RichmondLiberty.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Libertarians join “Granny Warriors” to Protest against Federal Animal Surveillance Law

Richmond, VA October 19, 2006 - Grassroots activist group Granny Warriors will be holding a protest downtown on Tuesday against the National Animal ID System (“NAIDS”), the controversial set of livestock regulations proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Libertarians from the area will also join in the protest. The event will be held Tuesday, October 24th from 9AM to 4PM at 11th and Broad Street in downtown Richmond, VA.

If enacted, NAIS could require all owners of “livestock” to embed an ID microchip within the bodies of their animals. The requirement would apply to small family farmers, and even to individual owners of animals some would consider pets. Under this regulation, someone who owns an individual horse or chicken could have the same expensive and confusing legal obligations as large farms and ranches.

This year the Granny Warriors have set their sights on NAIS, touring now through nine southern states to protest the USDA proposal. Based out of East Texas, Granny Warriors is an organization of elderly women touring the country in a decked-out RV to campaign for the rights of animal owners. They travel to public venues throughout the country, where they raise awareness about the gradual erosion of animal owners’ rights. The Granny Warriors consider themselves necessary to counter radical activist groups such as PETA who would ban all human possession of pets or livestock. Their activities are fueled--quite literally--by the small donations they receive for gas money to drive around the county. Having now come to Richmond, the Granny Warriors are receiving support from local affiliates of the Libertarian Party.

“This is big-government nannyism at its worse,” says Matt Martin, Vice-Chair of the Henrico County Libertarian Party. “We have people in Washington dictating the behavior of animal owners in the heartland. We have an unelected agency, with virtually no input from individual animal owners, burdening citizens and small farms with crippling legal obligations. Hasn't Washington done enough to destroy small farms?”

Right now the program is voluntary, but according to the USDA website, the agency may institute mandatory requirements as early as 2008. The USDA claims NAIS will be helpful in tracking animal disease, yet even the agency admits it would take 48 hours after an outbreak has already been reported to track down possibly infected animals, and ignores more effective methods of post-processing meat and poultry inspection. Many small farmers and individual animal owners consider NAIS overkill, or as Vermont farmer Walter Jeffries put it, “like driving thumb tacks with a 100 lb sledge hammer.”

“Even more disturbing is the Orwellian aspect of NAIS,” says Martin. “How long before the federal government decides to put these microchips in humans?”

The Libertarian Party is organized in all 50 states and has run a candidate in every presidential election since it was formed in 1972. Locally the Libertarian Party of Henrico formed in 2002 and has a strong voice on the local political scene. Libertarians advocate returning government to its proper and limited role of protecting individual rights and ceasing other activities inconsistent with that goal.

The event is open to the general public.

References:

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml
http://nonais.org/
http://www.richmondliberty.org/mt/2006/10/protest_national_animal_id_pro.php
http://www.grannywarriors.com

Posted by Louis Gifford at October 21, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The Patrick Henry Supper Club will meet Tuesday, Nov 7, 2006 (yes this is election day) at 6:00pm for dinner, 7:00pm for the main event.

This month's speaker is Ivan Eland, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty at The Independent Institute and Assistant Editor of The Independent Review. He will speak about "US Foreign Policy in the 21st Century"

Dr. Eland is a graduate of Iowa State University and received an M.B.A. in applied economics and Ph.D. in national security policy from George Washington University. He has been Director of Defense Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, Principal Defense Analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, Evaluator-in-Charge (national security and intelligence) for the U.S. General Accounting Office, and Investigator for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He has testified on the military and financial aspects of NATO expansion before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and CIA oversight before the House Government Reform Committee.

Dr. Eland is the author of The Efficacy of Economic Sanctions as a Foreign Policy Tool, a contributor to numerous volumes, and the author of forty-five in-depth studies on national security issues. His articles have appeared in Arms Control Today, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Emory Law Journal, The Independent Review, Issues in Science and Technology (National Academy of Sciences), Mediterranean Quarterly, Middle East and International Review, Middle East Policy, Nexus, and Northwestern Journal of International Affairs.

Dr. Eland’s popular writings have appeared in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Insight, San Diego Union-Tribune, Washington Post, Miami Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Newsday, Sacramento Bee, Orange County Register, Chicago Sun-Times, Washington Times and Defense News. He has appeared on ABC’s “World News Tonight,’ NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” PBS, Fox News Channel, CNBC, CNN, CNN “Crossfire,” CNN-fn, C-SPAN, MSNBC, CBC, Radio Free Europe, Voice of America, BBC, and other local, national, and international TV and radio programs.

As usual the PHSC meets at:
Eastern Buffet
7586 W. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23294
(in Merchants Walk Shopping Center)

6:00pm Dinner 7:00pm main event.

Meetings are open to the public, please purchase a meal at the hosting restaurant.

Posted by Leonard Harris at October 21, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Aaron Russo has made the America: Freedom to Fascism movie available on the internet.

http://www.poodlecrap.com/Hateliars/HL_Video1.asp?Part=0

[Thanks to Bill Walker for sending in this item]

Posted by Leonard Harris at October 16, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

[Thanks to Bill Walker for sending in this item]

The Granny Warriors (http://www.grannywarriors.com) will stage their next freedom protest on Tuesday, Oct. 24th between 9am and 4pm in Richmond, Virginia, on the corner of E. Broad Street (1100) and Governor street. This is right across from the USDA office that signed off on the pre-dawn raid of the Henshaw hunting club, which slaughtered their entire stock of wild Russian boars without due process. [More info on the raid can be found at: http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2006/10/05/COVER-boarSlaughter-F.doc.aspx and http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/SPORTS/610040308/1006 ]

The Granny Warriors are particularly concerned about the USDA’s National Animal Identification System , kind of a Real ID for farm animals. The Granny Warriors ride into battle in an RV all decked out in liberty colors and a Free State Project banner, and they need your support. Their RV consumes a lot of gas (like hundreds of dollars worth) so they welcome donations. At the protest they will need numbers, and they will be distributing FSP brochures, so any porcupines who can make it are welcome!

[Editor's Note: It should be noted that the Granny Warriors take some not so Libertarian positions on some other issues. However this protest is strictly about NAIS and the raid on the Henshaws. This is one issue where we can work together and a large Libertarian turnout would be appreciated.]

Posted by Leonard Harris at October 10, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

From Gun Owners of America

-- Great opportunity for GOA to show politicos facts, not emotions

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

After three fatal school shootings in a week, President Bush has told
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Education Secretary Margaret
Spellings to come up with solutions to addressing the problem in our
nation's schools. Specifically, the meetings -- which begin this
week -- will host educators and law-enforcement officials from around
the country.

They are charged with reviewing security procedures around our
nation's schools to help prevent campus-based violence.

GOA has a great opportunity to show the President and others how to
stop gun violence on school grounds. Of course, it's inevitable that
the gun issue is going to come up. The media is already clamoring
for that.

"There is a link in these killings," opined The Charlotte Observer.
"A gun was used." So, we need more gun control, the paper's editors
say.

The Charlotte Observer is not alone. And that's why it is important
that the gun owning community present evidence showing how we can
make our schools safer. As GOA pointed out last week:

1. No amount of gun control would have stopped Charles Carl Roberts
from acquiring guns to commit his atrocity. Roberts had a clean
record and would have passed any and every background check.

2. The so-called "gun free school zones" have to go. Such
disarmament zones never stop bad guys from taking guns into a
restricted area. In fact, statistics show that the jurisdictions
that ban guns tend to be the same areas with the highest murder or
crime rates (Washington, D.C., England, etc.).

3. The only school shootings that have been stopped prematurely were
ended because law-abiding citizens had guns -- such as in Pearl
Mississippi (1997) and at the Appalachian School of Law (2002), where
faculty and responsible adults were able to bring their own defensive
firearms to bear. This is an idea that Americans support, as 85% of
the American public find it appropriate for a principal or teacher to
use "a gun at school to defend the lives of students" in stopping a
school massacre (Research 2000 Poll).

To this end, Wisconsin state representative, Frank Lasee, will be
introducing legislation to allow teachers or principals to defend
students with guns. GOA has already appeared on MSNBC and other
media outlets to plug Lasee's bill.

This summit is a great opportunity to invite groups like GOA to
present the facts above and give concrete solutions for how to combat
school violence in our nation's schools.

ACTION: Because the subject of gun control is destined to arise at
the summit this week, please urge President Bush and Education
Secretary Margaret Spellings to invite gun groups like GOA and the
NRA to present the real facts regarding gun ownership in this
country. They need to see that arming teachers and principals is a
solution that works and is supported by 85% of the American public.

You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send Bush and Spellings a
pre-written e-mail message. You can also reach them at:

PRESIDENT BUSH
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
E-Mail: president@whitehouse.gov

SECRETARY SPELLINGS
Phone: 202-401-3000
FAX: 202-401-0596
E-Mail: margaret.spellings@ed.gov

Posted by Leonard Harris at October 10, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The next C&E Gunshow is Oct 21-22. As usual the LP will have an Info table. We need volunteers to work the table.

Show Hours:
Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Standard shifts are 9:00-1:00 and 1:00-5:00 on Saturday
10:00-1:30 and 1:30-5:00 on Sunday

Partial shifts are ok too.

The gunshow is held at the Showplace on Mechanicsville Turnpike. in Richmond, VA.

Directions: I-64 to Exit 192...go East on 360 (Mechanicsville Turnpike) ...go 3/4 mile and The Showplace is on the left.

The address is 3000 Mechanicsville Turnpike.

Parking is free. Anyone who works a whole shift gets into the show for free!

To volunteer contact Leonard Harris at gunshow@richmondliberty.org

Posted by Leonard Harris at October 9, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

in the closing hours of the US Congressional session on Friday, September 29, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (H.R.4411.RH) was attached to the Safe Port Act of 2006 H.R.4954.EAS.

Full Story at: http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/02/1817259

Posted by Leonard Harris at October 2, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

[By Jon Walker]

I ran into another person today that thinks marijuana is illegal because the government claims it's harmful. At one time I would have simply argued that it is no more harmful that alcohol and run through the usual litany of reasons it should be decriminalized. This time, I decided to take a different approach.

“They have to make it illegal”, I said, “because it threatens their existence.” This rather far-fetched statement had the desired effect of causing the other person to explain myself. I first started out with basic facts.

Marijuana is less addictive than beer. Marijuana is safer (I've never heard of anyone who went out to a party and smoked themselves to death). So why is it illegal?

Then I asked them to think why the government would not want people to smoke marijuana. After a moment I asked if they knew what it takes to create usable tobacco. Basically tobacco requires a specific climate and then it needs to cure for several months. Then I went to alcohol and of course that requires some form of fermentation and possibly distillation. These processes require days, weeks or months of preparation after harvesting the plants used in the process. Some forms of alcohol are quite frankly more trouble than they are worth unless done in large quantities with expensive equipment. Hobbyists may take the time to produce tobacco or alcohol but it is “inconveniently out of reach” for most people. I then pointed that marijuana can be grown on a window sill with adequate sunlight. Once picked, it is easily dried and you can begin using it hours after harvest. With such a simple growth/harvest/processing chain, a single person easily could grow enough product to keep themselves along with their neighbors, friends and relatives supplied.

“So why does this threaten the government”, I prodded.

The answer of course is the same as most “why does the government do this” questions. If a you do not rely upon a company or controlled distribution chain for a product, the government can't produce a choke point that allows them to tax the product and create revenue. Further, I asked, what would happen if people began using easily grown and hard to control marijuana in favor of alcohol or tobacco? Obviously many would at least consider the easily grown and produced vice over the taxed and regulated ones thus threatening the government's supply of taxes.

Tax revenue control is one of the leading causes of most of the sins visited on the citizens by a government.

Sadly, this very line of reasoning can be used in many places because it is easily demonstrated that government does not “care” about the health and safety of its citizens unless it threatens the tax revenue stream or the positions of elected officials. For examples, you can cite automobiles, alcohol, tobacco, trans-fatty acids and I suspect at least 20 other examples as proof. Government is not about protecting anything but revenue and power. The more we can drive that home in a real manner to people, the more likely we are to make people aware of the dangers of uncontrolled government.

Posted by Leonard Harris at October 2, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

From
Yahoo! News:

The House approved a bill Thursday that would grant legal status to President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program with new restrictions. Republicans called it a test before the election of whether Democrats want to fight or coddle terrorists.
...
The Senate also could vote on a similar bill before Congress recesses at the end of the week. Leaders concede that differences between the versions are so significant they cannot reconcile them into a final bill that can be delivered to Bush before the Nov. 7 congressional elections.

Posted by Leonard Harris at September 29, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The first meeting of the Task Force on Regulatory Reform meeting will be held in Richmond on Wednesday October 4th in House Room D of the General Assembly Building. The event will run from 1-3p.m.

This is the first in a series of meetings for the Task Force, which was put together by Attorney General Bob McDonnell. This is an excellent opportunity to make your voice heard. You can also send comments to regreform@oag.state.va.us

Full Story can be found on the Attorney General's website

Posted by Leonard Harris at September 28, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)