Time: Wed Jul 30 06:43:05 1997
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Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 05:38:33 -0700
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar]
Subject: SLS: LO_INFO pt.5 Violence,Crime and Drugs (fwd)
<snip>
>
>I am reposting this from Liberty Northwest.
>It is a Libertarian oriented list that includes
>regular postings from the all sorts, including
>the Militia of Montana.
>
>I am very pleased to see their position on
>prohibition.
>
>
>THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF THE U.S.
>
> NATIONAL PROGRAM
> PART V
>
> "VIOLENCE, CRIME & DRUGS"
>
>EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the last of the five part series on the
>LPUS National Program. --Frank Reichert
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>America suffers from an epidemic of violence and crime, victimizing
>one family out of four every year. There is a murder every half
>hour, a rape every five minutes, and a theft every four seconds.
>
>Despite decades of tough talk, the anti-crime policies of the
>Republicans and Democrats have clearly failed. The Libertarian
>Party believes a fresh approach is needed. That's why we're
>offering this five-point plan for making America's streets safe:
>
>1. Protect Victims' Rights. Protecting the rights and interests
>of victims should be the basis of our criminal justice system.
>Victims should have the right to be present, consulted and heard
>throughout the prosecution of their case.
>
>In addition, Libertarians would do more than just punish criminals.
>We would also make them pay restitution to their victims for the
>damage they've caused, including property loss, medical costs,
>pain, and suffering. If you are the victim of a crime, the
>criminal should fully compensate you for your loss.
>
>2. End Prohibition. Drug prohibition does more to make Americans
>unsafe than any other factor. Just as alcohol prohibition gave
>us Al Capone and the mafia, drug prohibition has given us the
>Crips, the Bloods and drive-by shootings. Consider the historical
>evidence: America's murder rate rose nearly 70% during alcohol
>prohibition, but returned to its previous levels after prohibition
>ended. Now, since the War on Drugs began, America's murder rates
>have doubled. The cause/effect relationship is clear. Prohibition
>is putting innocent lives at risk.
>
>What's more, drug prohibition also inflates the cost of drugs,
>leading users to steal to support their high priced habits. It is
>estimated that drug addicts commit 25% of all auto thefts, 40%
>of robberies and assaults, and 50% of burglaries and larcenies.
>Prohibition puts your property at risk.
>
>Finally, nearly one half of all police resources are devoted to
>stopping drug trafficking, instead of preventing violent crime.
>The bottom line? By ending drug prohibition, Libertarians would
>double the resources available for crime prevention and
>significantly reduce the number of violent criminals at work in
>your neighborhood.
>
>3. Get Tough on Real Crime. The Libertarian Party is the party of
>personal responsibility. We believe that anyone who harms another
>person should be held responsible for that action. By contrast,
>the Democrats and Republicans have created a system where criminals
>can get away with almost anything.
>
>For instance: sentences seldom mean what they say. Fewer than one
>out of every four violent felons serves more than four years.
>Libertarians would dramatically reduce the number of these early
>releases by eliminating their root cause -- prison over crowding.
>
>Since nearly six out of every ten federal prison inmates are
>there for non-violent drug-related offenses, it's clear that drug
>prohibition is the primary source of this over-crowding. It has
>been estimated that every drug offender imprisoned results in the
>release of one violent criminal, who then commits an average of 40
>robberies, 7 assaults, 110 burglaries and 25 auto thefts. Early
>release of violent criminals puts you and your family at risk. It
>must stop.
>
>4. Protect the Right to Self Defense. We believe that the private
>ownership of firearms is part of the solution to America's crime
>epidemic, not part of the problem. Evidence: law abiding citizens
>in Florida have been able to carry concealed weapons since 1987.
>During that time, the murder rate in Florida has declined 21%
>while the national murder rate has increased 12%.
>
>In addition, evidence shows that self-defense with guns is the
>safest response to violent crime. It results in fewer injuries
>to the defender (17.4% injury rate) than any other response,
>including not resisting at all (24.7% injury rate). Libertarians
>would repeal waiting periods, concealed carry laws, and other
>restrictions that make it difficult for victims to defend themselves,
>and end the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights
>of self-defense.
>
>5. Address the Root Causes of Crime. Any society that lets kids
>grow up dependent on government welfare, attending government
>schools that fail to teach, and entering an economy where
>government policy has crushed opportunity, will be a society
>that breeds criminals. No permanent solution to crime will be
>found until we address these root causes of crime.
>
>The Libertarian Party would increase employment opportunities
>by slashing taxes and government red tape. We would also end the
>welfare system with its culture of dependence and hopelessness.
>Most important of all, we would promote low-cost private
>alternatives to the failed government school system.
>
>The Libertarian Party's anti-crime plan would do what the
>Democrats and Republicans have not done:
>
>* Respect the victim's rights and make criminals pay full
>restitution.
>
>* Hold all criminals responsible for their actions.
>
>* Double the police resources available for crime prevention
>without any additional government spending.
>
>* Reduce the number of criminals at large on our streets.
>
>* Defend the most effective crime deterrent available, the
>private ownership of guns.
>
>* Create jobs, end welfare dependence, and improve education.
>--
>=====================================================================
> LIBERTY NORTHWEST CONFERENCE AND DISCUSSION GROUP
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>
>..Liberty is NEVER an option... only a condition to be lost!
>======================================================================
>
>
>
>
========================================================================
Paul Andrew Mitchell : Counselor at Law, federal witness
B.A., Political Science, UCLA; M.S., Public Administration, U.C. Irvine
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