James Stevenson wrote: >Debate over the retention, elimination, or changing the Oath seems to be >going to take up hours of rancorous squabbling at the convention. I'll weigh >in with my perspective and let it rip from there. > >I tend to lean to a desire to eliminate the oath altogether. I see >advantages to having it, and disadvantages. In looking around to what others >think about it, I found this essay by Ray Roberts which pretty much aligns >with the way I was thinking thew Oath should be changed if it is to be >retained: > >http://www.reformthelp.org/party/pledge/positive.php > > As it is currently worded, there is room for misinterpretation. Some of a cynical and/or suspicious nature suspect the lack of clarity is deliberate.
A substantial fraction of those who think it has a definite meaning think it prohibits all government: taxes, border quarantines, subpoenas, everything. A substantial fraction of those who think it has a definite meaning think it is just a "no terrorists allowed" membership requirement. (You might want to conduct a poll at your next state convention, if enough attend for the results to be statistically significant.) Frankly, it doesn't matter to me what it "really" means. I already know the most important thing about its meaning: the meaning is not obvious to everyone (and the same to everyone who is convinced its meaning is obvious). I just want to know if the oath means that the LP is for anarchists only, or non-terrorists only, or what. Until it is clarified or eliminated, I'm not renewing my membership, and I will encourage others to do the same. If it is clarified, I'll either renew or abandon the LP forever, depending on what the new wording turns out to be. If it's eliminated, I'll renew in a heartbeat (unless it is replaced by some membership requirement that is even worse). More info at the Libertarians for an Open Party YahooGroup. <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LOP-General> -Eric -- Eric S. Harris If this address ever fails, try visiting http://www.returnpath.net ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/yHUd1C/hOaOAA/cUmLAA/KlSolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
