In Philadelphia, the government forces each resident to sit on a jury about every 3-5 years. I was threatened to participate today, and I had some difficulty deciding what to do about my trip to Philadelphia’s Criminal Justice Center.
I decided to bring my sidearm, to see if they would let me check it. When I entered the CDC, a police officer asked me if I was there for jury duty. I said that I was and he told me to get into a line to go through security. I asked where I could check a sidearm, and he said to go to the desk in the center of the entrance hall. At the desk they asked for my LTCF, and then an officer escorted me to a locker room where I locked up my Springfield XD 9mm subcompact. I then had to go back to the desk to tell them which locker I had taken.
I had not brought any FIJA outreach material because I forgot to order it, and didn’t feel like going to the printer. Considering how many hundreds of people were bored and looking for reading material, it probably would have been a good investment.
The one thing that I liked about being a potential juror the last time I went was that they gave us corn bread and blueberry muffins when we got there in the morning. This time they didn’t give us anything. Well, at least I still got paid $9 (less taxes) for my hard day of work. It really was difficult sitting in an uncomfortable, dilapidated chair, listening to them call out names and explain the survey questions. It reminded me of government school.
Anyway, after being moved to a courtroom and then sitting in a jury room for a while, I was brought before the judge for questioning. Continue reading →
Thom Nickels at the University City Review relates some anecdotal evidence that government schools are last place you should send your children. He recalls some of the traumatic experiences he had when left to the mercy of unethical children.
My first experience with a school bully occurred in the fifth grade when a red haired classmate took an instant dislike to me. At recess he’d wait until I was in a remote corner of the schoolyard, then force me to the ground and sit on my chest.
With all the physical attacks, verbal abuse, peer pressure and other anti-educational aspects that are part of government schools, why is it that any parent would let their child attend? Oh, right. We’re dealing with the government, so there is no choice.
If you’re the kind of libertarian who likes to take the fight for freedom to the streets, there will be a protest tomorrow at the Philadelphia International Airport. wewontfly.com is promoting a national day of protest against the naked body scanners that have been rolling out across the country.
It will be cold, so bring your best birthday suit to strut around in while handing out literature and waving signs.
The Philadelphia Inquirer relates the bittersweet story of 2 cops who were part of a rogue narcotics operation. Apparently these government agents falsified charges, arrested people for no reason (even by the government’s own standards), stole property, etc. Some cynical libertarians would say that this is what the police are for: to abuse and intimidate the general population while only protecting the fat-cat politicians who pay their salaries (and other cops, of course).
Personally, I think most cops actually want to be good people, but they are stuck in a bad system. If a cop gets paid about the same for giving out speeding tickets and chasing dangerous criminals, of course he won’t stop any real crimes. That’d be crazy. Why go after drug dealers (they have guns) when you can go after mellow stoners and electrocute old women. A free market would pay cops more money for more dangerous work (and no money for harassing innocent people).
As a result of the misconduct, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office overturned drug charges against more than 185 people, some of whom were in prison on bogus charges.
Actually, all of them were in prison on bogus charges, and it’s great to see so many people, who never hurt anybody, set free.
Steven J. Gulitti at the PhillyIMC wonders whether all the many libertarian organizations that seem to be around aren’t what they seem to be. He suggests that libertarian organizations might be empty shells propped up by scheming billionaires (perhaps plotting to thrust freedom onto unsuspecting masses?).
A similar claim was made about Ron Paul’s supporters, when he began to win polls during the 2008 presidential campaign. It was suggested that his victories were due to a few internet spammers. His later fund raising success seemed to resolve that issue.
From one perspective, the question of how many libertarians there are is irrelevant. Libertarians believe that violence does not solve social problems and will not hold a gun to an innocent person’s head, even if it is for a good cause. For them, this is a way of life, and regardless of whether everyone behaving peacefully, they are going to continue respecting the lives of others. On the other hand, the more the merrier. So, let’s see if we can help Gulitti find all those missing libertarians.
Pennsylvania has been fighting a government monopoly recently. Yet, somehow Philly libertarians are even opposed to that government action. Why? Because the monopoly is government spying on Americans, and the way that PA promoted competition was by hiring a Philadelphia based company to do some spying, too.
What was so dangerous that it required $125,000 worth of surveillance? Environmentalists and gay rights activists.
Sound ludicrous? Even PA governor Fat Eddy thinks so. Libertarians think that nobody should be spying on people, even government agents. Privacy is important.
According to the University City Review residents of West Philadelphia have had less than spectacular experiences with government roads. This is not surprising, if the photo to the left is any indication of what they have to deal with. Anyway, the article starts off with a common misconception.
It often takes too much effort to motivate city agencies to do what they’re paid to do in a timely fashion.
Is the government really paid to provide services in a timely fashion? McDonald’s is paid to provide hamburgers in a timely fashion, and they do. If it took more than a few minutes to get your food at Burger King, you could take your money to Wendy’s. Businesses are responsive to what people want because if they aren’t, they don’t get paid.
Government is different. Government does not offer services for you to buy if you want. Government takes your money, and then tries to keep you from getting upset by throwing you a few crumbs. Continue reading →
Are you tired of struggling with bogus theories about the economy and society with nothing to show for it? Is your world view horribly complex and contradictory from centuries of trying to justify evil? Then come on over and see if libertarianism satisfies your desire for a logical, virtuous and fun way of life. Did I mention that it’s easy? There’s only one thing to remember: violence does not solve social problems.
For many years the cheapest way to get between cities on the East coast has been the Chinatown buses. They are a network of buses that run between the Chinatowns of New York, Philadelphia, DC, Richmond, Boston, and other cities. For those of us in Philadelphia, it’s easier to get to New York City than it is to catch a bus to the King of Prussia Mall. Did I mention it’s only $10?
Recently other companies have picked up the business model, and thanks to the wonders of competition, our options as consumers have improved. Yet, the Liberty Spotlight is on the Chinatown buses because of the extra splash of freedom that they deliver. Let me run down some examples.
I was riding a Chinatown bus to to Richmond the other week, and thanks to the poor design and management of government roads, we began to experience a temporary shortage, aka, traffic. Then the entrepreneurial instincts of our bus driver kicked in. He noticed that a section of the road had been misallocated to the purpose of… collecting dust. He then appropriated that section of the road (the “shoulder”), for driving, and bypassed about a mile of backed up cars. Nobody was worse off, and his customers were certainly better off, so I think we can call that Pareto optimal. Bravo. Continue reading →
The Republicans are frightened that Libertarians will ruin their power grab in 2010 and they are trying to
keep you from being represented on the ballot!
Come to Harrisburg or help from home.
This Monday the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPA) will defend the challenge placed by
the Republican Party to its nominating papers. We need you to come to Harrisburg and help in our
defense process. Continue reading →
