Posted by Savannah Liston on 05/18/10

It was a little over a year ago when I decided to join the Campaign for Liberty. I had been inspired by Ron Paul's presidential campaign, and with the rise of the Tea Parties, I realized I wanted to be more involved and active in that movement. It was a big step for me, but I fell into it naturally. I quickly found out that I have good leadership skills, perhaps because I can practice so much on my siblings, but at any rate, I enjoyed working in the Campaign for Liberty. At the time when I joined, I would call myself a conservative. The next year brought what one friend called my political pilgrim's progress. I moved from Republican-Conservatism to Libertarianism, and now to what some call Voluntaryism or Anarchism. I have become frustrated with the seemingly futile attempts at returning to the Constitution or "voting them out." As I studied more history, I realized that even at the beginning, our government was far from constitutional. Within less than a decade of the Constitution being ratified, our Founding Fathers were finding ways to get around it. Then there are the arguments that the Constitution itself was purposely left open-ended in many areas, and was never meant to truly limit the government, but give the appearance of legality to the government's shenanigans. Some have said that limited government is an oxymoron and impossible to achieve. Murray Rothbard, in his book, "Anatomy of the State" made the situation so clear that I could no longer deny it. The government operates by a monopoly on the legal use of force and violence. That is, they are the only ones who can legally force you to use their services or obey them. As Rothbard said, ‘The State has never been created by a "social contract"; it has always been born in conquest and exploitation.' Government is, by its nature, illegitimate and, frankly, a scam. Stefan Moyneaux summed up the political process, "Voting is a suggestion box for slaves." I found that I had no other option but to take the radical path and move out of the political realm altogether.
This was a very difficult position for me to accept, but it was the only one I could embrace fully. All other beliefs were too inconsistent and contradictory for me.
In light of this, I have decided it is time for me to step down from my position as county coordinator for the Campaign for Liberty. A leader must believe in their cause, or else no one will follow, and I can no longer put my heart into the Campaign for Liberty cause. This was a decision I struggled with. I have enjoyed my time in the C4L movement. I had so much fun meeting and working with fellow Americans who share my political beliefs. It has been a very successful and enjoyable year. But I feel it is time for me to move on and pursue other opportunities. I hope to continue giving economic seminars and will fight for liberty wherever I am. I want to keep in touch with my C4L friends, so please don't hesitate to drop me an email and let me know how things are going for you. I admire everyone who has the courage and motivation to get up off the couch and get involved in politics, no matter what your political beliefs are. But our mission should always be, "Do not give in to evil, but proceed ever more boldly against it."

Posted 05/18/10 justinb Oklahoma City, OK

I've been meaning to read that book "Anatomy of the State". Your decision to exit the political realm reminds me of John Galt from Atlas Shrugged, and totally understandable. I've agonized and been overly frustrated by the process many a times, and have considered that path myself. However, the Hank Rearden in me (also a character from Atlas Shrugged) is probably who I mostly associated myself with. Stubborn, fighting, and trying all the way to the end, resisting the forces that take and exert power over you while you're working your ass off to support them all. Wish you the best.

Posted 05/20/10 Savannah Liston Pecatonica , IL

Believe me, "Anatomy of the State" is worth the $5 it costs. I bought it skeptically, but couldn't put it down once I started reading it. Thank you very much, and I wish you the best in your endeavors. What I have found interesting is that many people share my beliefs, but everyone has a different way of living out those beliefs. Some stay inside C4L, some don't do anything, some change their direction for life, and so forth...we are all free to make our own decisions in this issue, and everyone is pursuing different means to the same end. I find it very encouraging.

Posted by Savannah Liston on 03/03/10

I received a scholarship from the Mises Institute to attend "The Birth and Death of the Fed" on Jekyll Island last weekend. Thank you, Mises Institute! So we got to Jekyll Island late Thursday night, after touring St. Simon's for the day. It was very cold and windy, but despite the weather we walked around the Club Resort, exploring all the rooms, halls, cafe's, etc...for a while before heading back to our cottage. 

We were up bright and early Friday morning--I wanted to be at the conference center by 7.45am, so we left the Club Resort about 7.30am, and sure enough, we were the first ones at the conference. I had plenty of time to explore the bookstore, which I did thoroughly. There were some absolutely fantastic books there, and the hardest part of the whole day was picking which ones I was going to buy. Being an anti-Keynesian, I refused to stimulate the economy by buying books with money I didn't have, so my purchase was limited, but I think I got some of the very best ones. The conference started at 9am with an intro by Mr. Doug French, president of the Mises Institute. Mr. Robert Murphy then spoke on the Fed and the current recession--the subject and format was very similar to the presentation I gave a week earlier at a tea party, so I was relieved to know I hadn't thought up all this crazy stuff on my own, but some very smart professors actually said the same thing. 

I don't have time to report on everything, but let me cover my favorite speeches. (Note: There are audio recordings of the speeches here)

"Parallel Lives: Liberty or Prosperity?" by Lew Rockwell. He traced the lives of Alan Greenspan and Murray Rothbard, how the former was just a social climber who did whatever it took to get higher on the food chain, so to speak, whereas Murray Rothbard sacrificed his academic career, his popularity, and so much more--just for truth and the principles he so fervently believed in. That was a very inspiring speech, and was a good reminder to all of us that "freedom lovers" will probably be rejected and scorned in their lifetimes, but we will win--in the end. 

Peter Klein spoke on Keynesian theory and the battle of ideas, and how it appears that Keynesians have won the battle of economics, but in reality, the Keynesians have just ignored the Austrians, and did not refute the Austrians and their concerns. 

"The Fed's Abysmal Record" by George Selgin was a scholarly and well-done argument against those Fed supporters. Mr. Selgin decided to prove that the Fed hasn't worked--or hasn't done what it said it would do--using only mainstream economists' statements, and not argue using Austrian economics, which is generally discredited in the academic world. Using even the numbers popular with mainstream economists and quotes from leaders in the Federal Reserve, Mr. Selgin did an excellent job of showing the Fed hasn't stopped the boom-bust cycle, hasn't stabilized the economy, hasn't protected our money, and so forth. 

Friday night was the book signing with Ron Paul, it was a wonderful evening, beautiful setting, in the courtyard of one of the resort cottages, with delicious food--and one of my heros--Ron Paul!! :) 

Saturday morning we were back at the conference center, I picked up some more books, and then we rushed to the other end of the center at about 12.30 to get a good seat for the luncheon. I spoke with Ron Paul before the luncheon, and he signed the back of my C4L name tag. 

After everyone ate, Lew Rockwell came up to introduce Ron Paul. Mr. Rockwell is an incredible speaker, such a talent for public speaking, and Saturday was no exception. As he welcomed Ron Paul up on the stage, I found myself starting to cry--here I was, in the presence of these heroes of liberty, I am with them, I am part of the movement, my voice is being heard as well, we are working together. I was so happy to be there, hearing Ron Paul's speech, tears streaming down my face. I've only been in this for about a year, but here I am already--in the place I've dreamed of being...it was so inspiring. Listening to Ron Paul reminded me of what we're working for. We have to stay focused on the big picture, the vision of a better world, a more prosperous world, a more free world. That's what all of these little things will lead to. And it will be hard, the road isn't easy. Ron Paul's been at it for 30 years, I only 1 year--we can't expect to gain victory overnight. But we are on the side of truth, we are fighting for what is right, and so we will never fail completely. 

After the luncheon Chad, the photographer from the Mises Institute, generously took pictures of all the attendees with Ron Paul, and Ron Paul patiently and generously agreed to it all. 

I had organized a student meeting Saturday afternoon, which Mr. French announced, so after the luncheon I went back to the resort to wait for the other students. I had also asked if Ron Paul and Lew Rockwell could stop by our meeting, and address the students. At first it appeared that there would only be a few students, but we ended up getting 25 students, which was half of all the students attending. And Mr. Rockwell kindly let Ron Paul take a few minutes to come by and speak with us. He reminded us that being students, we are young, we have yet to determine the course of our lives, and we'll have to make that decision soon. Are we going to follow Bizarre Ben, the Keynesian economists, and the popular theories of our time--or will we make a stand for freedom, and follow in the footsteps of Murray Rothbard, Von Mises, even if it means being labeled "bizarre" in the eyes of the world? 

We had a good student meeting, and are hoping to stay connected, since it is hard to find like-minded young people, so I think that the meeting helped. We decided to start a Facebook group where we can all discuss ideas, and keep in touch. 

Saturday evening was the oyster roast, which was supposed to be on the beach, but due to the frigid temperatures, it was held at Crane Cottage, as the book signing was. I didn't like oysters--my first encounter with those slimy little things--but since I am a Yankee, I guess it is hardly surprising. :) 

Then we headed over to the Resort Ballroom for the Rothbard Reception until midnight. I confess, I left early, at about 11pm, when the noise in the room got so bad I couldn't carry on a conversation with anyone. But it was fun, nevertheless, and a good ending to a fantastic weekend. 

So what does all that mean now?

Well, the battle is still raging, and we would be cowards to give up now. We have to keep going, keep strong, and never give in, because that is the only way we will achieve liberty. 

I see the battle as being a 2 step process. First we have to educate ourselves correctly. In doing that, we are fighting against the government, against the public school education, against the statist teachings in colleges everywhere, and we have to take responsibility for our intelligence. And then we have to pass this knowledge on to others. I am a little disenchanted with the political process of voting better people into office. I don't think that is the answer to our problems. It may play a role, but it not the only way we will win this battle of ideas. The biggest battle will be fought in our homes, with our families and friends, and showing them the truth. The biggest battle will be fought in our neighborhoods, in our churches, in our social groups, in our schools--in other words, the biggest battle is right in the heart of America, with the minds of every American citizen. 

And now that I have attended this conference, I am ready to share this information with everyone I know, to make a difference in my community, and to stand for liberty wherever I am. 

Posted 03/03/10 Heather D Port Byron, IL

You are a true inspiration, Savannah! Sounds like an incredible weekend; wish I could have been there.

Posted 03/12/10 robjayne south beloit, IL

Great synopsis of the event, it's always been a pleasure for me to hear Dr. Paul speak. You made a tear come to my eyes also.

Posted by Savannah Liston on 02/23/10
Last updated 02/24/10

I know I should have done this sooner, but that just didn't happen. Perhaps because I left for the Mises Conference on Sunday and we made it to Georgia late last night. Anyways...to the point--the Northern IL Tea Party Townhall on Saturday. 

This will be a long blog post, so if you want the short story, here it is. The Townhall went really well. 

Long story: 

Besides a bit of confusion about registration and some mass chaos (what happens when you try to get 200 people through 1 door, and registered with proper nametags all in about 30 minutes?) But the day went somewhat smoothly, without too many glitches. People were very energetic and glad to be there. About 2 or 2.30 when we were supposed to take a 15 minute break, Jane Carrell (the organizer) asked the crowd if they wanted to keep going or take a break, and there was a resounding, "no, no, keep going, don't stop!" so that was good to hear. I set up part of a table for C4L, with literature, t-shirts, etc...and we were quite a success. Every time I went to check on the table, I had to replenish the literature. I came home with about 15 fliers, and that was it--everything else was gone. We also sold about 6 shirts throughout the day. 

I spoke right after lunch on, "Did Capitalism Cause the Recession?" and although I am usually quite critical of myself, I must say that it went really well. I did the powerpoint without any glitches. I had to take a minute to find and open the powerpoint file, so I "ad-libbed" about my desktop picture (pinecone encased in ice) and my screensaver (Credo ut Intelligam--"I believe in order to understand"--a quote from Augustine) and that got people laughing a bit. We had some really good discussions, and some great questions were asked. 

Randy Stufflebeam, as usual, had a rousing and passionate speech, not only to veterans and their oath to uphold the Constitution, but also to all the audience attending, as he had them stand up and swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution as well. 

I'd like to recap all the speakers, but I just don't have the time, so you'll have to be content with this. Suffice to say, it was a great event, a huge attendance, good media coverage, and very inspiring to all who came. 

And we also had the audio recorded, let me know if you're interested in getting CD's from the day. 

Posted 02/23/10 Caleb Kinley Hot Springs, AR

Nice job! Thanks for sharing. Btw, you have "oath to upload the Constitution" and it should be "uphold"..:-) I can't tell you how many times I've had to go back and make corrections or my wife had to on my behalf..:-)

Posted 02/24/10 Savannah Liston Pecatonica , IL

haha, lol...that's too funny, I guess I was a little preoccupied with uploading pictures. Thanks for noting that for me.

Posted by Savannah Liston on 02/17/10
Last updated 02/17/10

Hopefully you are aware of the Northern IL Tea Party Townhall on Saturday. It is listed on the County Calendar, if you are interested in more details. 

We need C4L members to attend this event so that we can have a literature table set up, and we can promote C4L. I will be speaking at the event, and have offered to help the Tea Party with whatever they need, so I will not be available to man a C4L table. The event starts at 8.45am and goes to 4pm, it is $20 per couple or $13 a person. There will be 14 great speakers from across the state, on 15 different topics. It will be educational, informative, and a great event to attend, so if you can come, please consider helping at our table. 

Update: 

I am getting ready to register for a table at the NIRPC gun show, June 5th and 6th. I will not be available to help at the table on Sunday, but I need to know ahead of time if we'll have a table there both days. So if you can help on either day, please let me know ASAP so I can make a note of it on our form to send in. 

Posted by Savannah Liston on 02/10/10

We met last Saturday at the Stockholm for our first meeting of the year. There were 12 people in attendance including myself and my dad. 

So, what did we accomplish?

There were a number of people who volunteered to help at the NIRPC gun shows. And when I got home from the meeting I checked my email and saw the invites for the gun shows. The dates are Juny 5 & 6, and September 25 & 26. I will get a check to NIRPC and reserve a table for us early. We need to start thinking about how we'll "market" our message for the gun crowd...at the meeting someone suggested that we make a list of gun-owner friends and gun-owner enemies in Springfield to help make people more aware of where their own legislators stand. Can someone volunteer to research this?

We're pretty sure we're going to do the Winnebago County Fair, I think we have enough people to help out with that again, and last year was really fun.

We're also considering the Boone County Fair, but need to know exactly how much that would cost. Can someone, preferably from Boone County, find out how much a booth would cost at the Boone County Fair?

There are Memorial Day parades in Pecatonica and Loves Park that I'd really like C4L to have a presence at. It would be absolutely great to have some help planning for these parades, as they're at the end of May, and I am graduating in May, and have a lot of other things to work on.

One of our local coordinators would also like to do On the Waterfront, but we need to research the rules concerning it, and as a political group what we're allowed to do.

We're also going to do the Winnebago 4th of July Parade, so if you'd like to walk in that or help prepare, please let me know.

And there's the Roscoe Fall Fest, that went really well last year, so we should definitely try it again.  

We also need to research advertising, how much it would cost to get a radio ad, or newspaper ad, that might help with publicity when preparing for a big event. 

We also would like to better utilize our online presence, such as the Facebook page and website. 

At the meeting we discussed the current problems with the C4L Colorado Ad and HQ, and I said that I would update people on what we had decided...after Monday night's state conference call, but since that call was rescheduled for next Monday, I don't have any more news. 

So...what do we need help with? 

• I will be attending the Northern IL Tea Party Townhall in a couple weeks and giving a presentation, so it would be great if a couple C4L'ers could come and man a table with literature and info about C4L. We may not have a whole table, but there will be at least some place to display info about the group, but it would be great to have some other C4L members there to help with that. 

• The NIRPC Gun Show is probably the next event, and we need someone to research Springfield legislators and come up with a list of pro-gun reps and senators and anti-gun reps and senators. 

• We need someone to help prepare and plan for the Memorial Day parades. This includes finding out if there is any cost to entering the parade, what rules there are, where we have to be at what time, and so forth. This is something I really need help with, because with my schedule, if no one else volunteers to help on this project, I probably won't do it. 

• Someone needs to get details about the Boone County Fair, how much it will cost, any rules about political booths, and if there's a deadline for getting a booth. 

• If there's anyone who is at least a little web-savvy, we could use your help. Let me know if you'd like to help with our Facebook page, just keeping it updated and posting links to blog posts (like this) and other helpful info. 

I think that's all...thanks again to everyone for attending, it was a great meeting and I look forward to working with you all this year!