Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 23:29:00 -0700 From: cartero@nguworld.com (Mike Dugger) Subject: [lpaz-xcom] Mikey's view To: lpaz-xcom@egroups.com Reply-To: lpaz-xcom@egroups.com
<fontfamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger>The last year has pretty much been the epitomy of the proverbial Chinese curse for the Arizona Libertarian Party. Not only have we lived through some of the most interesting (read tumultuous) times in my experience with the party, but ultimately, we came to the attntion of people in high places in the process. Still, to borrow another tired cliche,
"Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Although it may be too soon to pronounce the party cured of the affliction which seems to flair up from time to time in its southern region; it does seem increasingly likely that we will be able to carry on a surprisingly normal, even thriving existance with only an occasional dose of judicial administration to clear up the last remnants of our statist infestation. Allow me to give a brief recap to those of you who are blessedly unfamiliar with the party's internal strife.
In March 1999, two competing Maricopa County Libertarian Party chairmen showed up at the county elections department to receive a copy of the voter data which state law says that the party is entitled to. The County Recorder - understandably - was a bit taken aback by the fact that two different people were claiming to be the proper representative of the party. Predictably, she turned to the courts fordirection in the matter; which would have been a mildly interesting determination in itself, but. . .
A month later the ALP held its annual convention in Tucson. Without going into all the gory details, that convention ended with two separate groups claiming to be the rightful governing board of the party. This dispute quickly became a part of the case initiated by the Maricopa County Elections Dept. the month before. Now we had a pretty well-defined, if contentious disagreement for the court to sort out. This was unfortunate, though well-in-hand until. . .
A Washington, DC-based group calling itself the Libertarian Party of the United States, Inc. took it upon itself to become involved in the dispute. It began by disaffiliating the ALP, and then polling its Arizona "membership" as to which of the two competing groups it should recognize. Unfortunately, a check of its "membership" revealed that only 38% of its members are registered to vote as Libertarians in Arizona - with most of the remainder registered as Republicans. Two things became immediately obvious in this light:
1. We now understand where the LPUS' "Project Archimedes" obtained its membership increase from, and
2. LPUS' claim to be a "Libertarian" party is subject to serious dispute.
But that is a topic for another day.
Eventually, the court ruled that the ALP - that is, the one publishing this article - is the "officially recognized" Libertarian party in Arizona (as opposed to the LPUS-affiliated one) and that we must abide by certain state election statutes which we had challenged in the afformentioned court case. However, in the course of the judge's decision, he conceded the essential aspect of the law ALP was challenging. For, while he ruled the statutes in question to be constitutional, he had to concede that they did NOT establish who would be the official governing body of the party. The party's bylaws are the final determinant in this regard.
This right of self-determination by the group, which has been the Libertarian Party in Arizona for twenty-five years, was crucial to ensuring the continued existance of a Libertarian party based on the fundamental principles of freedom of association, rather than a state-dictated structure not unlike those of, say, China or Cuba. In short, we've succeeded in maintaining an essential separation of Party and State which doesn't exist under communism. You're welcome.
All the same, in doing so the judge probably set the stage for still more attempts, by those who've sought - literally - to incorporate the party into the apparatus of the state, to seek increasingly arcane, yet decreasingly effective means of doing so. Like I said earlier, the disease is under control, if not entirely routed.
The best evidence I can point out to indicate the impending recovery by the party is contained in these pages. The "Axe the Tax" initiative has led two relatively new Libertarian activists, one in Tucson and the other in Phoenix, to ignore our tempest-in-a-teapot to work together to help repeal Arizona's income tax. Both of these gentlemen became active in the party in the midst of our late, lamented internal squabble, yet have transcended the dispute in pursuit of Libertarian objectives. In the process, I believe they have set the stage for a stonger, resurgent ALP by striving to provide us with a banner issue to carry into this year's elections.
I sincerely hope and urge you to do your part to add further momentum to our resurgance. Please take the enclosed petition and get as many registered voters to sign as possible. If everyone receiving this petition were to fill it out by having 15 friends, relatives and strangers sign it, we will easily qualify this initiative for the ballot. In addition, we will make it known to the powers that be that the Libertarian Party remains a force to be reckoned with in Arizona politics. If that and the tax savings aren't enough to motivate you, think of all the time you'll never again have to spend doing your state income tax.
Finally, as if we needed the ammunition so to speak, the Arizona legislature passed HB 2095 at the close of its recent session. This bill was initially drafed to prevent cities and counties from adopting gun control measures beyond those adopted at the state level. That is, until the National Rifle Association got involved and caused it to be amended to include the very same victim diarmament measures the bill's initial proponents sought to prevent.
HB 2095 is a textbook example (one of many recent ones) of the the fact that the NRA is simply the nation's largest gun control lobby. The biggest lie (and this is saying a lot) perpetuated by the news media today is that which claims the NRA is a gun rights group. ALL the evidence is to the contrary. If you are a member of the NRA I urge you to withdraw your support immediately and join the Gun Owners of America, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, or any other group working AGAINST victim diarmament.
At the very least you should visit the website of the Gun Owners Liberation Front at http://www.nguworld.com/golf There you will find irrefutable evidence that the Arizona legislature has absolutely no authority to pass laws regulating or restricting the possession or ownership of firearms by law-abiding citizens. You will also learn how you can assert and preserve YOUR right not to be disarmed.
When you read over GOLF's material, remember that it was a well-crafted declaration which founded the freest nation on earth and, lest we forget, it has been the use of arms which has defended that nation, and preserved that freedom from time to time ever since. It's time for us each to declare our determination to remain free.
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