A core principle of the American legal system is that you should be free to go about your business without having to show your papers.
Category: Civil Liberty
How FDR Emasculated the Black Press in World War II
Instead of indulging in politically risky sedition prosecutions of the black press, the government relied on indirect methods of behind-the-scenes manipulation and intimidation.
This country probably has as many of its citizens in concentration camps as has Germany… if the Government can do this to American citizens of Japanese ancestry, then it can do this to American citizens of ANY ancestry….Their fight is our fight.
George S. Schuyler, editor and columnist, Pittsburgh Courier
https://reason.com/2023/12/27/how-fdr-emasculated-the-black-press-in-world-war-ii/
Ohio: Ask Your Lawmakers to Respect Voters’ Legalization Law
After you type in your contact info, a draft letter will appear for you to review, edit, and submit.
https://www.mpp.org/takeaction/actions/ohio-ask-your-lawmakers-to-respect-voters-legalization-law/
Would certifying Issue 2 destroy Ohio values?
Would certifying Issue 2 destroy Ohio values? No, it would not. In fact, one could conclude that with the passage of issue 2, Ohio would return to core American values of personal freedom and responsibility.
Building on the values of our nation’s founders shouldn’t scare the citizens and families of Ohio. After all, the values taught within your family are up to you, and not through authoritarianism of your government. The stigma of marijuana consumptions has changed immensely over the last few decades, and the choice to consume is completely personal. The harms of marijuana prohibition have had an enormous impact on our society and destroyed families through mass incarceration of Americans, for many times, victimless crimes.
The war on drugs has been incredibly harmful to our community. Although I suspect it’s called the “war on drugs” to convey the image of a evil drug dealer in a crime movie make no mistake, like any war, it has impacted, and continues to impact co-workers, neighbors, and family members. It doesn’t sound so fun to support if it’s called “the war on your uncle and cousins.”
In the year 2022 there were 208,192 people arrested for marijuana possession according to the FBI’s crime data explorer. The real numbers may be even higher, as not all agencies throughout the country report data to the FBI.
Many of us personally know how some of the existing marijuana possession laws can cause a life to spiral and ruin family structures. Once someone’s record is stained by drug charges, the path to gaining employment and decent housing can become nearly impossible, thus thrusting many into the black market and shadows of our society and economy beginning a horribly viscous cycle.
While I believe that there are many other factors of the drug war, and criminal justice reforms need addressed, I hope that those who are tasked with serving and protecting their neighbors can focus on harmful and violent crimes in our communities. I understand that issue 2 is an important step in the right direction, making a simple step forward within the constraints of a ballot initiative.
I encourage everyone to vote yes on Issue 2 on Tuesday November 7th. Let’s make a move against the recent onslaught against our rights and take a step towards returning to American values. Let’s take one step towards the American ideals of personal privacy, liberty, and freedom. Vote yes!
Sincerely,
Joshua A Umbaugh
Chair
Libertarian Party of Montgomery County Ohio
https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/arrest
‘Private Tyranny’ Is Less Private Than You Think
Sohrab Ahmari inadvertently gives even more reasons to reduce the power of the state.
The question is what, practically, to do about all this. Ahmari’s solution is to use the heavy hand of government to brute-force outcomes he likes more. Not only is this unlikely to make things better, but it has the potential to make them much worse.
https://reason.com/2023/08/15/private-tyranny-is-less-private-than-you-think/
Appeals Court Rules Woman Who Had $8,000 Seized Through Asset Forfeiture Will Get Her Day in Court
Cristal Starling lost $8,000 after she missed one of several filing deadlines to contest the seizure of her money by police. A federal appeals court says she and others like her should be given more leeway.
“As was made clear in this case, the lax notice requirements allow the government to start the clock toward default judgment with perfunctory measures, such as ordinary mail, and by posting on a government forfeiture website that the citizenry has no reason to know of,” the 2nd Circuit wrote. “And because the typical forfeiture case concerns cash and goods with consequence to the deprived party but which rarely justify hiring a lawyer, a huge number of civil forfeiture cases are fought by claimants acting pro se. All this is driven by incentive: The authorities can pocket what they can seize by forfeit.”
A SWAT Team Destroyed an Innocent Man’s Shop. Then the City Left Him With the Bill.
Carlos Pena’s livelihood has been crippled. It remains to be seen if he’ll have any right to compensation.
The police-power shield invoked by some courts is a historical “misunderstanding,” says Jeffrey Redfern, an attorney at the Institute for Justice, the public interest law firm representing Pena in his suit. Judges have recently held that so long as the overall action taken by the government was justifiable—trying to capture a fugitive, for example—then the victim is not entitled to compensation under the Fifth Amendment.
Anarchy in Central Park
New York politicians got out of the way for once, and something beautiful happened.
Politicians usually want to control more things. My town has been the worst example of that. Progressive politicians add so many rules they make it nearly impossible to do anything new.
303 Creative Preserves Entrepreneurial Spirit of Private Enterprise
The case was only incidentally about LGBTQ+ issues. This case is not about a Christian who wants to express her beliefs in the way she conducts her business. On the contrary, what is at stake is not whether a government can compel business owners to conduct their business in service to serve the state’s interests.
The FBI Finally Returned Her Life Savings After Holding It for Two Years Without Pressing Charges
Institute for Justice Class Action Lawsuit Challenging “Take Now, Explain Never” Forfeitures Will Continue
The FBI’s forfeiture notices violate the Fifth Amendment, which requires the government to provide specific factual and legal reasons for forfeiture.