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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Supporting The Troops Or Supporting Israel?

What looked like it would be just another Saturday protesting the war in West Chester, PA turned up something different this time. The alleged American patriots, who are always across the street from our peace vigil, had another country's flag with them, namely Israel's:


At least they're being honest about who benefits from the wars the troops are fighting and dying in!

The pro war side seems to have forgotten about liberty. Not one of their signs mentions it and certainly Israel is no shining example of it. They're all about victory and supporting the government, not a view the Founders would have shared:
Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes. And armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended. Its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war...and in the degeneracy of manners and morals, engendered by both. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
--James Madison, April 20, 1795 (Works. Vol. 4, Pp. 491-2)
To the pro war side I can only say, heed the wisdom of the Founders and make freedom your goal. That way peace, liberty, and security will ours.

Below are some pictures from the peaceful side of the street:




Thursday, October 21, 2010

Darren Wolfe Interviewed by Julian Heicklen of Tyranny Fighters

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. The price of justice is eternal publicity.

Podcast: 2010-10-23

Julian interviews Darren Wolfe on the FBI raids against antiwar activists and jury nullification:

http://tyrannyfighters.com/podcast-2010-10-23/

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Raising Eyebrows at a Peace Rally



"Why are you wearing that flag here?", a confused young man asked about my choice of capes last Saturday at the peace rally in Philadelphia. Since the crowd was basically left, lefter, and far left they seemed only to associate the Gadsden flag with neocon TEA Partiers. So why was this antiwar libertarian wearing it?

The Gadsden flag represents the will to resist tyranny. "Don’t Tread on Me" is about standing up for human rights, not going around the world trampling them. When the Founders raised that flag they did it fighting the mightiest empire of their era. Today, we raise it resisting the American empire, the mightiest in all history. Those who would raise the Gadsden flag while advocating aggressive wars overseas dishonor the memory of the Founders. It’s past time for freedom lovers to reclaim this symbol of liberty!

The fact that the Gadsden flag is mostly in the colors of Agorism, yellow and black, only adds to its the appeal.

The rally happened on Saturday, October 16, 2010. We started at City Hall. The rally moved down Market Street and stopped in front of the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) headquarters. There, a speech was given calling for more funding for public transportation. Myself and the two other libertarians in attendance, Henry Whitney and Nicole Prosser, quietly moved down the street not wishing to participate in this part of the rally. The march ended at the National Constitution Center where more moving speeches were given and a rapper sang.

Enjoy the video and pictures of the rally below:

















More pictures at: http://10-16-no-war.org/March-Rally-End-Wars-101016.html

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Jury Nullification May Be The Only Salvation For The Antiwar Activists


"…law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."

--Thomas Jefferson

The Supreme Court's decision in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project to uphold the "material support" of terrorism statute (18 U. S. C. §2339B(a)(1)) has truly turned the law into the tyrant’s weapon. In their June 21, 2010 decision they wrote, "Congress and the Executive are uniquely positioned to make principled distinctions between activities that will further terrorist conduct and undermine United States foreign policy, and those that will not." With these words the Supreme Court made a criminal of anyone that has had any contact with an organization on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations. This author is astounded at the court’s naiveté in proclaiming that the government is able to make such "principled distinctions". They’ve abdicated their role as guardians of our liberties by rubber stamping this repressive law.

Additionally, for an organization to be placed on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations it need only threaten the "economic interests" of the USA. This criteria is way too vague to have any other meaning than to allow them to designate almost anyone as a terrorist. Had the British had this law on their books they could have labeled Gandhi as one!

Enter the FBI raids on antiwar activists of September 24, 2010. Search warrants were executed in Minneapolis, Chicago, Michigan, and North Carolina against members of left wing groups that had visited with or advocated for either Colombia’s FARC or Israel/Palestine’s Hammas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Subpoenas to appear before federal grand juries were served to up to thirteen people. The individuals and organizations involved maintain that these raids are merely a fishing expedition and that they have done nothing wrong. As of this writing the first of the grand jury proceedings had only just started. Given that we live in an age when it has been said that "A good prosecutor could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich." It is sadly very likely that indictments will follow. If this is the case jury nullification may be these activists only salvation.

Jury nullification is a well established legal doctrine that allows a jury to find a defendant not guilty despite the fact that they may have broken the law. (This is not to say that the above mentioned activists have done so.) As stated on the Fully Informed Jury Association’s (FIJA) website:
The primary function of the independent juror is not, as many think, to dispense punishment to fellow citizens accused of breaking various laws, but rather to protect fellow citizens from tyrannical abuses of power by government.
The Constitution guarantees you the right to trial by jury. This means that government must bring its case before a jury of The People if government wants to deprive any person of life, liberty, or property. Jurors can say no to government tyranny by refusing to convict.
Since many judges instruct juries that they are required to follow what he or she says is the law, most jurors are ignorant of the real powers they have. This, of course, negates the real purpose of a jury, which is to protect their fellow citizens from unjust law and prosecution.

While we may disagree about many things with the victims of the FBI raids of September 24 and their colleagues, most libertarians stand with them in opposing this oppression and are with them in opposing the US government’s imperial wars. These raids have only one purpose, to silence dissent. We can’t let them succeed. Now is the time to put our differences aside to speak for liberty with one voice, for as they do to the left now they may one day try to do to all dissidents.

The particular cause is not the issue, the principle is. This libertarian is not in agreement with supporting the FARC, for example. However, if private citizens want to use their own resources to support such causes overseas they are doing exactly what we have advocated for many years. Libertarians have said that we should not be taxed and, therefore, forced to fund foreign groups or governments. If someone wants to support something they should voluntarily give their support or money. This is their right and that is all these antiwar activists have done.

We all need to join forces to spread the word to potential jurors if the antiwar activists are taken to trial. Jury nullification may be their only hope against this government’s tyranny.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Weekly Peace Vigil - West Chester, PA Oct 2, 2010 (video)

This vigil happens every Saturday from 11am to 12pm. Stop by if you're in the area. See: http://peacerally.org/