Be sure to check out our state website HERE

We will be looking for volunteers in the first part of the New Year and would love to have you on board helping our candidates and spreading the message of Liberty to all!

We look forward to hearing from you!

In Liberty,
The Libertarian Party of Georgia

Atlanta Georgia: Over the past year Gwinnett County, Georgia has seen an increase in crime and armed home invasions. But this time it wasn't armed thugs looking to steal from residents… or was it?

This week's botched "no-knock" raid on the wrong home by Gwinnett County Police is another example of the civil rights abuses by law enforcement in the name of the 'War on Drugs.'

"Apologies are not enough," said James Bell, director of communication for the Libertarian Party of Georgia (LPGa). "John Louis' family has been terrorized by the very people we trust to serve and protect us." Bell accused the Gwinnett County Police of being "Keystone Cops" and called for the resignation of the investigator who organized the raid.

"We should not tolerate this type of incompetence," said Bell. "Not only did this investigator jeopardize the safety of the family involved, the safety of the officers was jeopardized."

Bell said this raid brings to mind the ill-fated raid of 92 year old Atlanta resident Kathryn Johnston, who was gunned down and killed by Atlanta Police in 2006. The subsequent criminal charges led to prison time for some of the officers involved. Bell said, had John Louis been armed and attempted to protect his family and home from the invasion, this could have been another tragic situation.

"For the past 30 years the so-called 'War on Drugs' has lead to thousands of civil rights abuses and deaths. It's time we rethink our nation's failed drug policy," Bell stated.

The official position of the Libertarian Party of Georgia on the War on Drugs:

We believe the so-called "War on Drugs" is more accurately described as a war on freedom and the U.S. Constitution. It has provided a rationale by which the power of the state has been expanded to restrict greatly our 4th Amendment right to privacy, and poses an especially grave threat to individual liberty and to domestic order. Therefore, we call for the repeal of all laws establishing criminal or civil penalties for the manufacture, use, or sale of drugs. We wish to see an end to "anti-crime" measures that limit our rights to keep and bear arms and that restrict individual rights to be secure in our persons, homes, and property. Furthermore, the 'War on Drugs' serves as a subsidy for illegal drug dealers by driving up their profit margin, and has the unintentional effect of increasing crime in our society.

Daniel Adams, chairman of LPGa, said the Georgia Legislature should eliminate or restrict no-knock warrants in a manner that protects the rights of citizens and enhances safety for all.

The indictment and surrender of five employees of the Blackwater Worldwide company for alleged murders committed in Iraq raises a question that the Libertarian Party of Georgia finds troubling.

Why does the US Justice Department have the power to punish Americans for things they do outside of the United States?

The Sixth Amendment to the Bill Of Rights says "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State district wherein the crime shall have been committed." Taken along with the Tenth Amendment limitation of Federal power to what specifically is authorized in the Constitution, it is the belief of the Libertarian Party of Georgia that the indictment and arrest of the Blackwater people are unconstitutional.

These five Blackwater guards have been accused of killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in an unprovoked attack in Baghdad just over a year ago. We acknowledge that murder is a bad thing. But our position is that it is a bad thing that needs to be handled by the Iraqi criminal justice system, not American courts.

The Blackwater people are charged under three similar laws. Congress passed a War Crimes Act in 1996 that gives American courts the authority to punish citizens who commit vaguely and arbitrarily described "war crimes" beyond our borders. Four years later Congress enacted the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act and the Torture Act of 2000, which expand the range of activity taking place in other countries that will land an American citizen in an American court.

Even earlier, Congress passed the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Act in 1992. This law is aimed at Americans who travel abroad to have sex with children -- an international Mann Act.

The Libertarian Party of Georgia is opposed to murder, war crimes, torture, and the sexual exploitation of children. But we believe in the rule of law, and the supreme law of our land -- the US Constitution -- seems to say that the federal government is prohibited from prosecuting citizens for actions that take place outside of American territory.

The very concept of national sovereignty means that a country is responsible for its own laws, and no other country has the authority to arrest or punish people within its borders. By this understanding, the sovereign nation of Iraq should request extradition of these five men so they can be tried in Iraq, by Iraqis, for a crime allegedly committed in Iraq.

In addition to our fundamental Constitutional opposition to these overreaching laws, we have two practical objections to them.

First, when the United States claims the authority to punish Americans for things they do elsewhere, we are doing exactly the same thing King George III did to the colonists -- transporting them to London for criminal trial, of which Jefferson wrote in the Declaration Of Independence "He (George III) has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws." During the founding period England believed home English citizens were not subject to colonial law.

In the Blackwater Five matter, the only difference we see is that England in 1776 was (thought to be) stronger than the Colonies, and in 2008 America is stronger than Iraq. Like England, we seem to believe that American citizens are not subject to Iraqi law. Both these things are hallmarks of imperialism, where a strong nation runs the affairs of a weaker one.

And second, by claiming the authority to punish citizens for their actions abroad, the US gives cover to other nations to do the same thing. More than once Chinese dissidents who attended a peace conference in New York were arrested on their return to Beijing -- and on every occasion the American government "strongly protests such actions." Yet our Congress thinks it's hunky dory when it's America doing the same thing.

Not every problem in the world is America's fault, or America's problem. Criminal justice is the business of each individual nation. America is wrong to prosecute the Blackwater Five for what they may have done outside our borders. The Libertarian Party of Georgia believes the proper resolution to this is for Iraq to request extradition of these men, and then try them in an Iraqi court.

It has been a good week for the Libertarian belief that the possession and use of recreational drugs should be decriminalized. On Monday (12/1/08) the US Supreme Court declined to hear a case from California, thereby letting stand a state court ruling that federal drug laws do NOT preempt state laws legalizing medical marijuana -- and that therefore local law enforcement is bound to enforce those laws. While the Court's (in)action only applies to California, it does create a strong precedent that is sure to be used by the other 12 states that have authorized medical marijuana.

In the years since California approved medical marijuana, federal law enforcement has periodically raided the state's private marijuana collectives. In addition, the FDA has threatened to revoke the medical license of physicians who prescribe marijuana, although it is not clear if the agency ever made good on that threat.

The Libertarian Party of Georgia welcomes the Supremes' validation of the 9th and 10th Amendments defending federalism, as well as the freedom benefit of treating Americans as adults with the ability -- nay, the responsibility -- of deciding what they will or will not put in their bodies.

A fascinating coincidence put the Supreme Court action in the same week as the anniversary of the repeal of alcohol prohibition in 1933. Libertarians and objective observers are aware of the terrible similarities between the evils of 18th Amendment prohibition and those of today's war on drugs:

the increase in violence, crime, and corruption that is a result of the prohibition, not the substance itself
the misallocation of law enforcement resources that keep police busy with nonviolent drug offences at the expense of fighting serious non-drug crime
the corruption caused by asset forfeiture laws that seduce police into finessing the Constitution in order to get a share of the assets confiscated from people who may never be charged with a crime
the ruin of millions of people's lives as they are branded as felons for non-violent drug offenses
the dangerous evisceration of the 4th and 5th Amendments, with a resulting loss of privacy and traditional personal liberty
the spread of AIDS and hepatitis through shared needles because federal funds cannot be spent on needle exchange programs

Nathan Nadelmann is the Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance. His op-ed piece in Friday's (12/5/08) Wall Street Journal agrees that the problems of alcohol and drug prohibition are the same. The difference is that everyone then remembered what life was like before the 18th Amendment was passed, so the before-and-after contrast was obvious. State legislators (Nadelmann mistakenly thinks this was put to a popular vote) finally rejected the financial and human cost of alcohol prohibition, and on this day 75 years ago Utah's vote was the deciding one that turned the taps back on.

But no one remembers life before drug prohibition began in 1909; many don't remember life before Richard Nixon declared war on drugs in 1972. Nadelmann thinks the "better the devil you know" phenomenon is the reason there has not been widespread support for repealing the drug war.

But Nadelmann remains hopeful because of the progress being made in England, Australia, Holland, and Switzerland. To varying degrees these nations have recognized that most of the harm associated with drugs really is caused by its prohibition, and that legalizing and controlling drugs -- as was done with alcohol -- brings considerable money into state coffers while still keeping them away from children. He goes so far as to say "But there's nothing like a depression, or maybe even a full-blown recession, to make taxpayers question the price of their prejudices." He thinks the Great Depression made the financial argument for repealing alcohol prohibition appealing, and that today's economic turmoil can do the same about the war on drugs.

The Libertarian Party of Georgia platform calls for the repeal of all laws limiting possession and use of all drugs, both recreational and medicinal. But as an interim step, we welcome the US Supreme Court's sanity in allowing California's medical marijuana laws to stand as being beyond the reach of the federal government.

When it comes to your life and government regulation, the government has two rules. The first: Government is never wrong. The second: Should there be an exception to the first rule, government was at least trying to do the right thing, so they are still right.

Even after growing up, going to college and becoming a functioning part of society as an adult, the government looms over us like an overbearing and extremely protective parent. Firearms are dangerous, so the government tells us we must put trigger-locks on all of our guns. Certain light bulbs are good for saving money, so government requires by law us to use compact fluorescent lights. And, my absolute favorite, cigarette smoke is unhealthy, so government goes ahead and gets rid of smoking at private businesses so that I don't have to make the choice of whether to go to a smoking or nonsmoking bar.

Thanks government! I couldn't have done it without you.

After all, our government officials are great role models for the citizenry. I could learn a thing or two about nutrition from Sen. Ted Kennedy (or, for that matter, substance abuse), or, how about a lecture on family-values from Sen. David Vitter? And, let's not forget the life-lesson of always telling the truth from the Bush administration.

Let's face it—if government is supposed to be a role model for how to live life, we're destined for either an early death or a long stint in rehab.

With so many of its own problems, why is it then that government feels so compelled to tell us how to live our own lives?

Election night 2008 was a stunning success for the Libertarian Party of Georgia. Although we did not win any of our races, our candidates got record vote totals and percentages, and it appears we have forced runoffs for the US Senate and one of the Public Service Commission seats!

First, the record-breaking results from the Public Service Commission District 1 race. As of this posting with 96% of precincts reporting, Libertarian John Monds has shattered our previous high-water marks. John has gotten one third of the vote (previous high was 23% set in 1994); and he is the first Georgia Libertarian to receive more than 1,000,000 votes (more than TRIPLE our previous best)!

There is great news from our other statewide candidates, too. Libertarian US Senate candidate Allen Buckley has 3.4% of the vote, enough that neither the Republican incumbant nor the Democrat challenger has an outright majority. It looks as if Libertarian Allen Buckley is forcing a runoff election for the US Senate!

There's a similar story in the Public Service Commission District 4 race. Libertarian Brandon Givens has 5% of the vote and has forced a runoff between the Republican and Democrat.

The Libertarian Party of Georgia is busting with pride over all our candidates -- and over YOU for your support in the voting booth yesterday!

In the interest of full disclosure: there were two other Libertarians on the ballot in Georgia. Kevin Madsen received 239 votes in his non-partisan race for the Loganville City Council; we applaud his efforts even though he fell short of victory. And Presidential candidate Bob Barr received 0.7% of the vote in Georgia.

We're taking today off to recover from the Bob Barr Election Night party. Tomorrow we start recruiting candidates and volunteers for the 2009 municipal races around Georgia, and for the 2010 legislative cycle. Interested in running for office? Contact the Libertarian Party Of Georgia at (404) 888-9468, or email us at info-at-LPGeorgia-dot-com.

Dear Friend of Liberty,

Only a few days remain before the 2008 elections are over. Only a few hours left for us to influence the outcome, to increase the Libertarian turnout, to elect John Monds to the Georgia Public Service Commission. In those few remaining hours John needs your help.

You probably know that John Monds is the Libertarian candidate for Public Service Commission (District 1). Voting for his race is statewide. The good news is that John is polling very well. The better news is that there is no Democrat in the election -- it's a two man race between John and a 70 year old Republican incumbent. Now the bad news: the incumbent has the kind of name recognition that comes with having been in office way too long. Way more recognition than Libertarian John Monds the newcomer.

With only hours remaining before the polls close, there is only one way John can overcome that disadvantage: advertising.

Television is too expensive, and you may be one of the families that have unplugged their cable box to save their sanity. But radio is different. 98% of Americans listen to radio every single day. Radio advertising is way less expensive. Radio is the way John Monds can get his message out in time to win this election.

John has a great 30-second commercial that was created by supporters. In fact, you can listen to it here, at http://www.mondsforpsc.com/mondsad.mp3. But when it comes to political advertising, the radio stations want cash in advance! John Monds needs your help.

We've identified the stations around the state that you probably listen to. And we've indicated the price they charge to air John's 30 second commercial one time.

In a moment I'll show you the links to use and instructions on how to help John Monds win this election!

If you live in Macon and central Georgia:
WDEN-FM $80 WPEZ-FM $60 WMGB-FM $35 WIFN-FM $25
WLZN-FM $40 WMAC-AM $35 WDDO-AM $15

If you're near Savannah:
WEAS-FM $30 WTYB-FM $12 WJLG-AM $6 WZAT-FM $13
WBMQ-AM $17 WJCL-FM $30 WIXV-FM $30

If you're in the Augusta area:
WCHZ $20 WDRR $17 WGAC $55 WGUS $10 WHHD $22 WKXC $45
WRDW $10

In the Atlanta metro:
WVEE-FM $950 WAOK-AM $25 WGKA-AM $25

Over near Athens:
960 The Ref $14 Bulldog 100.1 $20 WGAU-AM $17
Magic 102.1 FM $50 WNGC-FM $100

The only way we can get John Monds' vote totals up on election day is by airing this commercial as often as we can afford -- as often as YOU can afford. We must have your help!

Go to John's website http://www.mondsforpsc.com/donate.php and donate the cost of one, two, five, ten airings of the commercial on a radio station near you. Then send an email to John's campaign manager at daniel@mondsforpsc.com to let him know which station you want to hear the commercial on.

I've asked you for so much, I hate to tell you the next thing. Time is even shorter than election day! To get these commercials on the air this Friday 10/31, we have to place our orders by 12 noon Thursday 10/30. And to broadcast them on Monday 11/3, the papers have to be signed by noon this Friday 10/31. That's not much time -- and as I said earlier, radio stations charge political customers cash in advance.

Libertarian John Monds can be the next Public Service Commissioner from District 1. He can beat that incumbent who has long outserved his usefulness. But John needs your VOTES on election day. And John needs your DONATIONS right now so we can get that commercial on the air while there is still time to WIN this election!

John Monds is counting on you. Please help him WIN this election.

Will law enforcement and the American political leaders ever learn: the war on drugs is far, far worse than any damage done by drugs. The war on drugs ruins more lives, costs more money, fosters more corruption, and kills more people.

The latest sad example comes from Chesapeake, Virginia, where Detective Jarrod Shivers was shot and killed by a terrified homeowner while executing a dynamic entry warrant. Police swear they announced themselves, but at least two neighbors say they did not hear it. The homeowner, Ryan Frederick, was sound asleep until awakened by the sound of his front door being broken down. Understandably thinking criminals were breaking in, he used his legal firearm in what he had every reason to believe was self-defense. When the smoke cleared, one-third of an ounce of marijuana was found in Frederick's house. Detective Shivers leaves a widow and three children as young as age 2, all over a misdemeanor quantity of drugs.

This transpired in January, but is gaining notoriety now because the homeowner has just endured a preliminary hearing on a capital murder charge. As information comes out, we learn there are many similarities to the tragic 2006 incident in Atlanta that left 88 year old Kathyrn Johnston dead and led to the conviction and jailing of three Atlanta police officers for manslaughter, planting evidence, and making false statements.

As in the Kathryn Johnston case, police in Virginia relied on the word of a confidential informant to request a warrant. And as is almost always the case, the informant had been arrested a few days earlier and was being pressured by police who teased the possibility of lesser charges if he would "bring them evidence of a major marijuana operation" (quoted by Radley Balko at
Reason Online). What makes the Chesapeake case even more outrageous is testimony that the local police had a history of encouraging informants to break into a target's property to find evidence of drug crime, and then using that criminally-obtained evidence to get a search warrant.

State prosecutors admit the warrant was requested because of the allegations made by "burglars." They and the Chesapeake Police decline to comment on the suggestion that it was department policy to have informants burglarize targets for potential evidence. Not "deny," not "refute," but "decline to comment."

If indeed the Chesapeake Police have been encouraging crime suspects to commit burglary on targets to collect evidence and allegations, then the evidence has been collected in violation of Forth Amendment procedure and is inadmissable. In addition, IF IT BE TRUE -- and these are just unproven allegations at this time -- then the Chesapeake Police Department would appear to be a criminal enterprise in violation of the RICO laws. In practical terms, any such malfeasance would back up the homeowner's claim if he pleads self-defence at trial. Yes, there are times when killing a law enforcement officer is legal self-defense.

Libertarians offer three simple solutions that instantly will end the death toll of the insane war on drugs.

Outlaw no-knock police raids and so-called "dynamic entry" raids. The platform of the Libertarian Party of Georgia cites both techniques as essential violations of Constitutional rights. Banning these practices would prevent the tragic loss of life of both innocent people like Kathryn Johnston and law enforcement personnel like Detective Shivers. It is reasonable that a law-abiding citizen like Ryan Frederick or Kathryn Johnston thinks it is a criminal breaking down their front door, not a policeman; and it is expressly legal to use a firearm for self-defense in the home. Dynamic entry raids set up a dynamic guaranteed to lead to chalk outlines and funerals.

The rationale of a no-knock and dynamic entry raid is to prevent the destruction of evidence. But the traditional American view of criminal justice is to prefer 100 guilty people go free than one innocent person be jailed, let alone killed. Outlaw these anti-American tactics!

Repeal laws against possession of recreational drugs, particularly marijuana. The Libertarian Party of Georgia platform states "We believe the so-called "War on Drugs" is more accurately described as a war on freedom and the U.S. Constitution...we call for the repeal of all laws establishing criminal or civil penalties for the manufacture, use, or sale of drugs." We believe laws against recreational drugs ruin more lives and cause more damage than drug use does.

The war on drugs artificially raises the price of drugs, feeding the incentive for the drug trade. It also leads to official corruption, like that alleged in Chesapeake, Virginia. Because the proceeds from drug case property seizures are booty for participating law enforcement agencies, the agencies -- and their officers -- have an incentive to cut corners, bend the rules, and even flat-out lie. The day the war on drugs is repealled, these incentives to corruption will end.

Cease the practice of downgrading charges and lowering jail time in exchange for "information" from informants who themselves are criminals or charged with criminal actions. Such informants cannot be considered free actors, and have every incentive to lie. Until the law can recognize the difference between one of many defendants turning states evidence and some guy down the block spewing names of strangers to try to lower his own prospective jail time, no informant testimony should be used or permitted in court.

Detective Jarrod Shivers is merely the newest in a long line of unnecessary death inflicted by stupid laws and even stupider policies. Until the insane war on drugs is ended, Detective Shivers will not be the last victim. The Libertarian Party of Georgia says "End the war on drugs NOW!"

Libertarians revere the Founding Fathers and respect their wisdom to this day. Our first and third presidents gave stern instructions about the best way for America to deal with the rest of the world, and it is to our pain and sorrow that we have not followed their advice more fully.

When George Washington said goodbye to the Presidency in 1796, he said "It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world." Five years later, Thomas Jefferson was even more precise in his first inaugural address: "Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations--entangling alliances with none..."

The wisdom of the Founders is demonstrated by the Soviet Union's Russia's incursion in the Republic of Georgia over the weekend. Georgia almost became a member of NATO, an entangling alliance of the first order. If Georgia had become a member, the United States and the other European members would be obliged to defend the country militarily. Nineteen years after winning the Cold War, the US would be in a shooting war with Russia, the number two nuclear power on earth.

The Libertarian Party of (our) Georgia deplores Russia's invasion of the Republic of Georgia. We notice that Prime Minister (and former KGB operative) Vladimir Putin, through his mouthpiece President Dmitri Medvedev, is using the same rationale for his invasion of Georgia as Adolph Hitler used for threatening the Sudetenland: there are a lot of Russians in that Georgia, they are endangered by the Georgian regime, and therefore Russia has a duty to invade a sovereign nation in order to protect their volk.

In 1938, Hitler demanded that the sovereign nation of Czechoslovakia cede its Sudeten section because of the large percentage of Germans living there. This was the occasion of Neville Chamberlain's infamous "Peace in our time" meeting with Hitler that threw Czechoslovakia under the proverbial bus. History has shown that Hitler's goal was European domination, and his demand for the Sudetenland was a test of England's and France's resolve in the run-up to World War II.

It is likely that Putin has nefarious goals in mind: perhaps the recreation of the Soviet Union; the control of oil and natural gas pipelines that run through Georgia and on which much of Europe is dependant; the capture of a new port on the Black Sea; or a greater ability to pressure Turkey, on Georgia's southern border.

While the situation in the Republic of Georgia is grave, the Libertarian Party of (this) Georgia believes it is not an American problem. The United States is in no danger from Putin's aggression. Europeans might have a dog in this fight, but that is for them to work out. Washington and Jefferson warned us not to get involved in such things. At a time when Americans are challenging the morality of our war in Iraq, there should be no possibility of American intervention in the Republic of Georgia.

The Libertarian Party of Georgia cannot resist pointing out the worthlessness of the United Nations at a time like this. The old parties' Presidential candidates are thundering for UN intervention, seemingly ignorant of Russia's position as a permanent member of the (in)Security Council and its certain veto of any resolution. There is absolutely nothing that the UN is capable of doing to restrain Russia or help the Republic of Georgia; to think otherwise is to live in a fantasyland. Parents know a truism of raising children: if you set rules but do not enforce them, you are teaching your kids to ignore you. As it is with children, so it is with nations; meaningless threats display impotence and irrelevance. We are seeing that for the umpteenth time from the United Nations.

The fighting between Russia and the Republic of Georgia is bad. All war is bad (although some wars are necessary). But not all war is America's responsibility, either as perpetrator or defender. The Libertarian Party of this Georgia roots for the Georgian republic, but we urge America to avoid any military action. To quote the Godfather of the Libertarian Party, Thomas Jefferson, "Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations--entangling alliances with none..."