Campaign For Liberty

Property rights, Gadsden Flags, and Homeowners Associations

By Matt Holdridge

A story like this comes up at least once a year. We've heard it before: a resident and member of a homeowners' association wants to display a political or religious item in their yard, which violates the association rules. From there a battle begins between the two parties over "free speech" and "censorship."

In this case, an Arizona man wanted to proudly display his Gadsden Flag to the objections of his homeowners' association. 

Rally for the Republic - 2nd Anniversary

By Tim Shoemaker

Two years ago today, over 10,000 friends of liberty gathered together in the Target Center in Minneapolis across the river from the RNC gathering in St. Paul.  For me, this was not a protest, or a "counter convention," it was a celebration.  We gathered there, recollecting events throughout Ron Paul's presidential campaign that happened to bring this diverse group of individuals together into a cohesive movement, not just supporting a candidate for public office anymore, but as newly-formed advocates for a philosophy of liberty.  It would not mark the end of the "Ron Paul R3VOLution."  Instead, it was just the beginning. 

I want to take a brief moment to share my recollection of that event.  I remember driving 17 hours from Harrisburg, PA to Minneapolis with my older brother just a few days before.  I remember passing dozens of Ron Paul 2008 signs along the highway in nearly every state; it was quite obvious others had been traveling the same route before us.  The excitement built as we attended the "Ron Paul Nation Celebration" and listened to great musicians like Rick Ellis, Marc Scibilia, and Aimee Allen.  Finally came the day for the rally.  It was great hearing speeches from Tom Woods, Bruce Fein, Doug Wead, Barry Goldwater Jr., and of course Dr. Paul himself along with many others (who could forget the great musical performance of Jimmy Vaughn?).  So much happened on the trip it's hard to share in a short statement.

It was an exciting time for those of us who made the journey.  I'm sure many of you have stories about the event as well.  Please feel free to share them in the comments section!

C4L Rising

By Matt Hawes

This week marks the second anniversary of the Rally for the Republic. C4L's Kevin Brett put together a quick video looking back at where we've been as a movement and looking forward to what we will accomplish together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oypzvwwtBLg

Don't study econ from this lady.

By Tim Shoemaker

It's no wonder we're in such an economic mess.  The AP reports soon-to-be former White House economist Christina Romer called for increased government spending and reduced taxes.  I'll agree with the latter.  How anyone can honestly believe that we need more increased spending after TARP, the Stimulus bill, the Omnibus appropriations bill and numerous smaller/individualized bailouts is beyond me. 

The brief article goes on to state Romer is leaving her position to retake her job as an economics professor at UC Berkeley (If you go there, please, please, please don't study econ from this woman).

Ron Paul Interview

By Matt Hawes

Congressman Paul is scheduled to be on Fox Business' America's Nightly Scoreboard with David Asman tonight.  The program airs at 7pm eastern.

Update: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc4hjvVnpLc

"Something for Nothing"

By Matt Hawes

In his latest column, economist Walter E. Williams looks at what often goes unseen:

Scarcity means there's no free lunch. Having more of one thing requires having less of another. You might say, "Williams, that's where you're wrong. Someone gave me this newspaper and I'm reading your column for free!" Not true. If you weren't spending time reading my column, you might have spent the time reading something else, chatting with your wife or children, or going out for a jog. You're reading my column for a zero price but you're not doing so at zero cost. You have to sacrifice something. There are zero-price services such as "free libraries," "free public schools," "free transportation" and free whatever. It doesn't mean that costs are not being borne by somebody....

Read the rest.

Earlier today, CNN reported on a new program in San Francisco called "Kindergarten to College" (K2C), which will ultimately provide savings accounts for each student in San Fran's public schools.  According to AOL's "Wallet Pop," the city will provide the intitial $50 to start the account and an additional $50 if students qualify for "free or reduced-priced school lunches."  (Notice, like Williams points out, the assumption of something provided by the state being "free.")  EARN, a non-profit, will also contribute $100 to match what families give in the first year.

Like many other state (and federal) programs, this will be sold as necessary "for the children."  How about working with the state to give families a tax break?  But that would take government out of the picture, and the politicians just can't have that.  Instead, the city will be praised by many who never stop to consider where the $50 (which is going to add up once done for each student.  If this program were enacted in Fall 2008, it would have cost at least $200,000.) really comes from.

Oh, Sure, the Government Will Protect Our Privacy

By Anthony Gregory

There's a debate and a poll at the Economist about a government effort to grandstand on behalf of privacy in telecommunications -- even as that same government attacks our privacy in a million ways, including online. To stand up to the hypocrisy, go to the site and vote no.

Mission Not Accomplished

By Matt Hawes

Dr. Paul released the following today on President Obama's Iraq speech:

LAKE JACKSON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Congressman Ron Paul today released the following statement on President Obama's speech from the Oval Office last night:

"The President's announcement that all U.S. combat troops have left Iraq is no more believable than the 'Mission Accomplished' declaration was in 2003.

"Once again, we are being told the mission has been accomplished and our brave men and women are coming back home. Though the people are hopeful they remain skeptical, and rightfully so.

"The biggest problem is that success in Iraq is undefinable since the mission was never defined. The reasons given for the invasion were based on misinformation. Now, the war has cost us hundreds of billions of dollars and this has contributed significantly to our economic woes.

"Forty-four hundred Americans are dead, thirty thousand severely wounded, and more than a hundred thousand are suffering from serious health problems related to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. This alone should tell us that it was not worth the investment and the needless sacrifice of our young people and the taxpayers.

"It is deceitful to imply we will avoid hostilities with this new policy. We still have to contend with:

* the 50,000 troops carrying weapons who remain in Iraq
* the 100,000 contractors that remain with more expected to go to Iraq
* the 9,000 special ops personnel trained in assassinations that remain in Iraq
* a huge embassy, bigger than the Vatican, that will remain
* Dozens of military bases that will stay
* Al Qaeda organizations that did not exist before the war
* Muqtada al Sadr, a strong nationalist who has gained much political power
* The fact that Iran benefits tremendously with the Shiites now in power in Iraq and is a close ally of al Sadr

"Osama bin Laden wins by 'proving' that America has an agenda of occupation in the Middle East. And, we continue to walk into his trap and hand him up his best recruitment tool in his efforts to incite hatred and terrorism against the United States.

"What's worse, President Obama made it clear last night that the troops and resources leaving Iraq will not come home to defend our country or ease our economic woes. They will instead be diverted to Afghanistan, perhaps also Pakistan and, I fear, even Iran.

"From my viewpoint we are the losers in this fool's errand of endless war. Tragically, this new policy is not one of peace but merely a charade that will severely undermine our national security and continue us down the path to bankruptcy-a threat that we best not long ignore."

No End in Sight

By Matt Hawes

With President Obama's Iraq speech tonight, I want to draw attention to Congressman Paul's latest article on the war.

After eight long draining years, I have to wonder if our government even understands what it is to end a war anymore. The end of a war, to most people, means all the troops come home, out of harm's way. It means we stop killing people and getting killed. It means we stop sending troops and armed personnel over and draining our treasury for military operations in that foreign land. But much like the infamous "mission accomplished" moment of the last administration, this "end" of the war also means none of those things....

Read the rest.

Ron Paul in San Francisco

By Matt Hawes

Just a reminder that Congressman Paul is coming to the San Francisco Civic Center this Saturday for a free and open to the public rally.

Taking place from 2-4pm (with doors opening at 1pm), "Principles Over Parties: Ending Washington's War on Us" will be a clear call to curb out of control government, end our interventionist foreign policy, and restore our liberties.  The event is presented by C4L and Young Americans for Liberty.

Find out more here.

Note: C4L does not endorse, support, or oppose candidates for federal office. "Principles Over Parties" is not a campaign event but a rally of like-minded individuals who are tired of out-of-control government.

Foreign Policy: Fear or Freedom?

By Kevin Brett

To the chagrin of many fellow media pundits, Glenn Beck hosted his "Restoring Honor" rally at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial this past Saturday.  If nothing else, the event provided insight into a broad demographic of the American population that is unsettled with the nation's current trajectory.

Nick Gillespie of Reason.tv gave a good report from the trenches of the audience in an attempt to further define the specific motives and concerns of those in attendance.  

At 2:03 in the video, Gillespie questions one of the attendees about freedom of religion.  The issue has been central to much recent debate concerning the construction of the NYC mosque and foreign policy in general, specifically in conservative circles.

The interviewee states that "Islam doesn't factor in" to the American value system, and that "if you're a good Muslim, you'll kill Christians".  Based on a loose interpretation of recent conservative rumblings, this seems to be the common sentiment among those who believe that our interventionist wars abroad are good and just.  

Is this a valid argument?  Is Islam an inherently inhumane religious belief?  The following Venn-Diagram found on the "Anonymous Arabist" Wordpress blog would seem to indicate otherwise.  The caption of the post reads, "If they hate us, why haven't they killed us yet?" and measures the U.S. population, the world Muslim population, the overlap, and al-Qaeda.   

Clearly, the total Muslim population far out-sizes the total American population.  Could it be that the fears of many Americans are being misplaced according to an over-broad stereotype, while the real enemy consists of a small, albeit effective minority? 

While the topic of religion can at times be controversial, we ask that any comments regarding this issue be made in a civil and respectful manner.  Thank you. 

Newsmax interviews Ron Paul

By Tim Shoemaker

Congressman Paul spoke with Newsmax over the phone recently regarding the economy, extending the Bush tax cuts, and his recent proposal to introduce legislation that would audit the nation's gold reserves in the 112th Congress.  Dr. Paul explains in the interview he doesn't believe the theory there is no gold at Ft. Knox or the NY Fed, but rather he is interested in finding out what the commitments and loans on our gold reserves might be.

Ron Paul Interview - Updated

By Matt Hawes

Congressman Paul will appear on CNN's John King, USA Tuesday night at 7 pm eastern to discuss President Obama's upcoming speech on Iraq.

Update: Tonight's interview has been canceled.

Baby Steps Toward a Surveillance State?

By Tim Shoemaker

The AP reports preschoolers in Contra Costa County, CA will soon be monitored by "small radio frequency tags."  These tags will be embedded in jerseys that each child will wear when at the school.  According to the report, "the tag will send signals to sensors that help track children's whereabouts, attendance and even whether they've eaten or not."

The project was funded by a $50,000 federal grant.

A full day of networking, training, and great speakers for just $15

By dljholt

Dear Friends of Liberty,

As our state organization continues to grow at a rapid pace, it is important we make it clear to the political establishment that our movement is ready to lead the Commonwealth back to prosperity and restore state sovereignty in Virginia.

On September 18, Virginia Campaign for Liberty will host the Virginia Liberty Fest , featuring a forum on "State Sovereignty in A Republic."  Judge Napolitano, Rob Schilling, Jacob Hornberger, Tom DeWeese, Daniel McCarthy, John Taylor, and Jamie Radtke will clearly articulate the need to invoke the 10th Amendment to restore liberty to the Commonwealth.

You will learn about the greatest threat to our sovereignty and property rights in our lifetime and how you can get involved to stop it.  Tom DeWeese will share his wealth of knowledge on the United Nations' Agenda 21 - Sustainable Development - and what we can do to stop this United Nations global-to-local action plan at our borders.

Leading veterans in the field will train an army of activists with three seminars that focus on building the liberty movement and providing the knowledge necessary to pass and defeat key legislation, raise the funds to build, expand, and sustain new efforts at the local, state, and national levels, hold our elected officials accountable, and turn every available opportunity to our advantage in fighting for our liberties.

Virginia Liberty Fest offers a rare opportunity to engage with many hundreds of liberty enthusiasts as we network to defend our state sovereignty and individual liberty in the Commonwealth.

Tickets for a full day of networking, training, music by signer/songwriter Jordan Page, a forum on "State Sovereignty in a Republic," and a karaoke after party with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar are JUST $15.  Get your tickets today!

If you would like to become a sponsor and promote your business or organization, please act today.  The time to get your ad in for the program is running out.  You only have 4 more days to get your ad in our event program.

Click here for more information, to purchase your tickets, and to register for the training seminars.

Meet Judge Napolitano up close and personal, have him sign one of his books that we'll have available for sale, and have your picture taken with him at the VIP Reception.  Tickets are $150.

Join us in Richmond and get the tools you need to take back your neighborhood, your state, your country, and your life!

Yours in liberty,
Donna Holt
Executive Director
Virginia Campaign for Liberty

P.S. Don't miss out on this very special offer to see Judge Napolitano in person, attend three training seminars, listen to some great music, and join in the karaoke fun at the after party, all for only $15.  Get your tickets for these exciting events today!  If you're interested in attending our VIP reception, please purchase your ticket right away!  Seats are very limited!

I Am Campaign for Liberty

By Tim Shoemaker

Yesterday, C4L's Production Manager, Kevin Brett, wrote to you regarding an exciting opportunity for C4L members to make their own video describing who they are and why they're part of C4L!  In case you missed it, I've posted it below, just follow the link to the site for more details on the submission process.

During the fight over DISCLOSE (a.k.a. the Establishment Protection Act) this last June, Representative Susan Davis commented on the U.S. House floor that she had been receiving calls from Campaign for Liberty members and tried to use our activism to justify voting for the First Amendment-shredding bill.

In response, C4L members bombarded Davis' office with phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, and other forms of communication to send the message that Campaign for Liberty is made by and for people who value liberty and our founding principles. One member even presented her with information about C4L during a townhall meeting! Immediately after the C4L member identified herself as such, the audience broke into applause.

If Susan Davis didn't know who Campaign for Liberty was prior to her speech, she sure does now!

To demonstrate the growth of C4L and highlight our grassroots activists, we're launching the "I AM Campaign for Liberty" project.

From now until Monday, September 27th, we're asking our members to submit videos where they proudly state "I AM Campaign for Liberty."

Content guidelines and other details can found at IamCampaignForLiberty.com.

Show who you are. What is important to you? Why did you join Campaign for Liberty? How are you involved in your community? Feel free to include as many details as you feel comfortable putting in the video.

After the deadline has passed, we'll make a compilation video of highlighted clips.

"I AM Campaign for Liberty" will show not only the political establishment, but the entire nation, that our organization is made up of real people, with real concerns, who have a voice, and who aren't going away anytime soon.

This is YOUR opportunity to take a stand and to remind everyone why you're here, what's at stake, and what you're doing about it. It's also your chance to show the world that everyday people can make a difference.

We hope you'll help us in this effort to unite under the banner of Campaign for Liberty's mission and principles as we prepare to face the next assault on liberty from Washington, DC.

Stay tuned to CampaignForLiberty.com for updates on "I AM Campaign for Liberty"!

In Liberty,

Kevin Brett
Production Manager

While Senators are still back in their home state for the final weeks of August recess, give their state offices a call, or if you're close to one, drop in.  Be sure to let them know that you OPPOSE DISCLOSE and you want them to vote NO (including for cloture) when it comes up again!

"A Tea Party Foreign Policy"

By Tim Shoemaker

Congressman Paul has a brief article on Foreign Policy's site today regarding the only prudent foreign policy Tea Partiers should support.  

As one who is opposed to centralization, I am wary of attempts to turn a grassroots movement against big government like the Tea Party into an adjunct of the Republican Party. I find it even more worrisome when I see those who willingly participated in the most egregious excesses of the most recent Republican Congress push their way into leadership roles of this movement without batting an eye -- or changing their policies!

As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party realize, we cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad. We cannot talk about fiscal responsibility while spending trillions on occupying and bullying the rest of the world.

Our foreign policy is based on an illusion: that we are actually paying for it. What we are doing is borrowing and printing money to maintain our presence overseas.

A return to the traditional U.S. foreign policy of active private engagement but government noninterventionism is the only alternative that can restore our moral and fiscal health. I am optimistic, and our numbers are increasing! [emphasis added]

Read the rest here.

Hawks Release Scorecard

By Tim Shoemaker

Liz Cheney's group "Keeping America Safe" has released their "Keeping America Safe Scorecard".  Politico reports that hawks receive an "A" with a sliding scale on down the line to "doves" receiving an "F".  

One glance at the vote rating index reveals its shameless promotion of the national security state and our irrational interventionist foreign policy under the auspices of "keeping America safe."  Below, I'll highlight just a few of the 27 votes they used to score the House.   

The following pieces of legislation KAS wanted a "YES" vote on: PATRIOT Act, the Iraq Resolution, the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (remember, the one that granted the President the authority to suspend habeas corpus and declare martial law for vaguely defined circumstances, later overturned by the Supreme Court), the re-authorization of the PATRIOT Act, Warrentless wiretapping, etc. etc... Take a look at their vote rating index yourself.

With a rating system like that, it's no surprise Congressman Paul received an "F" from KAS, which really should be seen as a badge of honor for "Freedom," as this scorecard clearly supports the most draconian legislation of the Bush era.  It also highlights how willing many Republicans were to march lockstep with the Bush administration right off a cliff into supporting an anti-freedom, police state, big government agenda.

Union uses child's life as a bargaining chip

By Matt Holdridge

This is an interesting story I came across in the Washington Examiner. 

The author, Mark Hemingway, writes:

Perhaps the scariest moment of my life was rushing my young daughter to the hospital after giving her peanut butter for the first time. Her face broke out into a rash, and my wife and I were terrified that she might stop breathing.

At the hospital, we learned her peanut allergy was relatively mild, but further tests revealed she was also deathly allergic to tree nuts. Whenever we drop my daughter off with family, her playgroup, or neighbors, we hand over an EpiPen auto-injector syringe. If she's exposed to walnuts, I have to trust someone else to give her a shot of epinephrine in the thigh, or else, well, I don't even like thinking about it.

So imagine my outrage when I saw ReasonTV report that unions killed a bill in the California state legislature that would allow teachers and other school personnel to administer the medication Diastat to epileptic children, provided they volunteer for training. Diastat immediately stops prolonged seizures that can mean brain damage or death.

He goes on:

However, the Epilepsy Foundation, the California Medical Association and the Association of California Neurologists all supported the bill. The only real opposition came from teachers unions, which made sure the bill never emerged from committee. Why would they be willing to let the lives of children hang in the balance?

"We think the solution is school districts to hire appropriate staff to care for our children," Gayle McClean, president of the California School Nurses Association Southern Section, told ReasonTV.

So there you have it. Doctors think the bill will save lives, but union officials think your child's life is just a bargaining chip for more jobs in California's bloated public-sector work force and thus more dues-paying union members.

If you're not aware, Diastat, (the drug in question), as the author points out, comes in a specially packaged syringe designed to be easily administered with little or no medical training. This makes the union's claim of needing "appropriate staff" ridiculous. 

This act by the unions clearly falls into the make-work rules and featherbedding techniques used by organized labor for decades. Essentially, to feather-bed is to hire more workers than necessary to do a job or series of jobs in order to create more employment. 

Henry Hazlitt outlined this bogus practice in his book Economics in One Lesson, which you can download for free here. 

The conclusion to the story? 

If unions are withholding Diastat in schools today, it's not hard for me to imagine them also ransoming my daughter's lifesaving EpiPen tomorrow. If we don't fight back when unions are endangering our children, when will we?

GAME OVER for Gamers?

By ArickStall

I wanted to take a few moments regarding a topic that is not discussed too often but is another example of liberty being eaten away nonetheless. I'm referencing access to media, and more specifically, video games.

Earlier today, I read an article about Electronic Arts (EA) not toppling under political pressure to take the terrorist sect known as Taliban out of their most recent multi-console gaming release, Medal of Honor. For those of you familiar with the franchise, it is a modern-age reboot set to compete with the likes of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

British Defense Secretary Liam Fox criticized the game, calling on retailers not to sell Medal Of Honor in order to "show their support for the armed forces."

Specifically, Fox said:

"At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands. It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers," he said in a statement. "It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product."

I agree with Electronic Arts to expand on their creative vision and keep this part in the video game to allow for more realistic depiction, among other things. While the choice is up to an individual retailer whether or not to sell a product, it should not be up to the state.

Which leads me to my next point.

This article actually reminded me of oral arguments that will be heard by the Supreme Court on November 2nd of this year in the case of Schwarzenegger v. EMA. This is also known as the "violent video game" case.

The Entertainment Consumers Association, known as ECA, will submit a friend of the court document (amicus brief) in response to the Supreme Court's decision to hear the argument.

What this means to consumers is that by the end of this year, or perhaps next year, the Supreme Court will listen to the arguments of both sides and make a decision to agree or disagree with the lower courts. What does that spell out for us? According to the Entertainment Consumers Association, it would mean the following:

Agreeing would mean that they believe that video games are, and should continue to be, First Amendment protected speech; just like books, movies and music. The court disagreeing would mean that they think video games should be treated differently. This could lead to new bills and laws curtailing video game access in states across the country.

It is not an understatement to say this is the most pivotal point in video gaming history, as the gaming age continues to expand creativity and realism into next generation consoles and gaming.

This is a call to action to gamers everywhere, or those who simply care about entertainment media and the selling of products associated with it. If this fails, a potential outcome could be that certain video games and associated products will be illegal to be sold in the United States, curtailing true creative license and entertainment value to consumers. The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rating system already exists in the United States and Canada, but this would take a more drastic, negative step.

I ask that if you have time, you please sign the ECA petition and have your name on the list when the brief is presented on November 2nd.

What are your thoughts?