Daily Archives: November 19, 2019

Lincoln Chafee isnt quite ready to announce a longshot bid for the White House as a Libertarian candidate next year, but the former Rhode Island governor and US senator appears to be taking steps to prepare for the race.

Chafee was in Miami over the weekend for the quarterly meeting of the Libertarian National Committee, where he became a life membership level donor and met with party activists, according to Christopher Thrasher of Ballot Access Marketing, a consulting firm that helped get Gary Johnson and Bill Weld on the ballot in all 50 states in 2016.

In September, Thrashers company registered LincolnforLiberty.com, and Chafee now goes by @LincolnforLiberty on Facebook. A separate Facebook page called Virginia for Lincoln Chafee 2020 was created last week.

Reached Monday, Chafee declined to confirm that he intends to run for president, but he acknowledged that if he does run for office again, it will likely be for commander in chief.

Its early, Im just getting to know them, Chafee said, referring to the Libertarian Party.

Chafee was a Republican mayor of Warwick and remained with the party during his time in the Senate, but he later won the governors office as an independent. He joined the Democratic Party while he was still in the governors office, and then ran for president in 2016. He has since taken up residence in Wyoming, where he registered as a Libertarian.

There are 43 Libertarian candidates who have filed paperwork to open a presidential campaign account for 2020, but none of them have reported significant fund-raising totals, according to the Federal Election Commission.

NEED TO KNOW

Rhode Map wants to hear from you. If youve got a scoop or a link to an interesting news story in Rhode Island, e-mail us at RInews@globe.com.

As if you needed one more reason for why its better to live and work in Rhode Island, you must check out the Globes Spotlight series highlighting whos to blame and what can be done to address Bostons traffic crisis. (Note to Boston readers: We have so many parking spots in Providence.).

With week two of the public hearings for the impeachment inquiry beginning today, I wanted to know what our congressional delegation is hearing from constituents in Rhode Island. (Spoiler: Not much.)

Ed Fitzpatrick reports North Providence Police Chief Col. David Tikoian is set to retire on Jan. 1 after helping to turn around the troubled department.

Fun story from Max Jungreis: Former Patriots star Ty Law has found a second career by building an empire on trampoline parks around the country. And the first one opened in Warwick seven years ago.

Ben & Jerrys is being sued for claiming the milk used in its ice cream comes exclusively from happy cows and so-called humane Caring Dairy farms. Seriously.

WHATS ON TAP TODAY

Each day, Rhode Map offers a cheat sheet breaking down whats happening in Rhode Island. Have an idea? E-mail us at RInews@globe.com.

Lieutenant Governor Daniel McKee will launch the International Economic Ambassadors Initiative this morning to invite community leaders to use their international networks to attract investment to Rhode Island.

The special legislative task force on Rhode Islands education funding formula meets at the State House this afternoon. Heres the agenda.

The state is supporting Roger Williams Universitys effort to open a charter school in Providence that would focus on serving English learners. The Council on Elementary and Secondary Education will discuss the school at a meeting tonight.

This afternoon at Rhode Island College: Theres a forum designed for youth and the community to discuss the Providence schools takeover.

Enjoying Rhode Map so far? Do us a favor and encourage your friends to sign up here.

Thanks for reading. Send comments and suggestions to dan.mcgowan@globe.com, or follow me on Twitter @DanMcGowan. See you tomorrow.

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Lincoln Chafee is doing things that presidential candidates do - The Boston Globe

According to an October Rasmussen poll, 38% of likely voters say theyre to vote for someone other than President Trump or the Democratic presidential nominee in the 2020 US presidential election.

In a three-way presidential race, 38% constitutes a winning plurality, assuming its distributed among the states such that the Electoral College outcome reflects it.

As a long-time activist in Americas largest third political party, the Libertarian Party, Im prone to find that number encouraging.

On the other hand, Ive seen numbers like this before and Ive watched them not pan out on election day.

Heres why:

Pluralities or majorities of independent, swing, and even Democratic and Republican voters always respond positively to polls asking them, generically, about the desirability of a third party in American politics.

But generically and specifically are two different animals.

America already has numerous third parties. In addition to the Libertarians, we have the Greens, the Constitution Party, and a wide assortment of ideological parties across the spectrum from openly socialist to openly fascist. Even the Prohibition Party, founded in 1869, still nominates a presidential slate every four years.

But most voters who perennially say they dont want a Democrat or Republican for president next time dont agree on a specific alternative. They either vote for the Democrat or Republican for president, or just stay home, when election day rolls around.

Even in 2016, when the major parties each chose widely disliked and distrusted presidential candidates, only about 5% of those who voted strayed outside the major party fold.

Why dont third party candidates do well, especially at the presidential level? A number of factors play into the poor results.

One is that third party candidates, already far out-spent by the Democrats and Republicans, have to spend lots of the money they raise just getting on ballots. Their actual campaign budgets amount to rounding errors compared to those of their major party opponents. Even those who might prefer a mouse to a whirlwind have trouble hearing the offerings of the former over the din of the latter.

Another is a fear factor, naturally occurring but energetically encouraged and cultivated by the big players. Dont spoil the election. Vote against the major party candidate you fear most, rather than for the minor party candidate you like best. Your only real alternative is the lesser evil.

A third problem is bad voting systems. Ranked choice voting would allow those fearful voters to choose the candidates they prefer while remaining confident that if their first choices failed, their second choices wouldnt be eliminated.

Next year, voters will be told by the major parties that they must choose either four more years of the banana republicanism they chose in 2016, or a buffet of microwaved and re-heated 50- and 80-year old New Deal and Great Society programs doused with supposedly progressive sriracha.

That wont be the case. Third party options will likely be on offer in all 50 states. The 38% of voters who claim to want one should actually choose one instead of finding reasons not to.

Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.

The rest is here:

Voters say they want a third party. They should vote accordingly. - OCRegister

There is undoubtedly a mental health epidemic in the United States and throughout the world. However, in many areas especially the US governments are not taking the necessary steps to help improve the problem.

Research has shown that there are a number of factors contributing to this. Many people think the problem is getting worse because of the stigma associated with mental health, but thats not necessarily the case. In fact, its much more likely that the issue is the result of bad government policy.

Stigma is certainly a problem that needs to be addressed, but stigma becomes a convenient scapegoat for a government to redirect their own failure onto the people. By suggesting that mental health would be improved if people were just more willing to talk about it, then the mental health problem wouldnt be so bad.

Right? Partially. But a more significant improvement would occur if the government improved their policy and led to reform of the mental health system and various policies. Well talk about that in this article.

Problems With Americas US Mental Health Policy

There are a significant number of problems that interfere with peoples ability to seek mental help in the US. Some of the most obvious issues that are currently affecting the nation include:

The number of beds available for mental health patients has dropped a whopping 17% since 2010. There are now only 11.7 beds per 100,000 people, which is far less than other first-world countries.

-About two thirds of medical doctors and unable to find mental health care practitioners for their patients after diagnosing them, suggesting that there is little to no policy in play for helping terminally ill patients cope with their conditions.

-Between 2009 and 2012, there was $5 billion cut from mental health programs across the country. More than 4,500 beds for mental health patients were removed.

-There are more and more people becoming homeless throughout the nation. While the official statistic says there are about 650,000, homeless organizations believe that there may be closer to 3.5 million.

-The public schooling system is woefully inadequate at educating students about the inevitable perils of mental health problems at different times of their lives.

These problems, as you can imagine, present tremendous barriers for people in the United States who are hoping to manage their mental health problems. Theres little doubt that the US needs at least a bit of reform in their mental health policies.

So what are people doing instead?

People Are Taking Mental Health Into Their Own Hands

While the government may seem to be a bit negligent in regards to the mental health of the population, the people are not. People are deciding that even if the government isnt going to help them work through their mental health problems, theyre going to do the best that they can on their own.

So what does this entail? There are a number of things, but two are most prominent:

-People are beginning to look at more self-care options. People are deciding to follow self-help programs, and learn to take care of themselves better. This works as both a preventative measure and a curative that can help people work through mental health issues.

-People are beginning to educate themselves on mental health issues. More and more information is available on various mental health websites than ever before, which makes access to educational materials a breeze. Such websites include Psycom, Help Guide and E-counseling.

-People are able to learn about mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and other problems on the internet or by accessing books in the library.

Conclusion

While people are taking their mental health into their own hands, this shouldnt have to be a long-term solution for enhancing mental health. The government needs to reform policies to make mental health care available to more people before the problem gets any worse.

Original post:

The Government is Failing the Mental Health Epidemic. - The Libertarian Republic

Rick covering 2010 tea party convention in RVA (photo by Lynn R. Mitchell)

It was with shock and sadness that we learned this afternoon of the passing of our longtime Bearing Drift colleague Rick Sincere. A professional writer, editor, and talented on-air personality, Rick had contacts far and wide that were useful in his writing, and while producing and hosting Bearing Drifts weekly radio show, The Score. What now will be his final edition of The Score that was published Sunday is a perfect example of the extended network of contacts and friends that he enjoyed.

Ricks list of journalistic accomplishments is long author of two books, articles on foreign and domestic policy issues that appeared in the Roanoke Times, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, Washington Star, Washington Times, and numerous other publications.

As a journalist, he covered the 1996 Democratic National Convention, 1996 New Hampshire presidential primary, numerous Libertarian Party national conventions and state political conventions, and presidential and vice-presidential debates. He interviewed members of Congress, governors, state legislators, local elected officials, and political candidates.

Rick was a joy to work with with a kindness that extended to everyone. As word spreads and the tributes begin to pour in, Bearing Drift mourns with his sister at the unexpected loss of a friend, colleague, and talented member of the political community. We will miss him.

WINA has a brief notice of Ricks passing.

Facebook is filling with memories from the many people who knew, respected, and worked with Rick throughout the years. Here are a few.

Coy Barefoot:

I have only just learned that my very dear friendRick Sincerepassed away in his sleep last night. No other details are known at this time. My sincere condolences and thoughts go out to his sister, his extended family, and the many, many friends across Virginia who knew and loved Rick so much.

The former Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Virginia, long-time member of the City of Charlottesville Electoral Board, and one of the first truly online journalists in the state, Rick joined me on my radio and TV programs countless times over the years. In addition to being an astute observer of all things political, Rick was a great champion of liberty, democracy, human and civil rights. The world is a better place today because Rick Sincere fought so earnestly for causes in which he so sincerely believed. Safe travels my friend. You will be missed.

Jackson Landers:

RandomRick Sincerememory: The time he told me to put on a suit and meet him in Dupont Circle, where he took me to the Embassy of Gabon to meet with the Ambassador and present him with a signed copy of a book Id written. There is definitely nobody else in my life now who is likely to do that.

Jim Hoeft:

When I think of Rick Sincere, I think smart, loyal, reasoned, and principled. I have known Rick for as long as I have been in Virginia blogging and podcasting, but he was making his mark and leaving his legacy long before we ever met.

With our shared interest in social media, but also foreign affairs and public relations, he was always an easy person for me to have a conversation with and not because we always agreed. It was when we did not see eye-to-eye that Rick always showed his true character not devolving into a useless, unproductive shouting match but demanding, through his example, that the conversation proceed cogently andcollegially. Rick had the innate ability to connect with anyone, while also being tenacious and prepared to secure an interview or report on a story.

I was incredibly honored to call Rick a friend and I echo the thoughts of so many others who had the pleasure to have hadRickin their lives. This is simply stunning news.

When we celebrated BDs anniversary, Rick left a very important comment. Rick wrote, I didnt realize fifteen years can breeze by like this.

Neither can I. You have left us too quickly, but I am so glad to have known you and the example you set.

Fair winds and following seas, Rick.

Brian Schoeneman:

Very saddened and surprised to hear of the passing of my very good friendRick Sincere. Rick and I knew each other for almost a decade, starting out as colleagues in the Virginia blogosphere, and then ending up on the same team atBearing Drift. He and Jim Hoeft taught me everything I ever learned about podcasting, and he was one of the best Virginia political interviewers I ever saw. He had his recorder with him everywhere and it never ceased to amaze me how easily he gotGovernor X or Senator Y to do an interview with him, no matter when or where (this photo is living proof). I remember fondly us tag-teaming more than one RPV Advance, lugging bottles of booze up to the Homestead for a hospitality suite. He was one of the best one of the only libertarians I knew who didnt want to hit me with his car and I cant believe hes gone. Literally just talked to him yesterday.

Shaun Kenney:

Still reeling a bit from the news that CharlottesvillesRick Sincerepassed away unexpectedly last night.

Between radio shows and as a fellow political writer in Virginia, Rick was well liked across the political spectrum always kind, never out of place, and deeply principled to both his Catholic faith and his libertarian principles and in a manner that exemplified the very best of the Jesuit tradition.

There are few people in this world whom you can count on to beconsistently kind, generous, thoughtful souls. Rick was just happy to be where he was, always ready to lend his opinion, but never in an obtuse or critical manner.

Godspeed, Rick.

Doug Mantaconis:

I metRick Sinceremany years ago when he was helping to organize a chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus in Virginia and we reconnected here online years later when he was living down in Charlottesville. He was also a frequent commenter in the comment threads here as some of you may recall. Sadly, during that whole time, I didnt catch up with him even though he was a frequent visitor up to Northern Virginia. I did meet up with him again at a Cato Institute event about ten years ago, but that was it. The reasons dont matter and they mostly my own fault for not reaching out to people being the introvert that I am. As a result, I guess you could say we were Facebook friends but that was about it.

Thats why it was sad to read this afternoon that he had passed away during the night. He wasnt much older than I am so that hits home in and of itself. So long, Rick. Youll be missed.

Krystle Weeks Gabale:

Im still in shock over the passing of my friend,Rick Sincere. When I lived in Virginia, he was a great writing mentor and was so kind. I still remember covering many political events with him as a writer for Bearing Drift and my former site. He will be missed. RIP Rick.

Sandy Liddy Bourne:

I am so sorry for your loss. Rick has to be one of the nicest people I have ever met. Be at Peace.

Erich Reimer, Former Charlottesville City Republican Party Chair:

I had the pleasure of working with Rick in Charlottesville politics for several years. We served together on the Charlottesville City Republican Partys Executive Committee and worked together when I was Chair, in which he and I aligned on many issues and supported one another.

He always stood out as an honest, fair minded, firmly grounded, optimistic, and integrity-driven fighter for human freedom. His passing is far too soon and leaves a void for those who believe in values-driven governance that builds up rather than tears down.

Look here for Ricks work on Bearing Drift.

View original post here:

Bearing Drift, Online Community Mourn the Passing of Colleague Rick Sincere - Bearing Drift

Gabriel Nadales, former Antifa participant turned conservative activist, delivered a speech Thursday titled Behind the Black Mask in Reavis Hall.

In his speech, Nadales discussed the ideology, history and tactics of Antifa, a militant anti-fascist movement, and advocated against the silencing of free speech to a nearly full classroom of students.

The event was hosted by NIUs chapter of Young Americans for Liberty, a youth organization with the purpose of advancing libertarian values on college campuses and in electoral politics, according to its website. Those in attendance were welcome to pizza and soft drinks.

Nadales described Antifa as a call to action" that brings together activists from various far-left groups and backgrounds, rather than an organization.

You find a network that is already existing, that [has] a lot of friendly people to your cause, he said. Youve talked to them and you call and you essentially activate them. Then, all of a sudden, they abandon their ideologies and come together as the collective that is Antifa, with the mission of shutting down an event or fighting against a specific group of people.

On the matter of history, Nadales said Antifa claims its roots come from Antifaschistische Aktion, a now defunct political organization that was affiliated with Germanys Communist Party in the early 1930s. He said because the organization was wiped out with the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, it has no direct connection to the current Antifa movement.

Nadales also discussed some of Antifas tactics. He said the movements purpose isnt to engage in political discussion, but rather to silence opponents and cause a scene through violence and de-platforming, which aims to interrupt or deny the speech of a controversial figure through forceful means.

The tactics of Antifa are to threaten and use violence to terrorize people to force them into submission, he said.

Nadales said he became politically active during high school in 2009 when he attended a teachers demonstration against then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. By 2010, he had developed a hatred for the United States and became involved with Antifa, he said.

I hated America so much that I refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, he said. That got me in a hell of a lot of trouble.

Nadales said he wouldve faced serious consequences from the school board but avoided punishment by threatening a lawsuit.

That was the very first time that I really felt that an adult who was in a position of power really feared my words, he said. The irony is not lost on me that, even though I said that I hated America with a passion, I was using its laws to defend myself.

Nadales criticized past actions of his. He shared a story of when he stole a bike and smashed a McDonalds window with a rock in protest of the corporation. He said years later he felt guilty about his destruction of property and talked to his father about it.

[My dad] told me that doing things like this doesnt hurt the corporation; it hurts the employees who are told to go home for the day, he said. It hurts the families whose paychecks are now a day or two smaller. It also hurts the owners and the consumers who sometimes have to increase the prices to make up for the thousands of dollars they lost. Destruction of property hurts real people.

Nadales said his ideological shift toward conservatism happened during his senior year of high school in 2012, when he became fascinated with economics. It was then he was introduced to the writings of libertarian economists Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell.

When I was introduced to these ideas, I found them interesting, but I wasnt persuaded, he said. I just thought they were cool, so I wanted to talk to people about it.

Nadales said this was how he came across Adam Weinberg, former field coordinator at the Leadership Institute, who convinced him to start a chapter of Young Americans for Liberty at Citrus College, where Nadales was attending school, in 2013.

The Leadership Institute is a conservative nonprofit whose mission is to expand and improve conservative activism, according to its website. Nadales is now a regional field coordinator for the organization.

[Weinberg] is a great person who took the time to really listen to me, Nadales said. He never once called me a communist pig. Instead, he would ask, Well, thats very interesting; have you ever thought about this [other theory]?

Nadales said administrators at Citrus College attempted to dismantle his chapter of Young Americans for Liberty and were responsible for frequent adviser turnover. In 2014, a member of his chapter filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the college regarding an incident where he was restricted from collecting signatures.

When we sued, people hated us even more, he said. The student government would routinely talk about us behind our backs. We believe that the Board of Trustees hired a spy photographer to really take pictures of us. Because multiple times at events, whether it be a big one or a small one, when the lawsuit was pending, there was always a photographer.

Citrus College awarded $110,000 in a settlement to the student who filed the lawsuit. Nadales said he received no money but was glad the college overturned some of its policies on campus, including one requiring all flyers be approved before posting.

During the Q&A segment of the presentation, a couple of students objected to Nadales use of the term leftists in his speech to describe left-wing activists who use methods of violence and intimidation. Nadales said he made it a point to separate the terms liberal and leftist, as he believes liberals arent necessarily violent.

One student, who said he considered himself a non-violent leftist, said he didnt believe it was fair of Nadales to repurpose a word that has meant something different for centuries. Nadales defended his use of the term and said meanings of words change over time, and conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, among others, has used leftist in this way.

More here:

Conservative activist speaks out about experience | News - Northern Star Online

Even before Gorsuch heard his first case as a Supreme Court justice in April 2017, it was clear from his decade on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit that such attacks were unwarranted. Far from screwing over the little guy at every opportunity, he had shown unusual sensitivity to the predicament of vulnerable people confronted by implacable and frequently inscrutable agents of the state. Among the folks that Trump had on his short list, observes the Ohio State University law professor Douglas Berman, Gorsuch seemed more defendant-friendly than most of the others, and thats carried over to the Supreme Court.

During Gorsuchs first two terms on the Court, he took positions that should be applauded by people who care about criminal justice and civil liberties, including the critics who were so quick to condemn him as a heartless authoritarian. Except for capital cases, where he doesnt seem to have much of an affinity for the defense position, Berman says, Gorsuch is distinctly concerned about safeguarding defendants procedural rights. While judges across the spectrum have long been willing to compromise civil liberties in cases involving unpopular defendants such as drug dealers and sex offenders, Berman notes, Gorsuch has, to his credit, said, No, no. The rules are the rules.' His work shows that an honest attempt to apply the original public understanding of constitutional provisions frequently yields libertarian results, limiting government power and protecting individual rights.

Thats not to say Gorsuch himself is a libertarian. In his 2006 book on assisted suicide, he explicitly rejected the libertarian principle that would require legalization of that practice.

Original post:

Neil Gorsuch is better on civil liberties than his critics want to admit - Hot Air