Fran is, once again, late... :)

Since Fran is late getting here this morning, I guess I'll post a cartoon for you all to ponder:



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Montana or Bust

Well, tomorrow morning we'll be leaving to go to the big city of Three Forks, Montana. We'll be attending the big Grand Western Conference II: FREE WEST NOW! at the Sacajawea Hotel. You can find out more about that here:
http://freewest.org/phpBB2/index.php

Special guest speakers include Boston T. Party (JavelinPress.com) and J.J. Johnson (SierraTimes.com).

Anyway, if you plan to be there, say hi! If not, then kiss off, you should be there! :)

ASS-U-ME-ing I can get any kind of Internet connection there, I'll be posting stuff here and may even talk about the conference. Or maybe I'll just talk about how cold it is in Montana (we'll be camping).

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No-so-Funnies

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Re: Libertarians, Guns, and the Government's Lack of Fear

The following is a reply to the below post from the same forum (Yahoo! Groups Underground Economy...see my links page for details). This was posted by Wayne.

I've thought about this as well. I have to agree, and I think I've pegged *why* this sometimes is. I don't think it's any more complicated than that many--if not most--of us simply are uncertain as to *when* to act in defense of our rights. When is it far enough?

I think most liberty-minded folk are in general agreement as to what course of action to take should a gun-grab be instituted (although some folks would still be paralyzed with doubt at *that* point.) But that's really not enough, is it? I fear that by the time it comes to that, many of us will be broken in so many other ways that we'll be among the ones paralyzed... or that even if we aren't, the circumstances would have been manipulated to the point where it wouldn't matter.

What about financial rights? Our grandparents and great-grandparents, from what I understand, lined up to turn in their gold back in the 30's. I'm not sure they would want to trust a voluntary turn-in this time. Would we be paralyzed should the knock at the door turn out to be a demand for all gold and/or silver coins and bullion?

And how about travel? We're already subjected to... quite a bit should we attempt to fly nowadays. What happens if there's another terrorist attack, and what happened in New York on 9/11 happens to your town--they order you to evacuate the area, fully planning on searching your house in your absense. Will we be paralyzed with doubt then?

What if they show up with a syringe and demand you accept a smallpox vaccine?

And yes, what *if* you see a SWAT team decend on your neighbor's house, break down the door, and drag him away? What conditions would have to be satisfied in such a scenario to remove one's doubt, if we had any here?

I think it's *critical* that those dedicated to defending their rights decide what their "lines in the sand" are, generating a rough grass-roots consensus--and that we mentally surround ourselves and our rights with them. This will not only remove such doubts when WE are in such situations... but will also remove such doubts when we see that OTHERS are in those situations as well. Beginning discussions (not necessarily online) that lead to such a general consensus--and "public knowledge"--on several specific, key "lines in the sand" would, IMO, go far in strengthening the resolve of many of our kind.

-Wayne

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Libertarians, Guns, and the Government's Lack of Fear

Written yesterday and posted to an email forum in response to a "defense of rights" question.

This weekend I had the good fortune of hearing Boston T. Party speak and to spend some time with him at a local gun show as he is a friend of a friend. I sat down, mostly to observe as others with more knowledge about things interacted with him, and learned many things.

I think of those things, the heaviest was his statement on Saturday night. He was in front of a crowd of Libertarian Party of Utah members (all of whom are paying to be at this fund raising dinner at which he was invited to speak). He said, more or less, that he has been speaking to and with libertarians for twelve years. In that time, he has learned that most libertarians are intelligent, many of them own guns, and all of them are pro-gun. However, he said, many libertarians lack the training to really use a gun for anything more than "self defense."

Most libertarians are armed, but most are not dangerous.

While this might seem anathema to libertarian thought (no force, no fraud after all), I have been thinking about it. Especially today, Patriots' Day.

I think he's right.

The government doesn't fear us at all because we are not dangerous. We might have guns, we might even be really good shots, but very few of us have the dedication to our ideals to actually pull the trigger and kill someone because they are infringing on our rights or the rights of others.

I asked myself a hard question. I wondered, if my neighbor were to be surrounded by police, SWAT, FBI, etc., etc...how would I react?

Would I watch, dumbfounded, wondering what he had done to deserve this?

Would I call the local news and see what was going on, turn on the TV and watch it live from the relative safety of my living room, and wonder what he had done to deserve this?

Would I go across the street and push through the cops to run for his door and stand there, arms spread wide, and demand that they show cause for their assault?

Would I pick up a rifle, some ammunition, and open a window to take pot shots at his assailants?

Would I call out my friends to do the same?

What would I do?

To truly preserve and protect our liberties, I think we need to begin to make the government afraid of us...again. They used to be.

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Not-so-Funnies of the Day

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Four Nineteen! HOOODY HOO!

Today is Patriot Day (the real one), 4/19. The battle-cry of freedom, in this day and age, has been "Four Nineteen!"

Why?

Because this day has had more moments of greatness or tragedy than any other day in American History. Here's a recap of some of the more notable ones:

1775 The war of American Independence opens with the defeat of the British at Lexington and Concord.

1933 President F.D. Roosevelt issues a proclamation removing the U.S. from the gold standard.

1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising of estimated 50,000 Jews against the Nazis begins.

1993 Standoff/seige at Waco, Texas begins against the Branch Dividians.

1995 Federal building is Oklahoma City is bombed.

1998 Leaders of 34 countries meet and eventually agree to create the world's largest free-trade zone (NAFTA).

2003 Millions gather in Salt Lake City, Utah to protest the USA PATRIOT ACT and the atrocities it begs to be committed.

2005 All state representatives to the federal government, Hillary Clinton, Ralph Nadler, Ted Kennedy, and many others resign office after publicly acknowledging their heinous contributions to America's oppression. Orrin Hatch eventually dies a lonely, penniless man exiled in the Balkans.

So go out, set off some fireworks, pipe bombs, firearms, smoke canisters, cannons, and whatever else you've got to make some noise in rebellion! Today is Patriot Day!

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The Top 14 Signs You're Married to a Liberal

April 16, 2004

(Today's list was originally published on April 5, 1999)


The Top 14 Signs You're Married to a Liberal


14> In your wedding vows, "love, honor, and cherish" were
replaced with "legitimize, empower, and respect her
reproductive freedom."

13> Pile of burned Ken Starr effigies in the back yard is
starting to block the sun.

12> Supports Al Gore for President in 2000, but has no idea why.

11> After a poor performance in the bedroom, you find yourself
enrolled in a federal program to correct your shortcomings.

10> To rectify years of persecution to women, she makes you
wipe your own ass.

9> Misses your funeral to protest the harsh sentence given
your killer.

8> You casually mention your "Euthanize the Homeless" idea
and -- BANG! -- no sex for a month.

7> What, the family budget is *BALANCED*? Quick, let's get
to the mall and buy something!

6> Insists his socks are not mismatched, they're "diverse."

5> He was a tireless advocate of gun control until the
impeachment hearings started. Now he owns a rocket
launcher.

4> At the height of passion, cries out, "Tax me!!!"

3> It's bad enough that he looks like an extra from "Deliverance"
-- now he can't keep his loudmouth Cajun trap shut on those
talk shows.

2> Constantly pelts your cats with ketchup, screeching, "Fur is
murder!"


and Topfive.com's Number 1 Sign You're Married to a Liberal...


1> She's got the kids playing "Barbaric Imperialists and
Innocent Native Americans" again.


[ The Top 5 List www.topfive.com ]
[ Copyright 1999, 2004 by Chris White ]
[ To subscribe: Top5Classic-subscribe@topica.com ]

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