Libertarian Throws Hat In The Ring In District 44
Q&A with Prospective State Senate Candidate Tyler Cappel
The Libertarian Party is strong and growing in our rural communities. One place where this especially true is in Southwest Nebraska where Tyler Cappel chairs the Libertarian Party affiliate for Gosper, Furnas, Red Willow and Phelps counties. Tyler is a personal trainer, husband, father of 3, and a prospective candidate for the State Legislature in 2022. Tyler took some time to share with us his political perspective and to layout his thoughts on this forthcoming campaign.
Libertarian Party of Nebraska: What made you interested in running for state legislature?
Tyler Cappel: As libertarians, we all spend probably more time on social media arguing and trying to convince people that our political philosophy is better than anyone else’s. I know I’m guilty of it, but it became evident about a year ago that I wasn’t having the impact that I wanted on people. I was just a keyboard warrior making little to no progress advancing the message of liberty. So, with the support of my wonderful wife, I started thinking about running for the state legislature, where I could have the biggest impact on the most amount of people in my little area of Nebraska.
LPNE: Tell us about District 44 and your connection with this part of the state?
TC: District 44 is pretty big. We are comprised of 10 counties in Southwestern NE. I was born in McCook where my dad and his siblings grew up. I have cousins there, an aunt, and my sister, her husband, and my nephews live there. So, I really have a lot of ties to the biggest town in District 44. My wife and I reside in Arapahoe where we have our chiropractic office/personal training studio. Ciera grew up in Arapahoe, her parents still live there as well as other family members. I have coached baseball, I’ve been on our local library board, I ran for school board; I lost, unfortunately, but I’m physically and emotionally invested in our community.
LPNE: What will be your message for voters in your district? What do
you believe they need from their representative?
TC: That’s a good question, I think a lot of politicians tell people what they want to hear and I don’t like that. I want to present a message that people need to hear, that’s the exact reason why I’m a libertarian. I could tell people that I’m pro 2nd Amendment and Pro-life, but how is that going to resonate with anyone who usually votes for Republicans in a largely Republican district. One of the best things I’ve heard and something I think about is “talk to the right from the right and talk to the left from the left.” Just last night, I spoke to a group of about 25 Republicans in McCook and gave them a liberty message about decentralizing power away from the federal government through nullification. If they want to preserve their communities, reducing to a large degree the amount of influence the federal government has on us is key. From creating and then keeping Nebraska a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary, to creating a gold and silver depository to have an alternative to our federal fiat currency, to passing a Defend the Guard Act. These are all issues that Republicans and even Democrats can get behind because not all of them are partisan issues.
Citizens of Nebraska just need the government to leave them alone and let them live their lives as they see fit. Most people will agree with that statement right there and then you can lead in with the Non-Aggression Principle and bodily autonomy. With the possibility of Covid Passports looming, most people whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated take issue with this.
LPNE: Tell us about your activism and political involvement in your
community and district?
TC: I have found the Tenth Amendment to be incredibly useful when talking with people. The Republicans I have talked to all say they believe the Constitution is the Law of the Land and when you explain to them that very little of what the Federal Government does is constitutional, they certainly don’t want to sound like hypocrites and backpedal. This just goes right into the role of states and counties and how they can push back against federal overreach or usurpation of power. The rightful remedy as Jefferson said, is nullification. If libertarians aren’t actively working to radicalize people, then we aren’t going to have an impact. My place is trying to radicalize conservatives because deep down that’s what I am. I am the most conservative person in my district. I want to see our federal government go back to the size it was when our country was founded. What’s more conservative than that I ask?
LPNE: Why should the folks in District 44 vote for, and support you?
TC: Vote for me because I will vote for less government, fewer taxes, less spending every single time I get the chance. I’m 100% for decentralizing power away from the federal government and also decentralizing power away from the state government. I don’t know how to live your life. The governor doesn’t know how to live your life, how about we leave you alone so you can make decisions for yourself. And if people need assistance, how about we let communities come together and help out those that are less fortunate. Even though we are taxed everywhere we turn, Americans are still the most charitable people in the world. We can do a lot more with a lot less at the local level.
Our local library was able to complete an addition and renovation with the price tag of over $750k by utilizing a state grant, which isn’t necessarily the most libertarian option, but we didn’t even have to talk about a bond issue. a community gala where business owners and individuals donate money or things to auction off, our Area Foundation, and a few other small grants from various organizations. I personally feel like this is a huge accomplishment for a town of 1,000 people and it’s due to the community members that got involved and did the hard work.
LPNE: Where can we find your information and campaign information?
TC: I am on Twitter @CappelTyler. I plan to officially launch my campaign in September and will have a website and be taking donations at that time. I plan to have an official Facebook page as well that will link to my website. As of right now, you can contact me on my personal Facebook page, email me at swlpchair@lpne.org or check out my Twitter.
LPNE Shirts Available For A Limited Time
The LPNE is proud to present shirts so you can show your support for libertarian ideals, while supporting the Libertarian Party of Nebraska. These shirts will be available for order until June 13th through our store front at Inksoft. There are two designs which are both available in multiple styles and colors.
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May 2021 Libertarian Party County Report
Our counties have had a busy year so far! I’d like to share some highlights so far:
- Douglas and Sarpy counties have had some really impressive growth, the fastest of our counties right now! Not only that, but Sarpy has had guest speakers that were covered by the Omaha World Herald
- Seward County was approached by the city of Milford to host their parade this year
- Southwest LPNE is putting together a scholarship to help raise awareness of liberty issues
- Tri-cities LPNE has their annual holiday event in July and has been busy preparing for it
- Lancaster County continues to volunteer at their adopted park and has been keeping an eye on bills at the legislature as well as recruiting candidates
- Dodge and Platte counties are focused on activating local libertarians
If you are interested in joining an existing county or starting a new affiliate please email us chair@LPNE.org or message us through the page!
Upcoming Newsletter Feature Preview:
What is a pre-code movie and why should every libertarian watch them?
A series looking into early sound pictures and the studios’ fight against censorship:
The term pre-code typically means movies made and released between March of 1930 and July of 1934. What happened during the 3 ½ years the code was under the Hays office was remarkable, women were the stars: during these years they comprised over half of the highest of the top ten money makers each year, but after they rapidly shrunk to only two or three names each year.
Women writers were prevalent, writing much more complex characters than were allowed in 1935. The male stars were often overshadowed by their female co-stars and sometimes had a more secondary or equal feel than later movies, if not they were often cads of the highest order. Even though Jim Crow laws existed, blacks had better roles under the Hays code and interracial relationships were represented, as were homosexuals.
Drug addiction, homelessness, sexual deviance, pregnancy and abortion were subjects that appeared in many of these movies. Corruption in politics, government and our justice system were examined – something that wouldn’t be revisited for the most part until after the war.
There will be a few movies and stars that we will look at that have pushed boundaries and we will do a compare and contrast of how women are portrayed in the pre-code vs Breen era. This isn’t a PC series and will be looking at the movies and attitudes of the times, not comparing them to modern feelings for the most part, so please keep that in mind when reading each entry.
The Age of Misinformation
By H.A. Larson
www.halarsonauthor.com
For what seems like the millionth time this year, I saw yet another person sharing an article from the site WorldNewsDailyReport convinced it was real. It’s enough to make my eyes roll, yet, I also cringe. While sites like these are meant to share funny “news” stories to make people laugh (think The Onion), in this day and age, they’re only helping to lead the misinformation problem that runs rampant on social media platforms.
It’s not that people are intentionally trying to mislead others, but when they share information without checking the source first, they’re truly misinformed. They pass this misleading information to others who, in turn, share it themselves. Before you know it, thousands of people have seen a falsehood they believe to be true.
Once upon a time, people got their news by reading the morning paper and watching the nightly news. These days, print media is an endangered species as most people get their news from internet sources. Because of this, publications have to have click-bait headlines to pull readers in, and this affects even the most reputable of them. Even scientific organizations aren’t immune to this. One look through the latest headlines at Scientific American shows the lengths that this former great publication has gone to pull in readers.
The overall effect of this glut of misinformation has altered how people learn about the world around them, and they’re dumber for it. So how can we make sure we don’t fall victim to misinformation? After all, it’s hard to tell it apart from the truth when it seems so accurate and fact-checkers like Snopes have come under fire themselves for not being so factual. The answer? Do your research. Don’t just read the headline, read the article. Then, verify what you read in the article by doing a bit of research. Don’t just take a snippet of a video as truth; see if you can find the whole video. Chances are, others are talking about it too, and with a bit of internet sleuthing, you can find out whether the article or video is biased or cut to fit someone’s narrative.
Sure, it’s a pain and it seems like so much work just to get accurate information, but in a world of misinformation…it’s necessary.
Interview with a Menthol Smoker
By: Morgan J. Williams
The FDA has recently proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes. As this affects smokers, their voices need to be a part of this conversation. The Libertarian Party of Nebraska has provided their newsletter as a platform so that we can hear the perspective of a menthol smoker in our community.
Would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?
What made you choose to smoke menthols over other types of cigarettes?
Do you think that this ban will disproportionately effect Minority smokers compared to non-Latino white smokers?
How will the proposed ban affect you?
Do you think that more regulation is a good or a bad thing? Why?
As more states are moving towards decriminalizing marijuana and other drugs, do you think that popular sentiment is for or against drug prohibition?
Do you feel as if the FDA is listening to smoker’s concerns?
Are there any closing thoughts that you’d like to add?
Please send your answers to: newsletter@lpne.org
District 2 Report
By Gene Siadek – District 2 Coordinator District 2 affiliates held a number of events in the 1st quarter despite experiencing some of the coldest weather Omaha has seen in a while. Douglas County LP held two board meetings and a meet-n-greet event at the Rusty Nail at 144th and Pacific. Sarpy County LP held elections for new leadership positions:- Chair – Jeremy Westengaard
- Vice Chair – Matthew Lorence
- Treasurer – Jeffree Pitts
- Secretary – Chad Bigelow
The Hidden Power of Questions part II
By Josh Sexton
If our goal is to get people to change their own mind, here is an example of how to achieve it. Questions are the verbal equivalent of jujitsu to get someone to change their position. You aren’t going to convince someone by poking holes in their argument, but if you get them to poke the holes themselves it is exponentially powerful. Let’s return to our example:
We need a Vaping Ban.
Why do you say that?
Because it is bad for people.
Why do you think people Vape?
I don’t know, nicotine is bad for you but it’s addictive so they can’t stop.
I hear you, nicotine is addictive, how did they get started through?
Most of them probably used to smoke.
I think you are probably right, do you think vaping is better or worse for them than smoking?
It’s probably better, but it’s still not good for them.
Not doing either might be best, but why should we stand in the way of them at least making a better choice?
Because kids are doing it, it’s everywhere.
I agree, protecting kids is super important, I knew kids who smoked in high school did they do it in your school?
Sure, some did… I even did for a while senior year, it was hell to quit.
Was it illegal for you to smoke back then?
Sure, but you know kids, we try things, we experiment and rebel, it’s just what kids do at that age.
Think about the seeds you just planted. They probably just had “vaping = bad” in their minds for years and never thought much more about it. In that brief conversation you made them think deeper about the issue than they ever have before and they have all kinds of new thoughts swirling around. The longer you talk the more, new thoughts come and the more holes they poke in their own position. You can steer the conversation in any direction you want without being confrontational or hostile.
Depending on the flow of conversation you can even directly ask “how sure are you about that on a scale of 1-10?” Depending on the answer, for example 10, you know right away that further conversation probably won’t bear fruit as they are fully dug into their belief. But if they reply 8, you can follow up with “what keeps you from being a 10?” Then they will then build their own case against their position for you. You don’t even need to debate, simply let them poke the holes into the subject themselves.
Finally, you don’t need to continue to only ask questions, after a while you can share your own thoughts or information to build on something they say or to introduce new data to the conversation but that should not be your main focus. Your goal is that they walk away feeling heard and respected and in return they respect you, and along with that you have made them examine what they really think and put them in a place where they may be ready to change their own mind.
Whatever discussion you find yourself in next, no matter the issue, try asking questions. See if you can go 5 minutes without making your own point. See how it opens up the other person. Good Luck.
Republished from Sarpy County Libertarian Party Press Release: 04/13/2021
NATIONAL PARTY CHAIR CANDIDATE SPEAKS TO SARPY COUNTY LIBERTARIANS
Angela McArdle discuses Covid-19 passports and the Second Amendment rights
BELLEVUE, Neb.— This past Monday, members of the Sarpy County Libertarian Party warmly greeted each other in the party room at Ozzy’s Roadhouse for their monthly meeting. The room had been rearranged to accommodate the streaming technology needed to broadcast Angela McArdle, a National Libertarian Party Chair candidate for 2022 and Chair of the Los Angeles County Libertarian Party.
During her speech, McArdle addresses the enflamed national topic of Covid-19 vaccine passports.
“We shouldn’t sacrifice the individual in an attempt to bow to social pressure,” she said to her audience sitting in rowed tables beneath the wall-mounted projector. “I think we need to protect the sanctity of the individual, bodily autonomy, and individual choice.”
McArdle followed up by listing examples of universities and work establishments with mandatory vaccine policies and what productive actions libertarians could take to address their growing concerns.
McArdle encouraged Sarpy County Libertarian members to advocate for their rights within their community.
“Encourage officials to pass laws that protect your gun rights and your medical rights. Encourage the businesses who refuse to enforce these things to speak up. Elevate them; praise them. Give them your business.”
She referenced an anti-lockdown coalition of restaurants in California called BRAVE (Businesses Representing American Values & Enterprises), which refused to abide by strict lockdown measures as an example of an organic grassroots organization.
Jeremy Westengaard, the chair of the Sarpy County Libertarian Party was encouraged by the turnout.
“We intend to bring in prominent liberty activists, economists and political figures to present and discuss the most important issues we are facing here in Sarpy County, and nationally. We were fortunate to get some of Angela’s time and we will be closely monitoring her work moving forward.”
ABOUT THE SARPY COUNTY LIBERTARIAN PARTY:
The party recently conducted officer elections, and with an entirely new board, we are eager to reach out to the community and our elected representatives.
Our goals are to keep individual freedom, respect for people, and respect for private property as the primary focus in all civic and social matters. We are always looking for liberty minded individuals to join us and to help us field candidates for upcoming elections in Sarpy County.
