There is nothing more self-defeating than a self-proclaimed libertarian who advocates for more regulation on the liberty of others. True libertarianism is very selfless. But most of those claiming a libertarian philosophy are harming the brand by their own selfishness. It manifests in many ways. Let's look at a few... Anti Corporatism State Question 777 is greatly demagogued by the anti GMO crowd. "Big Ag" is the boogie man they fear. Monsanto is the "Dark Syth" they blame for many of their own health frailties. Genetically Modified Organisms are the next level in developing through controlled pollinization. But when little Bobbie has a peanut allergy, his parents conveniently blames the food supply. They want farmers to be controlled ant told not to buy Monsanto's seeds. These libertarians are making a case for the EPA to clamp down further on farmers. |
Oklahoma Firm Is Awarded Medical Contract -
Your voting booth selfie may be punishable by law. State election boards spend vast sums to promote voter participation. Yet in 27 states, it seems we voters are not allowed to show images of ourselves actually 'doing it'. It's seems like they think of voting some disgusting exercise akin passing bodily fluids. These voters are the best ambassadors for voter participation. Some of the statutes are actually a misappropriate of laws to prevent counterfeit state documents. But it's completely asinine to think that selfie photos could ever fool an electronic voting machine. Most newspapers and even the election boards post a voided sample ballot weeks ahead of the election. How could a voter ever cause a public harm by sharing a selfie on social media? Now, taking photos of someone else's private voting decisions is an obvious affront to that voter's privacy, and should not go unpunished. New Hampshire's statutes were recently struck down in federal court. A federal appeals court said New Hampshire’s ban on voting booth selfies “is like burning down the house to roast the pig.” In a unanimous vote, a three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston upheld a lower court ruling that declared the state’s ban unconstitutional. It was the first time a federal appeals court considered the issue. A 2014 New Hampshire law criminalized voters snapping photos of their ballots and sharing them on social media. Such actions were punishable by a fine of up to $1,000. A federal judge blocked the law’s enforcement a year ago and the state appealed citing a need to discourage vote buying. So much for the state motto of ; "Live Free Or Die". I didn't want to believe this but, Oklahoma's laws are antiquated on this issue, but it appears that our statutes could be enforced in a prosecution!
So exposing your ballot is somehow akin to exposing your private parts? Thankfully you won't get labeled a sex offender (yet).
OCPAC just published their October newsletter which included their position on several general election issues. While we agree with their conclusion on the 2 supreme court justices, we have an entirely different path to getting there. In fact, we have serious concerns with their rationale and find their thought process, while pragmatic; abandons certain conservative principles. There are plenty of reasons for opposing these 2 justices, but OCPAC never posted the reasons SoonerPolitics Editorial Review Board came up with. Instead, they condemned the 2 justices for:
To be sure; the high court has lost the respect of most all of the state's conservatives. They have become inconsistent in their positions. Let's make sure we are not inconsistent in our principles and positions. Here is the portion of the OCPAC publication where their rationale for rejecting judges is posted...
BY: HUDSON TALLEY JULY 21, 2016 After an explosive and divisive primary season, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus decreed the national convention to be a place of unity. After all, bringing together the divided factions of the Republican Party was the only chance Donald Trump would have of achieving a victory in November. This convention needed to be a graceful extension of goodwill from Trump and the RNC to the grassroots. But much like 2012, it quickly descended into a hostile rejection of the conservative grassroots. Ken Cuccinelli, former attorney general of Virginia, along with the Trusted Leadership PAC, recruited me and a few others to build a coalition of RNC Rules Committee members and grassroots delegates. Among these rules members were U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Morton Blackwell, a well-known conservative stalwart on the RNC. Our goal was to craft and implement a rules package that would incentivize states to close their primaries, reward Republican states with more delegates and decentralize RNC power. It is important to note that, at no time, did this coalition pursue the unbinding of delegates, a common media misconception. On the other hand, it should have been obvious, even to a college student like me, that our goals were to dial back Establishment power – precisely what Trump claims is his goal. Considering these RNC committees are chaired by Priebus appointees, and the membership consists overwhelmingly of establishment representatives, this was a formidable mountain at best, a suicide mission, at worst.
Oklahoma's past 20 years have had one enduring, yet dubious legacy; the resolve to "Get tough on crime!" . But not many Oklahomans believe our statutes reflect that we are "smart on crime". We've become hell-bent on changing hearts, yet we have just pushed many people further into crime, for life. When we don't offer an attainable way out of a stupid decision, those who did have a desire for change will believe their life is beyond saving. We have become the setting for Les Miserables'. Where the state creates an exploited mass of hungry and suffering common class of society, then squeezes them beyond decency. When the Federal Reserve quits pumping billions into our stock market and buying our nation's debt, there will be some dire economic consequences. If hyper inflation hits (or should I say "when" it hits), we will see massive new theft felonies. Not necessarily more crime, but more petty misdemeanors inflated up to felony status because we've set a hard dollar amount as our distinguishing definition of what a felony is. State Question 780 simply puts a one-time adjustment in place. Oklahoma needs reforms which annually adjusts the dollar amount wherein a prosecutor calls for a felony charge
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