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Dr. Tom Stevens
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« on: September 27, 2011, 02:40:11 PM » |
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On September 13, 2011, Shane Wolfe, Patrick R. Killy and Dylan Duraes, three members of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPA) living in Northampton County, wrote an e-mail to Lou Jasikoff, LPPA Chair; Vernon Etzel, LPPA Secretary; and other LPPA Board of Directors members, formally seeking a charter for the newly organizing Libertarian Party of Northampton County. In that e-mail, they wrote the following:
Pursuant to Article III, Section 1 of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania Bylaws, Patrick R. Killy, Dylan Duraes and Shane Wolfe, three members of the LPPA in good standing residing in Northampton County, PA, hereby request the Libertarian Party of Northampton County be recognized by the LPPA Board of Directors as a "County Committee" of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Tom Stevens, LPPA Liberty Action Student Network Chair, wrote to Shane Wolfe, Patrick R. Killy and Dylan Duraes to understand their motivations for getting involved in the formation of the new Libertarian Party of Northampton County.
Shane Wolfe responded:
I started getting involved with politics at a young age. I had a huge passion for freedom and liberty. I was a young idealist and believed that communism was the road to freedom. Boy, was I wrong. Now that I'm older and more mature, I've realized that my passion for freedom and liberty fits best with Laissez-faire Capitalism (something which I was a huge opponent of) and a Constitutional government. The Libertarian Party is what I've been looking for all along.
Patrick R. Killy responded:
My name is Patrick Killy and like many, I've witnessed the erosion of what were once staples of American greatness. Becoming heavily immersed in government and the political process at a young age, later being privileged to serve as Vice-President of Northampton Community College's Political Science Club and simultaneously Campaign Manager for State. Rep Candidate Cory Miller in 2010, I canvassed too many houses to count and took various trips to Harrisburg among other duties.
While I still believe we are blessed to live in a great country, much work is still necessary. The most disturbing erosion has taken place in the areas of personal and economic freedoms. From the overt (numerous bailouts, rampant spending under the guise of "Stimulus", The Patriot Act, Eminent Domain, etc.) to the more pernicious subtleties (Executive Branch power grabs, destabilization of our currency, the Fed's questionable actions and very existence, corporate welfare) we are certainly headed toward ruin and serfdom. Many blame "capitalism" or a certain party for these ills but the fact is both parties violate our Inalienable Rights where " the greater good" is used as justification. As for capitalism, truly we do not have a free market economy, but one that favors corporatism and hand picked winners and losers thus curtailing competition, innovation and entrepreneurship.
To briefly cap, we've lost our private property, 1st, 4th, 2nd Amendment and States' Rights. Again this has been mostly pernicious, gradually accustoming Americans to these "new norms". These mindsets are passed on to our children, essentially indoctrinating the next generation. Despite the advent of the instant 24/7 information flow, fewer and fewer Americans are seeing reality for what it truly is.
I have pledged to defend the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights with their personal & economic liberties and justice for all. Countless numbers of people have shed blood & died to secure these liberties; the least I could do is participate in this amazing project in an effort to restore respect and adherence to our founding principles once again. Every year more people are giving these principles and actions more thought and coming to terms with all I previously mentioned, and this gives me immense hope. Let us all reignite the waning flame of true liberty and find commonality uniting under this banner.
Dylan Duraes responded:
I am a resident of Easton, Pennsylvania. I am an undergraduate studying economics at Lycoming College, PA. After reading the book "Economics in One Lesson" by Henry Hazlitt, I began to think critically about, and of, the government for the first time.
I'm convinced that libertarian philosophy is a blueprint for the fiscal solvency of this nation. I look forward to availing myself of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania's resources to make a difference in my community.
An organizational meeting for the Libertarian Party of Northampton County is scheduled to take place soon at which officers will be elected and bylaws will be adopted.
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