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Why Libertarians Should Not ‘Stand with Rand’
By: Ryan Bell, We Are 1776 The Libertarian Party has been growing at a substantial rate recently as members of both the Republican and Democratic Parties are looking for an avenue that offers both economic and social freedoms. Still, the Libertarian Party has not been winning elections. We now must ask what is the problem. Is it the individuals who are on the “I’ll vote Libertarian once they start actually winning elections” train, or is the problem external to the Libertarian Party? Could the problem even be the libertarians themselves? The most recent evidence that can be used comes from Representative Ron Paul…
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Who is Really a Citizen?
By: Richard Charles, 2014 Republican Congressional Candidate, We Are 1776 American citizens are expected by Uncle Sam to pay no attention to their ears, eyes, skin or common sense, but buy the dreamy nightly network news softsoap. More and more American citizens are thinking for themselves and waking up. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently went to Congress to defend paying just 2% taxes on $74 Billion in profits, while American citizens paid up to 44% taxes including Obamacare. So much for those middle class tax cuts and rich corporations paying their fair share. Citizens for Tax Justice found at least 18 big companies stashed profits…
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A Libertarian turn: Marijuana, Same-Sex Marriage, Gun Rights
By: Michael Barone, The Project to Restore America, We Are 1776 Are Americans becoming more libertarian on cultural issues? I see evidence that they are, in poll findings and election results on three unrelated issues — marijuana legalization, same-sex marriage and gun rights. Start with pot. Last November voters in the states of Colorado and Washington voted to legalize marijuana, by a 55 to 45 percent margin in Colorado (more than Barack Obama’s margin in the state) and by 56 to 44 percent in Washington. In contrast, California voters rejected legalization 53 to 47 percent in 2010. These results and poll…
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Immigration Reform or Law Enforcement?
By: Richard Charles, 2014 Republican Congressional Candidate, We Are 1776 In 2010 the Internal Revenue Services paid $4 billion to illegal immigrants in tax credits for their dependent children. We Americans have no problem with legal immigrants who pay taxes and make good citizens, since we know the melting pot genius productivity of America was founded on the backs and brains of hardworking immigrants seeking a better way of life. We were willing to work and save for the American Dream, not a political handout. We Americans do take issue with amnesty and subsidies for illegal immigrants without effective border control, something the United States…
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Liberal Media’s Gun Control and Crime Correlations: All Lies
By: Kyle Laine, We Are 1776, Guest Contributor When the mainstream media continues to pump information that correlates gun control measures and violent crime rates, it’s essential that a critical viewer analyzes the information effectively. Here are two main reasons the media has project fallacious arguments in support of strict gun regulation. 1. Data Correlations Ignore Culture Studies tend to compare the United states with other countries, and they often come to the conclusion that gun control in other countries is their effective method to curbing crime. I think everyone can agree that culture has a huge part to play in a country’s violent crime rate. It really doesn’t matter…
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Why Libertarians Should Not ‘Stand with Rand’
Jun 19, 2013
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Who is Really a Citizen?
Jun 18, 2013
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A Libertarian turn: Marijuana, Same-Sex Marriage, Gun Rights
Jun 17, 2013
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Immigration Reform or Law Enforcement?
Jun 17, 2013
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Liberal Media’s Gun Control and Crime Correlations: All Lies
Jun 17, 2013
Domestic Policy
Changing a System: Child Protective Services (5 of 6)
By: Marc Connuck, We Are 1776, Vice-President [Please note that this is the fifth of 6 concerning the Child Protective Services. Read the fourth in the series here.] The abuses are present in all aspects of the current system. The question of why so many children are removed from their birth parents is a complicated one, but there are three main incentives to the removal of children: Financial incentive: the National Commission on Children found that children are removed “prematurely or unnecessarily” because federal aid formulas provide “a strong financial incentive” to do so rather than keep families together. Political…
Changing a System: Child Protective Services (4 of 6)
By: Marc Connuck, We Are 1776, Vice-President [Please note that this is the fourth of 6 concerning the Child Protective Services. Read the third here.] The next question asks why children known to the system die. It is quite simple: the system is overwhelmed with cases of children who do not need to be in the system. Additionally, the social workers are overworked and undertrained. A bachelor’s degree is necessary to be a Child Protective Service worker and their training is minimal if not non-existent. A worker is working with troubled families with whom they have little to no experience….
Changing a System: Child Protective Services (3 of 6)
By: Marc Connuck, We Are 1776, Vice-President [Please note that this is the third of 6 concerning the Child Protective Services. Read the second here.] There are other options that can be used instead of foster care, the most optimal of which would simply be family preservation. As the name suggests, the goal is to preserve the family at all costs. “Homebuilders” is one example of such a program. Since 1982, it has served 12,000 families, and during the program there have been no direct fatalities. Only one child died after they were out of the system. Michigan’s family preservation programs has served 100,000…
Common Questions: Immigration Reform and Healthcare
By: Kevin Lederman, Guest Contributor, We Are 1776 As the United States Senate prepares to debate immigration reform and the House prepares to announce its own bill, it is safe to say that immigration reform will be a hot topic in the upcoming weeks and months. People on both sides of the issue are making passionate arguments about how immigration reform will impact the country. This is especially true when it comes to healthcare, as healthcare for undocumented immigrants is one of the most controversial aspects of the issue. Here are some common questions about immigration reform that immigration legal services…
Gun Control
The Shrieking Mothers Who Make Our Gun Laws
By: Andre Smith, We Are 1776, Guest Contributor Picture a backyard with a paramedic, a child facedown in a swimming pool and a shrieking mother beginning to panic. Who do you want to save the child? That’s the situation the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries face when dealing with gun violence. Time after time, we’ve found a dying child and turned the situation over to the shrieking mother instead of the paramedic. Unless we approach gun violence with maturity, we’re going to lose a lot more than the occasional background check. The emotional response is understandable. We witnessed…
Liberal Media’s Gun Control and Crime Correlations: All Lies
By: Kyle Laine, We Are 1776, Guest Contributor When the mainstream media continues to pump information that correlates gun control measures and violent crime rates, it’s essential that a critical viewer analyzes the information effectively. Here are two main reasons the media has project fallacious arguments in support of strict gun regulation. 1. Data Correlations Ignore Culture Studies tend to compare the United states with other countries, and they often come to the conclusion that gun control in other countries is their effective method to curbing crime. I think everyone can agree that culture has a huge part to play in a country’s violent crime rate. It really doesn’t matter…
Firearm Buybacks: A Waste of Time and Effort
By: Alexander Adams, We Are 1776, Contributor Whether it is California, Santa Fe, or Australia, many people believe that gun buy-backs will lead to a decrease in crime. And, oddly enough, criminals and citizens actually do sell their guns. Criminals sell the weapons to hide evidence of a crime, and citizens often sell broken firearms in order to later buy new weapons. Yes, criminals avoid getting caught through firearm buy-backs, and citizens merely use the money they obtain to buy working weapons. Generally, there is a temporary decrease in the gun ownership rate from the buy-back, but no long term…
North Carolina: Ending Jim Crow Gun Laws
By: Michael Gray, We Are 1776, Contributor The North Carolina State Senate has temporarily approved a bill that allows concealed carry permit (CCP) holders to carry firearms in places where it is currently illegal to do so. In addition, it eliminates pistol permits for purchasing handguns. The bill would allow CCP holders to carry in the following places: Parades Venues that charge admission Stowing of firearms in locked vehicles on college campuses Trails and recreation areas Restaurants where alcohol is served if the CCP holder is not drinking While it is currently forbidden in North Carolina to carry firearms in the…
Economic Policy
Federal
Foreign Policy
Legalization
Nullification
California NDAA Nullification Bill (A.B. 351) up for Appropriations Vote
SACRAMENTO, CA - Assembly Bill 351, introduced by Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks), passed the California Public Safety Committee unanimously on April 9, 2013. It is now up for a vote in the Appropriations Committee next week, May 15th, 2013. A.B. 351 would nullify the indefinite detention provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (Sections 1021 and 1022.) Take Action Now Respectfully urge the Appropriations Committee to pass A.B. 351: Mike Gatto (Chair) Dem – 43 Contact Assembly Member Mike Gatto Capitol Office P.O. Box 942849, Room 2114, Sacramento, CA 94249-0043; (916) 319-2043 Diane L. Harkey (Vice Chair) Rep – 73 Contact Assembly Member Diane L. Harkey…
Texas House Votes to Nullify Federal Gun Control, 102-31
By Tenth Amendment Center Daily Updates AUSTIN, TX – Today, the Texas State House approved a bill that would render almost all federal gun control measures toothless. House Bill 928 (HB 928), by Representative Matthew Krause, was approved on thrid reading by a wide margin. The final vote was 102-31 (roll call here). If passed into law, HB928 would require that the state refuse to enforce almost all federal gun control measures enacted at anytime – past, present or future. It reads, in part: An agency of this state or a political subdivision of this state, and a law…
Constitutional Tender Act Passes Missouri House 107-47
By Tenth Amendment Center Daily Updates JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A bill that would make gold and silver coin legal tender in Missouri overwhelmingly passed the House Tuesday. HB 421 exempts any capital gains income included in Missouri adjusted gross income from the exchange of gold and silver issued by the federal government at a nonbank depository from state individual and corporate income taxes and allows the use of silver coins issued by the federal government as legal tender at face value. The silver coins of the United States are hereby declared a legal tender, at their par value, fixed by…
Texas Action Alert: 2nd Gun Control Nullification Bill Hits the House Floor on Saturday
By Tenth Amendment Center Daily Updates Joining HB1076 for a full Texas State House vote on SATURDAY, May 4th, is HB928. Both are based on the same principle – that no one working for government in the state of Texas will enforce federal gun control measures. 1076 focuses only on new federal gun control enacted on or after January 1, 2013. But HB928 makes no distinction – and virtually all federal gun control measures will be unenforceable within the state of Texas. This would make a HUGE dent in any new federal effort to further restrict the right to keep and…
