Good evening again, Dave! Again, sorry a response has taken as long as it has today. It's been a long day, and if you observe the time stamp, it's about time for me to turn in and get ready for several events I have to attend to tomorrow. I also note that I have several other posts tonight that I should be attending to, but time is getting behind me once again. I'll try and make up for some of that perhaps, tomorrow evening.
Dave Laird wrote to Conster... > I was the one pounding the war drums, and anytime someone starts talking > about Libertarian views, at least as I know them to be, you are also well > within your right to bear arms AND defend what is dear to you from all > quadrants. Of course, I might be wrong. ;-) Actually, I'm happy to see Connie posting here once again -- it's a refreshing input to some of the other ones that we have grown to expect. She seems to place real issues in a context in which Libertarian principles can be called into question perhaps, but at least re-examined. Some of what she wrote in concern for her children and grandchildren is certainly on the minds of many today, and somehow, Libertarians have to find a good way to address these issues in a way in which ordinary people can not only comprehend, but come to terms with as a better way to end some of the attacks upon America's youth, and parental concerns in such context. Although Libertarians believe that the right to 'keep and bear arms' is a fundamental right, it is not always a practical choice. Usually doing so might create more problems than the original problem called for in the first place. This is particularly germane when we get into the question of defending our fundamental liberties, when the government is taking them away with such things as the Patriot Act. It may be true, we do have a right to defend our liberties under such an aggression, but God only knows that individuals lack the firepower to confront the gestapo when it comes knocking at our door, and the results most often are disastrous to anyone attempting such a thing. The Weaver family here on Ruby Ridge took that course as we all know about twelve years ago, and the results weren't all that positive. This also occurred at Waco, Texas a year later with similar results. I guess what I am trying to say is that Connie might have posted this facetiously, in that she seems to affirm that she has a right to defend not only herself with firearms, but also her family as well. I guess too the reason I suggest this might have faciscious overtones, is because she probably realizes, as most of us do, that we lack the firepower individually to confront the federal gestapo, and probably drug dealers and their turf wars in the context of defending ourselves! And believe me, that must always be a huge consideration specifically in our inner cities today when you can be arrested for defending yourself when you are holding a loaded firearm! This, and perhaps other ones similar to this, are the reasons why Libertarians and the Libertarian Party seeks to find political solutions to addressing the Drug Problem, particularly insofar as America's youth are concerned. We seek not political solutions, but defer to social ones in which concerned individuals (and there are a great many of them around honestly) can do much more than laws, jails, courts, and police can possibly do to address the core issues surrounding why we find ourselves in this stinking mess today! Indeed Libertarians claim that it has largely been the government that created this stinking mess in the first place by making the price of drugs to abnormally high, that it has created the environment that spawns the violence and conditions that is today a giant and growing problem. Although Connie and Jay Hailey had a tremendous exchange in controversy today, I did notice that Jay seemed to have the answer at least as many Libertarians might address it. Jay pointed out I notice, that the legal system doesn't differentiate between otherwise 'responsible' adults choosing such options, and that of America's youth! I think he made a tremendous point here. Since adults SHOULD BE responsible for their own educated choices, youth may certainly not be prepared for the same mature choices, but nevertheless, the crime sentence is exactly the same! In essence, our judicial system is building hard core criminals from a new generation that hasn't yet figured out what the hell might be right, or wrong, destructive, or positive, for their own lives! There is certainly a lot more to this than I could possible write about tonight, except to say, that America's education system is itself to blame for a lot of this insofar as it instills such things as value judgments on 'self-esteem' whether or not it is even earned by the choices you choose to make for yourself. I guess we have to face the fact that we live in a sick society, mainly from top to bottom. And government isn't going to repair any of the damage that it itself has created over the course of several decades. Libertarians have a better way than picking up firearms and going up against the huge fascist State that is taking form amongst us today. We simply want to work in the political arena to empower individuals to make their own free choices and again make the decisions for their own lives, and that of their own families, and over their own private property. Well, it sounds simple, but look at what we are up against? You know, at my age, I wonder why I keep doing all of this? I really do. Yes, I too get tired. I get tired until I see individuals like Bill Denman of Sandpoint, now well into his 80's addressing a crowd of people clustered in a room groping for answers. Of course, he ought to have some time and space to enjoy his later years, as many of us would like to placate ourselves to believe, and I am guilty of that as well. But his response is interesting, and not only that, it is encouraging at least to a tremendous degree. He states he has no choice. He has children, and many grand children, that will be forced to live under the conditions that we are leaving behind for them today, for them to pick up and deal with tomorrow. Well now. That's a sobering thought, isn't it? So yea. A lot of times I would like to just throw in the towel and just give up. I can't speak for Conster tonight, but I believe this has a lot to do with many of her comments she made just today! Yea! Who's going to do it? The government? Or, YOU? ME? EVERYONE ELSE WHO GIVES A DAMN AND CARES? I consider Conster's input and contribution on Liberty Northwest as a real challenge to us all! We DO have serious problems, and I doubt serious that government (or absolute power) has much to do with the solutions. I do know that people have answers and solutions, and caring people can make a huge difference in a society not dominated by government intrusion or interference. Before I close this tonight, let me just remind you and everyone else of the recent disaster that took place around Christmas in Southern Asia, the giant shock of nature that produced tidal waves across largely populated areas killing hundreds of thousands of human beings. The U.S. government pledged a few hundred million dollars in relief effort, that also went through the usual bureaucratic channels, spending taxpayer's money without their choice or consent. In the meantime, thousands of Americans volunteered a lot more than that, on their own, and volunteered to do so on their own accord! We volunteered more money than our own government was prepared to do! Now that says a hell of lot. We don't even NEED the government to tell us what we ought to do. We do it anyway, on our own, and without coercion! Libertarians would suggest again, we have a drug and, related crime, problem in America. We admit that and we only suggest we can do a better job in addressing and responding to this issue than our own government can possibly ever do! This isn't a matter about firearms and guns exactly. It's probably more about doing the right thing, and I believe many Americans are up to the challenge of dealing with it all. It's time we give our own people some credit on what we can do for ourselves for a change without facing 'jail time'. Kindest regards, Frank _______________________________________________ Libnw mailing list [email protected] List info and subscriber options: http://immosys.com/mailman/listinfo/libnw Archives: http://immosys.com/mailman//pipermail/libnw
