Steve

Steve Feldman is not just one of our Liberty warrior candidates or an accomplished doctor. He is also an author, and his new book, Bent Toward Justice, is available and getting traction everywhere.

 Purchase Steve's Book Here

• https://triad-city-beat.com/steve-feldman-book/

• https://greensboro.com/news/local/novel-book-triad-doctor-peace-israel-palestinians-feldman-jewish/article_8e08caf6-2753-11ef-a83b-fb9e43c1e8c2.html

• Recent radio/podcast interview on national Jewish station/program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N9BA5dwB3s

• Interview on Ottawa Forum on Israel Palestine (Canada): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxOQRD7fgrQ

Michael Barrick- candidate for Caldwell County School Board

The decision by Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to fly the American flag upside down over his house on Jan. 17, 2021 (as reported by The New York Times) is not a surprise. It achieved its intended effect – it sent a distinctly partisan message not only to all of the nation, but to the election deniers all the way to the top – he’s with them. The U.S. Flag Code says, "(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." To fly it as Alito did (I’m not buying the BS about his wife for a moment) is a metaphorical, hysterical act encouraging treason in response to an election that Trump lost fair and square. Alito is not alone though. Almost all MAGA adherents – as well as folks from other political parties and persuasion – show disrespect for the flag and those who have fought and died for it according to the U.S. Code (§ 8. Respect for the flag). As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to share and repost.

Read the full, original article on the Appalachian Chronicle

Michael Barrick- candidate for Caldwell County School Board

I am seeking election to the Caldwell County School Board. I am a Libertarian, which means that I am definitely outnumbered – at least on paper. So, I would have been foolish to pass up an opportunity to mingle with the thousands of people that visited here this past Friday and Saturday for the North Carolina Blackberry Festival.

I had the distinct pleasure of introducing Mike Ross, the Libertarian candidate for North Carolina governor, to many friends, neighbors and visitors uptown. (Mike is a great guy with a solid platform; check it out here).

We had a lovely time. For several hours, I caught up with old friends and Mike introduced himself. Every person was as kind and pleasant as they could be. It didn’t surprise me. I expect it after living here for more than 30 years.

We also encountered dozens of people that said they are fed up with the two major parties. I came away believing – sensing even – that the tide for Libertarians has turned. Now, I will receive votes because I’m a Libertarian, not despite being one.

Long story short: Despite the deep divisions that the media creates through sensationalism, I went home exhilarated. It was one of the most hopeful days I had enjoyed in politics since volunteering for my first campaigns when I was 16-years-old, in 1972. It was a day of kind, thoughtful and peaceful exchanges about political outlooks, families, work – and yes, the state of our nation.

For that, I thank my Caldwell County neighbors.

Read the original article on the Appalachian Chronicle

Steven R Feldman, MD, PhD-2024 candidate for U.S. Congress, NC’s 10th Congressional District

Abortion and Reproductive Rights

Work together to create a balanced policy

Abortion or reproductive rights is an issue for which there is no reasonable compromise. The government should—absolutely—not try to control women’s bodies. The government—absolutely—should not condone murder. These two “no compromise is possible” principles are at odds, and some balance must be found.

People on both the pro-Choice and pro-Life sides of this issue should advocate for their positions respectfully and try to understand each other’s point of view. People of good will may disagree as to whether a fetus is a baby. We should recognize and respect the beliefs of people who think that a fetus is or is not a baby. People who want to protect unborn babies do not want to control women’s bodies; they just want to prevent the murder of unborn babies. People who don’t want the government to force every woman to carry every pregnancy to term don’t want to kill babies; they just want women to have control over their bodies.

The government should not be in the business of forcing women to give birth, at all times, in all situations. Nor should a woman be permitted to end her pregnancy (kill her baby) indiscriminately, at all times, for just any reason.

Clearly, we should minimize the number of unwanted pregnancies. Beyond that, there is no position that would fully satisfy the beliefs of all people. A reasonable, balanced compromise policy can include:

• Government should not fund elective abortions.
• Medically necessary abortion required to save the life of the mother should not be restricted
• Making abortion illegal after a certain period of gestation, with proper consideration for the health of the mother, should be left to local community standards to best reflect the heartfelt beliefs of people in those communities.
• Government should not discourage or otherwise limit speech to peacefully convince others of their respective views.

Gun Rights and School Shootings

The best way to reduce violence is to make our culture less violent, not to take guns from law-abiding citizens

I don’t own a gun. I believe having a gun in my home would bring more risks than benefits, but that is only my personal perception. I don’t want to force my preferences on anyone else. The government should NOT take guns away from law-abiding citizens.

We all want to stop school shootings. Claiming that those who don’t want to get rid of guns— or that those who want to protect children by putting more guns in schools — don’t care about children’s lives is counterproductive, insulting, and contributes to our culture of hostility. Everyone wants our children to be safe.

Those of us who think there are too many guns should try to influence others by being role models. The solution starts with our modeling the respectful, peaceful resolution of disputes. Better care for the mentally ill, ending drug violence, creating a less confrontational culture, and ensuring a strong economy with low unemployment may also be more effective ways to address school violence.

Some regulations may be reasonable. For example, some gun enthusiasts argue in favor of restricting gun ownership by severely mentally ill people who would be likely to hurt others. Other gun owners tell me that better enforcement of gun crimes, background checks, waiting periods, and gun safety courses may also be valuable approaches. Gun enthusiasts should be involved in the development of these regulations so that we can maximize the intended benefits and minimize the undesirable secondary effects.

It is also reasonable to have different rules in different states, within the constraints of Constitutional law. This allows each state’s laws to reflect the will of the people in that state.

Reflections on Addressing Environmental Problems

SUMMARY

• The evidence for a variety of environmental problems facing North Carolina is insurmountable.
• Insofar as plants, animals, and humans have rights concerning their ecosystems and treatment, those rights must be upheld.
• Solving these problems is already underway thanks to the willfulness and power of private North Carolinians, but the government must contribute to the solution in reserved, unbiased, cautious ways.

Climate Problems are Real and Multifaceted

If left unchecked, climate problems have the potential to cause serious harm. One hundred and fifty years of close study and observation have revealed the ways in which our planet is in flux. The weather, biomes, animals, plants, and even people have and will continue to experience anthropogenic change at a pace some life cannot adapt to. At present, North Carolina’s contribution to these problems meets or even surpass the global average. Much needs to be done so that popular animals will be kept from going extinct, our pollution will be brought under control, and weather conditions normalize.

We Have a Unique and Principled Stance on Government's Role

This issue is nuanced, so the response must be too. The accumulative action of individuals and organizations has more power to aid the environment than the slow-moving bureaucracy of the government machine beholden to special interests, lobbyists, and donors. Some mixture of governing action, freedom, and nativity got us into this problem but freedom and knowledge can easily get us out. For morality and efficiency alike, government must stay out of the way of its citizens.

Freedom will Save the Earth if People Trust One Another and Act

Human nature is such that self-interest and empathy always surpass force, and in that way, a deliberate base of citizens is more than capable of taking the actions necessary to improve our world. Corporate pollution can be stopped by class action lawsuits if suing is strengthened. Wildlife can thrive in captivity if commercial ownership is permitted. An awareness and appeal to reduce, reuse, and recycle can infiltrate households through civil liberties and free-form education. Unshackled markets will create the efficient, effective means to achieve those ends. Humanity unchained has never met a challenge it could not prepare for.

State Government's Use of Force

The use of force ought to be reserved for a narrow list of causes such as justice. Murder is unjust for its destruction of a valuable being. Because the killing of endangered species is a similar affront to a valuable being’s right to life and has consequences up and down its food chain, I support strengthening laws to punish and hold accountable killers of endangered animals.

State Government's Land Ownership

The public land owned collectively by the people of North Carolina and in the trust of the government is an opportunity to aid conservation efforts. The administration of the parks of North Carolina is among the most crucial, rightful responsibilities of the government. The multitude of vegetation on government property contributes significantly to the balancing of atmospheric chemistry and the healthy sustenance of human and all life on our planet. Although conservation is a rare example of a responsibility government performs well, North Carolina should, through an approval process, sell land to private parks and preservation companies. Nevertheless, the parks are an opportunity for our state government to engage in commerce and in that regard can mimic corporations to both fund the upkeep of the land and have a natural measurement of the public’s approval of the service provided.

State Government's Interaction with Culture through Information Dispersion

The government claims the authority to participate in the culture of its people and therein inherits a moral obligation to prioritize caution and objectivity. Those priorities should guild public education’s open conversation with its pupils about the research into environmental issues. All the same, public education must permit parents to be part of that open conversation. Ultimately, the best ideas will succeed, and people will be incentivized to take steps to preserve our natural world.

State Government's Support of Innovation through Higher Education

Because universities are inevitably going to fund academic research, it is in our best interest if our public universities set aside a portion of funding for research and development into climate solutions, even ones involving nonrenewable energy sources. Those universities should encourage entrepreneurship robustly to inform students of higher education their ability to innovate, bring about important solutions, and generate prosperity. The modernization and use of nuclear power is especially important which is likely to be noticed by students if we educate them on the subject. The next generation will produce numerous helpful inventions backed by capital, thus a Free Market rather than university research will bring about the most change. For those residents who do innovate, I propose a medal and cash prize be awarded to said innovators.

Government Needs not Do Much Because its Best Solutions Involve Getting Out of Your Way

• Protect endangered species and important ecosystems through harsher legislation.
• Reduce the operations of the state government and military substantially so that, among other reasons, each have a radically smaller footprint.
• Have public university research and development environmental solutions.
• Enable and reward rather than inhibit environmental innovators.
• Leverage our vast ownership of land for revenue-generating nature conservation.
• Fight pollution using a reformed legal system, soil and water upkeep, and modest regulations.
• Stabilize temperatures and weather through worldwide and local collaboration alike.
• Offer hope and encourage a culture of taking willful action and self-responsibility.
• Inform the public the reassuring and exciting facts about modern nuclear power.

Bob Drach

The Office of the State Auditor is tainted by recent scandal. Candidate Bob Drach gives voters a strong alternative to business as usual.

"Accountants in public practice should be independent in fact and appearance when providing auditing and other attestation services.”

SURF CITY, NC, UNITED STATES, May 15, 2024 -- On November 7, 2023, North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood was indicted and on November 9th she resigned. This incident cast a shadow over the Office of the State Auditor (OSA). As a result, the next election will be about the best way to restore the reputation of the OSA.

Bob Drach is a candidate for North Carolina State Auditor. He believes: “The next auditor should be independent, qualified, and ethical.” There are two other candidates for State Auditor. One is Jessica Holmes, who was appointed by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. The other will be Dave Boliek, who is leading in his primary election with about 90% of the votes counted.

According to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, "Accountants in public practice should be independent in fact and appearance when providing auditing and other attestation services." Drach is independent in the sense of being neither a Democrat nor a Republican in a state government dominated by both. As a Libertarian, Bob is the most independent candidate and best able to restore the reputation of the OSA.

Drach is qualified -- he is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP), business leader (CFO, CIO, CEO), and public servant (U.S. Peace Corps and New Hanover County Board of Equalization and Review). Bob spent four years working for audit and consulting firm Deloitte early in his career. He has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree from Stanford University.

Bob’s motivation is the public good. He says: “When I registered for the draft, I thought hard about my responsibility as a US citizen, and I decided to volunteer for national service. Now, after a career in accounting and organizational leadership, I am again able to serve. I look up and down the ballot and see what poor choices the major parties give us. The solution for this is to get involved and to support good independent candidates when they run. My background, independence, and qualifications are a perfect fit for NC State Auditor.”

Importantly, Bob is not a lawyer. He is not a political appointee. He does not work in the State Legislature. He is not raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from those trying to influence elections. He will rarely be auditing members of his own political party. He is free from such apparent conflicts of interest.

Bob’s primary goal is to restore the reputation of the Office of the State Auditor as a professional, unbiased, and vital part of our State Government. There has been an auditor in State Government since before the American Revolution. Drach notes: “There is a reason for that. When money, competing interests, government power, and humans are involved we need to assure that management controls are appropriate. When controls fail then we need a strong, independent auditor to shine a light on where waste, fraud, or abuse happens.”

When asked about running as a Libertarian, Drach states: "Libertarians are about non-aggression, natural rights, and civil liberties. These line up well with my personal beliefs. Also, election laws in North Carolina make it much harder for unaffiliated independent candidates to run for office. The Libertarian party is the largest block of independent registered voters in North Carolina."

Learn more about Bob by visiting https://www.electdrach.org.

Gheorghe Cormos - candidate for U.S. Congress N.C. District 3

I Rise in Support of Binary Logic … and a Parents’ Bill of Rights

"I only mention it because sometimes, there's a man and I don't say hero, because what's a hero? But sometimes, there's a man and I'm talking about the dude here. Sometimes there's a man, and he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there, and that's …" -The Big Lebowski

Sen. Graig Meyer, State Senator, NC Senate District 23, to whom we can attribute this dribble of wisdom:

"Imagine an elementary school classroom filled with kids who are bursting with curiosity. Under the [proposed] North Carolina Parents Bill of Rights, that wide-eyed wonderment would be muted. This bill would restrict teachers’ ability to discuss concepts of gender identity or sexuality, although they could answer questions that students ask. What happens when one student’s question leads to a slew of questions from others? A good teacher responds to these inquiring minds by reading aloud from an age-appropriate book. Yet, that teaching moment would also be prohibited under this bill."

This is exactly the type of inappropriate behavior that we are talking about.

Previously what was subject matter fit only for adults, and some might say even that was a bit bold, is now being freely encouraged and indoctrinated to our children under the auspice of divine enlightenment. Shall we break up into tribes? Is that the compromise? Except that, instead of the haves and have nots, we might as well just privatize everything and start funding education down party lines? While perhaps neither of those might be the best idea yet, and could possibly be detrimental to societal and social cohesion, it does beg the question, are there more than two sexes?

Because, essentially, this is what the conversation boils down to. That and our general openness to exhibitionism. Forgive me for being blunt, but news bits such as "The new state budget’s net appropriation for education is $17.3 billion in 2023-24" gives one pause when we then read "Over the next eight years, the North Carolina General Assembly is slated to spend $5.5 billion on private school vouchers." By my beleaguered math, that makes Private Education about 4 percent of the total amount being paid over, as was graciously pointed out, the NEXT 8 YEARS!!!

So yeah, I would like my voucher, because it's my money, and not yours, and certainly not to be used to facilitate Sen. Meyer's Neverland Ranch.

The recent lawsuit against Sheetz has sparked a debate about how businesses handle hiring while keeping public safety in mind.

by: Shannon Bray - Libertarian Candidate for Lieutenant Governor

Wawa and Sheetz, two prominent convenience store chains in Pennsylvania, have been engaged in a long-standing rivalry. This competition is often referred to as the "Wawa vs. Sheetz" conflict, with both brands having a strong presence in different parts of the state. The conflict is characterized by their expansion strategies, with each company attempting to gain a larger market share.

The recent move by Wawa to expand into central Pennsylvania, traditionally considered Sheetz territory, has heightened the rivalry between the two companies. This expansion is part of Wawa's broader plan to open 40 stores in central Pennsylvania in the next five years, which marks a significant move into Sheetz's domain.

Additionally, the lawsuit filed by the EEOC against Sheetz alleging hiring discrimination has added another layer to the conflict between the two companies.

The lawsuit is pushing Sheetz to meet a specific goal regarding the rate at which different ethnic groups are rejected based on criminal backgrounds. This could lead to higher costs for Sheetz and damage its reputation for safety, possibly even putting it out of business. Some people suspect there are corporate interests at play here, wanting to buy out Sheetz - a private company - and drive down its value.

It's important to tackle discrimination, but we also need to understand that businesses need to make smart choices about who they hire. Background checks give them important information about job applicants.

However, automatically rejecting candidates based solely on their criminal records could make inequality worse and make it harder for people to move up economically. Sheetz and other companies should have the freedom to look at each applicant's situation individually, considering things like the type of offense, efforts to change, and how much time has passed since the incident.

The legal obligation being imposed on Sheetz is to devise a high-cost strategy that leads to a specific representative outcome. The EEOC wants to enforce a vague standard that leads to a specific result, namely, that each ethnic classification should have the same criminal background rejection rate.

The lawsuit’s imposition of an outcome is a thinly veiled effort to put the company out of business by raising its hiring costs or by creating a reputational risk regarding public safety in its stores or both. We can’t dismiss the possibility that there are corporate interests that want to buy Sheetz’s family run business and want to raise costs, harm its reputation and lower its ultimate sale price with the help of government regulators.

It is also an absurd overreach by regulators, finding discrimination where there is little basis in fact or objective observation to justify such a claim.

All job seekers, regardless of their background, have a fair chance to compete. Ultimately, our social goal should be to strike a harmonious balance—one that respects individual rights, promotes justice, and safeguards public safety.

100 Million Digital Souls for the Empire!

by: Gheorghe Cormos - candidate for U.S. Congress N.C. District 3

On January 24, 1972, the last Japanese soldier, still holding out from WWII, was found and brought in from his hideout in the hills of Guam. That in it of itself is eyebrow raising, how one man could be so disciplined to his warrior code. More interesting, however, was the documentary in which this gentleman explained his confusion, and perhaps dismay, upon returning to his home. He re-told that among citizens, the common greeting before he deployed was "100 million souls for the emperor," as it was the duty of every Patriot to give everything for the glory of Rome... I mean land of the Rising Sun.

Fast forward to April 16, 2024, and the headline reads "The House narrowly rejected a warrant requirement in a bill that reauthorizes FISA Section 702 for two years."A man can only help but wonder at this point, "What else for the glory of the Empire my Liege?"

It would seem that our ever-concerned, jealous, and loving Big Brother still yet sees danger and peril from which we helpless souls must be protected. Not that the world is all sunshine and rainbows. Turn on any anxiety inducing news media and you'll be brought right up to speed. The issue is that the list of "asks" from our overlords seems to never end (i.e., "two weeks to flatten the curve," "Saddam has WMDs so we must invade," "If we don’t bailout the banks, life as we know will end," "inflation is transitory..."). While at the same time, the list of rights, quite literally and explicitly written and provided for in the Bill of Rights, seems to diminish and fade into the nothingness of history and time.

As I sat dismayed and perplexed at the results, I was encouraged by one thought, surely, this is a representative democracy, and my Representative, NC-3 Greg Murphy (R), will come riding in at the last minute to save the day. Afterall, we both live in a rather conservative and freedom loving district. Surely, the policies which I have heard his political team, the good 'ol GOP, would agree, that asking the government to respect constitutionally guaranteed rights, was in fact, not that big of an ask from the voting peasantry, I mean citizenry.

Yet as I sit and file my taxes during yet another glorious tax season; and as I pay my car property taxes to support the empire; and as my home insurance costs increase; and as my county tax assessors year-after-year congratulate me with my home’s rising taxable value; ….

I raise my gaze upon a distant land,
Form where all power and edicts go forth,
Out of curiosity really, nothing grand,
I witnessed my Rep., valiantly clothed,
Mount an impressive tactical advance to the rear
Where it was a vote ending in 212-212,
And literally one vote the other way would have brought to all a little cheer,
Twas as if on the wind it was brought to me,
The battle cry, purportedly on my behalf you see,
and I thought I heard a voice demand:
"What orders from Mordor my Lord? What does the Eye command?"

Greg Murphy hates your freedom.

As Principled Outsiders, We Have an Obligation to Settle Political Disagreements

by: Matthew Kordon - Candidate for NC House 11

I spoke with a Republican voter recently who believed that because Libertarians have won few state and federal elections, they accomplish nothing with their campaigns. I could list plenty of reasons why that is not true, but I have a novel argument you might not have heard: Libertarians have the capacity to be the ideal mediators of the political landscape, time and again.

Mediation can end decades of gridlock. Mediation by a neutral third party creates democratic and rhetorical pressure to move the dispute to a legalistic, rational, or at least voted on next step. It often puts parties on the path of agreement.

To understand why we have a de facto power to mediate, consider elections. Many NC races this year have a Libertarian, Republican, and Democrat. Whether fair or not, the general public and journalists think of our party as being squarely in between the duopoly. Thankfully, the public knows how independent and focused we are on the issues of liberty and equality, so they respect our unique vision for North Carolina. Our staying power causes us to loom large; some parties rise and fall like Icarus attempting to fly... but not us. A comment by a Libertarian on a dispute between the other two during, say, a debate shifts the weight of the conversation considerably. This might help explain why Libertarians are often said to win debates such as the one Mike Ross won by a landslide in February.

If we are not careful, this can backfire. Saying something contradicting, radical, or unpopular can have the effect of uniting our rivals against us. Worse still is if we forfeit the high ground by saying something dubious or disingenuous.

We hold this power even in races between one Republican and Democrat. If our state party puts out a press release, it has the potential to be seen by a faction of the left or right who agrees, and they can proudly tout it as evidence that their side is popular and logical whereas the other side is without unbiased company.

An example of this happening is my own race against my Republican opponent. Philip Hensley was debating two left-wing activists on the social media site X on April 9 for what was at least the second time. Responding to an expression of dislike for Christian practices as justification for not supporting Christian school vouchers, Hensley said:

At first his remarks were iffy; calling the person a "bigot" seemed to me like exaggeration. What BFB said in response was to point out that they would not side against other Jews, being Jewish. Admittedly, this helped retroactively vindicate Mr. Hensley for being critical of BFB, but what he then said was atrocious: "Exactly my point. Therefore you are Anti-Christian." The implication was that all Jews are bigoted towards Christians.

Disgusted, the other left-wing person screen-capped the exchange and declared Hensley to be an "antisemitic goon."

At best, Hensley's words were a Freudian slip that he only agreed with in the heat of the moment and blurted out awkwardly, and at worst, Mr. Hensley has an actual aversion to all Jewish people. This outcry got my attention so I shared the post and wrote:

Unbeknownst to me, what I reposted twisted the truth by making it look like Mr. Hensley was initially replying to something slightly different, further incriminating him. Spreading misinformation intentionally is deeply unethical and sinister, so MovingNCForward ought to be ashamed, but this is not about them. MNCF is not running for office, Hensley is.

You will notice that I called his remark "mildly" antisemitic and asked that he apologize, hinting to him that if he apologizes, it will restore his reputation to me and others. I saw it as giving him a way out of the situation, but this was also a test. If he didn't apologize, then he reveals himself to be not only antisemitic but also very stubborn. After all, how hard would it have been to say, "Fine. What I said was unintentionally in bad taste. I apologize to the Jewish community and want to return to the subject at hand"? Perhaps he thinks apologizing makes men look weak when instead it shows an ability to pause and exhibit reflection, empathy, and humility, traits necessary in leadership.

Instead, Hensley responded by exhibiting rotten character traits: fits of anger, mocking others, lying about me and more people, refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing whatsoever, boasting about being able to outlast anyone in verbal argument, calling many different people "bigots" simply for disagreeing with him, refusing to help me clear his name out of spite, making fun of all Libertarians simply because he does not like me, and boasting that he gets more views on his posts than I do. Like Donald Trump, his strategy when someone points out a character flaw is to deny the character flaw and simultaneously flaunt bad behavior in their face to hide that he cares what they think of him.

Many left-wing users on X were overjoyed to see that I denounced his generalizations. It gave their view of him a seal of approval from someone of authority, doubly so when our state party backed my statement that his hate is unacceptable. Heck, the LPNC went further and suggested he drop out of the race (something Hensley had already demanded of me, which I laughed off).

So impressed were they of my conduct, that even though I handled the situation sternly, Biden-supporters spent the next few days saying nice things about me, clicking the heart button on my posts, and engaged me in earnest conversation in which they genuinely considered my Libertarian arguments! I cannot overstate what a huge, positive change that seemed to awaken in them. Although it feels too late to be an influence on Mr. Hensley, my conduct is winning the admiration of people on the other side. Perhaps as many as one hundred left-leaning residents of North Carolina have their opinion of Libertarians improved because of my actions.

Perhaps Representative Dahle was watching from the shadows and will likewise listen to my libertarian views with greater interest from now on, and, if she gets re-elected, perhaps she will be swayed on a few issues. I can tell Hensley will think twice before ever uttering something heinous publicly again, as he later deleted the antisemitic remarks to try to hide that he ever said them. It is not the apology I was hoping for on behalf of others, but it will do.