An Invitation to Sabotage Posted by TheYellowDart

Posted 02/16/10 Last updated 02/16/10

I have read four pieces today about failing public education - a topic near and dear to my heart.  These articles contain nothing earth-shattering or new, but reading these got me thinking about an effort I heard about to foil the system. Here are the articles if you are interested:

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will021410.php3

http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-unionized-rhode-island-teachers-refuse-t
o-work-25-minutes-more-per-day-so-town-fires-all-of-them-2010-2

http://townhall.com/columnists/WalterEWilliams/2010/02/10/black_opportunity_destructi
on

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_lte.htm?StoryID=101379

My own feelings on the subject of mass compulsory public schooling in general are rather well known to our local Western MD C4L chapter and those who know me. But for those who haven't heard the word: Schooling is the root of all evil in the modern world. Well that may be overstating it slightly, but not far from the truth. I believe all humans are imperfect and prone to mistakes and foibles. People are mean and hurtful to each other everyday with or without public schools, but schooling is the institutionalization of mean and hurtful. Institutions dehumanize firstly because they are impersonal which leads to a loss of freedom, because the system cannot allow personal flourishes. And the feeder institution to all the rest of our progressive institutions is school. Institutions such as the two major political parties, denominational churches, large corporations, labor unions, the media, and of course the gov't all thrive on sheeple ( def. - sheepish people who do not shun the anti-liberty agenda of these institutions). People are made sheeple via the school system.

So how do we make war on the institution of school and by extention all of the anti-liberty institutions of our day? One of my favorite researchers and authors in the area of education is John Taylor Gatto. I first heard about a neat little idea called the Bartleby Project at the end of one of his books - "Weapons of Mass Instruction". This is just one little part of what students may do directly to throw off their oppressors. When I first read this, I thought this is an awesome idea for people who cannot completely drop out of the system via homeschooling or unschooling in some other capacity. I feel we need to sabotage the system in all its manifestations (institutions mentioned above). Ignore the media (get rid of your TV), Pull your kids out of public schools, Stop attending large denominational churches and meet in each others homes, Sign up as a free agent in politics and send a message to the Dems and Reps., Start your own business or work for small, local operation, Eat local, Buy local, build local relationships. Depend on one another in small communities rather than giving the power of your dependency to the BIGs. The more we depend on the BIGs - the more we are enslaved to them and they empowered by our dependency (Big Gov't, Big Business, Big Labor, Big Church, Big Media, and the worst of all - Big Academia). I realize this is not something that we can do overnight. Divesting ourselves of the institutions takes time.

I know there are many people who believe the way to go is infiltration. Go in and take over the institution and make it go our way. They may be right, but I believe we need to make the art of making friends and building relationships as our key. We need to convince people that the way of liberty is right. We need others to also depopulate the system. A fun start would be for a lot of students to catch on to the idea of refusing to take standardized testing as suggested in the Bartleby Project.

Ron Paul at Loyola University Maryland Posted by TripWire

Posted 01/28/10

Ron Paul spoke at Loyola University's McGuire Hall on 1/27/10 with respect to his End the Fed thesis. It was terrific!   Dr.Paul spoke to the federal reserves creation of market bubbles. He continued with how our corporatist government continues its futile reaction of 'patching' these bubbles. Or worse further government meddling attempts to mitigate the damage from these bubbles when they do ultimately collapse.

I encourage all who are able to attend a Ron Paul speaking engagement.

Rudeness on display -- Young Republicans at Loyola Posted by TripWire

Posted 01/28/10

I was taken aback by the rudeness displayed by a dozen or so members of the Loyola young republicans. 

I came upon a dozen or so young gents all clad in suits while passing out C4L literature at the conclusion of Ron Paul's speech at Loyola.  I thought it was a splendid opportunity to network with them, perhaps find common ground on specific issues.  Clearly this notion wasn't on their minds.  As you see most rudely refused to accept C4L literature. While others glared at me with contempt; failing to extend civility of shaking my extended hand in friendly greeting.

I wonder if others who attended the event received similar response.

Thankful for a lack of jobs? Posted by LibertyMage

Posted 01/19/10

Can you tell when politicians are more concerned with numbers than how society actually operates? Maryland Senate President Mike Miller feels blessed that we don't have a large manufacturing industry here in Maryland as the unemployment numbers would be high.

http://www.steinershow.org/radio/the-marc-steiner-show/january-13-2010-hour-2

(comment is at approximately 36:30)

On a lighter note, Speaker of the House Michael Busch wants to have convicted sex offenders chemically castrated.

Thousands Attend Tea Party Rally In Annapolis Posted by William Paca

Posted 01/15/10 Last updated 01/17/10

On Wednesday night, January 13, 2010 approximately 2,600 Marylanders braved freezing temperatures to attend a Tea Party at this years opening session of the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis.  Maryland residents are still reeling from the largest tax increase in the states history in 2007, which included raising the state sales tax to $.06 on the dollar.   Many Maryland businesses have recently been hit with a 300% increase in their state unemployment tax rate.  Despite this and numerous other recent tax increases the state still faces a projected 2 billion dollar shortfall this year.  Marylanders have had enough and assembled Wednesday night to say "no" to runaway spending and irresponsible state government. 

 ( photo taken from Third Floor of Senate Office Building )

This event was sponsored by a broad based coalition of activist groups from around the state including the Americans for Prosperity, Maryland Taxpayers Association, and a host of local Tea Party Organizations.  Maryland Campaign for Liberty was a proud co-sponsor of this event. 

Scores of Campaign for Liberty members from chapters around the state attended to participate and spread the liberty message.   In the photo above the C4L literature tent can be seen in the bottom right hand corner.  The street at the bottom of the picture is where buses from 12 locations throughout Maryland arrived.  As citizens stepped from the buses they were greeted by C4L members with literature.  

Speakers at the rally included two Campaign for Liberty members from Harford County.   One spoke about Harford's Tea Party movement success last year in reducing the County budget, lowering the property tax rate, and lowering the property tax increase cap.  The other spoke about congressional redistricting, and gerrymandering, which the party in power in Maryland has used to debase the vote of it's citizens.

Organizers hope that Wednesday night's successful rally is just the first of several Tea Parties which will be held in Annapolis during the current legislative session. 

( speakers platform - Photo by: Fiona Moodie )