No. 1
Spring 1999
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LPQC News | Vol. 5 No. 1 Spring 1999 |
In This Issue:
John Clifton LPQC's First Candidate
From the Chair: Defy the police State
Sharpton Misses An Opportunity
NY Libertarian Convention Challenges Conventional Ideas
Free Stuff From the Free Market
Letters to LPQC
Strawhorn Article Appears in National LP News
John Clifton has brought the LPQC a great stride forward by qualifying for the ballot for Community School Board No.28 in Queens. He is the LPQC's first candidate for elective public office.
The election will take place on May 18. John is one of 13 candidates running for 9 seats on the school board in a highly complicated proportional representation voting process.
John is the LPQC's immediate past chair and is currently our Vice Chair, Publications.
"I decided to run because of the need for the party to get started in positioning
itself for the chain of local elections to follow," said John. "The Community
School Boards are the first tier of elective offices in the city. If I win this election
and do well as a School Board member, my chances of winning an election for the State
Legislature or City Council will be vastly increased." Virtually all Council seats,
for example, will be open in 2001 due to 8-year term limits on current incumbents.
John began collecting the 200+ required signatures in mid-February in order to turn them
in by March 4 (the deadline was later extended to March 25). With help from Robert Goodman
and Fred Newton, John collected and filed 274 signatures by the new deadline. On March 30,
a spokesperson for the Board of Elections said that John's petitions had not been
challenged by the deadline for filing objections, and that he will be on the ballot.
"My campaign themes will be to give parents more control over their children's education and hold schools accountable for their students' performance" said John. To address concerns about school overcrowding and lack of qualified teachers, Clifton proposes the development of privately or cooperatively run "mini-schools," utilizing office spaces and local community centers throughout the borough. He also supports letting local boards select more competent teachers, as a alternative to the system
"Shocking the voters with pure libertarian philosophy or our sometimes
confrontational phrases will not get me elected, especially in this nonpartisan race. If
elected, I'll push for more liberty and against less liberty at every opportunity."
Now that John is an official candidate, the LPQC has its first chance to support one of
its own in a campaign. We can help John produce and distribute literature, search out
opportunities for campaign appearances, and overcome any obstacles he encounters as a
candidate.
To help with John's campaign, contact him at (212) 656-1196 or LPQC@aol.com. Let's establish a good track record by getting our first candidate elected!
Recent events and new policies initiated by the Giuliani administration are more than alarming to Libertarians. I am utterly outraged by the arrogance, brutality, racism, and disregard for civil liberties exhibited by our mayor and his militaristic henchman, Howard Safir. They are turning our city into a police state run by intimidation, fear, seizure of property on the basis of accusation, and, most alarmingly, by paramilitary undercover agents summarily executing innocent civilians. Furthermore, the mayor has tried his best to limit civil protest and has distorted his record by hiding behind misleading statistics. We must not forget that a perceived threat of criminality is always used by totalitarian thugs like Giuliani to wrestle civil liberties away from a democratic society.
When former mayor David Dinkins was arrested for civil disobedience with congressman Charles Rangel and activist Al Sharpton, I was deeply moved. Their political courage should be and was meant to be a rallying cry to us all. The mayor, with his usual arrogance, dismissed the event as "a stunt to get attention." We Libertarians must also engage in such laudable "stunts." We must build coalitions with like-minded organizations to express our indignation. At the very least, we need to start looking ahead to the next mayoral race and scrutinize the candidates and make our opinions known.
We must oppose the continual harassment of young minority men and women under the guise of fighting a drug war. We must vigorously oppose any future attempts to limit the natural and logical right to arm ourselves as we see fit. We must oppose the forcible incarceration of our children in government schools where they are daily denied their civil liberties, scanned by hand-held metal detectors, searched without probable cause, and verbally abused by security officers newly invigorated by their inclusion into the police department.
We must thoroughly and vituperatively oppose the confiscation of automobiles by a corrupted police force using inaccurate hand held breath test devises. More than 150 automobiles have already been unconstitutionally confiscated and many of those have been stolen or vandalized while in possession of the police. We must oppose the confiscation of private property as a means of revenue for a bloated and greedy local government.
This administration is misusing its power to blindly support Rudy Guiliani's candidacy for higher office. By stomping on the first, second, and fourth amendments of the constitution, the mayor has attempted to warm up to the ultra-right conservatives for financial and political support. They should be reminded that this mayor is a bold hypocrite who tries to appeal to all possible constituencies without a political or philosophical backbone. Such a self-serving opportunist should be drummed out of public office for good.
As a rising swell of public anger begins to crest into a powerful wave of change, let's hope that that change includes an increased awareness of our need to safeguard our liberties. If we are not vigilant, we will return to subjugation and serfdom. I heartily recommend that all members and friends of the LPQC write letters to the editors of our local papers expressing a libertarian outrage.
On October 29, in Keystone Cop-like manner, NYPD Officer Craig Yokemick stopped a fleeing suspect by throwing his 2-pound police radio at the suspect's head. The suspect, Kenneth Banks, died two weeks later from incurred injuries. And thus we have another white cop killing black suspect incident, and, of course, the presence of Reverend Al Sharpton. And as expected in such incidents, he cried racism.
Unfortunately, Reverend Al will not use this opportunity to denounce the more despicable aspect of this incident. Namely, that Banks was another victim of the war on drugs.
As it turned out, Banks was fleeing not from a "traditional crime" like murder,
rape or robbery, but from the "regulatory crime" of selling drugs (or any number
of "victimless crimes," such as scalping tickets, driving a
livery cab or working as a prostitute). Here, Reverend Al could"ve denounced the war
on drugs in Libertarian fashion and demand the repeal of all drug laws. But no. All he
would do is cry racism.
On the other hand, had he "done the right thing," Reverend Al would"ve dissed Arch Harlem Drug Warrior, Congressman Charles Rangel and thereby start an unseemly war between two "black leaders." And that would've been a good thing. But that will never happen. Anyway, with "black leaders" such as these, I wonder when, if ever, will the black community stop accepting shams and shysters for their leaders.
More recently, Amadou Diallo, who may become a modern urban legend, was killed after 4 white cops fired 41 bullets at him. And as expected, Reverend Sharpton did his "racism thing." But he still don't seem to get it!
Although Diallo was apparently not a victim of the drug war, his killing is symptomatic of
a general brutalization of minorities by the police, whose presence in minority
neighborhoods is ever growing, which can only lead to
more brutalization of minorities by the police. And the main reason for this police
presence is DRUGS—or, more accurately, the enforcement of drug laws.
Indeed, as the New York Post reported in its Feb. 22 article, "600 Cops Set To Launch City's New Drug Blitz,"the NYPD will get even tougher on drug offenders. According to that article, about 300 of these cops will work undercover to "do the dangerous buy part of the buy and bust [operations]," while another "300 uniformed cops will begin to patrol the targeted precincts to add a visible presence, discourage drug users and [drug] dealers on the streets, and keep an eye out for so-called lifestyle crimes associated with drug use [emphases added]." And the "targeted precincts" these cops will be reassigned to are in minority neighborhoods, which means these cops will further enforce drug laws by further brutalizing minorities. (Take that, Al Sharpton!)
Now, couple this new "Drug Blitz" with what the article also reported Police Commissioner Howard Safir as having "repeatedly" said that "about 80 percent of crime in the city is related to drugs," isn't Safir tacitly making the same "minorities and drug trafficking" statement that New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Carl Williams made?
You'll recall that Governor Christie Whitman fired Carl Williams, New Jersey's top cop, on Feb. 28 for saying that when it comes to drug trafficking, "most likely a minority is involved." He also made other sociological observations about minorities and drugs. No doubt, some were valid. But however valid those observations were, they were, unfortunately, politically incorrect.
Nonetheless, the important point that Sharpton and others of his ilk have missed is that the police use drug laws as a major excuse to brutalize minorities—and all other Americans, for that matter. (Why, isn't "drugs" the main reason New Jersey State Police use to "racially profile" Jersey motorists?) And the way to radically decrease this brutalization is to decriminalize drugs by repealing all drug laws. (Notice I did not say "legalize" drugs. To "legalize" drugs would imply that the government is giving us the "right" to use drugs. In a free society, supposedly such as ours, we, the people, have all the rights. The government can only take away those rights by "criminalizing" them with laws or it can give back those rights by repealing those laws, thereby, "decriminalizing" those rights. This is not mere rhetoric or semantics, but an important concept to understand your relation to the state in this "free society.")
But don't misunderstand me, I think Reverend Sharpton is certainly right to protest police brutality and racism. But if he wants to achieve a greater justice and do something really great for all Americans, a "greater good," as it were, he should fight for decriminalizing drugs. While it will not totally stop all police brutality, decriminalizing drugs should decrease crime by "80 percent" as Police Commissioner Safir might estimate (along with a corresponding decrease in police brutality, perhaps).
In the meantime, until Al Sharpton can "do the right thing," here is an e-mail Tom Matier sent to the Post that was published in the same February 22 edition the "600 Cop Drug Blitz" article appeared in. It follows: "What happened to Amadou Diallo is a tragedy and possibly a crime. I cannot figure how the police are going to justify this shooting. But what I don't understand is why it is acceptable when a young black man is gunned down (almost everyday) by another black man. Where is Rev. Al Sharpton when a black child is shot on his way to school?
If Rev. Al & Co. channeled their energy into stopping these senseless shootings and murders, maybe something could be done to prevent them."
In England and in much of the world, the bureaucrats are charging the people for watching television. In the US television is supported by advertisers. But there is a new breed of entrepreneur that is trying to create advertiser supported internet services.
Juno is giving free email to all comers at http://www.juno.com; Netzero is offering free web access to users of Windows 95/98 at http://www. netzero.com; and Free-pc is giving away free pc with internet access to selected people at http://www.free-pc.com. Free-Pc is the current leader of the potlatch. Who know what entrepreneurs will come up with in the future.
The Libertarian Party of New York convention will feature a civil rights leader, a party founder, a Social Security reform expert, and other exciting speakers who will offer challenges and solutions. Gathering April 24-25 (Saturday and Sunday), the Libertarians plan a free speech on Social Security privatization April 25th and possible free debates on immigration, gun control and education (still to be arranged).
The event will be held at the Best Western MacArthur Hotel, 1730 North Ocean Avenue, Holtsville, Long Island. For information, call 516-292-8340 or 518-371-3641, or email: LPNY98Campaign@hotmail.com. $99.99 for complete package, $49 for speakers only, and other options. A sailing lesson donated by New York Sailing School and other prizes will be raffled off. View the Libertarian Party of New York website at http://www.ny.lp.org/.
Roy Innis, national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), will draw on his experience as a civil rights leader to suggest how libertarians can organize for social change. His efforts include: championing the rights of immigrants, an on-the-job training program for welfare mothers, and educational reforms in Harlem.
Mr. Innis has joined the Libertarian Party and spoke at last year's National Convention, where he said that "The Republican Party is not the solution to the moral drift in America. Traditionally, where one or both of the political parties are in default, American citizens organize themselves into new parties. Can the Libertarian Party save America by being the political pioneers of the 21st century?" After his remarks, Mr. Innis can be expected to answer questions about topics such as gun control (Innis is a National Rifle Association director) and his political plans (he is believed to be interested in the Libertarian nomination for office in New York).
The Libertarian convention will present Michael Tanner on Social Security reform in a free public event on April 25th (Sunday: 10:45-11:45am). Tanner is Director of Health and Welfare Studies with the Cato Institute and director of Cato's Project On Social Security Privatization. He is the author of two books on Social Security privatization, A NEW DEAL FOR SOCIAL SECURITY and COMMON CENTS, COMMON DREAMS, in which Tanner (and co-author Peter J. Ferrara) wrote "A private system would allow American workers much greater freedom of choice and control over their own incomes and financial futures. Through a privately invested system, the one-eighth of their incomes that now goes to Social Security would grow to a huge amount that would be under their direct, personal control."
David Nolan was the prime mover behind the formation of the national Libertarian Party in 1971. His talk, "Five Years 'til the Revolution," examines both cyclical and exponential factors that are contributing to a major paradigm shift in U.S. politics. Nolan is an MIT graduate and developed the "Nolan Chart", a two dimensional-map that better explains reality than the usual political spectrum of left to right. The chart has five categories: libertarian, centrist, authoritarian, left liberal, and right conservative.
To all the LPQC people:
I just want to thank everyone, especially John Clifton, for that flattering article in your most recent newsletter. I hope all is well in Queens. You've inspired me to update our Nassau web site more regularly. I like the new quiz on the LPQC web page . It's fun, and it's also a nice outreach tool.
Take care,
Dan Conti (dconti@islandlaw.com)
The LPQC's own Jim Strawhorn has published an article entitled "Don't Wait Until You're Elected to Office," in the April 1999 edition of Libertarian Party News. The past Treasurer and current Membership Secretary outlined numerous ways in which LP members can influence the political process or get our message out on the local level.
Jim has been concerned with tactical issues and strategies for promoting the Libertarian Party for many years, and practices what he preaches—he is a member of the local Toastmasters club, and hones his speaking skills there with liberty-related speeches. Great going, Jim!
John Clifton, Editor
Ed Velez, Web Site Editor
LPQC News is published quarterly by the Libertarian Party of Queens County. Subscriptions: included free with $10 LPQC membership;$6/year to non-members. Deadline for articles is the second Saturday of the month preceding publication. Opinions expressed in LPQC News are not necessarily official positions of the membership or the officers of the LPQC. Please direct all correspondence to LPQC News, c/o Procida Realty Corp., 161-09 29th. Ave.,Flushing, NY11358; or call (718) 670-3270
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