Potential Allies or Tinfoil Hatters?

A couple of years ago I had a friend who would talk with me about his displeasure with the governmental status quo just about anytime we got to talk. I trusted him and thought he sounded pretty reasonable. He had told me he had been diagnosed as "paranoid/schizophrenic", but that he really wasn't. My only early warning was when he mentioned that he had an "alien implant". I thought he was joking, and didn't think more of it. Until "the incident".

He had loaned me, without prompting, some money to use to help a family that we both knew. I used it to buy food for them. The next day he asked what I had spent the money on and I told him. He seemed a little agitated. I still had the receipt and I offered it to him. We talked and he started claiming I had tricked him into loaning me the money. I was a little shocked as it had been his idea. Then the real fireworks began. He started saying that I was controlling his mind through his "implant" and that I was a "Martian". I told him that I was pretty certain I was human. He said "Why would you say that? Are you not positive?" I said I was, and he said "That is just what a Martian would say". He became more and more upset. He was talking about being in Army Intelligence back in the early '70s, and that he was still "in", but it was a secret. The more he spoke, the more unreal his claims became. He claimed to be killing people "in high government positions" with mental feedback through his implant. He asked me to kidnap him and a girl he wanted, and take them somewhere they couldn't be tracked. He spoke of the significance of his name and his initials. He said he couldn't "claim to be God". He was getting extremely angry, too. He began pounding his fist on the table and his face was very red. I was trying to just get him calmed down at this point, but everything I did he saw as me trying to use my "Martian thought-control powers" to manipulate him. He did eventually calm down and I got out without harm. I immediately called and warned the girl he wanted me to kidnap with him. He mentioned blowing my head off to mutual friends a few times, but no one else ever saw his bizarre behavior, and downplayed it.

I learned a valuable lesson from this: Not everyone who seems to be in agreement with you, is really on your side. Don't divulge too much too soon. Sometimes you can get a shock even after knowing someone for a few years. Also, beware my awesome "mind control powers".

Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is nothing but revenge institutionalized. It is dead wrong; no pun intended. Now, before I get accused of being a bleeding heart, I will tell you; if you are being attacked, you have the absolute right to fight back in any way you need to in order to end the attack. I would even support your decision to use deadly force to stop vandalism or theft in almost all cases, since property crimes are stealing your life and security. Death at the hands of the victim or a rescuing hero at the scene of the crime is a fair outcome for someone who has decided to initiate force. However, once the criminal leaves the scene, there will always be some doubt, somewhere, as to guilt.

No government anywhere is so pure that it should be trusted with the authority to decide to kill someone as punishment. Once a person is caught and charged with a crime, all the government cares about is conviction. The fact that many defendants are found "not guilty", despite the best efforts of the jury-tampering judges, shows that the system can still work. However, no jury is above being influenced by a judge or prosecutor who is looking to advance his career by being seen as "tough on crime". If a defendant is found guilty of a "capital" crime, send him to prison for life and let those who believe in his innocence, or his family, pay for his upkeep.

Governments lie. They manufacture evidence, intimidate witnesses, play on some people's "authority worship", and set-up innocent people who dare to stand against their edicts. Show me a perfect, just government that I would trust with the power of life and death, and I will show you a government that has no desire for revenge.

Environmentalism

When I was younger, I was an enthusiastic environmentalist. I drove an electric car. I tried to convince my family that pesticides were worse than the "pests" they were used against. I almost fought with people whom I saw littering. I may have even thought more environmental regulations would be a good thing, but my mind can't force itself to even accept that possibility anymore, and I honestly can't remember if I ever thought that way.

I still hate to see the destruction and pollution of the natural world, but I have come to understand that laws are not the best way to "save the planet". I don't litter, and if you want to see me freak out, throw some trash out the car window while I am riding with you. In most cases, I will absolutely refuse to use pesticides of any kind, unless I am sure that the pests are a much greater health risk than the chemicals are (which is true in some cases). When I have owned a piece of property, I have spent a lot of time cleaning up trash that others have left behind, and repairing other kinds of damage that I find. This is not to say that I do not alter the land to suit my purposes, because I do. I just try to do it in a way that I find more appealing; which usually means in a way that appears more natural.

I don't know if humans are causing, or if they are even capable of causing, global climate change. The global climate is much more complicated than media-heads can grasp. I do know that I dislike waste and destruction. Handing over control of our environment to the most wasteful, destructive force the planet has ever endured (government) is not the way to save anything. Most environmental laws have zero to do with helping the environment and everything to do with controlling your life, stealing your property rights, and making you dependent on government.

The environmental mindset of government was witnessed years ago when some "ivory smugglers" were caught. In order to "save the elephants", ivory had been tightly controlled. Some government now had "confiscated" tons of a precious material. How could they have destroyed the market for ivory and put the poachers out of business? (Not that I believe they should, just as a thought experiment) They could have released all that ivory into the market and caused a glut, sending the prices down and making it less profitable to kill elephants. What did the governments actually do? They burned the ivory*. There, in a nutshell, is how governments think they will save the planet.

I believe that people will take care of the environment when it is in their best interest to do so; financially, aesthetically, and whatever else may motivate them. Lead by example and show people how it helps them to keep a clean, healthy planet and they will find real solutions.

*Update: It's now 2013, and it's STILL happening!  Idiots!

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Is America Ready to Be Free?

Are YOU ready to be free? What about your family? How about your friends, neighbors, or co-workers? Is America, in general, ready for freedom? I don't think so. I wish it were. Freedom is expensive. It costs a lot in terms of responsibility. Slavery costs even more, but the cost is hidden because you can blame all your problems on the "master" when you are a slave. This makes it easier if you would rather complain than DO something. If being free became important to even a tenth of Americans, we would free America from the clutches of the United States in short order. There would be massive rejections and refusals of permits, licenses, and taxes. Cops and the military would walk out in defiance of their "superiors" and of the counterfeit edicts they are expected to kill Americans to uphold. Politicians and bureaucrats could spend all day screaming about this "law" or that "phantom-of-the-week" and we would ignore them or laugh in their puffy, red faces. If America were ready to be free, we would be free today. Our task is to make people realize that they deserve to be free. This is the way to get there from here. Once enough of us want to live in liberty, we will.

Working "Within the System"

I frequently hear people discussing options for getting America back on track to being the free country that it was supposed to be. They speak of "working within the system" to accomplish this. They talk of voting for pro-liberty candidates (but then usually vote for Democrats or Republicans instead). They advocate using the jury box, but it is difficult for a free-thinker to sneak onto a jury. They blog, write letters to editors, and agitate for liberty in a thousand ways. I am all for that. We have been doing this for years as the authoritarians throw freedoms away like yesterday's dead goldfish. The dirty secret is that, if you read the Declaration of Independence you will see that the founders of America recognized that revolution, underground or open, is also within the system. It is enshrined in the writings of the minds that gave us our system. This is the reason they forbid government the authority to pass gun laws. This is not a pleasant option, but only a last resort. It is not possible for government to legitimately "outlaw" this option, either, however they might wish to do so. The only thing they can do is to punish those who choose to exercise this part of the system. It is simple desperation on their part, and exposes their refusal to stay within the bounds established for government.

Article on Personal Freedom (and Happiness)

Here is a great article about taking responsibility for your own freedom and happiness.

Personal Freedom by Retta Fontana

Not Going Away Yet

News of my departure from the presidential race is premature. My point was mainly that I feel I need to do something stupenously ridiculous in order to draw attention to my campaign since reasonable measures do not seem to be working.

The main reson I decided to run (back in November 2004) was my frustration over the electoral loss of Micheal Badnarik. Never before had I been so excited over a candidate for any office as I was by him. He is actually intelligent, reasonable, kind, humerous, and shared my views so well that I had no reservations whatsoever endorsing him for president. I even called Colorado LP delgates for him to see if they would vote for him. (Not a single one of them would state anything one way or another, even if I did get ahold of them. It was like trying to talk to Congresscritters and get a straight answer) Back when I started my campaign, I had in mind that if Badnarik decided to run again, I would drop out and endorse him again. I would also step aside for an L. Neil Smith candidacy. Other than that, I would probably not endorse anyone, but would support any candidate who was truly working for liberty as I envision it.

Don't get too excited yet, though. I am still here, and am really no threat to anyone. I don't mind giving ideas to other campaigns, either, if you wish to adopt my views as your own.

Merry Christmas

I wish all my readers and all the other candidates a very merry Christmas, a wonderful winter solstice, a joyous Yule, a happy Hanukkah, a kickin' Kwanzaa, a grievance-lite Festivus, and a cozy "get-ready-to-hunker-down-for-winter"! Let's light some bonfires of Liberty in the coming year!

So, How Do We Fix It?

What would I do to "fix" America? I would force the government to stay within the bounds of the Constitution and The Bill of Rights. I would eliminate every agency, bureaucracy, program, "entitlement", cabinet position, or post in the government that is not in absolute, complete and strict compliance with those documents, as written, not as "interpreted". The Supreme Court's "authority" to judge "Constitutionality" must be challenged and eliminated. No more weasel-words will be permitted when judging whether something is Constitutional or not. If the average, government-educated person on the street can see that a given government law or agency does not specifically have a Constitutional mandate to exist, then it is gone. A president will not have that kind of authority, so it is up to Americans to demand this action, and not be appeased in any lesser way. People need to be shown that it is really in their best interest to rein in government instead of continuing to allow it to overreach its authority. This is something that a president can do. I would blog and speak at every opportunity reminding Americans that they run America; the US government does not. I would remind them of their duty to refuse to convict, through jury nullification, defendants who have been arrested for violating counterfeit laws. I, as president, would encourage every American to own and to carry, any type of weapon they see fit, in any way they choose, anywhere they desire, in any way they wish, without seeking anyone's approval. And I would give immediate presidential pardons to anyone in the criminal "justice system" whose only "crime" is violating one of these abhorrent victim disarmament "laws". I would also hand out pardons for drug offenses, tax abstainers, and anyone else who I feel is a victim of "law pollution" in America.

Small "Time's Up" Flags

In addition to my regular 3 by 5 foot "Time's Up" flags, I now have small stick flags that measure 4 by 6 inches. The quality is lower, but so is the price. You can check them out here.

Publicity Stunt!

I have recently been having doubts as to whether there is any point in continuing my campaign. I hand out lots of cards and have conversations with people who seem to be genuinely interested in what I have to say. Yet this translates into almost no visits to my blog. The apathy is deafening. Perhaps I should pull a giant publicity stunt. Picture this scenario: Me, Kent McManigal, wearing only a breechcloth while standing atop the torch of the Statue of Liberty and waving a bright yellow "Time's Up" flag while shouting "Freedom!" at the top of my lungs. OK, so it will never happen even if I managed to overcome my fear of (man-made) heights. Still, it would get attention. When I got out of the hospital's psychiatric ward, I could see if it generated blog hits. Short of this, I am depending on you; my readers, supporters, detractors or whatever to get the word out about my campaign. If you think there is any value in continuing this effort, help me out.

America: Freedom to Fascism

Last night I watched America: Freedom to Fascism. It is a very powerful film. I highly recommend that you see it as soon as possible if you haven't yet. I got it through Netflix. I feel it is a good movie for several reasons: it shows the contempt that the IRS (and by extension, the entire US government) feels towards Americans in general, the folly of turning away from real money in favor of fiat IOUs, and it explains the dangers facing us in the very near future if we do not take steps to derail the national ID card and ID chips. I doubt it will change your mind about much since I assume that most readers of my blog are already aware of these issues, but it will give you the intellectual ammunition to fight against the authoritarians more effectively. Don't be fooled, though. Government will never admit to being the criminal force. Stand up to them and they will do whatever they feel it will take to bring you to your knees. It is a good thing there are so many of us.

Don't Take the Law Into Your Own Hands?

Why not? Probably because it is filthy and might make you sick. If the law is just, why should we depend on enforcers to use it? They are not special. Well, not in a good way. One country which is suffering high crime rates is South Africa. South Africans have had enough. The enforcers there don't wish to see their special status threatened, so they try to dissuade people from taking control. South African enforcers don't like to be seen as a dangerous anachronism. Neither do the ones in America. The problem is that since we have long ignored our duty to live free of aggression, the professional enforcers have taken it upon themselves to force us to live under their rule, and they are making a royal mess out of America. We do not need them, and never did. Take back your power and duty to keep the peace. Wrest it from the desperate clutches of the counterfeit enforcers who wield their counterfeit laws against the real rulers of America: you and me.

We are the Abolitionists

For those of you who have balked at embracing the term "anarchist" for myself and other rational government doubters, here is an article for you: "Call Me an Abolitionist, Please" by Glen Allport. I could get onboard with this term.

The Ruling Class

If you choose to accept a job with the government, whether it is as a politician, an "enforcer", or as a bureaucrat, you are choosing a life of subservience. Every cop on the street or President in the White House is at a lower social position than any burned out addict in a cheap motel room. Politicians, "enforcers", and bureaucrats have chosen a life of servanthood. "Public servants" is not something we hear as much today because government wishes we would forget that they are accountable to us. Most Americans seem to have forgotten quite nicely. Government is not the "overlords" or the ruling class that they pretend to be. They work for the people. The problems happen when they begin to act as though they are the rulers and we do not quickly put out that flame of tyranny. If you choose a life of servanthood, do not get uppity with your superiors in "the private sector", but recognize that you are vastly outranked by the very people you show contempt for with every edict you inflict or tasering you commit.

Politically Irrelevant Stuff

There are a lot of times that I begin to write a blog only to realize that what I am writing about is completely irrelevant to my campaign. I have a lot of opinions. Some of them matter in the political world, but a lot of them do not. Some things are just a distraction from the real issues facing America. My realization that victim disarmament is a murderous policy that only a corrupt government would implement, or that taxation is debasing our society by financing it through theft are critical points to know about me and my views. My opinions about TV shows, religion, or even to a large extent, other candidates, do not matter. I will attempt to keep such opinions to myself, and if I happen to "slip", I will not mind if you remind me.

Helping Others

Charity, not welfare. It is a simple concept. Welfare costs the recipient more than they get in return in the form of dependency, loss of privacy and dignity, and unfortunate government entanglements. In case you haven't noticed, the government believes it has authority to know every tiny detail of your personal, private life. When you accept government "help", it believes it really owns you. In a way, perhaps it does. The power to feed is the power to starve. Private charity, on the other hand, asks nothing in return for its help. You should be willing to give your time or money to spread the assistance at a later date, when you are able. That is a very fair trade. If it were me, I would also stay away from "private" charities that receive anything from government. Some allow government oversight, report to government agencies, or require government papers to prove you are "legal". Stay away from these false angels.

The Next Prez

There is a small mention of me over at The Next Prez. Look down at the Friday Top Five, Mid-December Edition. under Libertarians. Thanks for the votes I have gotten in their poll. I really do appreciate it.

"HONK IF YOU HAVE FREEDOM"

I was driving around yesterday and saw, standing on a street corner, a guy with a large cardboard sign. The sign read: "HONK IF YOU HAVE FREEDOM". (The irony of the situation is that he was probably risking cop harrassment or even arrest by peaceably standing there with his sign. This is what is left of our freedom.) I stopped and gave him one of my cards, and told him that I am running for president, and freedom is all I am about. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry and did not have time to stop and talk, plus he was talking to a girl and I didn't wish to interrupt him. If he reads this blog, I hope he gets in touch with me. I don't know which side of the freedom fence he is on. Does he think we are free and want to see how many people agree with him? Does he recognize that we have sat by and watched government outlaw freedom and promote wars to kill off liberty? A few people who were passing did honk their car horns. I felt they must have misread the sign at first. Perhaps they thought it said "love freedom". Then I thought again. Most Americans do still think they are free. It is a sad fact, but they have been told that they are free for so long, even as freedom dies before their eyes, that they actually believe it. Freedom means being able to do absolutely anything you want as long as it does not harm or defraud anyone else. Anything less is not freedom, but a ghost of freedoms lost.

Bill of Rights Day: December 15th is Today!!

Today, December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. Read the Bill of Rights and See a vision of what living in a "Bill of Rights Culture" would mean for us all..

After the Constitution was written it had to be accepted by the states. They wouldn't adopt it without a guarantee that the federal government would be strictly limited in its authority. This is what the Bill of Rights was written to do. It is a package deal. No Bill of Rights; no Constitution. No Constitution; no authority for a federal government. As you read over the ten amendments consider whether the US government has left any of them unbroken. Perhaps the Third Amendment hasn't been commonly violated, but every single one of the other nine has been (and is daily being) violated by a government which is out of control. The Bill of Rights was written in common (for that era) language so that the common person on the street would know and understand what was being guaranteed. Do not let government sympathizers fool you into believing that lawyers or judges must tell you what the Bill of Rights means. They lie to you to protect their power.

Go out today and exercise some or all of your rights that are guaranteed. And hope you don't get arrested!

Nigerian Scams and Taxation

I have recently gotten one of those "Nigerian Scam Letters" in my email. You know the ones. These scammers have a lot in common with government. The scammers offer you something (a lot of money) if you will trust them with your bank account information. A tempting offer to many people. If you give your information to them, you get your account cleaned out. If they trick you into actually traveling to Africa to meet them, you may just vanish along with your money. These people have no illusions. They know what they are doing is stealing. On the other hand, governments pretend that they are our benefactors when they steal our money through taxes. They promise to give it back through "benefits", programs, or "entitlements" that only drain our life-blood in the long run. The main difference that I see is that the scammers depend on our greed or gullibility to rob or kill their victims, while government orders our compliance through threats and much bigger guns. Go along with their scam or die. So even though we recognize taxiation for the scam it is, most Americans comply through fear of imprisonment or death.

Gene Chapman's Audioblog

Gene Chapman has invited me to be on his audioblog again. While I appreciate the invitation, I think I am going to decline this time. I can't really see how it will help advance my campaign. Plus, I think I sound like Bullwinkle.

If Wishes Were Facts

Do you ever hear something that you just really want to be true, whether it is or not? I know I do. Things like the US government causing 9/11. It would justify my suspicions and my dislike for the feddies so neatly if it could be proved that they either did it or knew it was planned and did nothing to stop it, knowing that it would give them an excuse for outlawing liberty in America. I know all the arguments about "it had to be a controlled demolition" and all that; and that all the air defenses were shut down in the eastern US that morning. Sometimes, though, my tinfoil beanie doesn't fit too well. Do I think the US government would do something like that? Yes; if they thought it would "help" them, and that they could be sure they wouldn't be caught. I honestly don't know whether the government had any complicity in 9/11 (other than angering most of the rest of the world with their meddling).

I wanted the Y2K thing to put a serious kink into modern, computer-reliant society, too. It isn't that I wish for bad things to happen. I want people to wake up and realize that unquestioning loyalty to governments, and dependence on machines, and other things like that can be a real danger if it is allowed to continue without critical thought. If you live under a government that is 100% good, then worship it however you see fit. If you depend on a computer for you income, entertainment, companionship, and very existance, and you are 100% sure it will never fail you, then don't worry about learning more primitive life-skills.

Humans like a good conspiracy. Most of us also like scary movies. We enjoy the things that go bump in the night. We love magic and miracles. We all want to have that Special Knowledge or Secret. But the truth is the truth. You and I must accept it just as it is whether we like it or not, and whether it fits in with your particular mythology or not.

Justice? Maybe Not.

Well, the murder charges against the cop got dropped. Read about the "reason".

Chance for Justice for Peyton's Murderers?

Maybe there is a chance for justice in the murder of Peyton Strickland. Or at least a little justice. All of the cops involved should be facing murder charges. I would dearly love to see JackBoot Cpl. Christopher Long held accountable for his heinous crime, though I am afraid there will only be a slap on the wrist. We, as Americans and as reasonable humans, should never let government thugs escape responsibility for destructive behavior. Cops and guns are a deadly combination.

On Lying to Government

I was raised to always tell the truth, though I have often fallen short of that goal. I don't even like lying to save someone's feelings from being hurt. So what I am about to tell you may come as a shock. I think it is more moral to lie to government agents and bureaucrats than it is to be truthful with them. If you had lived in Nazi Germany, would you have lied to protect hiding jews? It was illegal and dangerous to do so. Would you feel guilty if you got mugged and hid the fact that you have $20 in your shoe? Are you obligated to reveal it to the mugger so he can take it? Only a fool would say "yes". If you consent to a relationship you have an obligation to be totally open with the other party. We are not obligated to be truthful in a coercive "relationship" such as between you and government or a freelance mugger. It is only a matter of degree to distinguish protecting hidden jews from lying to an IRS agent about your neighbor's off-the-books garage business. It may be a matter of survival to him.

Who Protects Our Rights? We Do.

Here is a link to a very good article by John Silveira.

Price of Gas

I was asking someone Saturday what the most important political issue for them was. He answered "the high price of gasoline!". That came as a surprise for me, since this person is a rather interesting outlaw/criminal (no offense meant). OK then, here is my take on gasoline prices. Adjusted for inflation (see my blog on ecomonics), gas prices have not gone up too much. If you were to eliminate the road taxes on it, the price would go down dramatically. Then get rid of the taxes on its production and transportation, and the price drops again. Then get the government out of the way of innovation in vehicle design and new fuels, and competition would likely reduce the price even more. Here is an article that explains the issue much better than I could. "One Dollar Gas" Read it and remember it when buying fuel.

L. Neil's Roadmap to Freedom Part Three

Here is the third part of the article from The Libertarian Enterprise that I linked to last week. L. Neil Smith's Back to Basics: Part Three Notice especially the idea of your real wealth quadrupling out from under authoritarianism.

Economics

All of the following is just my take on it and, since I am not an economist, it may be utter nonsense. All "economics" is simply a trade. Each side trades in such a way that they feel like they came out slightly ahead or at least even. Relative values fluctuate. One conch shell will vary in relative value compared to one rabbit. In years or places where rabbits are scarce, it may take many conch shells to trade for a rabbit and make the rabbit owner feel OK about the trade. If, on the other hand, you are far from the sea shore and you really want a conch shell to make a musical instrument or some jewelry from, you might be willing to trade several rabbits for one shell. In most areas dirt or rocks will not be worth much in trade value because it is easy to simply bend over and pick some up. Gold and silver retain good trade value because they are not abundant anywhere, they are pretty and shiny, they are useful for making jewelry and electronics, and they are just about universally recognized as having value. US dollars, also known as Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) are getting more and more common as the "money supply" gets increased. A dollar is no longer tied to a set amount of silver or gold to establish a true value. The Federal Reserve can print as many of the paper notes as they want, without having anything of value to back them up. This makes the relative value of FRNs go down. So you must trade more FRNs for what you want to have. Many people blame the stores for this and the government calls it "inflation". All it really is is the principle of fair trades that has always been around. You must trade more and more FRNs to get a fair trade for the person with the actual product. No, an ounce of gold or silver will not always buy the exact same number of rabbits or conch shells. Relative values will still fluctuate, depending on the supply or need for each. But you are not at the mercy of someone, somewhere, deciding to mix up a huge batch of gold in the kitchen to trade for your rare conch shell. If that were the case, gold would soon be as worthless as slips of paper with green printing.

"Compliance Is Not Freedom" by Stefan Molyneux

"If you fail to file a tax return, you are not immediately dragged before a kangaroo court, and shot after a speedy and Stalin-esque trial. That takes time.) Rather, you will get a letter – often a rather polite one – asking if there may be some kind of problem. If you do not respond to this letter, very little will happen.

For a while, anyway."

Read the rest here.

Driver's License = National ID

Do you have a driver's license? Why do you believe the government has the authority to number and track you and control your travels? The licenses have very little to do with your abilities to handle a vehicle anymore. They are simply your national ID. They have become the "papers" in the Nazi demand of "Your papers, please!" Now with the new requirements implemented by the feds, it really is your national ID in all but name. There are now national standards that the states must follow or lose a bit of their place at the federal teat. The government thinks it has the authority to tell you what you must do in order to "legally" travel in America. Just try to live without one of these citizen permits today, even if you never "drive". It can be done, but you will be regarded as a trouble-maker. I have known a few people who refused to be "permitted" to drive. They were in no way a danger to anyone but the authority of the government. Still want to have a driver's license? You might as well have a number tattooed on your head.

If safety were the real issue, there are better ways to administer licensing. Insurance companies have the biggest stake in driver safety. Let each of them have their own testing requirements in order to get their coverage. Good drivers would get a discount (off an already lower price because of the government-mandated insurance scam being ended). This would be much more fair, cheaper, and without the privacy and rights violations inherent in the current system.

Banning Unhealthy Behaviors

Smoking bans and bans on "trans fats" keep making the news. Call the proponents "nannies" or "health nazis" or your epithet of choice. What makes the joy-vampires think they have the authority to control your life? These bans are ridiculous. Smoking is bad for your health. Too much fat is also bad. Nobody denies that. Counterfeit laws, however, are even worse for your health and for the health of America. If you wish to prohibit unhealthy behaviors, then why not ban a person's choice to not own or know how to use a gun? That is a very unhealthy decision. Ban anything that shortens life. Pet owners live longer, heathier lives. Should we ban the choice to not own a pet? Married people live longer. Ban bachelorhood? Stress shortens life, so should everyone be drugged into bliss?

I do not smoke. I do not have a "right" to never breathe smoke. If I don't like to eat at a restaurant where the owner allows smoking, I have the right to go elsewhere. I do not have the authority (and neither does any government, anywhere) to tell the restaurant owner what he can or cannot allow in his business. (Yes, I realize that opens other issues as well. And it should) A much wiser man than me has suggested that non-smokers carry a pipe with them to display at any state-mandated smoke-free venue where a smoker is being harrassed to show support. You don't have to smoke it or even have tobacco, just let the anti-liberty trolls see it. I suppose that you could also carry a donut into the no-fat zones.

Help Me Get the Word Out

I need your help promoting my candidacy. Since I do not accept donations I need my supporters to do a lot more work than the average candidate. This doesn't necessarily involve spending any money. One big way to help is to engage in "guerilla marketing" techniques. Write the address for my campaign website ( KentForLiberty.com ) on public property (on paper money, in chalk on sidewalks, on scraps of paper that you "accidentally" leave in public places, in the dirt on the backs of your cars, whatever.) Please respect private property, though. Make up business cards that you can give out or leave lying around. Send your friends who might be interested links to this blog or my campaign page. If you have a blog of your own, mention my campaign and link to me. Contact me to let me know what you are doing. I am trying to keep abreast of things. You can also visit my CafePress Shop where I am selling "Kent for President in 2008" bumper stickers and other items. If you have a "Time's Up" flag or other item, tell people what it represents and direct them to my blog.

"Time's Up" Flags Still Available

Don't forget your "Time's Up" flags. The new ebay listing is here.

See the pics at my earlier blog announcements.

Peyton Strickland: Death by Cop

Peyton Strickland, a college student who was 18 years old, was murdered by cops Friday, December 1st. He may have committed an armed robbery. Or perhaps he didn't. He will never get to face his accusers in a trial and have a jury decide his fate, because the cops, with a warrant (so they claim) went to his house, kicked in the door as he was opening it, and shot him to death. He may have been armed with a video game controller. They killed his dog as well. This is becoming standard operating procedure in America. Cops are now enforcers, judges, jurors, and executioners. And apparently, most of the citizens see nothing wrong with this as long as it is not their own door getting kicked in; their own dog being shot; their own kitten being stomped; and their own life being brought to a violent conclusion by "Law-Enforcement-Only Ammunition".

I have no clue whether this kid robbed someone. I did not know him personally. What I do know is this is not the way America is supposed to be. Remember "innocent until proved guilty"? The United States is stomping America into the ground as fast as it can. Remember the Vicky Weavers, Kathryn Johnstons, and Peyton Stricklands that are piling up in our burgeoning police state.

Bill of Rights Day: December 15th

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. Read the Bill of Rights.

After the Constitution was written it had to be accepted by the states. They wouldn't adopt it without a guarantee that the federal government would be strictly limited in its authority. This is what the Bill of Rights was written to do. It is a package deal. No Bill of Rights; no Constitution. No Constitution; no authority for a federal government. As you read over the ten amendments consider whether the US government has left any of them unbroken. Perhaps the Third Amendment hasn't been commonly violated, but every single one of the other nine has been (and is daily being) violated by a government which is out of control. The Bill of Rights was written in common (for that era) language so that the common person on the street would know and understand what was being guaranteed. Do not let government sympathizers fool you into believing that lawyers or judges must tell you what the Bill of Rights means. They lie to you to protect their power.

You have ten days to prepare. Find a way to celebrate the day in your local area. Write a letter to the editor. Make copies of the Bill of Rights and hand them out. Exercise some or all of your rights that are guaranteed (and see how quickly "our" criminal government labels you a "terrorist"). I had a friend who would talk about the Bill of Rights very often. His "thanks" was having the local sheriff slam him against a wall and threaten him to stop talking about "that Constitution and Bill of Rights garbage". Perhaps you will get a different response, or maybe you will discover which side of the Law your local bad(ge) guys are on.

My Christmas Wish List

I wish the government would release Wayne Fincher, apologize to him and make the government agents (who have so seriously molested him) pay him back for his lost time and property directly from their own pockets.

I wish that the cops who murdered Kathryn Johnston would be fired and spend the rest of their lives educating the public about the stupidity of the drug war, and the foolishness of allowing cops to be armed and militarized, from their jail cells.

I wish that all of America would wake up Christmas morning and realize that we don't really need government, because we are perfectly capable of living up to our potential and running our own lives without robbing and murdering each other, and of dealing with the few who can't control themselves.

I wish I could afford to send a "Time's Up" flag to every person who wants one, free of charge, so that authoritarians would see a sea of those flags flying from poles all across the country.

I wish that no peaceful, honest person would need to fear government on any level ever again. There would no longer be "paperwork violations", or any bully agancies tying to make lives difficult and confusing.

I wish I had a huge expanse of land all around me where I could explore (and shoot) without any danger of trespassing. Oh, and if it had a cave where I could live sometimes that would be wonderful!

And, finally, whatever you call the winter holiday you choose to celebrate, I wish you and your loved ones the best times ever.

L. Neil's Roadmap to Freedom

L. Neil Smith is writing a series of articles in The Libertarian Enterprise detailing what he sees as the way for America to get to the freedom that we need so badly. Please read "Back to Basics, part 1" and "Part Two".

Worth Dying For?

Someone known to me only as "Mr. Dare" recently had something profound to say in response to the question "Is anything worth dying for?"

"The only things worth dying for are the things you couldn't live without if you lost them. Liberty, Loved Ones, Principals of Self Respect. These can not be replaced or substituted with lesser values and still suffer a man to continue living."

I couldn't agree more. This is a question that has crossed my mind. I think that one day it may be more than just a mental exercise. I feel that there are more things worth living for than dying for, fortunately. I hope it stays that way.

The "Time's Up" flag

We have all seen the wonderful old Gadsden Flag with the coiled rattlesnake proclaiming "DONT TREAD ON ME". For hundreds of years it has warned enemies of freedom that we should not be provoked. For those same "hundreds of years" we have tolerated crimes by government without striking back, with a few notable exceptions. After all these years of being poked with the stick of government and stomped with jackboots, the snake has had enough. That is why I designed the "Time's Up" flag. I came up with the design while relaxing near Albuquerque, New Mexico this summer. It is the new flag of the resistance. I have "Time's Up" flags and merchandise available from eBay and CafePress. Show your support of liberty. These are not just for supporters of my campaign, but for everyone who knows that "Time's Up!"

Welcome to December

I want to thank everyone for their votes on The Next Prez poll. I came in second behind Steve Kubby (congrats Steve!). Feel free to continue to vote for me in future months, although I don't think I will be sending out reminders. I was curious how well I could do if I really pushed the issue, and I was pleasantly surprised. I appreciate the good response.

Also: Thanks for the good response I am getting on the "Time's Up" flags. I am grateful for the kind words and the enthusiasm that has been expressed over the design. I will re-post my earlier blog about it later. I apologize for the expense of the flags, but I was not able to have them made in a large enough quantity to really get the price down (and still keep the quality up). Remember that "Time's Up" flags are not just for supporters of my campaign, but for everyone who wants to tell government that we warned them "DONT TREAD ON ME" for over two-hundred years to no avail. Time's up!