Opinion by Phil Jacobson

The term “secession”, in the United States of America (USA), has generally been associated with the American Civil War. The concept of secession, the act whereby a sub-section of a political unit breaks away from that unit to form a separate unit, is actually a common one in USA history. Yet the word “secession” is generally not used when describing anything other than the unsuccessful attempts at separation by the short lived Confederate States of America (CSA). Recent events are shifting this pattern.

At the 2022 Libertarian Party of North Carolina state convention, Dr. Mary Ruwart presented a talk: Do Vaccine Mandates Protect Our Health or Threaten Our Freedoms?

Dr. Ruwart is a biomedical researcher, ethicist, author, and libertarian activist. She has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and a doctorate in biophysics. She worked as a pharmaceutical research scientist for Upjohn Pharmaceuticals for 19 years.

Dr. Ruwart presented legitimate scientific data in the talk and did not speculate or draw any conclusions. Yet YouTube blocked the video posted to the LPNC channel. 

As a result, the LPNC has set up a new video account on Rumble.com. You can see Dr. Ruwart's talk here. 

North Carolina Libertarians opened their annual state convention by remembering and honoring Tom Howe, anarchist theorizer and parent of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina.

By Susan Hogarth

Every fortunate state party has a set of "parents," a couple united in both personal and liberty goals. The influence of these couples in guiding and supporting new libertarians cannot be overvalued. They provide a sense of family and continuity in the organizations they join and foster.

In North Carolina, the state party had Barbara and Tom Howe.

Shortly after the formation of the LPNC in the '70s, one of its founders, Craig Springer, made a UPS delivery of books from Laissez Faire Books to Tom and Barbara and invited them to the discussions held in his home.

They became cornerstones of the state party, as well as supporters of the national party. They attended state and national conventions, tabled at events, led discussion groups, served in party positions, ran for public office, led petition drives, and gave significantly and often to both state and national parties, as well as several local parties.

North Carolina Libertarians called on the state legislature to prohibit releasing the state National Guard into federal service unless the U.S. Congress “has declared war pursuant to … the U.S. Constitution, and only for the express and explicit purposes enumerated in the Constitution, to execute the laws of the union, repel an invasion, or suppress an insurrection.”

In a resolution passed unanimously at their annual state convention, the Libertarian Party of North Carolina said, “in spite of the clear language of the U.S. Constitution, vesting the power to declare war exclusively in the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Executive Branch has unconstitutionally assumed that power while the Congress has abdicated its constitutional duty.”

The party also added a Defend the Guard plank to their platform. It reads: