21 in 21
A political party has 3 purposes: to increase its base, win elections, and influence policies. We’ve had endless discussion about which of these is most important, but in reality the LPNE needs to be doing all three, and success in each area supports the other two.
To get more Nebraskans registered as Libertarians, we’ve been working on an initiative called 21 in ’21, with a goal of 21,000 total registered Libertarians by the end of 2021. According to the Secretary of State’s voter rolls we currently have nearly 18,000. This is a large number, but I believe it’s completely achievable with work and focus.
To reach new people, the State Central Committee and local affiliates have been working on a variety of tactics:
- As restrictions and the risk of Covid decreases, affiliates are having increased in-person events and new kinds of events. These include business meetings, social meet-ups, range days, and karaoke nights. These events let people engage at a level they feel comfortable with, meet Libertarians, and find out what we’re doing and what we believe.
- The SCC has also been working to help organize new local affiliates. This lets Libertarians get together in their community and find ways they can make an impact. This can be through supporting a local non-profit, working with their local government, or supporting a candidate in a local election. The possibilities are limitless, and a local affiliate knows the needs of their immediate community best.
- We are also working with the established affiliates to make sure they have the resources necessary and stay energized. Resources include networking, advice, literature, tech support, and more. Contacts from the national and state level are directed to the affiliates so liberty-curious individuals have a local contact.
If you’re interested in helping make 21 in 21 a success, check the webpage for an affiliate near you and bring a friend. If you’re in an area without a local affiliate, please consider starting one up. Reach out on Facebook or the webpage and we’ll put you in touch with someone who will be glad to help.
Lincoln Libertarian Offers Competitive Ideas for City Council
One of the few commonalities with most Libertarians is how we can trace back the moment when “woke-up” to the importance of Liberty. That moment is what leads us to start a business; it prompts activism and community involvement; and it may even lead to a push run for office.
My moment came in 2016 election, and since then I have worked with the Lancaster County Libertarian Party (LCLP) to build up the Liberty movement in Nebraska, which leads me to the decision to run for City Council in Lincoln.
The LCLP has shown up to testify on several issues at the city council up to this point, hoping to protect some of the few individual liberties we have left. So now, I am running to ensure that we have a member of the council defending the rights of all the people, all the time. Libertarians bring a fundamentally different perspective of the role of government to the conversation, and Lincoln needs that perspective to curb the wasteful spending and eagerness for new rules that we often see from the city leadership.
You can follow my campaign at Facebook.com/Reilly4Lincoln, or get in touch at Reilly4Lincoln@gmail.com
402-937-9252
Second Amendment Sanctuary County Movement in Southwest Nebraska
Q&A with Tyler Cappel
The LPNE reached out to the Chair of the Southwest Nebraska Libertarian Party, Tyler Cappel, to learn about his endeavor to push back against federal overreach at the county level via the establishment of Second Amendment Sanctuary Resolutions.
Libertarian Party of Nebraska: What is Second Amendment (2A) Sanctuary status?
Tyler Cappel: A 2A Sanctuary is a local government, either county or state, that declares it will refuse to comply with federal gun control laws. We have seen many cities and states all across the U.S that have taken the idea of nullification and applied it to decriminalizing marijuana and even psilocybin. Other cities have provided immunity for illegal immigrants and have refused to comply with federal ICE agents.
It was James Madison that said that “a refusal to comply with officers of the union” would make enforcement of federal mandates nearly impossible. And the anti-commandeering doctrine from the Supreme Court supports this strategy of nullification.
The Nebraska legislature is considering passing their version of a 2nd Amendment Preservation Act (LB 188) but may not get passed until next year, if at all. It is up to individual counties to uphold the constitution and to set a precedent for the state to pass their bill.
LPNE: How did you learn about this initiative and what motivated you to take on this activism?
TC: I’m deeply inspired by the Tenth Amendment Center and the work they do for liberty. They talk regularly about nullification, mostly on the state level, but 2A Sanctuaries can be applied to individual counties.
Doing this type of activism has to be done. I think it’s up to Libertarians to take bold stands for issues like this and show people that while we may be a small political party, we can get things done and that we are a force to be reckoned with.
LPNE: What counties have passed this, and what counties are considering this?
TC: Box Butte, Cherry, Cheyenne, Deuel, Frontier, Sherman, Morrill, Scottsbluff , and very recently Red Willow are the 9 counties that currently have 2A Sanctuary status. There has been a proposal for Furnas county, and soon we will be speaking with Phelps County and hopefully Gosper after that. I believe there are others in the works as we speak, but I do not know which ones they are.
LPNE: Other than the SWLP of Nebraska what other organizations have supported this initiative?
TC: The Nebraska Firearms Owners Association seems to be really good on this issue. I have reached out to them and have been in touch with their President, Patricia Harrold. I am hoping to get some response from some of their members to help them get in front of their county commissioners to make their counties 2A Sanctuaries.
LPNE: What has been the response from the county commissions, and from the communities overall?
TC: I met with our county commissioners on May 9th and the three of them seem to be very much in favor of this. Being in rural farming communities, most people have a very strong belief in the 2nd Amendment. I have had quite a few individuals from the area communities reach out to me, expressing interest in what I’m doing and giving me support.
LPNE: What have been the most common objections you’ve heard regarding this proposal, how did you counter them?
TC: I haven’t really had any objections thrown in my direction. Had I gotten some, I would respond by defending the Constitution and with the words of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. We are duty-bound to refuse to comply and that nullification is the rightful remedy when the government violates the Constitution.
LPNE: How can freedom-loving Nebraskans support this and other liberty initiatives in South West Nebraska?
TC: Contacting your county commissioners to express your support for the 2nd Amendment Preservation Act is a great start. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. School boards are an important place for libertarians to be involved. I believe we need to make a push to decentralize the public school system as much as possible. As the government continues to exert more force and infringe on our rights, we need to be ready and willing to stand up to the federal government.
* The Southwest Nebraska Libertarian Party consists of the following counties: Red Willow, Gosper, Furnas, and Phelps
Platte County comes back to the Nebraska LP
Columbus recently relaunched its Libertarian Party affiliate in Platte County. This movement is being headlined by 26 year old Alexander Vlach. Alex, a lifelong Nebraskan, is a former Electrical Engineering student that initially moved to Columbus for an internship in the summer of 2018. During that time he discovered podcasts and trade work which ultimately introduced him to the LP.
Alex has said he wants the Platte County LP to begin as a community involved social group: “A group that isn’t afraid to help their fellow Nebraskan with a little hard work. The generation that has helped to make this state great and maintain it is growing older, and we owe it to them to not let the “Good Life” die with them.” The chapter is currently looking to generate new members who are willing to contribute in any way they can. That may be as simple as discussing opinions with friends; it could also take the form of organizing a canned food drive or a community trash pickup day.
“This is Nebraska, we aren’t left or right here. We choose to live in a place with this insane weather every year. Why? Because we know that in every small town there is a value system that is shared, and we like the people. The mainstream media would have you believe that all Americans are at odds with each other. When in fact only a radical minority on both sides are truly in conflict with each other. I hope that by attempting to inspire change in my community more people will realize that they are more libertarian than they are not..”
Alex’s call to action for anyone sympathetic to the cause of liberty in Platte County and surrounding areas: “Come grow with us, future social events will include meeting at local bars, wine tastings at some of the nearby wineries, and hopefully even a monthly public forum/debate. Community service projects will come as the opportunity and membership rises. Our first fundraiser will probably be some sort of BBQ (maybe a smoker challenge?) We hope to see you all there!”
If you’d like to get involved or would like to reach out to Alex, send him a note at plattechair@lpne.org.
Set your way-back machine to November
Editorial
By Amy Wimer
I know it’s hard to remember just a handful of months ago, but right
after the election and before the inauguration was a steady realization
amongst our citizens that their candidate had either lost or won even if
the results were being held up in certain states.
This time of turmoil caused a growing number of people to check out our website or Facebook page and some even reached out via email or personal message to ask us a bunch of questions. Most of these fellow Nebraskans were from the Republican Party and were in some emotional pain as well as frustrated with the whole system.
Our strategy was this: listen to their concerns, accept that they may have voted differently but that their reasons for voting that way were not dissimilar to why Libertarians are libertarians, and to welcome them to our local affiliates to have some really great discussions. This strategy led to record numbers in several counties, the relaunch of an affiliate, and the creation of two new affiliates in Congressional District 3.
Humans are at their best when they listen and empathize with each other, and our culture has become less and less empathetic over time. The inauguration only solidified the choice in these new libertarians, and I hope to see more and more new faces from both parties at the county meetings as the new administration continues in what is an inevitable path of ever encroaching ever growing anti-liberty government. Let the debates be spirited but kind going forward so we can continue to be the fastest growing party in Nebraska!
District 1 report: Relaunching Columbus, plus a surge in attendance in our other counties
By Amy Wimer
This last month has been a time of growth for District 1! We visited Columbus for the first time in over a year because of leadership changes, we’ve had month after month of seeing new faces in Lancaster County and we have at least one new candidate running in Seward County. We also had elections in Sarpy County with a whole new slate of elected officers. The energy in each of our counties is in a really positive trajectory right now, and we’re always looking to add more counties and continue to support our existing affiliates. If anyone wants to get involved, don’t hesitate to email me at D1@LPNE.org
Volunteer request:
We have had several people announce their intentions of running for various offices both this year and next. We have a real need for volunteers, whether it’s help on social media, literature drops or even door knockers. Our biggest need right now is in Lincoln for the primary ending Aril 6th and then hopefully the general election in May. If you feel that you have some time to spare for any candidate and some talent to share please let us know by emailing either the chair: chair@LPNE.org or the District 1 coordinator: D1@LPNE.org we can get you in touch with the candidate in your area, and as always if you’re thinking of running let us know and we’ll get you started.Should You Invest in Cryptocurrency?
By H.A. Larson
When the housing bubble destroyed the World’s economies back in 2008, it was a painful lesson in why letting centralized banks have total control over our money is a bad idea. The stock market collapsed and the Government had to step in and bail out these banks using tax money – money that came out of our pockets. It was a triple-whammy, striking people through their savings, their investments, and their hard-earned paychecks.
It was no surprise, then, when Bitcoin was developed and introduced to the World the following year. Using blockchain technology that was created in 1991, it was a way to de-centralize monetary transactions and keep the government out of our financial dealings while preventing a repeat of the economic collapse from the year before.
Since then, several other cryptocurrencies have been created, but they all use the same basic form of technology to operate. When a transaction occurs, it is logged in a block of information that becomes attached to a chain – a blockchain. Once the block is entered into the chain, it’s virtually impossible to fake or alter the transaction in anyway. Everyone who uses that cryptocurrency can see the block and if they verify the transaction, as is the case with Bitcoin, they receive a Bitcoin in exchange. This process is called mining and it’s been a big thing since the early days.
Should you invest in crypto, then? Let’s go over the pros.
Pros: Transactions are secure because of the blockchain; there’s anonymity in your transactional dealings with others; it’s safe from the centralized banking system and the government; there are a set amount of each type of cryptocurrency making it free from inflation; and transaction fees are on a free market style where currency holders can decide on which processor to use based on their fees.
There are some cons, so it’s wise to consider them.
Cons: If stolen (and this has happened) there’s no safety net like FDIC Insured to protect it; there’s a lot of volatility in cryptocurrency, with rates fluctuating up and down in extreme fashion; this is a reality because there’s no inherent value in it – there’s nothing of note tied to it; and the infrastructure is small for crypto so massive transactions are still a long way off in the future.
Weighing the pros and cons.
The takeaway: I believe cryptocurrencies are here to stay and that investing some money into one or more of them is a good thing. Would I recommend putting a sizeable chunk of your assets in one or more? Hell no, but if you want to diversify your portfolio, you should go for it. Do your research before you invest as there are a lot of kinds out there. The advantage to this is that you have several options, but make sure you know what your options are and tailor them to your financial goals.
Like anything else you invest in, go in it for the long haul. Happy investing!
