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"The Advocates is revolutionizing the libertarian movement."
— David Bergland, 1984 Libertarian Party presidential candidate and author of Libertarianism in One Lesson
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WELCOME to the Liberator Online!
In This Issue
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
* World's Smallest Political Quiz and OPH Recruit New Libertarians at CPAC
ACTIVIST AMMUNITION
* Pew Poll: Young Republicans and Democrats Overwhelmingly Say Re-Legalize Marijuana
* Four Great FREE EBOOKS on Liberty
THEY SAID IT: DC police chief "embraces" marijuana re-legalization.... A whole lot of Mexican immigrants and their descendents are libertarians, says "Ask A Mexican" columnist.... The GOP is calling for endless worldwide war, warns Pat Buchanan.... The War on Drugs is devastating poor people around the world, says leading anti-poverty group.... Being an American used to mean being free, says Jacob Hornberger....
ASK DR. RUWART
* Shouldn’t we all vaccinate so we don’t endanger others?
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* SPECIAL THANK-YOU GIFTS reserved just for you!
* FREE OPH KITS for libertarian student groups
* Have a libertarian communication event near you! Find out how
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 President's Corner
by Sharon Harris
World's Smallest Political Quiz and OPH Recruit New Libertarians at CPAC
Dear friend,
CPAC — the Conservative Political Action Committee — is the nation's largest annual gathering of conservative activists and office holders. In recent years it has featured a strong and growing contingent of young libertarian activists among the attendees. This year's CPAC was February 26-28 in Washington, DC.
As in past years the Advocates' World's Smallest Political Quiz and Operation Politically Homeless (OPH) were prominent at CPAC, too. Videos from the Washington Post and Reason TV briefly captured OPH in action — highlighting the visual appeal and the effectiveness of this legendary outreach tool.
Last year the Daily Beast reported that a booth by Generation Opportunity and Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) featuring the Quiz and OPH was "the one consistently drawing the biggest crowds."
This year Libertarians were once again all over CPAC. One of the highlights of each CPAC is the presidential straw poll at each CPAC, widely viewed as a barometer of activist sentiment within the party. Libertarian-friendly Sen. Rand Paul won this year's presidential poll — his third victory in a row — with 25.7 percent of the 3,007 total votes cast.
According to The Polling Company, 42 percent of the voters were students and a plurality of voters were between the ages of 18 and 25 — another sign of the strong and fast-growing libertarian sentiment among young GOP activists. (See the article in Activist Ammunition, below, on the growing generational split within the GOP on issues like marijuana re-legalization and marriage choice.)
The Libertarian Party was there, as was 2008 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson. A video from a panel discussion in which Johnson mocked Reefer Madness-style marijuana propaganda quickly spread around the Web. Students For Liberty (SFL) and Young Americans for Liberty were among other libertarian and liberty-minded organizations there.
In fact, libertarianism is getting so popular at CPAC that even people who plainly are not libertarians are trying to claim they are. Perhaps the most surreal moment of the entire conference was the startling proclamation by former NSA head, former CIA head, and current surveillance state and torture apologist Michael Hayden, who stunned a debate audience by declaring "I'm an unrelenting libertarian..." which had many in the audience laughing out loud in disbelief, and one person shouting loudly, "No you're not!"
OPH: Campus Groups Get it FREE
 Speaking of OPH and young activists... In the past few years the Advocates has given — completely free of charge — over 1,000 OPH booth kits to libertarian campus organizations across America. These kits have reached tens of thousands of students with the ideas of liberty, and they will continue to do so for years to come.
OPH is a fantastic way to turn an ordinary, dull outreach table into a crowd-drawing fun event! From the very first time the Advocates introduced OPH, some 25 years ago, users have told us over and over again that OPH brings their outreach booth and tabling efforts alive.
OPH makes it easy and fun to discover libertarian-leaning individuals and sign up new members and supporters — new libertarian activists who will work in college and after graduation to bring liberty to all Americans. OPH consistently makes a booth the most active, the most talked about, the most fascinating, at any event.
Did I mention we're giving OPH kits FREE to libertarian student groups?
Student groups: Learn more about OPH — and how you can get your FREE OPH kit — if you haven't already — here.
In liberty,
Sharon
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NEXT ISSUE: Michael Cloud's Persuasion Power Point column, Sharon Harris' Liberty Minute, and much more!
The purpose of the Liberator Online is to build a stronger movement for liberty. We do this by providing information about the libertarian movement and how to best communicate the ideas of liberty. Thank you for being a part of this!
Learn more about the Advocates and our work for liberty.
Learn more about libertarianism — the philosophy of liberty.
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Activist Ammunition
by James W. Harris
Pew Poll: Young Republicans and Democrats Overwhelmingly Say Re-Legalize Marijuana
A new Pew poll shows a solid majority of Americans — 52% — continues to support re-legalizing  marijuana. The poll also shows a major split between older "Reefer Madness"-thinking Republicans and more libertarian-inclined GOP Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996).
Young Americans support re-legalization overwhelmingly, and they are driving this issue. Fully 69% of Millennials surveyed favor making the use of marijuana legal.
The split between young and old is particularly striking in the Republican Party. Fully 63% of GOP Millennials say the use of marijuana should be made legal. That level of support is higher than that found among Republican Generation Xers (47%) and Baby Boomers (38%), and much higher than among GOP members of the Silent Generation (17%). (Pew defines Generation X as those born between 1965-1980; Baby Boomers, 1946-1964; the Silent Generation, 1928-1945.)
As Pew notes: "the age gap is... strikingly similar trend to what we’ve seen within the party when it comes to same-sex marriage."
Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters are far more favorable across the board. A whopping 77% of Democratic Millennials favoring re-legalization of marijuana use, as well as 66% of Boomers, 61% of Gen Xers and 44% of Democratic members of the Silent Generation.
Accompanying this debate is a remarkable shift in how Americans now view marijuana use as a crime. A large majority of Americans of all political persuasions —76% — think that people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana should not have to serve time in jail.
Adam Dick of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Freedom notes: "These young Republicans are definitely at odds with the majority of Republicans in the United States House of Representatives who continue to vote 'no' on rollbacks of the U.S. government’s war on marijuana.
"The trend reflected in the Pew poll results suggests that American politicians will, with each passing year, face electorates increasingly supportive of marijuana legalization — including in Republican primaries. A major shift in marijuana public opinions and policy is ongoing in America. Many politicians will be caught off guard by the major changes yet to come.
"Expect voters to boot out more drug warrior politicians because of those politicians’ increasingly discordant views regarding marijuana. Also watch for politicians to increasingly shift their positions so they publicly support rollbacks in the war on marijuana."
Four Great FREE EBOOKS on Liberty
Students For Liberty (SFL), in partnership with the Atlas Network, has published four outstanding libertarian books — great reading for student and non-student libertarians alike.
And you can download them for FREE as PDFs, or purchase paperback copies. (Note: if you're not a student, ignore the "Expected year of college graduation" form box when downloading a PDF.)
Here's what SFL offers:
 The Economics of Freedom: Selected Works of Frédéric Bastiat features a truly delightful and enlightening collection of essays. Atlas scholar Tom Palmer notes that Bastiat is "the clearest, most sensible economist who ever wrote. Bastiat can be understood by a Nobel Prize winner, a taxi driver, a student, an entrepreneur... even a politician! Read this book and get set for a life-changing experience."
The Morality of Capitalism edited by Tom G. Palmer: Outstanding short pieces by a fantastic line-up of philosophers, economists, Nobel Prize winners, and entrepreneurs, all making the case that not only are markets highly effective, a true free market system is a prerequisite for a just, prosperous, and cooperative society.
 Why Liberty edited by Tom G. Palmer: A great collection of articles that focuses not just on political theory but also on liberty through the lens of culture, entrepreneurship, health, art, technology, philosophy, and the transformative power of freedom. The book features articles from experts in the fields of policy, academia, business, media, and student organizing. This collection makes it clear that liberty is a dynamic and liberating force with the power to change the world for the better.
Peace, Love, & Liberty edited by Tom G. Palmer: Shows that libertarianism is the philosophy of peace — and how libertarian ideas are making the world a safer place. Drawing on the disciplines of history, philosophy, poetry, literature, and psychology, Peace, Love, & Liberty shows that peace is possible — and shows how we can achieve it.
These books can also be purchased, either individual copies or in packs of 100 copies at very low cost, making them great for outreach. Thanks, SFL!
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Activist Ammunition is written by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and he has been a Finalist for the Mencken Awards, given by the Free Press Association for "Outstanding Journalism in Support of Liberty."
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THEY SAID IT...
DC POLICE CHIEF "EMBRACES" LEGAL MARIJUANA: "All those [marijuana] arrests do is  make people hate us. ... Marijuana smokers are not going to attack and kill a cop. They just want to get a bag of chips and relax. Alcohol is a much bigger problem. [Marijuana] is not healthy, but I'm not policing the city as a mom, I'm policing it as the police chief — and 70 percent of the public supported this. ... We've embraced it." — Washington D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier speaking at the American News Women's Club, Feb. 25, 2015.
MEXICANS MOVING TOWARDS LIBERTARIANISM: "A 2014 Pew Hispanic Center survey showed that 11 percent of Latinos surveyed identified as libertarian — almost as many as gabachos! ... Mexican immigrants from the countryside and their descendents (the majority of Mexicans in el Norte) are natural libertarians, what with their up-by-the-bootstraps mentality, skepticism toward government of any kind, hatred of police and love of liberty (let us play our tamborazo in the back yard and raise chickens in peace!)..." — "Ask A Mexican" syndicated columnist Gustavo Arellano, "Are Mexicans More Conservative, Liberal or Libertarian?" Feb. 26, 2015.
GOP CALLS FOR ENDLESS WAR: "Listen for long to GOP foreign policy voices, and you can hear calls for war on ISIS, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, the Houthi rebels, the Assad regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran, to name but a few. Are we to fight them all? How many U.S. troops will be needed? How long will all these wars take? What will the Middle East look like after we crush them all? Who will fill the vacuum if we go? Or must we stay forever? Nor does this exhaust the GOP war menu. Enraged by Vladimir Putin's defiance, Republicans are calling for U.S. weapons, trainers, even troops, to be sent to Ukraine and Moldova." — Pat Buchanan, "The GOP Marches to Endless War," syndicated column, Feb. 27, 2015.
THE DRUG WAR VS THE WORLD'S POOR: "Since the mid-twentieth century, global drug policy has been dominated by strict prohibition, which tries to force people to stop possessing, using and producing drugs by making them illegal. This approach, which has come to be known as the 'War on Drugs,' has not only failed to achieve its goals — it is fueling poverty, undermining health, and failing some of the poorest and most marginalized communities worldwide. ... The militarization of the War on Drugs has fueled — and been used to justify — murder, mass imprisonment, and systematic violations of human rights... It's time we recognized the threat that unreformed global drug policy poses to our attempts to tackle poverty worldwide " — Health Poverty Action, a British organization seeking health care access for the world's poor, from their 28-page report, "Casualties of War: How the War on Drugs Is Harming the World's Poorest," February 2015.
 WHAT IT ONCE MEANT TO BE AN AMERICAN: "Our American ancestors lived in the most unusual society in history — no income tax and no IRS, few economic regulations, no big standing army, no torture, no state-sponsored assassinations, no CIA, no NSA, no Federal Reserve, no paper money, no legal-tender laws, no wars of aggression (except against Mexico and native Americans), no drug laws, no gun control, no surveillance schemes, no foreign aid, and no immigration controls. That's what it once meant to be free. That's what it once meant to be an American." — Jacob G. Hornberger, president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, "Why Did Our Ancestors Approve the Constitution?" Feb. 11, 2015.
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"They Said It..." is compiled by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris.
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 Ask Dr. Ruwart
Dr. Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in libertarian communication. In this column she offers short answers to real questions about libertarianism. To submit questions to Dr. Ruwart, see end of column.
Shouldn't We All Vaccinate So We Don’t Endanger Others?
QUESTION: Shouldn't we all vaccinate so we don't endanger others?
MY SHORT ANSWER: Last week's column “Should Vaccines Be Mandatory?†made a civil liberties argument for the right of people to make personal medical decisions like vaccination for themselves. Several readers expressed concern. They wondered whether people who didn’t vaccinate might endanger others with compromised immune systems who couldn’t vaccinate, such as the elderly or infants.
People with poor immune function are more likely to be exposed to the flu and/or pneumonia than measles from an unvaccinated person. Many thousands of Americans get the flu annually, while less than 200 people each year develop measles. The flu can lead to pneumonia also, making these two infections the 9th highest cause of death in the U.S.
The measures that compromised individuals take to protect themselves from these more common, deadly threats (e.g., avoiding crowds), would protect them from measles as well. These precautions are necessary, because the effectiveness of annual flu shots can be as low as 10%.
Contrary to popular opinion, the measles vaccine doesn’t always work, either. One-half of Canadian cases of measles come from vaccinated individuals; in the U.S., about one-third of people in a measles outbreak have received one or two doses of the vaccine.
Only about 25% of those vaccinated maintain measles immunity for 10 years or more; 75% of the vaccinated population loses their protection before that, although they often get a milder form of measles if infected.
As one might expect, the immune system doesn’t respond as strongly to a vaccine as it does when it mounts a full scale response to an actual infection. Only people who have had measles as a child can expect a lifetime of protection.
I had measles before we had the vaccine. Back then, some people purposefully exposed children to make sure they had immunity to measles, mumps, and occasionally other childhood diseases. Parents wanted to be sure that their girl children especially had immunity, as getting measles while pregnant could be detrimental to the unborn child. The good news is that many of our seniors probably still have immunity to childhood diseases, even if they haven’t been able to vaccinate.
In conclusion, universal vaccination for measles is unlikely to significantly protect compromised individuals, not only because the vaccine has limitations, but because other infections (e.g., flu, pneumonia) are the real threat. If an immune-compromised individual alters their lifestyle to avoid those more common, deadly infections, they are likely to avoid the measles too.
Inexpensive Vitamin A is currently being studied as a treatment and preventative for infections, including measles. If my immune system became compromised, Vitamin A supplementation is something I’d likely explore.
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LEARN MORE: Suggestions for additional reading, selected by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris:
* "Vaccine Controversy Shows Why We Need Markets, Not Mandates" by Ron Paul, M.D., February 8, 2015. Excerpt: "If government can mandate that children receive vaccines, then why shouldn’t the government mandate that adults receive certain types of vaccines? And if it is the law that individuals must be vaccinated, then why shouldn’t police officers be empowered to physically force resisters to receive a vaccine? If the fear of infections from the unvaccinated justifies mandatory vaccine laws, then why shouldn’t police offices fine or arrest people who don’t wash their hands or cover their noses or mouths when they cough or sneeze in public? Why not force people to eat right and take vitamins in order to lower their risk of contracting an infectious disease? These proposals may seem outlandish, but they are no different in principle from the proposal that government force children to be vaccinated."
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 Got questions? Dr. Ruwart has answers! If you'd like answers to YOUR tough questions on libertarian issues, email Dr. Ruwart
Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart can't personally acknowledge all emails. But we'll run the best questions and answers in upcoming issues.
Dr. Ruwart's previous Liberator Online answers are archived in searchable form.
Dr. Ruwart's latest book Short Answers to the Tough Questions, Expanded Edition is available from the Advocates, as is her acclaimed classic Healing Our World.
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What's Happening with the Advocates
JOIN THE ADVOCATES on Facebook and Twitter. Fun, informative, inspiring posts!
FREE OPH KITS FOR LIBERTARIAN STUDENT GROUPS: We're giving our acclaimed OPH (Operation Political Homeless) outreach kits — a $50 value — to libertarian student groups FREE. Learn why OPH is praised as the best recruiting tool in the libertarian movement, and get your free OPH kit.
HAVE A GREAT LIBERTARIAN COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP NEAR YOU: Email Sharon to find out how.
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