This Letter to the Editor appeared in the King County Journal. Note - Toby
Nixon is a 20 year Libertarian Party member. He was elected on the Republican
line in 2000 to the Washington State House of Representatives. He is currently
battling in a hot race for State Senate.
Will Libertarian Party members come to his defense?
Nixon's vote says a lot
State Senate candidate Toby Nixon touts his small-government ideology
as the
best choice for Kirkland voters. But is it? On March 4, 2006, Nixon
cast a
vote against HB 2567 - in fact, he was the only legislator to vote
against
that bill (it was signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire on March 26).
This in itself would not be so spectacular had the legislation in
question
not concerned such a serious subject: methamphetamine. HB 2567 makes it
illegal to possess more than 2 pounds of methylsulfonylmethane, a
chemical
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy says is
frequently
used to dilute pure methamphetamine, allowing drug traffickers to
create
meth more cheaply and making meth easier to import.
Nixon's libertarian policies are too extreme to deal with the real
problems
facing us today. We need leaders devoted to using government to create
solutions, instead of ideologues who think controlling a substance that
allows for more drugs on the streets is far too "intrusive" an action
for
government to take.
Andrew Thornton
Kirkland
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is more commonly known to consumers as
"DMSO-2".
It is a naturally-occurring organic substance that is present in many
foods
and beverages and has a variety of beneficial uses, including as a
dietary
supplement to help treat osteoarthritis and allergies. It is used in
industry as a solvent in many common chemical reactions, including the
production of pharmaceuticals, agrichemicals, and paint. The same bill
mentioned in the letter also bans possession of iodine over certain
concentrations or volumes, which has even more beneficial uses. The law
does
contain limited exceptions that say certain approved classes of people
can
have these substances, but most individuals are banned.
Like many common substances, it is indeed possible for iodine and MSM
to be
used in the production of drugs. If we were to ban every common
substance or
object that could potentially be used in the production of drugs or in
other
crimes, there would not be much left on store shelves for us to buy. I
flatly oppose the banning of common substances or objects simply
because
they MIGHT be used in criminal activity. Every time we criminalize
something
that just might be precedent to a crime also criminalizes completely
innocent beneficial uses, and robs us of a little more of our liberty.
Benjamin Franklin said "Those who would give up essential liberty in
order
to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor
safety."
I'll resist the urge here to write an entire essay on the importance of
preserving individual liberty from the creeping expansion of
nanny-state
government (you all know those arguments!). It pains me to think that I
am
the only one of 147 legislators who actually cares about this.
I'm also aghast at the assertion "We need leaders devoted to using
government to create solutions".
Would anyone care to write a response letter?
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-- Toby
Libertarian Republicans
Fiscally Conservative, Socially Tolerant & Pro-Defense!
Dondero is a US Navy Veteran, former Libertarian Party National Committeeman,
fmr. Senior Aide to US Congressman Ron Paul R-TX, and Founder of the Republican
Liberty Caucus. www.mainstreamlibertarian.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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