Greeting
From the Chair(s)
2014 National Convention
Ann Arbor Art Fair Volunteers
Campaign Tips from Leonard

Image of the Month
Quote of the Month
Past Blast

Contacts
Calendar

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Welcome to the July 2014 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 Website www.michiganlp.org).

From Mary
chair@michiganlp.org

"I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” – John Wayne as John Bernard Books, 'The Shootist'"

Back from the convention! First I would like to thank Kevin Knedler and the Libertarian Party of Ohio for hosting and Nancy Neale for organizing a great convention. Second I would like to thank all the delegates who made the trip to Columbus to attend the LP National Convention. I would particularly like to thank LPM members Andy LeCureaux, who was part of the Platform Committee and Emily Salvette who chaired the Credentials Committee. Your hard work and dedication to the Party is most appreciated. For three days we hung out, partied a little, networked, attended training sessions and passed some bylaw and platform changes. We also elected new officers (you can see the complete list of new LNC members at http://www.lp.org/lnc-leadership).

For the uninitiated, the Libertarian Party convention is interesting. It is much less scripted and rehearsed than the establishment party conventions. How elections and such are going to turn out is never a foregone conclusion. There’s always a little bit of drama (yes, Oregon again). This convention also gave a taste of the growing international libertarian movement, with visiting speakers from Russia and England representing Libertarian parties in those countries, and a video shown to delegates from the Libertarian Party in South Africa.

Friday is Independence Day. As we all reflect on our nation’s history and liberty, let us use the holiday as an opportunity to remind our friends and family that our liberty needs defending today as much as it did in 1776. The key players are different but the challenge is the same.

All of us here at the LP of Michigan obviously share a great love and concern for liberty. But we realize that love and concern are not enough. We must turn our ideas into action because liberty is slipping out of our hands little-by-little each day. I’m so grateful for our candidates and volunteers who donate their time, treasure and talent to advance the cause of liberty.

This Friday amid the parades, barbeques and fireworks make time to discuss matters of liberty with your friends, family, and neighbors, and help remind them that our founders’ work is never done and that they too have an important role to play in defending our liberty.

With the numerous scandals being exposed in Washington and in our own state, people everywhere are waking up to the reality of the abuses of power rampant in our government. In the four days that I have been at the convention I have received many requests for information and I’ll be sending these names to the affiliates. Please welcome these new folks into our Party and help them to find a home here where they too can become strong advocates of liberty.

Thanks for all that you do and will continue to do.

In Liberty,

Mary

by Brian Wright, Webmaster

The National 2014 Convention in Columbus, Ohio, saw the selection of new party leadership, as referred to by Mary above. The Michigan delegation was one of the larger and factored into all the major business. Unfortunately, except for handling the bylaws and the majority of platform proposals, the election process for national committee and officers was so time consuming—especially the vote tallying by the secretary—that it wasn't until three or four o'clock on Sunday afternoon that the judicial committee election completed.

Meaning that several resolutions were never considered. Because people were worried about taking even more time and possibly missing their flights, the body consistently voted against suspending the rules to consider any of the resolutions. Further, the chair ruled that while the secretary was counting the votes he would not entertain any motions whatsoever. I never completely figured out the rationale for that: apparently the secretary could not keep minutes and tally the votes at the same time, fair enough, but where is it written that nobody else can keep minutes (or tally votes) besides the secretary.

Yours truly was trying desperately to get a grand jury resolution passed, but never got the chance to bring it before the body; motion to suspend for consideration for five effin minutes was turned down by wide margins on two occasions on Sunday. This is very sad and dawdlin' behavior for a national political party whose reason for existence is to promote all the good ideas consistent with liberty—certainly at least to consider all serious ones. It's all right, because I believe my resolution will make it into the platform next national convention, and probably will have some form of endorsement from natcom if I present it wisely.

Let me take this time to mention a new book I've written that proposes some new strategies that I'm hoping can invigorate the party. As someone remarked to me while watching so much of the parliamentary wrangling during this one: "Whoever our adversaries are, if they take a look at these proceedings, they are sleeping very soundly tonight. This organization is no threat whatsoever to the bad guys." I'm not sure it's that bad, but it's pretty bad... and I do believe my concepts for empowerment and accountability are salutary. The name of the book is Leaving the Sandbox: Grand Strategy for Libertarians. (Also available in Kindle for $1.95).

Note: James Hudler will be coming up with a convention diary for the next newsletter.

Columbus is a a happenin' town, and definitely worth a visit in style. The cost factor for these kinds of events continues to be an issue, I would think, for anyone in proportion to their distance from the 1% line. I was able, myself, to put some smack together and get down, but it's getting difficult to afford being a high roller and have the old fashioned fun I used to have. On Thursday night, I ordered a Sam Adams from room service, which seemed within reason at $5.50 or so. But the bill included state and local taxes and a $3 'delivery fee,' to which I added $2 for the tip. Thus I paid roughly $13 for one 12 oz. beer. That's a first. Reminds me of New York City. :)

by Larry Johnson
chair@michiganlp.org

We will be hosting our annual booth at the art fairs from 7/16 to 7/19 and need volunteers to staff the booth. Check out the list here and send me an email at michlibertarian@gmail.com if you can help out.

Lawrence W (Larry) Johnson
734-320-7237
Secretary, Libertarian Party of Washtenaw County

By Leonard Schwartz

Most LPM candidates plan to do little or no campaigning. But please at least respond timely to the League of Women Voters questionnaire, which you will get in August.

If you have time, please also respond to questionnaires from the mainstream news media. Candidates who want to do a little more campaigning should have a website.

You can get a free website from many places including www.wordpress.com, www.democracy.com, and www.myspace.com. After you set up your website, you should inform the LPM webmaster, who will put a link from our candidate list page to your website. After the August primary, candidates for a state office should inform the Secretary of State office, asking that it put a link from its candidate list page to your website. You may need to repeat the request several times. For candidates for a local office, many county clerks likewise will put a link from its candidate list page to your website.

Candidates who want to do more campaigning can find excellent advice on the Resources folder of our state party website.

3-Minute Stump Speech

My opponents think they can spend your money and manage your life better than you can. I'm not a busybody. I don't want to spend your money or manage your life. Some people are too lazy or cheap to spend their time and money meddling in your life. They want government bureaucrats meddling in your life. Government busybodies are much worse than private ones. Government can compel disclosure of your private information. Private busybodies cannot. Government can impose taxes, fines, and imprisonment. Private busybodies cannot.

If you think the Democrats can spend your money and manage your life better than you can, please raise a hand. If you think the Republicans can spend your money and manage your life better than you can, please raise a hand.

Perhaps you didn't know that [almost] all of you are libertarians. If you vote for Democrats or Republicans because you consider them the lesser of two evils, you vote for evil. Why would any decent person vote for evil? Elections are rarely decided by only a few votes. Therefore, your vote rarely determines who is elected.

But your vote always sends a message. If you vote for Democrats or Republicans, you send a message that you agree that they can spend your money and manage your life better than you can. What a waste of your vote. If you don't vote, you waste your right to send a message and you imply that you don't care. Vote for what you know is right, rather than for what falsely seems expedient.

Send a message that you want government busybodies off your back. Vote Libertarian.

I'm [name], Libertarian for [office]. Thank you.

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It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they’ve been fooled. — Mark Twain

 

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Take a stroll down memory lane with this excerpt from one of the longest-running state Libertarian newsletters. Today, check out the newsletter from 1988. 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 (most if not all of the newsletters have been transferred over to the new site if you have a particular issue you're interested in and it doesn't show up on the page, please contact Webmaster@michiganlp.org).

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More... For all events, see the full online calendar on the Website:
http://michiganlp.org/?page_id=61. Note for those who do not have online access, please contact your local affiliate representative or call the office at 1-888-FREENOW (373-3669) to get a description of events in your area. 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://old.michiganlp.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.michiganlp.org (or www.mi.lp.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 (888-373-3669). Subscribe/Unsubscribe to Newsletter [Note: Just send us a message via our Contact page, and we will add you to the list.] We respect all unsubscribe requests.

Newsletter URL (Webpage address for this issue of the ML):
201407_ML.html

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