Letter to the Editor: Electoral College
LTE Published in the Ventura Breeze:
I read your paper when I can, but a recent column was brought to my attention by someone who thought I should respond. In response to a reader, you wrote: "Don’t you think whoever gets the most votes should win?" and followed with arguments against the Electoral College. I disagree.
First, you ask how something passed in 1787 (i.e.: the Constitution) could have any application today, citing population changes. Every provision of the Constitution, as amended and interpreted, has applied to every legal precept in the United Statesthroughout the intervening 232 years. You may have an affinity for one provision (Freedom of Speech) and dislike another (Electoral College), but you can't say that either one is invalid because of increased population. The justification for them is founded on principles, not population.
Chair Robin Westmiller Interview "OnVenturaTV"
Libertarian Party of Ventura County Chair Robin Westmiller discusses the future of the Libertarian Party and planned activities for the Libertarian Party of Ventura County leading up to the 2020 elections in an in depth interview with “Our VenturaTV” Producer George Alger.
Our Ventura TV is an award-winning weekly talk show television series broadcast on Ventura cable channel 6 TV and also published on this website as well as on social media networks. The programs are primarily about nonprofits, community advocates, leaders, artists and organizations who contribute in some way to the Ventura County community.
“Since we began in 2008, the theme for the TV series has been “People doing good things in Ventura County” and the surrounding area. The majority of programs are talk shows featuring guests who are interviewed about their activities in the community. Additionally, there are music, theatrical and other entertainment productions,” says Alger.
The program will air on Sunday, March 10 at 2:00, Monday, March 11 at 1:00, Thursday, March 14 at 9:00 am, and Saturday, March 16 at 9am.
To watch the interview, visit OurVenturaTV
California Libertarian's Victory Could Be a Roadmap for Others
This article about victorious Libertarian candidate Jeff Hewitt was written by Steven Greenhut:
Winning candidates need to offer practical approaches that are appropriate for the offices they are seeking. Jeff Hewitt did exactly that.
Many of my Republican friends chide me for being a "Losertarian," a member of a party, the Libertarian Party, that is far better known for its sometimes-bizarre candidates, bitter internal disputes and unrealistic policy positions than it is for winning elections. Never mind that the GOP has its share of strange candidates (including one who managed to win a presidential election), but the criticism always has had an uncomfortable ring of truth to it.
So it was with much enjoyment that I watched Libertarian candidate Jeff Hewitt certified as the winner of a seat on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. In an election that saw Republican candidates obliterated for statewide and legislative seats, it was unusual seeing a Libertarian win a powerful office in one of the nation's most-populous counties. These races are "nonpartisan," but Calimesa Mayor Hewitt never hid his party affiliation. He beat a well-known Republican former Assemblyman.... read the entire article here: California Libertarian's Victory Could Be a Roadmap for Others
Steven Greenhut is western region director for the R Street Institute and was previously the Union-Tribune's California columnist. He is based in Sacramento.
Two Birthdays for Liberty!
Commemorating founding
of Libertarian Party, Bill of Rights
Note from LNC Representative James Clark:
This week holds two anniversaries worthy of note that Libertarian Party members should celebrate and publicize.
Today, Dec. 11, marks the 47th anniversary of the founding of the Libertarian Party in 1971. It was on that day that David F. Nolan gathered with other libertarians in Colorado Springs to declare that it was time for a new political party devoted to defending liberty and to restricting government to its only legitimate purpose: protecting the rights of its citizens.
Since that day, the Libertarian Party has become the third-largest political party in the United States. The LP is the only political party with a core mission of defending individual liberty, promoting personal responsibility, and protecting the right of people “to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose.”
During these 47 years we’ve laid groundwork for Libertarians to be elected, change public policy, reduce the size and scope of government, and increase the extent of liberty and responsibility in the United States. The extraordinary efforts of our members have made the LP into the only party (other than the Democrats and Republicans) that regularly achieves ballot access throughout the country. These accomplishments have been achieved in the face of tremendous burdens (e.g., discriminatory ballot access and campaign finance laws).
This year, 53 Libertarian Party candidates won election to public office; each of them is now in position to help protect the life, liberty, and property of those they serve.
Soon after the LP’s birthday anniversary is “Bill of Rights Day” on Dec. 15, which marks the 227th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791 as part of the U.S. Constitution. During the debates concerning ratification of the Constitution, many citizens argued persuasively for inclusion of amendments that would explicitly provide protection for important rights, to guard against violation of those rights by the federal government.
The Bill of Rights is one of the most powerful, inspiring statements about the principles of individual liberty and limited government in history. When Americans are asked about the aspects of America that make them most proud, frequently their answers include the rights of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly. The common element of these answers is individual liberty and freedom from government interference.
Unfortunately, from the moment the Bill of Rights was ratified, there has been an incessant effort by politicians and government functionaries to abridge our rights. Indeed, many of those rights have been effectively eliminated by unconstitutional legislation, judicial misinterpretation, and bureaucratic edicts.
Libertarian Party members and supporters should recognize both of these dates by proclaiming that, for nearly a half-century, the Libertarian Party has proudly and resolutely promoted the principles of individual liberty and personal responsibility, and that elected Libertarians have worked ceaselessly to protect the inalienable rights of the people.
The Jefferson Area Libertarians, the local Libertarian Party of Virginia affiliate of which I have the honor of serving as secretary, will conduct our annual “Bill of Rights Acclamation” on Dec. 15 in Charlottesville, Va. Our “Acclamation” will include speeches about the importance of the Bill of Rights, along with a public reading of the Bill of Rights and its preamble. I encourage my Libertarian Party colleagues to organize similar events and publicize the extent to which our liberty is under increasing attack.
I wish my fellow members and supporters of the Libertarian Party a very happy birthday and many happy returns; please accept my thanks for your efforts to help the United States become truly a land of liberty.