Party
Proprietor, The Traveler's Club, Okemos, Michigan

The Theft of 2012
by Greg Palast 9/21/2011

That was nuthin': In 2000, the Palast investigations team uncovered the purge of 58,000 legal Florida voters, most of them African-Americans, by Katherine Harris. In 2004, we uncovered the "caging lists" which 're-elected' George Bush. That was nuthin' too ... compared to the theft of 2012 that is now in the making. Major TV and print outlets are finally recognizing that the Palast team has the expertise, the cojones and the nose to sniff out mass vote bending.

We are planning our strategy right now for the hard-core, dig deep, multi-state research that we need to get the details, the documents and the proof of the fix of 2012. So, for the first time in this entire year, I am asking—frankly, I'm pleading—for your financial support to get this investigation going right now. First, I'm looking for 24 donors to commit to provide $2,000 each, at minimum, to launch the Missing Ballot Investigation. It's tax deductible, it's non-partisan, it's hard-core journalism, "so relevant it threatens to alter history," says the Chicago Tribune. Donate and I'll proudly list you as a producer of our Election year prime-time broadcast.

Scotty Boman wins straw poll for US Senate at the Liberty Festival
Contact: Scotty Boman (ph. 313-247-2052)
scottyboman@hotmail.com
http://www.torunornottorun.org

Pictures below. The people at the booth are Lawrence Johnson (Left), Gregory Creswell (Right) , I forget the name of the guy in the middle. The guy cooking Ben the pig (Named for the FED chair) is Jimmy Shiel. He and his wife live in the log cabin on the property.

NEWS RELEASE: College professor and long-time libertarian activist, Scotty Boman won a Senatorial straw poll at an event hosted by the Michigan Campaign for Liberty on Saturday August 27th. The event was the Michigan Campaign For Liberty 3rd Annual Liberty Festival. The straw poll, held at 4:00 PM, followed a festive Pig Roast at which guests met with vendors, ate home cooked food and participated in direct conversations with United States Senate hopefuls.

Other attendees included Cornerstone Schools founder Clark Durant who recently declared himself a candidate for United States Senate, the family of conservative activist Gary Glenn, and supporters of businessman Peter Konetchy. Straw Poll winner Scotty Boman announced the formation of an exploratory committee at the Michigan Republican Convention in January. The complete results were:

Scotty Boman 30
Gary Glenn 19
Clark Durant 6
Peter Konetchy 6
Jimmy Shiel 4
Randy Hekman 3
Rick Wilson 1
Pete Hoekstra 1
Debbie Stabenow 0

Boman said, “I am pleased with the results of the poll. I expected to do well, but had not expected to win by such a large margin. Either way it was a great chance to talk to so many fantastic individuals in a relaxed setting.” Boman has yet to formally declare his intent to run for the office: “I am still testing the waters, but today’s wave of support makes me feel more inclined to jump in.” Boman said.

Matt Kassuba Wins LP Big .50 Raffle

The Great Lakes Bay Libertarian Party conducted the "Big .50 for Liberty Raffle" on September 5, 2011. Mr. Matt Kassuba was the winner of an Armalite AR50-A1 rifle, outfitted with a Leupold Mark 4 optic and a Prince bi-pod. 250 tickets were sold at $5 each. Jay Longtain (jlongtain@yahoo.com), chair of the Great Lakes Bay LP and organizer of the 50/50 raffle wishes to thank everyone who purchased a ticket. "Every penny helps us in the fight to preserve our liberties."

LPM Affiliates Contest, Final Month
Denee Rockman-Moon
denee.rockman-moon@live.com
810-241-8561

An anonymous donor to the Libertarian Party of Michigan is offering $500 to the affiliate that brings in the most NEW members (not renewals) to the LP from May 1, 2011 until October 31, 2011. The money may be used in any way the winning affiliate wishes to further the cause of liberty in its area. Here are the rules:

1. Any brand new member (not renewal) to the LPM or national LP residing in Michigan counts. A member is defined as someone who has donated $25 or more to the LPM or LP and has signified his or her agreement with the LP statement of principles.
2. Unless a new member indicates otherwise in writing, he or she counts for the affiliate that covers the address given on the membership application.
3. New members may join any affiliate they wish and indicate where they want to be counted, but they may only be counted once for purposes of this contest.

The LPM membership director will tally the new member counts and report results in the Michigan Libertarian every month. The winner will be announced and a check awarded at the next LibertyFest Dinner. Affiliates, the contest is running. Start your engines.

Gearing up for the 2012 Convention

We're already gearing up for the 2012 State Convention next May, but we need your help to pull it off!! We're looking for a few great volunteers to join the MILP Convention Committee. The committee is responsible for developing the agenda, venue arrangements, promotion, registration, and on site logistics. Meetings will either be on line or via conference call. Please contact Renee Lewis at livingstonladyliberty@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out! — Renee

LP RIP 2011: Jack Kevorkian, John Hospers, Nathan Allen

Dr. Jack Kevorkian died Friday, June 3rd. His name became a household word as a result of his work in performing assisted suicides, and his campaign to legally put end of life decisions in the hands of patients. Most people, however, are not familiar with his relationship to the LPM: In 1993, he was given the “Freedom Fighter of 1993” award by the LPM. His late sister, Margo, accepted the award on his behalf. This award began the annual tradition that came to be called the “Defender of Liberty Awards.” Kevorkian also provided end of life services for a sister of Libertarian author and activist Mary Ruwart. A public memorial service was held in his honor at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, MI at 9:30 AM Friday June 10th.

John Hospers, the Libertarian Party's first presidential nominee in 1972, died on June 12, 2011 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 93. Full story here. Hospers became the Libertarian Party's first nominee for U.S. President at its first national convention in Colorado on June 18, 1972. Hospers and his running mate, Tonie Nathan (1st woman to receive an electoral vote), each received one electoral vote in the 1972 election from Roger MacBride, a renegade elector in Virginia. Hospers was a professor of philosophy at several universities, including the University of Southern California.

Nathan Allen passed away May 26 (after a long battle with cancer. Nathan was a long-time activist for libertarianism in Oakland County. He has served most ever position available for the LPOC over the past 10 years. He also spent one year at the chair of the Libertarian Party of Michigan, and just last year was a king maker receiving enough votes as a Libertarian to make up the difference between the Democrat and the Republican candidates in the State Rep. District 39 race. Here is the resolution honoring Nathan passed at convention last month.

Shut down the Corporatocracy! Viet-Nam veteran Bill Steyert of Queens watches demonstrators who protest the economic system on September 20, 2011 in New York City. Plus several instances of NYPD Blue Gone Wild on peaceful demonstrators.

War has all the characteristics of socialism most conservatives hate: centralized power, state planning, false rationalism, restricted liberties, foolish optimism about intended results, and blindness to unintended secondary results. – Joseph Sobran (1991)

Take a stroll down memory lane with this excerpt from one of the longest-running state Libertarian newsletters. Today, check out the August/September 1984 issue. Click on this link for the full PDF version of this newsletter.

Former editor and LPM archivist Greg Stempfle has compiled the entire body of available Michigan Libertarian newsletters up on this page of the LPM Website.

Found some Darth Cheney Jokes (Humor)

"Both President Obama and Dick Cheney will give competing speeches tomorrow on national security and terrorism. It's kind of like 'American Idol' except one of them got voted off months ago." --Jimmy Fallon

"But the speech went over pretty well. I mean, Cheney was interrupted five times by applause and 50 times by people screaming, 'Stop! I'll tell you everything! What do you want to know? Just stop, please! Don't go on!'" --David Letterman

"In competing speeches today, President Obama said the U.S. went off course with practices like waterboarding. Cheney retaliated by saying he doesn't regret any of the decisions he made, and if he had to do it all over again, he would order President Bush to do exactly the same thing. And then he ate a baby." --Jimmy Kimmel

"Dick Cheney, the former vice president, said that President Obama went too far with the jokes at the correspondents' dinner. By too far, does Cheney mean like waterboarding a guy 183 times?" --David Letterman

"The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals have the right to carry guns...When the decision was read, it created pandemonium in the court. Justice Scalia had to fire two warning shots to settle people down. And then at the White House, just for fun, Dick Cheney went out on the lawn and peppered a buddy with some birdshot." –David Letterman

"Our vice president, our old friend, Dick Cheney got in some trouble, made a joke. Did you hear about this? Made a joke about West Virginia, but he apologized. He did apologize for the joke he made about West Virginia. Nothing yet on the Iraqi war." --David Letterman .

The following review excerpts are courtesy LPM Webmaster Brian Wright's commentary and review site, The Coffee Coaster. If you would like to submit book or movie reviews (or commentary and articles for that matter) please notify the editor.

Movie Review
Spartacus (1960)
From the earlier days of 'our people' _____ 9/10

Spartacus is a movie explicitly about human freedom... at the most basic level: the fight to emerge from slavery. One can quibble with some of the characteristics of the film: many in the Objectivist/positive-ending camp object to the Alamo syndrome, where the good guys fight the valiant fight but prevaileth naught; there's a lack of realism in the 1960s films that we've come to expect 40-50 years later (compare True Grit (1969) with True Grit (2011)); and it was simply a major human challenge to be able to make such epics back in the day, nature has a bigger say when technology isn't mature. But each of those apparent clouds has a silver lining, too. For one thing, it's nice to go back and soak in the relative simplicity of life on the planet in 1960—at least if you were free, white, (American), and 21. [Full Review]

Book Review
Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961)
Fantasy and reality of life on the sidewalks
by Jane Jacobs

This exceptional book was highly touted by Ayn Rand's coterie of intellectuals back in the day of The Objectivist Newsletter (early 1960s). Jane Jacobs came along in the same era—Death and Life of Great American Cities (Cities) was published in 1961—which was also the heyday of the Great Society programs, where good intentions and city planning could do no wrong. Jacobs, a citizen-scholar of multiple subjects and a lifelong social activist for individuals and communities as they do and ought to live, devoted her life to truth above conventional practice or slavish obedience to authority. Cities is a tour de force of practical enlightenment: it's like The Way Things Work about cities... not the way they are supposed to work. More than anything, Jane Jacobs is a people person, as are her cities:  [Full Review]

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October 3 - Great Lakes Bay Region LP - Monthly Meeting – Dinner at 6, meeting at 7 at Damon’s, 4960 Towne Centre Rd, Saginaw Township, MI 48604 (off Tittabawassee, just west of I-675 at exit 6). Everyone interested in liberty from Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac and Tuscola counties is invited. Jay Longtain, jlongtain@yahoo.com

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October 4 - LP of Washtenaw County Monthly Meeting -7 to 9 pm at Classic Cup Cafe, 4389 Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor (In the Parkland Plaza west of Ann Arbor). The LP of Washtenaw County meets the first Tuesday of every month. You can see more announcements and information regarding the LPWC at its new website, http://lpwc.wordpress.com. Contact LPWC Chair, Paul Giuliano, pgiulian@umich.edu

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October 5 – LP of South West Michigan Executive Committee Meeting – 6:00 – 6:50 pm at IHOP, 1981 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor. Guests are welcome. Followed by: Round Table Political Forum hosted by the LP of South West Michigan. 7-9 pm at The Livery, 190 Fifth St, Benton Harbor. Visitors are welcome to participate. Contact Bill Bradley, wbradley@i2k.com 269-637-4525, or Dan Grow, grow.daniel@gmail.com

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October 6 – Wayne County LP Monthly Meeting – 7 p.m. - Kiernans Steak House, 21931 Michigan Ave, Dearborn (at Monroe). Contact Ray Warner, 313-598-3666

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October 6 – Livingston County LP Monthly Meeting - 7-8:30 pm. The Livingston County LP meets the first Thursday of each month at Cleary's Irish Pub, 117 E Grand River Ave, Howell 48843. Join them to discuss local and national news from a Libertarian perspective. Contact Todd Richardson chair.livingstonlp@gmail.com for details.

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October 11– LP of West Michigan Monthly Meeting – 6:30 pm. Join the LPWM on the second Tuesday of the month at Branns Restaurant on Leonard St. at US 131 in downtown Grand Rapids. Contact Nick Sundquist, Nicholas.sundquist@yahoo.com, 231-750-5468

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October 11– Capital Area LP Monthly Meeting – 7 pm at former LPM office, 2722 E Michigan Ave, Ste 22, Lansing (park and enter in back). Contact Will Tyler White, 517-349-3806, whitewi5@msu.edu

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October 19 – LP of Oakland County Meeting – 6:30 pm dinner, 7:30 meeting -The LP of Oakland County meets the third Wednesday of the month at Sila's Restaurant, 4033 W. 12 Mile (2 blocks east of Greenfield), Berkley. Contact Jim Fulner, fulner@gmail.com

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October 19 – Libertarians of Macomb County Monthly Meeting - 6:30 for dinner, 7:30 business meeting, at Loon River Café, 34911 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights. All members of the Libertarian Party, their friends and family, and anyone interested in learning more about the LP are invited for good food and conversation. Contact Dan Flamand, daniel.flamand@att.net.

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October 25 – LP of Calhoun County Monthly Meeting - Executive Committee, 7 p.m. Please contact Jack Worsham for location. (269) 963-2679, WORSHAM74@aol.com

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October 31 – National Membership Delegate Count Deadline – Michigan’s delegate allocation to the national Libertarian Party Presidential Nominating Convention will be based on how many active national members we have on this date. Join the LP or renew your membership today! https://www.lp.org/membership

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November 1 - LP of Washtenaw County Monthly Meeting -7 to 9 pm at Classic Cup Cafe, 4389 Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor (In the Parkland Plaza west of Ann Arbor). The LP of Washtenaw County has changed its meetings to the first Tuesday of every month. You can see more announcements and information regarding the LPWC at its new website, http://lpwc.wordpress.com. Contact LPWC Chair, Paul Giuliano, pgiulian@umich.edu

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November 2 – LP of South West Michigan Executive Committee Meeting – 6:00 – 6:50 pm at IHOP, 1981 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor. Guests are welcome. Followed by: Round Table Political Forum hosted by the LP of South West Michigan. 7-9 pm at The Livery, 190 Fifth St, Benton Harbor. Visitors are welcome to participate. Contact Bill Bradley, wbradley@i2k.com 269-637-4525, or Dan Grow, grow.daniel@gmail.com

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November 3 – Wayne County LP Monthly Meeting – 7 p.m. - Kiernans Steak House, 21931 Michigan Ave, Dearborn (at Monroe). Contact Ray Warner, 313-598-3666

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November 3 – Livingston County LP Monthly Meeting - 7-8:30 pm. The Livingston County LP meets the first Thursday of each month at Cleary's Irish Pub, 117 E Grand River Ave, Howell 48843. Join them to discuss local and national news from a Libertarian perspective. Contact Todd Richardson chair.livingstonlp@gmail.com for details

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November 7 - Great Lakes Bay Region LP - Monthly Meeting – Dinner at 6, meeting at 7 at Damon’s, 4960 Towne Centre Rd, Saginaw Township, MI 48604 (off Tittabawassee, just west of I-675 at exit 6). Everyone interested in liberty from Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac and Tuscola counties is invited. Jay Longtain, jlongtain@yahoo.com

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November 8 – LP of West Michigan Monthly Meeting – 6:30 pm. Join the LPWM on the second Tuesday of the month at Branns Restaurant on Leonard St. at US 131 in downtown Grand Rapids. Contact Nick Sundquist, Nicholas.sundquist@yahoo.com, 231-750-5468

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November 8 – Capital Area LP Monthly Meeting – 7 pm at former LPM office, 2722 E Michigan Ave, Ste 22, Lansing (park and enter in back). Contact Will Tyler White, 517-349-3806, whitewi5@msu.edu

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November 16 – LP of Oakland County Meeting – 6:30 pm dinner, 7:30 meeting -The LP of Oakland County meets the third Wednesday of the month at Sila's Restaurant, 4033 W. 12 Mile (2 blocks east of Greenfield), Berkley. Contact Jim Fulner, fulner@gmail.com

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November 16 – Libertarians of Macomb County Monthly Meeting - 6:30 for dinner, 7:30 business meeting, at Loon River Café, 34911 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights. All members of the Libertarian Party, their friends and family, and anyone interested in learning more about the LP are invited for good food and conversation. Contact Dan Flamand, daniel.flamand@att.net.

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November 29 – LP of Calhoun County Monthly Meeting - Executive Committee, 7 p.m. Please contact Jack Worsham for location. (269) 963-2679, WORSHAM74@aol.com

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May 2-6, 2012 - Libertarian Party National Presidential Nominating Convention -Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas NV [Nothing found on national lp site (lp.org), but this Wikipedia page was generated by someone.]

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More... For all events, see the full online calendar on the Website:
http://www.mi.lp.org/Shared Documents/Calendar.aspx The Michigan Libertarian ONLINE is distributed on the first of each month. Send calendar events and news articles by the 25th of the prior month to:
e-newsletter@michiganlp.org

Note: The final print edition of the Michigan Libertarian is available online at http://www.mi.lp.org/Past%20Newsletters/ Michigan%20Libertarian%2038.2%20summer%202009.pdf

The Michigan Libertarian is published/posted on the first of each month. Send calendar events and news/articles to e-newsletter@michiganlp.org by the 25th of the prior month. The Michigan Libertarian is one of the longest-running Libertarian newsletters in the country, debuting in 1973 shortly after the founding of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. The "new" Michigan Libertarian (a predominantly online version) debuted on August 1, 2009 and replaced the weekly LPMOnline and the printed-and-mailed ML.  We will post the newsletter on the Website and deliver via email on the first of every month. A printed version of the new Michigan Libertarian will be sent free to anyone who signs up, which you may do at the LPM web site www.mi.lp.org (or www.michiganlp.org).

LPM members who need a hard copy may request one be mailed to them by contacting
e-newsletter@michiganlp.org or calling the LPM toll-free number 888-Free-Now.

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Newsletter URL (Webpage address for this issue of the ML):
http://www.michiganlp.org/ENewsletters/201110/201110_ML.html

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