Volume 3, Issue 19 | May 2024
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"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -Thomas Jefferson |
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In this issue…
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From the ChairHello North Carolina, and happy end of May. Summer is coming to the Tar Heel State, and the campaigns are heating up in line with the weather. We currently have 47 candidates running for federal, state, and local elections, and every single one of them needs help. Reach out, by email, on social, or in person, and we can help you find something that fits your time, skills, and budget needs. No amount is too small, and we appreciate all of it. As I look back on May, I find myself reflecting on the nature of sacrifice. Keeping a third-party moving forward – growing membership, running successful candidates, fundraising, organizing, messaging, events, and everything else our wonderful volunteers do – requires sacrifice. I am deeply grateful for the sacrifice of our volunteers and I try to do everything I can to minimize disruptions to your daily lives. Ultimately, we want a world where politics is barely an afterthought, and we are working to spread Liberty to that end everyday. But May is ushered in by Mother’s Day and Memorial Day is its bookend. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the incredible sacrifice offered by so many, willingly and with love. Our moms sacrifice so much to help us become the people that we are, and the only reward they seek is for us to have the best lives we possibly can. To all those of you in the Liberty movement, you are making that a reality. Of course, since Crispus Attucks became the first American to die fighting for freedom, the tree of Liberty has too often drank the blood of patriots, and we honor their sacrifice on Memorial Day, today, and every day. So many veterans end up in the LPNC or the Libertarian Party, and I think it is because they are individuals who understand how important protecting our Liberty is. Eventually, they see through the mendacity of the military industrial complex. They never give up their fight for Liberty, though, and that’s why they end up Libertarian. Of course, this month, while we acknowledge those who are fighting for Liberty, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Theirs is a debt that can never be repaid, but we are here, doing our best. As many of you know, the National Libertarian Party convention was this past weekend. Results were mixed, and convention was nothing if not eventful, which is in line with being Libertarian. On a personal note I want to say congratulations to the LPNC’s very own Sarah Brady and Dan Johnson. They first met at the 2018 national convention, and, in the most heart-warming moment of convention, closed the loop on the first part of their story when Dan proposed on stage and Sarah said yes. Watch the clip here or keep an eye out for a recording in the Liberty iNC that comes out this weekend. We also elected a new Executive Committee and nominated a President and Vice President campaign. I want to extend my congratulations to Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat for winning the nominations, and I wish them well as they represent the party on a national level. All of our candidates campaigned hard for more than two years, and they all deserve our appreciation. I am looking forward to a spirited presidential campaign season. If you are interested in getting involved with their campaigns, let us know, and we can connect you with volunteers in the LPNC. Of course, if you feel your efforts would be better served elsewhere in the party, closer to home, there is still plenty to do locally, and we need it. I promise, your sacrifice in joining the fight for Liberty will not be taken for granted. -Ryan Brown, LPNC Chair |
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ErrataYesterday, May 30, I put out a press release about the Pints and Politics event. In that release, I used "intra-" instead of "inter-". I have fixed it on the website, but the error lives on forever in the mailing, and my shame with it. I have sought consultation from the grammar community, as I know I hurt them deeply, and I am seeking professional help. I have much learning and growing to do, and I appreciate everyone's support in this difficult time. -Rob |
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Libertarian National Conventionby Rob Yates This was my first LP National Convention, in my home city of D.C. I love that city, and much of my early disdain for politicians was seeing them ruining it. Walking into the belly of the beast to the backdrop of #BecomeUngovernable was a personal treat. I want to impart my experience to you all. Before I get into the details, a few acknowledgments are in order. Angela McArdle (LP Chair) ran a fantastic I drove up to D.C. with governor candidate Mike Ross. Between us in the car and a few phone calls with Kim Acer (Mike’s Campaign Manager), we were able to hold roughly 10 hours of campaign meetings. Exciting, productive, and necessary as we enter the peak campaign season.
Credentialing had a long line, but it moved fairly quickly, and registration took just a few minutes, and soon we were having drinks at the Radical Caucus suite, where Lars Mapstead's campaign manager was displaying his hidden talent as a bartender. It was a festive and optimistic atmosphere, filled with the sort of mirth that only Libertarian friends can muster when reuniting after a long time and immediately jumping into raucous disagreements about literally everything. We saw plenty of familiar faces and met some new ones, as we enjoyed a couple of excellent Old Fashioneds. After about an hour, it was time to leave the hotel and head to Penn Social for the LP comedy night, featuring Lou Perez, Robbie Bernstein, and Dave Smith. As we were getting ready to go, I learned that, while I'm more of a fashionably late sort of person, Mike takes punctuality seriously - another reason he should be governor. The show was excellent – the perfect psychological apéritif for the lunacy we would manifest the next day. Back at the hotel we had a quick night cap and then called it a day, hoping to get rested for a long day of business on Friday. The next morning, business started at 9 AM promptly, and we sort of almost hit this target. Things went smoothly for about ten minutes, which is good, I guess? During the credentialing part of the agenda, which I am pretty sure is the first official agenda item, things started to go off the rails a bit. Basically, there were significant disputes over the validity of some of the potential delegates credentials. If anyone wants to know the details, reach out, and I can try to explain or direct you to someone with a more fully vested interest in the outcome. If I’m being honest, it all seemed like a giant waste of time to me, and there seemed to be plenty of opportunity to avoid the conflict from all sides. Nevertheless, we went back and forth over several states, with lots of motions, points of order, chair decisions, and all the other super exciting parliamentary procedures that we fight about following to the letter (#BecomeUngovernable). That was basically Friday. Including a break for lunch, that initial argument lasted until we adjourned for the day at 5 PM. There was a stretch of about an hour where I'm pretty sure the argument was over whether a proposal required 2/3 or 7/8 support to pass. We did settle that absolutely critical point of contention, thankfully, freeing us to stop all foreign wars, I assumed. In reality, though, it just meant we were able to approve the agenda – which had been modified at least twice that I counted – and then the day was done. One day down, agenda approved, mission accomplished?
A lot of people thought Clint went after him pretty hard. And I mostly like Vivek, for a Republican. But, to me, with maybe two exceptions, it was more of an affirmation circle than a debate. You can watch and decide for yourself.
Anyway, when that "Debate" ended, we headed down for more stand-up. Lou Perez went on again, and, once again, he was hilarious. Funny, dedicated, and a good dude, I had the good fortune of hosting him on Liberty iNC and getting to spend some time with him this weekend. I urge you to check him out if you are unfamiliar. For some reason, Lou was not headlining, that was an honor reserved for Alex Stein, known for playing obnoxious characters while giving histrionic speeches at city councils around the country and for almost being arrested by Capitol police for screaming “Big Booty Latina Hoe,” at AOC (the last one is actually kind of funny). Commenting that I was unaware that Alex Stein was a standup comedian as he went on, I learned that he is not, in fact, a stand-up comedian, by any interpretation of the word. I stayed for about 15 minutes, thinking he had to say at least one funny thing, but he just got louder and more aggressive. If he was doing anti-comedy it rang more hollow than a politician’s campaign promise. Anxious and confused from what we had just witnessed, we ducked into the karaoke thing across the hall for a few drinks and socializing, and then called it a night.
This time, we were more productive, voting on *gasp* more than two items until 3:30, when we recessed for RFK Jr.’s speech.
When RFK finally came out, it was worth the wait. Doesn’t matter what you think of the man, his speech was absolutely perfect for this crowd. He should seriously give his speechwriter a bonus. He went into history through a Liberty lens, talked about the importance of the 9th and 10th amendments, decried the deep state and the oligarchy that runs us, and waxed poetic on the beauty of freedom and individual Liberty. We went back to the room to vote on some of the LP Executive Committee positions, a task which would take until the next evening to finally complete, but we did not stay late as everyone prepared for the event that had generated by far the most press and controversy, the speech by President Donald Trump. Rumors were already flying around the room about secret service lockdowns, closed hallways and elevators, and aggressive MAGA supporters. In the end, I made it through security in about 90 seconds, and got a really good spot to the side of the stage. There was a small dust up when MAGA disciples took front row seats, which had been reserved for LP delegates, I guess hoping that they could absorb some of the power of their messiah. They all, or at least most of them, moved, and the only other incident was the violent removal of LP mainstay and longtime activist, delegate, candidate, and previously EC member Starchild by hotel security, although for what is unclear. If RFK should pay his speechwriter more, Trump should fire his. The crowd was less anti-Trump than was portrayed. As I tried to explain, we didn’t boo Trump. We also didn’t cheer him. We booed bad ideas and cheered good ones. He just had a lot of bad ideas he wanted to talk about. He finished strong, though, drawing cheers when he committed to putting a Libertarian on his cabinet if he wins the presidency (though I suspect he considers Mike Lee a Libertarian), and then eliciting a thunderous and sustained applause when he promised to free Ross Ulbricht on day one of his administration.
Back at the hotel, we hung out in the veranda out front, sharing whiskey and wisdom, until the day caught up with us, and we went to bed, no way of knowing what fate awaited us. On Sunday, we had to, at the bare minimum, finish electing our officers and nominate our president and vice president candidates. We started pretty close to 9 AM. At that time, I don’t think anyone had an idea what was in store. I mean, how could they? I had checked out of the hotel and packed my car. The plan was to probably stay a bit late, but hit the road right after. At around 11 that night, I had to book another room.
There were some high notes, as well. Spike Cohen gave a speech. I would say it was fantastic, but it’s Spike, it would be redundant. He talked about how he had warned in Reno against letting a duopoly form in the party, but we had not heeded his warning, and then gave us some wisdom and some hope for potential unity and a way out. North Carolina’s own Dan Johnson and Sarah Brady got engaged, when Dan put a ring on it in quite literally the most romantic possible proposal achievable at a Libertarian convention, which, it turns out, is pretty good goddam romantic. I definitely noticed a little extra dust in the room when she said yes. And, of course, the venerable Ron Paul, the OG, the reason so many of us joined this Liberty movement, came out and rocked the place. I can’t, in good faith, attempt to recreate his speech, you just have to watch it.
But then, yes, alas, quickly approaching 2 AM, the business portion of the convention adjourned. Most people in the party had earned at least a couple of significant wins, and we had proven that, even when we were most divided by factions, we could still come together and pull off this amazing event, and so everyone left with a smile on their shoulder and a kind word for their neighbor.
For me, it was too short and then too long, and we spent and absurd amount of time on things that might qualify us as insane (#BecomeUngovernable). I hate sitting, and I am pretty sure the people sitting next to me will never choose that spot again, because I talk way too much, and am fairly disruptive. I drank too much and slept too little, and I am still recovering. But I got a lot done with people from around the country, and plans we made to work together are already taking shape just a few days after convention. We represented well for NC, and the whole event, in the belly of the beast, my homecoming, is one I won't forget. All-in-all, it was an amazing experience. I love my Liberty family, and I am proud to work with any and all of you. You are obnoxious, stubborn, self-righteous, petty, uncooperative, and reactive, but you are also principled, loyal, unwaveringly dedicated, smart, fun, funny, passionate, curious, brilliant, and eclectic in a way that can only be described as “Libertarian.” And, seeing as I am the only real Libertarian, I am qualified to make that determination. Thank you all for a great convention. See you in Michigan. |
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Candidate Spotlight
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Mises Club CarolinasSugar Mountain Event - August 9-11
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Liberty BabesLiberty Babes (@LibertyBabesX) is using the power of AI to create Liberty warriors and spread freedom messaging. Now, with Tar Heel exclusives:
"Fiat currency and Keynesian economics are like a comedy act that's been bombing for decades – they keep telling the same old jokes, and the punchline is always inflation and a bloated government. Gold and silver, on the other hand, are the timeless classics, the true champions of sound money, and real killers on stage." - @LibertyBabesX |
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David Hoesly's Lifetime Liberty ProjectDavid has been a Liberty warrior for more than 50 years. Here, he tells the story of completing his greatest Liberty project, a lifetime passion project and a concrete contribution to the Liberty movement. by David Hoesly LPNC As many of you know, I've been active in the Libertarian movement for the last five decades, and one of my projects was to publish the book A Liberty Primer, which was authored by Alan Burris, a fellow key activist when we lived in the Rochester, NY, area. Our aim was to provide, in layman's language, an introduction to the ideas supporting individual liberty. Alan and I created the first edition (July 1981) in 58 8.5x11 duplex-printed pages, bound by a plastic ring, and then in July, 1983, we did a much-expanded Second Edition, some 558 pages in a trade paperback format. Since there are, to my knowledge, only two or three unsold copies of the Second Edition, and since I wanted to get more mileage out of the project after I've bought the farm, I decided in July 2023 to create a Third Edition, which corrected a few typos in--and did some updates for--the Second Edition (including, e.g., listing websites which weren't yet available in 1983 for many libertarian organizations). It also includes curricula vitae for Alan and me. My plan was to see if some libertarian organizations would publish this Third Edition on their websites. Recently, I received notification that the Cato Institute has posted the book on their website, libertarianism.org, accessible by this link. It's also available on the website of Students for Liberty, at this link. Lastly, Biblioboard, a website that helps people to create and publish books through their "Indie Author Project" has also posted a link to A Liberty Primer.
I regard this as the single most important contribution of my life to the advancement of the ideas that undergird individual freedom, and I'm glad that after ten months, the project has been successfully completed! For Freedom--- David Hoesly PS: if you're a Twitter/X fan, you can scroll down here and that will bring up Cato's link to the book also!
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Trevor's Takesby Trevor Miles Over the last several years in the US, law enforcement, criminal justice and public safety, and legal reform has been a hot topic, to say the least. In North Carolina, the law enforcement vs. criminal justice reform situation is further complicated by the fact that bodycam footage is considered de facto confidential information unless a judge determines otherwise. While many judges and law enforcement officers believe this is beneficial, or at least fight to keep the status quo as it protects them and preserves a system that shields them from accountability. I argue that it is actually detrimental to the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve, leading to a higher number of negative outcomes and crumbling trust in law enforcement by the public they claim to serve. For instance, take the 2021 raid of Amir Abboud’s house in Raleigh. The police raided Abboud’s house looking for another individual who wasn’t even there (so much for good detective work) and then a judge, citing a lack of compelling public interest for the release of the video, decided that Raleigh PD could classify the video as confidential, and never have to release it. Consequently, I would argue that this further degraded the trust in both the judge and the Raleigh PD, who seem unwilling to acknowledge their error and obviously don’t care about transparency or fostering public trust. In another example where the body cam footage hasn’t been released, but where there is cell phone video, we have Washington County deputy Jeffrey Edwards viciously attacking Gary Thomas Jr., then handcuffing and dragging him into the Washington County courthouse. Now, Deputy Edwards was fired from Washington County, he was not charged criminally, and at the time of the article was still employed with another NC law enforcement agency. Had there not been cellphone footage, would this incident have even been brought to the spotlight? Who knows. And, of course, who in the LPNC can forget the case of Joshua Rohrer? Joshua, a homeless veteran, was assaulted by police for accepting a dollar from a passing car. When he did not produce his identification quickly enough for them (meaning he was getting it out for them, but they didn’t like it, two cops, Cierra Brooks and Maurice Taylor, tased him. They also tased his service dog, arrested Joshua, and held him for three days. When he got out, he put out a plea for someone to help find his dog. When he found out she had been killed by a car while returning to the spot she last saw him, as she was trained to do, he attempted to take his own life. We know all of this because we finally saw the body camera footage, nine months later, following relentless pressure led by our Governor candidate Mike Ross and the LPNC. In fact, when the courts first received a request to release the footage, DA Travis Page argued against it on the basis that it would prevent a fair trial – yes, he argued that the video of what happened would prevent a fair trial. All this to say that, clearly, law enforcement in North Carolina are at least passively resistant to the idea of facing public accountability or having their actions stand up to scrutiny from anyone outside the police – because we all know how well it works when we investigate ourselves (it’s amazing how often they find no wrongdoing…). The judges in North Carolina seem to support them. There is no reason that body cam footage should be withheld from the public when a complaint of excessive force or ethical violations is made against a law enforcement officer, full stop. I say it’s time we let the barely elected representatives in Raleigh and their appointed bureaucrats in Raleigh know that we’re tired of them prioritizing law enforcement's ability to cover up their screw ups over the public's right to transparency (considering they just passed a law increasing their ability to avoid transparency, I am not holding my breath). It’s time to change the body cam laws in North Carolina. |
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U.S. Representative Introduces Bill to End Federal Taxation on Gold and SilverThis article originally appeared on Money Metals Exchange U.S. Representative Alex Mooney (R-WV) has re-introduced sound money legislation to remove all federal income taxation from gold and silver coins and bullion. The Monetary Metals Tax Neutrality Act (H.R. 8279) backed by the Sound Money Defense League, Money Metals Exchange, and free-market activists – would clarify that the sale or exchange of precious metals bullion and coins are not to be included in capital gains, losses, or any other type of federal income calculation. Gold and silver would be treated as a non-entity for tax purposes, putting it on par with the U.S. dollar. Reps. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Randy Weber (R-TX) joined as original cosponsors. "My view, which is backed up by language in the U.S. Constitution, is that gold and silver coins are money and are legal tender," Rep. Mooney said. "If they’re indeed U.S. money, it seems there should be no taxes on them at all. So, why are we taxing these coins as collectibles?" Acting unilaterally, Internal Revenue Service bureaucrats have placed gold and silver in the same "collectibles" category as artwork, Beanie Babies, and baseball cards – a classification that subjects the monetary metals to a discriminatorily high long-term capital gains tax rate of 28%. Sound money activists have long pointed out it is inappropriate to apply any federal income tax, regardless of the rate, against the only kind of money named in the U.S. Constitution. And the IRS has never defended how its position squares up with current law. Furthermore, the U.S. Mint continuously mints coins of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium and gives each of these coins a legal tender value denominated in U.S. dollars. This formal status as U.S. money further underscores the peculiarity of the IRS’s tax treatment. A tax-neutral measure, the Monetary Metals Tax Neutrality Act states that “no gain or loss shall be recognized on the sale or exchange of (1) gold, silver, platinum, or palladium minted and issued by the Secretary at any time or (2), refined gold or silver bullion, coins, bars, rounds, or ingots which are valued primarily based on their metal content and not their form.” Under current IRS policy, a taxpayer who sells his precious metals may end up with a capital "gain" in terms of Federal Reserve Notes and must pay federal income taxes on this "gain." But the capital "gain" is not necessarily a real gain. It is often a nominal gain that simply results from the inflation created by the Federal Reserve and the attendant decline in the Federal Reserve Note dollar’s purchasing power. Under Rep. Mooney's bill, precious metals gains and losses would not be included in any calculations of a taxpayer’s federal taxable income. "U.S. inflation is not caused by CEOs of grocery stores or by outside world leaders, it is caused by the Federal Reserve and federal policy," said Jp Cortez, executive director of the Sound Money Defense League. "The federal government has a responsibility to remove disincentives for people seeking alternatives to the Federal Reserve note dollar to protect their savings." "The IRS does not let taxpayers deduct the staggering capital losses they suffer when holding Federal Reserve notes over time," said Stefan Gleason, president of Money Metals Exchange, the U.S. company named Best Overall Precious Metals Dealer by Investopedia.com. "So it’s grossly unfair for the IRS to assess a capital gains tax when citizens hold gold and silver to protect them from the Fed’s policy of currency debasement." The Monetary Metals Tax Neutrality Act aligns with a broader national trend. With most states having already eliminated sales tax on the purchase of precious metals, state legislatures are increasingly introducing and approving measures to eliminate state income taxation of gold and silver. Alabama and Nebraska each passed their version of this policy this year. Arizona, Arkansas, and Utah approved similar measures in recent years. And Iowa, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas also considered income tax exemptions in 2024, with several approving the bill across multiple committees and chambers. The text of the H.R. 8279 can be found here and additional information on its current status is located here. |
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Art by Karlaby Karla Nemitz: Petty Officer to pinup artist and everything in between! Featuring comics, artwork, and adventures. Karla is a Liberty warrior and brilliant artist who has graciously allowed us to run a few of her comics this month.
Check out all of Karla's Liberty focused and brilliant art on her website and Instagram. |
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HappeningsPorcFest Ride ShareTraveling to PorcFest this year? LPNC members looking to carpoolThe 21st annual PorcFest will take place this year from June 17-23 in New Hampshire. PorcFest, or the The Porcupine Freedom Festival, is an annual liberty camping event organized by Free State Project. This year, North Carolina Libertarians will be attending, and have reached out about carpooling or ride sharing. If you are interested, send an email to [email protected], and we will connect you with others who are going.
--- Dave Smith to Debate Chris CuomoLater today, Dave Smith and Chris Cuomo will go toe-to-toe on Patrick Bet David's showPatrick Bet David will host a debate between Libertarian comedian, host of Part of the Problem, and advocate Dave Smith and CNN washout and noted covidian Chris Cuomo, whose brother Andrew is arguably responsible for the deaths of roughly 20,000 elderly people when he was governor of New York and decided that they not be allowed to leave their retirement homes where covid ran rampant. (He later left office under significant accusations of sexual harassment). The debate will cover the covid regime, CNN and journalism, and a number of other issues. It will be live, in front of an audience, hosted on Patrick Bet David's podcast, from 6-9 PM ET.
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LP in NC
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Help WantedThe LPNC is seeking passionate and dedicated volunteers to join our team and play pivotal roles in advancing the cause of liberty across North Carolina. Currently, we are looking for someone who would like to join the Executive Committee as the LPNC Treasurer. As the LPNC Treasurer, you will play a crucial role in managing the financial affairs of the party at the state level. Your responsibilities will include overseeing the budget, managing accounts, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations. Key Responsibilities:
While financial experience is a plus, there are no requirements for this job in terms of background. There is a state course and certification, which the LPNC will assist you in obtaining. Time requirements are approximately an hour a week, a monthly meeting, and a few additional hours around filing deadlines. Additionally, the Communications team is seeking content submissions and regular writers, artists, editors, and support staff for the newsletter, the podcast, and several other ambitious plans for 2024. We can use an hour a week, or 40; as long as you are fighting for Liberty there is a place to make your voice heard. We can't do it without you! To learn more about these positions and other exciting volunteer opportunities, please visit our staff page at https://www.lpnc.org/staff. Your involvement can make a significant impact on the success of the LPNC, and we welcome individuals with diverse skills and backgrounds to join us in championing liberty in North Carolina. Take the next step in your commitment to liberty by becoming a vital part of the LPNC team. We look forward to welcoming you aboard! If you are interested in filling one of these positions, please email why you would be a good fit to Ryan Brown at [email protected]. |
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Guest OpEd: The Chaotic 2024 LP National Conventionby Ben Weir Ben (X: @TheEmoAncap), longtime Liberty warrior, musician and songwriter, host of Shut the Punk Up!, and founder of the LP Emo Caucus (X: @LPEmoCaucus), provides some reflections on the convention and each of the candidates as an outside of NC observer with no loyalties to any faction or caucus. First looking at the presidential candidates. Regarding Michael Rectenwald (@RecTheRegime), who is someone I consider a friend now. I greatly appreciated a lot of his views, but I wish he had focused more on talking points and building a platform that resonates with people in the Party. Overall, his platform was virtually non-existent compared to other candidates (on his website). And while his podcast interviews were pretty great most of the time, I think he needed more of his promised media coverage prior to the convention taking place. He knows he messed up Friday night, and he deserves the harsh criticism that he has received for that. I am not going to be the guy that continues to throw blows at the guy though, because half of the people complaining about it would laugh their ass off when Gary Johnson did the same thing on national media just a few years ago. I do think he would have won if that hadn’t happened. I also think Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) would have been a great dynamic duo for his team and would have been able to carry his message across the finish line with strong results. I don’t think any of our candidates would have topped 1 percent of the vote, so this ticket was my second preferred choice out of the lot. Rec is extremely intelligent, and I hope he continues to stay involved with the Party after this gut wrenching blow. I know a lot of people revolved their lives around this campaign with no plan B, and I hope they stick to the decentralized plan for Libertarianism and local activism. This is their greatest strength. Then there is Lars Mapstead (@LibertarianLars), who was my first choice throughout the night. He had a great team, best website, and best plan of attack to disrupt the duopoly while the rest of the candidates were still going to be chasing 1 percent of the vote. Stop 270 was an awesome concept that many people agreed was the best overall strategy for the Party. I am glad he didn’t participate in the caucus wars. He drove a “middle ground” campaign that should have appealed to people on both sides of that. Unfortunately, many people aren’t able to be independent thinkers and need someone else to tell them how to vote. He ran an honest campaign, and never attacked his opponents (despite the baseless shots fired at him). If Lars had won this weekend, I don’t think we would be where we are today with the fallout. Some people might not have liked it, but he was never a divisive candidate and doesn’t have many of the awful public takes that so many of his opponents had. Larry Sharpe (@LarrySharpe) made the ticket just that much sweeter. I think he would have been great as Lars’ running mate. He did a great job at his VP debate against Clint, and is almost unanimously loved throughout the Party. There’s a good reason that Josh, Rec, and a few others approached him about the VP opportunity before the people they ultimately settled with. We aren’t gonna get 1 percent of the vote, but stopping 270 is an achievable goal that would give us more success down ticket as Libertarians and disrupt the corrupt electoral college. It’s punk rock as fuck. My friend Joshua Smith (@JoshuaAtLarge) had one of the best platforms out of all the candidates… hands down. He brought the most energy and had the best speeches when the opportunities arose. I think ultimately that he might have overestimated his support within the Party. I think overall, he wasn’t going to get any of the caucus support because of previous conflicts he had with them… which is fine. Like I said before, our Party lacks original thinkers and if people were thinking for themselves instead of collectively as a slate… I think Josh would have probably performed almost as well as Rec. He’s a family man and just started a new job, so I know he’s happy to be home with them. Overall, I don’t think his campaign was ever equipped to handle 5 months of long winded campaigning after this past weekend anyway. Money raised wasn’t where it needed to be to make that happen, and family life should absolutely take priority for him. I hope he decides to run for something again at some point, and I think he could have a lot of success running one of these campaigns at a more localized or State level. Oh boy… then there’s Mike ter Maat (@terMaatMike). I’ve talked with Mike many times, and he raised two emo daughters. Admittedly, I can never get past the fact he was a cop for 10 years. To me, that means he voluntarily was prosecuting people for victimless crimes… and feeding into a system that is literally destroying communities and families. I can’t get past that. I’ve had fantastic conversations with Mike, and I do think he was one of the best communicators while on his campaign run. I spoke with him in the hallway after he pulled what I thought was a less than honorable move and betrayed people he claimed to have supported within the last a week, and really burned a lot of bridges. I told him I was extremely disappointed in what happened and how he handled that. I thought he over promised. He told me, “This wasn’t what was best for me… it’s what I believe is best for the Party” and seemed very depressed/disappointed throughout the brief conversation. Regardless, I walked away very unsatisfied with the answers he gave me. He had absolutely horrible takes on COVID, and everyone knew that walking into the convention. But, Mike was the ONLY candidate with a plan B. He didn’t get the Presidential nomination, so he went with the next best thing. He’s doing what’s best for himself. I guess I can’t blame him for that. Good luck as VP, Mike. Then we have Chase Oliver (@ChaseForLiberty). Chase was never a top choice for me. The COVID takes from his past and constant need to push identity politics (which I hate), are just a few of the big things I can’t look past. I’ve had great conversations with Chase, and I definitely think he’s one of the best communicators we had. He will definitely appeal to normies and I hope he focuses most of his campaign on dismantling the police state… which is one of his strongest points. I’ve talked with him about this at length several times and his knowledge on the topic is impressive. He’s a young guy, with a lot of energy. I think he will be able to handle the campaign trail and all of its trials very well. My advice to him is this. Avoid identity politics (orientation, race, etc.), it’s a horrible look for you and even worse for the Party as a whole. If you look back at some of your takes on COVID with regret, please speak out publicly against them and recant your old position on it. Focus on your strengths. Slow down your speech when you get flustered. As I’ve already said twice, we aren’t going to get more than 1 percent of the vote this year. The best thing Chase can do is just be honest, do everything he can to fix his past mistakes, and move forward. Congrats to Chase! My line is open if you ever want to rebut my criticisms or chat about it. Overall, this weekend was insane. Everyone was bound to leave it unsatisfied in some way. I’m an anarchist. I’m a libertarian. I’m proud of the work our Party is doing to bring a message of Liberty to the world. I think we are the best messengers for that. I’m ready to move forward and focus on my new responsibilities as Region 8 alternate. I want to strengthen the New England region and give the State affiliates the training and tools they need to succeed. I want to emphasize decentralization through localized activism, and encourage State affiliates to develop more supporting county affiliates to strengthen their reach/decentralize more locally. This is our strength as a Party. Let’s use it. |
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Remember to Check Out Our StoreCheck out the latest LPNC merch to get ready for summer weather!
The LPNC store has it all, from clothes and hats, to buttons and stickers, tumblers, mugs, glasses, and more. Stop in and grab something! |
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Meme of the Week
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Liberty iNCYour source for all things Liberty in our great Tar Heel state.
Your rights, all the time. Nothing more, nothing less, no exceptions. Simple as that. Season 4 started last month, and we have had some great guests so far, including Joshua Smith, Lou Perez, Cassie Clark, Christopher Sessions and Matthew Kordon, and our interview with Shelane Etchison will post this weekend. Plus, Dub Dub and Groo talk sports! If you want to assist with the show, be a guest, suggest a guest, or have any other comments or feedback, please, reach out to [email protected]. |
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2A Talk
There is a veneration for tradition in the gun community. Perhaps a result of the historically conservative bent to the community overall, this love of tradition often manifests as a kneejerk rejection of new technology and shifting training doctrine. Now, the gun community is not immune to its share of fads and trends that catch on quickly, burn hot and bright for their 15 minutes, then die out once said thing has been tested by those the community relies on to sanity check new stuff. Because of this, a healthy degree of skepticism is needed in browsing the latest endorsements from your favorite gunfluencers (trademark pending). But this goes both ways. "That’s how we've always done it" or "that's how I was taught 20 years ago" are no better than "it's new so it must be better." This article is not meant as an attack on tradition, per se, but is meant to overtly challenge the dogma and relics held within that tradition simply for their own sake. Let's burn our sacred cows and make shiny veal out of our golden calves. I recently watched a video of one of these aforementioned gunfluencers discussing the trend of concealed carriers putting lights on their guns and condemning the action based on the fallacious refrain loved by the anti-gun crowd to defame concealed carry in general: when's the last time you needed it? Certainly, needing your gun is a statistical rarity, more-so if you need to activate your light while doing so. Glossing over the obvious and weak argument normally reserved for the gun haters, perhaps we can evaluate such ideas and the reactions to them with less outright dismissal. And what else is the statement "you’ll never need it" meant to do besides dismiss an argument? You can’t prove that statement false, there is no open curiosity implicit in it, and it does not offer the opportunity for clarification of the person being addressed. Why do you feel you need a light? Let us accept that perhaps our view of the world is not the only rational one. Indeed, step one may simply be to restrain our desire to ridicule until we ask enough probing questions to find out if our peer is full of crap and deserving of said ridicule. While at the range recently I was listening as a vintage shooter told me about how red dot optics were a useless gimmick since you're not gonna have time to use your sights in a real fight anyway. What data, personal experience, or testing did this gentleman cite to back up his argument? "Trust me, sonny." Curiously, this gentleman embraced certain technological development, showing me his 9mm Staccato 2011 he uses for home defense. I guess those were acceptable upgrades to the 1911, the fabled pistol first discussed in some translations of the book of Genesis. In all seriousness, it seems an axiom in some circles that useful technological developments on firearms ended sometime around the turn of the century... the 20th century that is. This is the school of thought that says things like "if it's good enough to win two world wars, it's good enough for me" as justification for why they carry variants of the capable, but rustic, Colt 1911. They tout shot placement and "stopping power" over gimmicks like polymer frames, striker-fire systems, double-stack magazines, defensive ammunition, lights, optics, or kydex holsters. So, what to do to make us, as a community, advance with useful, safe technology and avoid the litany of gimmicks and unsafe practices out there? For starters, I would encourage all of us to start asking the question "why" to ourselves about everything we do. Why do I carry the gun, caliber, and ammunition that I do? Is there a good reason to change any of these? If so, why is that a good reason and is it a good enough reason to make the change? Why do I shoot the targets I do at the range? Why do I shoot at the distance I do? Why do I shoot the drills I do (or don’t)? Once we have answered a personally sufficient number of these questions for ourselves and our actions, it may be time to look at others. I think most of us can agree that approaching things with genuine curiosity and a desire to learn is better than approaching things close-mindedly and with pre-conceived judgment. Certainly, if someone were to ask me why I carry appendix instead of telling me I’ll shoot my crotch doing so, that person is more likely to have a pleasant if not engaging conversation, instead of me turning and ignoring him or her. Several training groups I follow on social media have rules related to people challenging others on a topic. The rule is usually something like: if you want to criticize someone who posts videos of themselves training, you better have posted some of your own videos in the group for people to see from what authority you speak. AKA if you want to act like the expert, you better post yourself doing some expert stuff first. Armchair quarterbacks not welcome. There is a reason most people are much more polite and humble at your local shooting match than they are on the internet. It's the same reason all your gun friends talk big but get real quiet once it's time to put rounds downrange in public. It's easy to talk crap until you're the one in the spotlight. |
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Support Your Fellow LibertariansPort City FirearmsOur very own Justin Hinckley, 2A Issues Coordinator, has opened an online store, and you don't want to miss it! Port City Firearms and Training
--- Non Crappy CraftsAngela Humphries is a free-spirited watercolor artist who lives by the calm, colorful waters of New Bern, North Carolina. With her loose, expressive strokes, she works to impress the magic of flora and fauna onto her canvases. Her lighthearted, whimsical mark making, infused with the inspiration of her surroundings, invites admirers to walk in nature to enjoy it’s beauty and magnificence. 
Angela is a member of the North Carolina Watercolor Society and enjoys working in the privacy of her small home studio. She shares more of her work in the digital realm on her greeting card creations. Her work may be discovered in New Bern, NC at the local Bank of the Arts Gallery, as well as the Nautical Star Coffee Shop and finally her online store via Etsy. --- Dr. Dan's Freedom Forum Radio
"The right to own private property that cannot be arbitrarily regulated or confiscated by the government is the moral and constitutional basis for individual freedom" Listen Live: Freedom Forum Radio Podcast: Freedom Forum Radio Podcast Index ---
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convention, decisive but fair, keeping things moving as best as could be expected. Ryan Brown (LPNC Chair and Delegate Chair) was a machine - first on the floor and last off, counting delegates, managing votes, tracking changes, and ensuring that the NC delegates were by far the most organized and prepared in the country. And Susan Hogarth was a fountain of help and information, willing and available to give background or direction for all the strange twists and turns of this most Libertarian of gatherings.
We got in mid-afternoon Thursday. Check-in at the Hilton was smooth and quick. The hotel is old but pretty, right in the heart of Northwest DC, with some amazing views of the city. No time to linger, though, we had things to do.
Friday evening dinner and drinks was energetic with discussion of the day’s events, which had garnered the excitement of the people present in a way that could only happen with a group of Libertarians. Nevertheless, spirits were high and we were all anticipating the next day when we could actually do something. The planned events on Friday evening featured a comedy night in the hotel, but first, Clint Russell, vying for the VP nomination, debated Vivek Ramaswamy, edging out Larry Sharpe for the honor.
Saturday opened with the presidential candidates debate. I have had several of them on Liberty iNC and watched many of their other debates at our convention and other states, and I have to say, they were all in top form; this was the best debate I'd seen among them.
That took most of the morning. I had a ticket to the lunch with Dave Smith. I know Dave is controversial to some in the party. He certainly has some takes with which I disagree, and his influence and voice have been a hard pill for many to swallow. I like Dave, though,
unapologetically. I think he is one of our best messengers currently, second only to Spike Cohen, and he has gained a foothold in the normie space that is not something we come by easily. At this lunch in particular, Dave was in top form. He was relaxed and funny, but reflective and poignant. He talked about his decision not to run for president, the success the party has had, and things he might have done differently. Then he took a few questions and a few pictures, and it was back to the floor for the delegates.
RFK came on a little late, to accommodate the delegates finishing some business, no worries, I got to meet the best representative we have in the federal government, Thomas Massie. I told him about Crosley Green, and he took the name down to see if he could do anything. I won't hold my breath, but I will press the issue, and it's better than nothing.
It had been a long day, and the hotel kitchen was backed up, so I headed out with Mike Ross for dinner. We ran into Lou Perez, and we had a delicious seafood dinner at a place nearby that used to be The Russia House, pre-covid. I was glad to see it turned into something else cool.
Except we’re Libertarians, so none of that happened. At best, 30 percent of the people left, not happy, but not despondent, another 30 percent left happy it was over, and the remaining 40 percent left full of piss and vinegar, announcing they were going to do all the things they accused the other side of doing (this is not targeting anyone. All of you did it).
Gheorghe Cormos - candidate for U.S. Congress N.C. District 3
Bob Drach
The Mises Club Carolinas, affiliated with the Mises Institute, is united by the principles of Austrian economics. Not just a club, they're catalysts for market-led solutions. Be the movement, Lead the Change!
If you choose to look at any of these, I highly recommendpurchasing from Cato's libertarianism.org, because the site includes a blurb from me about how the book came about.
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