When a politician gets cancer

I can think of three possible responses. Pick the one that suits you the best and move on.
1. Express sympathy: This is a nice thing to do, especially when a member of a different party has serious health issues. When most people see you doing this, they see the human side of you. This makes them more likely to support you and less likely to oppose you in the future. This is what smart, successful leaders of all ideologies do.
2. Don't say anything: This can be acceptable as well. People get sick all the time and no one has time to comment on each piece of sad news.
3. Express glee at the politician's hardship, or imply that he somehow deserves it. When activists do this, I don't think that it helps their cause. Politicians will do things that should be criticized. They will do things that should be praised. And then they will die, and someone will miss them. You can feel gleeful about cancer and death if you want to. It just strikes me as a bad idea to express that feeling out loud.

From the Libertarian Party of Indiana

(If you did not receive this in your email, you might want to join up at www.LPIN.org.
While you are marking your calendar, 
the next LP of Allen County potluck is July 26, 7pm at Jeannette Jaquish's house at 1423 Louisedale Dr. 46808, 260-484-5946.  2 small dogs in house, kids welcome.)

Five fine Hoosier Libertarian event invitations are offered to you!

     Tonight, Thursday, July 13th, 7:00 to 10:00pm -- LP Morgan County has their monthly “Liberty Live!” meeting just a bit southwest of Indy.  Libertarian-minded folks are invited to join in, at 6 West Main Street in Mooresville, amid the "lively" backdrop of Rock’n’Roll-by-request at Ralph & Ava’s Café.

     This Sunday, July 16th, 3:00 to 5:00pm -- Rally for Ricker’s goes a bit north now, to Sheridan!  Invite non-Libertarian friends too, for this second convivial #LPDrinkIn.  Ricker’s at 900 South White Ave (SR47 & SR38) in Sheridan is an easy drive from Indy.  As in Columbus, our event will help to promote long-needed reforms for Indiana’s alcoholic beverage laws.

      Next Sunday, July 23rd, 3:00 to 7:00pm -- LPIN & LP Marion County look for a fun turnout at the Central Indiana Libertarian Cookout!  The Indy address is 814 East 15th Street.  Please help the plans by registering for this (FREE) event via https://www.eventbrite.com/e/central-indiana-libertarian-cookout-72317-at-3-pm-tickets-35859805644.  Bring comestibles to add to the mix, &or to ensure non-allergenic options.  If you'd like to arrive early to assist host Drew Thompson with set-up, sign-up at http://signup.com/go/OjXEXxf.  

     8 days, July 22nd thru 29th, 10:00am to 6:00pm daily -- LP Tippecanoe County invites you to meet and greet at their county fair Outreach Booth.  Enjoy the Fair visit too!  These 4-H Fairgrounds are on US52-SR25 between South 9th and South 18th Streets in Lafayette (1046 Teal Road).

     Saturday, August 5th, 2:00 to 7:00 pm -- LP Lake County invites you to their Northern Indiana Libertarian Cookout, quite a bit “north-by-northwest” from Indy!  Take the pleasant drive to 16007 Delmar Court in Lowell; bring a side dish or dessert (especially for non-allergenic folks); and do BYOB.  From US41 in Lowell area, go west via 165th or 157th to White Oak Avenue.  Then take White Oak -- north from 165th or south from 157th -- to 160th.  Go east on 160th to Delmar Court for a lovely Libertarian get-together.

Happy Independence Day!

On Memorial Day, we remember those who fought and died. On Veterans Day, we honor those who fought and survived. But Independence Day is a day that belongs to all Americans.

Some of our ancestors came here from Europe fleeing religious persecution. Some of them were sent here as punishment because England didn′t want them anymore. Some of them were kidnapped in Africa and brought here against their will. Some of them walked all the way here from Siberia. America has always been a place people went when they couldn′t go anywhere else.

Some of them fought for Independence. Some of them fought against Independence but were allowed to remain here anyway. From Concord and Lexington, to Gettysburg, to Little Big Horn, many people fought for whatever their own idea of freedom is.

Wherever your ancestors are from, whatever they stood for, America is still very glad to have you all.

"Ask Aunt Libby" -- the entertainment portion of the June 2017 meeting of the Libertarian Party of Allen County is on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntcW5Js0xyU&feature=youtu.be

Everyone is invited to:

The Libertarian Party of Allen County Outreach meeting 

June 28, at 7pm,

 in the back room of 

the Liberty Diner, 

2929 Goshen Rd., Fort Wayne. 

“Free Minds and Free Markets” will be presented by Brett Bittner, Marion County Chair and former Georgia school board member, 

followed by an amusing “Ask Aunt Libby” parody. 

FREE -- just pay for your meal.

Our meetings are usually the 4th Wednesday at 7pm

alternating:

- Even numbered months: Liberty Diner, 2929 Goshen Rd.

- Odd numbered months: Jeannette Jaquish's house at 1423 Louisedale Dr., Fort Wayne 46808 (north of the Zoo, off Sherman or Wells)

 

For more information call Jeannette at 260 750-9013 or visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/AllenCountyLibertarians

On political violence

Murder is wrong. You should already know that by the time you are old enough to read this. I shouldn't have to say that every time there is a highly publicized killing. There are killings everyday, all the time around the world. Nobody has time to compose a statement on each one. If you have to ask "Why didn't (name of politician you hate) denounce (recent horrifying atrocity)?", the most likely answer is that he or she just doesn't have the time and energy to say something about each and every act of violence.

Most murders involve criminals killing other criminals. The impulse for violence exists in almost every animal, including humans. Many murderers simply lack poor impulse control. This doesn't justify what they did. But if you know you have poor impulse control, then you should know to separate yourself from having the means and opportunity to do something that you will regret for the rest of your life.

Many of us try to pretend that they don't have this impulse, that they have evolved so much that base animal instinct is no longer a factor. But the urge for violence is still there, so they will try to rationalize acts of terror as having a higher purpose.

James T. Hodgskinson did not shoot at a bunch of Congressmen because he wanted to make a difference. It's likely that he wanted people to think that he sacrificed himself for a higher cause. But the truth is that he gave up on his own life, and he allowed the worst part of himself to take control.

As I write this, thousands of people on the right are blaming whatever belief's Hodgskinson purported to have. A similar phenomenon happened after Gabby Giffords was shot six years ago. While violence by one nutjob doesn't automatically discredit the cause he claims to support, it certainly doesn't help it either.

It's the coverup that gets you in the end.

Trump has not been conspiring with Russia. How do I know this? Because Russia has high standards regarding who they conspire with. Trump cannot hold a security clearance, which means he cannot be trusted to keep a secret. He is not a guy that you want involved in your clandestine operation.

Richard Nixon did not order the break-in at the Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate office building. Nixon was a savvy, experienced politician who knew these kinds of shenanigans would blow up in his face.

People working for Nixon carried out the Watergate break-in. People working for Donald Trump have been communicating with the Russian government.

Talking to Russians is not illegal. It's just that when you hold a security clearance, you have to disclose this to the government. If you don't disclose this information, you are breaking the law.

What got Nixon in trouble is that he tried to cover-up the crimes of his own men. If members of the Trump Administration have been breaking the law, and if Trump has tried to cover this up, then Trump should follow Nixon's example and resign.

JOIN the Allen County Libertarians parading in costume as the BloatBusters (Ghostbusters) and the blobby monsters of government corruption and waste. 

We need volunteers to wear the costumes and shoot the bubble guns or act menacing as the monsters or carry the banner or a sign.  
This is an easy, fun and effective outreach event. 

All ages please volunteer by calling or emailing ASAP so we have time to get your props and costume! We need to know your height, waist and chest measurements to buy your costume. 

DATE:  Saturday, June 10
TIME:  Line up between 9:30 and 10:30am.  The parade starts at 11am and we are near the end.  We assume it will end around noon.  Then you can go ride the rides and enjoy festival events.
MEET:  The parking lot of the United Methodist Church parking lot, at 630 Lincoln Highway East, New Haven, IN 46774.

We will give you more details when we get them. 

TO VOLUNTEER:  Call Jeannette at 260 484-5946 at home, or 260 750-9013 cell or email jeannettejaquish@yahoo.com.

Libertarian Party of Allen County Meeting
7pm, Wednesday. May 24, 2017
Jeannette's House: 1423 Louisedale Dr., Fort Wayne, IN 46808  260 484-5946
(North of Franke Park Zoo, west off Sherman or Wells)
Potluck, bring anything. 
A bit of business, report of the Indiana LP Convention May 5-7, issues and conversation.
Kids welcome, house has 2 small dogs.

Trump bans Arabic numerals

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order outlawing the use of Arabic numerals in government budgeting and operations.
"This has nothing to do with Islamophobia. This is about preserving our culture from corrupt, foreign influences. For far too long, our defense spending has been limited by basic math."

The US has invaded Syria.

There are US troops in Syria. If you are just now learning this, then stop making "What's a Leppo?" jokes. Officially, they are there to help rebel groups fight ISIS.

The government of Syria does not want US troops in their country. Assad's troops may or may not try to fight them. 

I could say that this invasion is wrong, but moral arguments have had zero effect on US foreign policy during this century. I do believe that this invasion unnecessarily  puts troops in harm's way, and I want them all to come home safely. 

 I hope our troops are not attacked by Assad's forces because that will likely mean that our military will be forced to overthrow Assad. If Assad is smart and doesn't attack US troops, he is a lot more patient than most men you will ever meet. 

To be sure, President Bashar Assad is a terrible human being. The ISIS thugs that oppose him are terrible people. Many of the non-ISIS rebels are horrible in completely different ways. But to forcibly remove Assad from power will likely mean that a different tyrant will be in charge, or nobody at all will be in charge. We can hope that Assad will eventually retire or die of natural causes, and power is peacefully transferred to sane, rational beings.

In the mean time, the most realpolitik thing to do is to let all these fanatics kill each other without our help. The most humanitarian thing to do is allow refugees to settle here. Many people seem to think that the latter option is too risky. While I might disagree with that, I would hope that they would agree that the first option is safer than what's actually happening.

Beer Today. Parade, Meeting, Convention to follow.

​​

TODAY! Wed. 7pm, March 8
Beer & Libertarians

Deer Park Pub, 1530 Leesburg Rd, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808

Monday, March 13,  7- 10 pm

We Are Libertarians Live - Celebrating 5 years and 200 Episodes

Public

· Hosted by We Are Libertarians

Hide Map

Morty's Comedy Joint

3824 E 82nd St, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240

Friday, March 17, 4:30pm
Libertarians march in St. Patrick's Day parade (shortest in the US)

at Deer Park Pub, off Spring St. at 1530 Leesburg Rd, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808

4:30pm meet, park at St. Francis across the street, meet at grassy space opposite Pub

5:30pm parade starts. We will be at the end.

Wed. March 29

Libertarian Monthly Meeting at Kroger's at Coventry
5725 Coventry Lane in Fort Wayne, Indiana 46804

Friday, April 21 at 6 PM - 9 PM

Libertarian Party of Allen County Convention
Liberty Diner, 2929 Goshen Rd, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808
6pm arrive & check in, order food
          Meet and talk with Tim Maguire, candidate for Indiana LP Chair
6:30 Guest Speaker Greg Linz of We Are Libertarians - wearelibertarians.com
7:00 Convention begins
You must be a member of the state or national Libertarian Party to vote or be elected officer or delegate.  Do that by going to either www.LPIN.org   or www.LP.org.

We will be voting on bylaw amendments, electing county officers, electing delegates to the Indiana State Convention, May 5-7 (May 6 is business events).,

in Evansville, Indiana

http://lpin.org/2017convention/

See Allen County Convention details at our new website (which is still under construction, and looks a mess) at www.allencountyLP.org .  Click link at top of page.

Allen County Libertarian Party

www.allencountylp.blogspot.com
facebook.com/AllenCountyLibertarians

260 484-5946 ~ Jeannette Jaquish, Vice Chair

​Robert Enders - Chair

Kristi Avery - Treasurer

Alec Smith - Secretary​

Come to the Libertarian Party of Allen County Convention!

 2017 Libertarian Party ^of Allen County Convention

Friday, April  21, 2017, 6pm dinner & entertainment, 7pm convention

Liberty Diner, private room, 2929 Goshen Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46808

Cost: Pay for your own meal.  
 To vote or be elected, *join LPIN for $25, prior, or join LPUSA at www.LP.org.

Meet Tim Maquire, candidate for LPIN Chair

Plus: An Irreverent Spiel from

Guest Speaker Greg Lenz of “WE ARE LIBERTARIANS” 

“The Future of the Libertarian Party:  Fulfilling Our Promise

to the New Onlookers We Gained from the Election.”

http://wearelibertarians.com

Full Agenda, Bylaws and Platform will be on our new website www.allencountyLP.org  by this Friday.

Three of the Libertarians speaking to a Concordia Lutheran High School class will practice their presentations on the

Allen County Libertarians (who get to ask gnarly high schoolish questions) at the

Monthly Meeting, Feb. 22 at 7pm.

Also at the meeting:

-- Kristy Avery will report what was discussed at the Indiana 3rd Dist.meeting she attended last week, for which she is our representative.

-- We will display the long thought lost, near antiquity, probably apocryphal,

LPAC Bylaws and Platform,

recently recovered during an archaeological dig --  only a mild exaggeration.

-- An update on the LPAC website's pending rebirth.

-- We will plan our entry to the Deer Park Pub's St. Patrick's Day Parade, March 17.

-- Ask volunteers to man LP tables at upcoming Gun/Outdoor/Farm/etc. shows and festivals.

-- Jeannette Jaquish will present her plans for a libertarian values, hands-on academics charter school.  See www.ecstatic-theatrics.com/charter/home.html and /www.facebook.com/StimulateEducate for a preview. She is looking for advisers.

-- And we will try to get other projects off the ground.

Incidentally,  VC Jeannette Jaquish has a live stream subscription until April 9 and is looking for worthwhile events to do multi-camera video live streams of.

All are welcome to attend. Bring family & friends!

LPAC 4th Wednesday Monthly Meeting

Feb. 22, 2017, 7pm, (George Washington's birthday)

at 1423 Louisedale Dr., Fort Wayne, IN  46808

-the home of  LPAC Vice Chair Jeannette Jaquish. 
Kids welcome. Food provided - semi-potluck. Small dogs in home. 

WATCH THE LIVE STREAM AT https://www.facebook.com/AllenCountyLibertarians