EDITORIAL MATTERS:

Welcome, reader, to issue number 297. We have a wide variety of articles and letters for your reading pleasure.

Ben F. Irvin and Robert Hawes put in a plug for the Great State of Montana as the "target" for libertarian movers in "One of the 'Last Best Places' for Freedom?". We (and by "we" I mean "I") don't take any sides in the "move to where" debate, knowing I'm a Westerner and like the West, but I'm not moving anywhere so it doesn't matter to me.

Jay P Hailey's "The Death of a Libertarian" records his reactions and decisions to the recent "election" events, as does Jack Boone's "The Last Crusade". Lady Liberty takes the common sense approach to the political process in "See Instructions Before Beginning". Charles Stone has some questions about "Your Right Not to Be Offended". Jonathan David Morris asks the musical question "One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State" (okay, it's not musical).

Ron Beatty's "Fighting for What?" compares the American Revolution to the current unpleasantness in Iraq. John Ross gives his "Reflections on Race, Politics, the Election, and a Conversation with Mom, or Whither the Democrats?". Greg Flanagan talks about "America's Ideologues of Empire", and Wendy McElroy returns with "Domestic Violence: Behind the Stereotypes".

Enjoy!

Ken Holder
Editor

ARTICLES

Letters to the Editor
from Joseph Crowe, Charles Heller, Scott Graves, Robert J. Cruze Jr, William Stone, III, Scott Bieser, the Badnarik Campaign, and Alan R. Weiss.
• FULL STORY

One of the "Last Best Places" for Freedom?
by Ben F. Irvin and Robert Hawes
Like many libertarians across this country, you were likely disappointed with the returns for Michael Badnarik and your state and local LP candidates on November 2nd; and you may be wondering if libertarian ideals will ever find true expression in the process. Indeed, it appears that if libertarians ever want to see their ideals in operation, they're going to have to make it happen by combining their efforts in liberty-friendly places where their message may be better received, and where their enhanced numbers can make a real difference.
• FULL STORY

The Death of a Libertarian
by Jay P Hailey
On November 3, I learned a harsh lesson. It went down hard, like swallowing a bone. But there is no getting around it.
• FULL STORY

The Last Crusade
by Jack Boone
This is where we are, folks. One more crusade. And this one might actually finish things, but how?
• FULL STORY

See Instructions Before Beginning
by Lady Liberty
This past week at work, we got some new equipment at the office. If you ever want to see a couple of adults act like it's Christmas and Santa Claus was very, very good to them, just show up to see us when those big colorful boxes arrive at our door! With great anticipation, my boss and I stopped what we were doing so that we could open a few packages. But the excitement lasted just until we had the first of the boxes open and its contents spread out on a table. You see, under all of the pretty pictures on outside of the box, there was some small print that said: Some assembly required.
• FULL STORY

Your Right Not to Be Offended
by Charles Stone, Jr.
Every time you turn around today you are almost sure to offend someone. In our land of victimhood it has become difficult to avoid saying or doing something which will cause someone else to feel bad or put upon or irritated.
• FULL STORY

One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State
by Jonathan David Morris
John Kerry says "there are no losers" "in an American election." There's a part of me that finds this ironic, given that it was said during his concession speech, and given that concession, by definition, means admitting defeat. But then there's another part of me that realizes irony, by definition, means something unexpected—which would disqualify what Kerry said, since it's what we'd expect from political rhetoric. So I don't know what to make of it anymore. I suppose it brings us full circle. Everything was on the line in this election. Or nothing was. It depends on who you talk to.
• FULL STORY

Fighting for What?
by Ron Beatty
I was watching the Today Show on NBC this Tuesday, and one of their guests was Lynn Cheney. During the interview, they were talking about Washington crossing the Delaware, and inevitably, began comparing the American Revolution to the situation in Iraq. Mrs. Cheney said they were not at all alike, since, just like back then, we are fighting for freedom. not for oppression.
• FULL STORY

Reflections on Race, Politics, the Election, and a Conversation with Mom, or Whither the Democrats?
by John Ross
My Grandfather, Charles Ross, was a boyhood friend of Harry Truman, and when Truman became President, Granddad became Truman's Press Secretary. Truman had a habit of dictating angry letters when something irritated him. Granddad never tried to talk the President out of his outbursts, but instead would wait 24 hours before submitting the letter for Truman's signature. Without fail, the President would laugh, say "Hell, I was just letting off steam," or something similar, and throw the letter in the wastebasket. Since Granddad never took any days off, he never had a substitute that he told about his procedure for when the President was infuriated with someone.
• FULL STORY

America's Ideologues of Empire
by Greg Flanagan
Extremist elements of the Bush administration have carried American foreign policy outside of mainstream thinking, according to Jeffrey Freyman, professor of political science at Transylvania University. He spoke about "America's Ideologues of Empire" at a Kentucky teach-in on election issues organized by the non-partisan Peace and Justice Coalition on Lexington Community College's campus.
• FULL STORY

Domestic Violence: Behind the Stereotypes
by Wendy McElroy
Many of the statements surrounding last month's Domestic Violence Awareness drive were 'anti-knowledge': things generally believed to be true even though they are false.
• FULL STORY

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