FPP Freedom Minute

It takes a lot of courage to admit when you were wrong. It takes even more courage if you were very outspoken when you were wrong. On August 8, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, wrote an article for CNN.com which states, “Over the last year, I have been working on a new documentary called 'Weed.' The title... may sound cavalier, but the content is not. I traveled around the world to interview medical leaders, experts, growers and patients. I spoke candidly to them, asking tough questions. What I found was stunning.” Gupta added, “Well, I am here to apologize." In other news: Ballot Access News reports, “Almost all city elections in Utah are non-partisan. However, the Utah Republican Party’s web page recently put up data revealing the party registration of all Utah city elected officials. At first the web page listed every official. Later the page was revised to list only the elected city officials who are registered Republicans. Democrats have criticized the Republican Party for posting this information. However, the party affiliation of any individual voter in Utah is a public record.”

There has been a war-of-words between Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Rand Paul regarding spying, defense and pork-barrel spending. Many people are taking sides, I say they're both wrong! In other news: On July 30, Pfc Bradley Manning was found not guilty of aiding the enemy in connection with leaking documents exposing potential war crimes. Manning was also found not guilty of espionage for releasing the collateral murder video; he was however found guilty of the other 19 charges. The sentencing hearing began July 31 and is expected to last several weeks. And finally, Ballot Access News reports, on July 30, Harry F. Byrd, Jr., died at the age of 98. He was elected to the U.S. Senate from Virginia in 1970 and again in 1976 as an independent. Until Angus King’s victory in Maine in 2012, he had been the only independent candidate ever elected to the U.S. Senate with a majority of the vote, even though both major parties had a nominee against him.

I was recently asked “How can a government operate without taxation?” I'm glad you asked, I have an answer. In other news: Ballot access news reports on the importance of opinion polls including all ballot listed candidates.

On Friday July 12, Edward Snowden made a statement to human rights groups from inside Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Wikileaks reports, “The meeting lasted 45 minutes. The human rights organizations included Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and were given the opportunity afterwards to ask Mr Snowden questions. The Human Rights Watch representative used this opportunity to tell Mr Snowden that on her way to the airport she had received a call from the US Ambassador to Russia, who asked her to relay to Mr Snowden that the US Government does not categorise Mr Snowden as a whistleblower and that he has broken United States law.” Snowden began his statement by saying, “Hello. My name is Ed Snowden. A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort. I also had the capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications. Anyone’s communications at any time. That is the power to change people’s fates. It is also a serious violation of the law. The 4th and 5th Amendments to the Constitution of my country, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and numerous statutes and treaties forbid such systems of massive, pervasive surveillance.” In other news: Ballot Access News reports, On July 10, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the individuals and groups who challenged Nevada’s “None of these candidates” ballot option lack standing. Therefore, the case of Townley v Miller is dismissed.

In late June, large scale protests erupted in Egypt, as protesters demanded Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi restructure his cabinet and call early elections. On July 1, CNN reported one supporter said, "the president is staying. We believe in democracy. If people don't like him, they can vote him out in three years." That sentiment was echoed by Abdul Mawgoud Dardery, a representative for the Muslim Brotherhood, saying the opposition “failed in the previous five elections we had in Egypt since the revolution, and they don't want to fail a sixth time. That's why they're going to street politics. Street politics is not an end in itself. It is a means to achieve democracy.” In other news: The government of Venezuela has extended an offer of asylum to Edward Snowden. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Snowden's only crime was telling the truth adding, "We have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the American Edward Snowden to protect him from the persecution being unleashed by the world's most powerful empire." The governments of Nicaragua & Bolivia have also reportedly extended asylum offers. USAToday reports, "President Barack Obama has publicly displayed a relaxed attitude toward Snowden's movements, saying last month that he wouldn't be 'scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker.'"

SCOTUS ruled on DOMA, but did not go far enough! In other news: The Keenevention has extended the early bid discount and Ballot Access News reports on Shelby County v. Holder.

Many people never experience a true free-market. This lack of freedom, leads many people to believe that a free-market can't exist! In other news: Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong, and Virginia has legislative elections in November 2013, so far there are very few minor party candidates.

Bradley Manning is in the midst of a twelve week show trial for exposing war-crimes that involved indiscriminate killing. Just days after his trial began, NBC revealed that the CIA did not always know who it was targeting and killing in drone strikes! In other news: FPP is now 4 years old! FPP began on June 9, 2009 with the original domain name being registered two days later. I was inspired to begin my own media outlet after reading a quote from H.L. Mencken that says, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” The goal of FPP has always been to ensure a FREE PRESS for the FREEDOM MOVEMENT, that goal has been expanded to also promote the ideas of peace, freedom, love & liberty!

On May 31, 1790, George Washington signed the first copyright law, Copyright Act of 1790, which extended copyright protection to “the author and authors of any map, chart, book or books ” who were citizens or residents of the United States “for the term of fourteen years from the recording the title thereof in the clerk’s office .” The copyright could be extended for an additional fourteen years, if the author was still living and recorded the work in a similar manner. The entire Copyright Act of 1790 was less than 2 pages long, compared to the current 300 pages of federal statutes and regulations related to copyright law.

On May 21, Antiwar.com announced that Founder and Managing Editor Eric Garris, along with Editorial Director Justin Raimondo, filed a lawsuit against the FBI in federal court demanding the release of FBI records related to the organization. The news of this lawsuit came barely one week after it was revealed that the Department of Justice has secretly obtained phone records from the Associated Press. In a May 23 interview, Director of Operations Angela Keaton said that the investigation likely began after Antiwar.com posted a link to a terrorist-watch list in April 2004. She also stated that “people in the antiwar movement have been under investigation since World War 1, this is nothing new.” However, what happened with Antiwar.com is different in that it has been an ongoing investigation over at least a 9 year period.

The DOJ & IRS are involved in scandals in which they are accused of infringing on the rights if various individuals and groups.

Some Congressmen and economists believe the $831 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was too small. A new proposal would spend another $227 billion in "stimulus" over the next 5 years.

How long will the attacks on September 11, 2001 be used as an excuse for murder and the repression of rights?

Rethinking Immigration Reform

CISPA has passed the House of Representatives, and ballot access updates from Tennessee, New Hampshire & Montana.

Freedom Minute #87

The U.S. Senate passed a budget for the first time since 2009, and it contains more than a dozen amendments. In other news: On March 22, the trial for three protesters from Occupy NH concluded in which they were charged with criminal trespass.

The US Supreme issued a 5-4 ruling in the case of Clapper v Amnesty International USA that the plaintiffs lack standing to sue the federal government over secretive warrant-less spying. In other news: Afghan President Hamid Karzai explains his "criticism" of US military operations in his country.

Thoughts on Eric Holder's letter to Rand Paul. A Congressman proposes a federal gun buyback that does not include "assault rifles", and Keene, NH District Court Judge Edward Burke rules on two no-trespass orders.

Bradley Manning offers a guilty plea to 10 of the 22 charges he faces. In other news: election reform laws introduced in Texas and an update on the special election to fill the 2nd Congressional district seat in Illinois.

The Marketplace Fairness Act is being bounced around once again, this is the proposal to allow States to require businesses to collect sales tax on all items sold via internet and catalog. The National Taxpayers Union reports several myths have cropped up about the bill and what it would do. In other news: The NHLP held its 2013 Annual Convention; ballot access reform bills in Tennessee and New York

The Postmaster General recently announced that the United States Postal Service will be ending Saturday delivery of first-class mail by August of 2013. Many people are upset at this cut in service. But few people are asking the real question: why does the United States Postal Service have a monopoly on delivery of first-class mail? In other news: On February 14, the Peace & Freedom, Libertarian and Green Parties filed an amended complaint in Superior Court in Alameda County, California, in Rubin v Bowen. And, on February 12, attorneys representing the Alabama Secretary of State filed a 15-page brief, in defense of the state’s petition requirement for newly-qualifying parties. The lawsuit is Stein v Chapman and was filed by the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties.

Senator Lindsey Graham recently told reporters today that his colleagues in Congress need to get behind Obama's targeted killing program, and protect the president from "libertarians and the left." And a leaked Department Of Justice white paper explicitly says, "[T]here exists no appropriate judicial forum to evaluate these constitutional questions." In other news: A bill in Oregon could make tobacco a prescription-only drug. And, KVAL-TV in Eugene, Oregon reports an Oregon man claims an IRS agent pressured him into sex by threatening a tax penalty.

Police and military are conducting scary drills that involve firing blanks in schools and downtown areas. A high school in suburban Chicago was locked-down as administrators fired blanks in the hallways, and TV stations in Houston & Miami are reporting of military drills that involved military helicopters and gunfire. In other news: On January 30 the Speaker of the NH House of Representatives ruled on petitions of redress filed by individuals and groups of individuals. And finally, A Nevada woman was arrested for voter fraud in the 2012 election, after claiming she was trying to test the system's integrity.

The US House of Representatives recently passed H.R.325, the No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. Good bills are rarely passed with bipartisan support, this bill in an exception, right? In other news: Jill Stein & Cheri Honkala have their day in court; Colorado bill to allow Approval Voting; Tina Turner becomes Swiss & The NH House will hear the petition against Cynthia Chase.

The federal government is approaching X Date and no one knows what will happen. In other news: Arizona proposes moving up its Presidential Primary And, Algerian officials are now expressing hope that they can come to a “peaceful” settlement with a group of hostage takers.

Bartering Gets Popular... in Greece. In other news: A new hunting season in Florida and what will probably be the final lawsuit on whether President Obama meets the Constitutional Qualifications to be President has a conference date in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The US government isn't the only government trying to conceal the use of drone warfare which has expanded during the Obama Administration. The Washington Post reports of a drone strike in Radda, Yemen that killed 11 of the 14 people in the truck that was hit. The Post reported, “The Yemeni government initially said that those killed were al-Qaeda militants and that its Soviet-era jets had carried out the Sept. 2 [2012] attack.” In other news: On January 4, the Libertarian Party asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case known as Libertarian Party v D.C. Board of Elections. An Alameda County Superior Court held a status conference on January 4 in the case of Rubin v Bowen, the lawsuit in which the Peace & Freedom, Libertarian, and Green Parties challenge the essence of the California top-two system. And the Electoral Votes have been officially counted.

2012 Year in Review, Senate "leaders" work on a deal to avoind the fiscal cliff & FPP introduces the FANS program.

President Obama has already tapped John Kerry as his next Secretary of State, a pick that should pass the Senate without issue. However, the “leading candidate” for Secretary of Defense is facing an uphill battle. In other news: US Senator Daniel Inouye from Hawai'i passed away in mid-December, it is likely that Hawaii Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa will be appointed to the seat. If that happens, Hawai'i will then soon hold a special election to fill Hanabusa’s seat. And, some are calling for the deportation of Piers Morgan.

Khaled el-Masri finds justice in the European Court of Human Rights. El-Masri had been kidnapped, tortured and raped by the CIA in 2003 and 2004. President Obama names his new Secretary of State and the Electoral College meets to cast their votes.

The federal government is nearing the edge of the “fiscal cliff.” The term is used to describe the simultaneous expiration of tax cuts, increase in tax rates and supposedly massive spending cuts. Some argue that allowing the federal budget to be cut by $500 billion across the board will send the economy into another recession and this must be prevented. And, Bernard von NotHaus reports eBay is removing Liberty Dollar listings from the online auction site at the request of the US Secret Service.

Every year or two a proposal comes forth that would abolish the $1 bill and “replace it” with a dollar coin. Such a switch would save estimated $4.4 billion over 30 years or roughly $147 million per year (a drop in the bucket when compared to the federal budget of $3.7 trillion). The latest projection from the Government Accountability Office come as Congress begins exploring new ways for the government to save money by changing the money itself. I believe the proposals to replace the $1 bill with a $1 coin are bad, not because they would impose on the people a coin they don’t want to use, but rather because it continues to invoke legal tender laws and government control of the currency. In California, 426,876 more votes were cast for President than for U.S. Senate. And announcing the winners of the FPP Peace Prize

The Salt Lake Tribune reports, “This season appears to mark the end of Black Friday as we know it.” Well, that's not exactly good news.It now appears that Black Thursday is here to stay.In other news:Police arrested nine people outside a California Walmart late on Friday, at a protest that was part of a nationwide series of walk-outs and demonstrations against labour conditions at the retail giant.FPP is raffling off the nine original drawings from the new book The Diary of Henry Myers. tells the story of the collapse of a tyrannical dystopian empire, Namsocco, from the point of view of a reluctant hero. Raffle tickets are only $1 each or 12 for $10. Everyone buying 12 or more tickets will get a signed copy of the book.http://raffle.fpp.ccAnd,On November 21, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., resigned, only 15 days after he had been re-elected.

The conflicts between Israel and Palestine have been going on for such a long time, it's difficult to know when one conflict stops and another one starts. The latest exchange of missile fire is no exception. North Carolina sets ballot hurdle for 2014 & 2016. And, Republican's join the lawsuit against "None of These Candidates" in Nevada.

President Obama became the first President since FDR to win re-election by a small margin than his initial election (Obama receive 8 million fewer votes and 33 fewer Electoral Votes in 2012 than 2008). I was not surprised by his reelection or the fact that he was reelected by a smaller margin than his 2008 victory. Though I did find it surprising that within days of his reelection, the White House received a letter of resignation from CIA Director David Petraeus.Military officials insist Petraeus’ resignation has nothing to do with Benghazi, though his sudden resignation means that he will no longer be required to testify before Congress about the debacle. In other news:The Libertarian Party now has “major party status” in the District of Columbia. And 54% of Puerto Rican voters supported a ballot question calling for a change in the status of the island territory.

In a few days, voters in several States will have the opportunity to nullify parts of the Drug War. Most of the initiatives would legalize the production, possession, delivery and distribution of marijuana and would regulate the sale of small amounts of marijuana to people 21 and older. And, Oregon and Washington vote entirely by postal mail. The Oregon Secretary of State, Kate Brown, recently told the U.S. Postal Service that if a voter sends in a ballot without enough postage, Oregon law requires that the post office not deliver that ballot to the elections office.

The Presidential election is just days away and the pundits are speculating about who will win and by what margin. Some talking heads are even saying that one candidate or another will act as a “spoiler” for one of the major party candidates in one or more States. Some people have event speculated at the possibility of a tied electoral vote, in which Obama and Romney each receive 269 Electoral Votes. This scenario is extremely unlikely and has only happened three times in American history (1800, 1824 & 1836), with one more extremely unusual situation in 1876. What would happen in such an unlikely scenario? Since the 2000 Presidential election, there have been calls for changing or abolishing the Electoral College. If there were an tie vote, I'm fairly certain that the Electoral College would be modified in some manner, and probably in a way that further discourages voting for a “minor party” candidate. In other news: Results of a Presidential poll for the State of Utah. And, the Presidential debate hosted by Free and Equal, featuring Gary Johnson and Jill Stein has been postponed from October 30 until November 5.

Voters in Puerto Rico are preparing to reconsider the island’s relationship with the federal government. This is the first time since 1998 that voters have been asked to reconsider the fate of the island territory. No matter what the results of this vote may be or the action taken by Congress, the future of Puerto Rico should be for the people of Puerto Rico, not bureaucrats in Washington, DC to decide. In other news: On October 18, Gary Johnson and his campaign sued the Commission on Presidential Debates, charging that he is being illegally kept out of the CPD debates because he meets the requirements. The Commission on Presidential Debates has kept Johnson out of the debates because the Commission does not believe that Gary Johnson meets the 15% poll rule. The Cheshire County Candidates Forum was held from 2-4pm on October 16, 2012 in the Keene Public Library’s Ruth Huntress Auditorium. Twenty-seven candidates were invited, nine attended. Candidates answered questions from the moderator and the audience. A strawpoll was conducted at the end of the forum.

On October 29, the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons. The case revolves around the “first sale doctrine” which allows the owner of a lawfully obtained copyrighted work to dispose of that copy without the approval of the owner of the copyright. At issue in this case is a practice of buying cheaper foreign editions of college textbooks, then reselling them to students in the U.S. This is done under the first sale doctrine, but some copyright owners insist that federal law does not allow it. Three Circuit Courts have heard cases regarding the first sale doctrine, and each court has made a different ruling. The Second Circuit declaring that foreign-made works can never be resold in the U.S. without the copyright owner’s consent, the Ninth Circuit ruling that such a foreign-made product sometimes can be sold in the U.S. without permission, but only after the owner has approved an earlier sale inside the U.S., and the Third Circuit deciding that such a product can always be re-sold without permission, so long as the copyright owner had authorized the first sale that occurred overseas.

October 7 marked the 11th anniversary of the American invasion of Afghanistan. During the past 11 years, 2,000 American soldiers and untold thousands of Afghan's have been killed. The “surge” is over, and US officials insist that the mission was accomplished. US government has pledged to keep American troops in Afghanistan through 2024. The question is now: “how long will the American government continue to throw troops at a battle that the experts see ending with a Taliban victory?” In other news: Rocky Anderson, the Justice Party presidential candidate, has asked the D.C. Board of Elections to tally his write-ins. He cites that Title 3, section 6, of the U.S. code requires jurisdictions with presidential electors to tell the National Archivist the exact number of votes received by each qualified candidate for presidential elector. and, On September 30, Barry Commoner died at the age of 95. He was one of the founders of the Citizens Party in 1980, and its presidential nominee that year.

Terrance Williams has spent the last 26 years on Pennsylvania's death row for the June 1984 beating death of Amos Norwood. On September 28, Pennsylvania Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina indefinitely stayed the execution. This case, much like the case of Troy Davis (who was wrongly executed on September 21, 2011), has brought the subject of death penalty once again to the public forum. Information compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center shows 1307 people have been executed since 1977, an additional 141 people have been exonerated and freed from death row since 1973, 18 by DNA evidence. Damon Thibodeaux is the most recent person to be exonerated because of DNA evidence; the 300th exoneration achieved through DNA testing in the United States, according to the Innocence Project. The CPD has lost 3 sponsors and Oklahomans upset by the lack of choices on Oklahoma’s presidential ballot will hold a rally at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Monday, October 8, to publicize the problem.

The Presidential election is just over a month away. Which means the scripted shows known as Presidential Debates will soon be televised. Of course, these so-called debates will only present two of the two dozen Presidential Candidates, despite the fact that four candidates will be on enough ballots to theoretically win the election. On September 21, Gary Johnson filed an Antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the central district of California against the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), the Democratic National Committee, and the Republican National Committee. When alternative candidates are excluded from the debates, alternative ideas and a wider array of topics are excluded, as well. In other news: On the evening of September 19, the U.S. House passed HB 5912 by a vote of 310-95. This is the bill to end public funding for national party conventions.

An open letter to Muslims. Ballot Access News reports from Michigan and South Carolina.

Joe Biden says "fact check me," but it doesn't matter if he's telling the truth. W.A.R. leaves the LP and updates on Libertarian Party of Michigan v Ruth Johnson.

In July I wrote about the possibility of QE3 and reported that Ben Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee during the semi-annual monetary policy report the economic recovery was being held back by anxiety over Europe's debt crisis and the path of U.S. fiscal policy. It is now being reported that Bernanke and the Fed may take action during its Sept. 12-13 policymaking meeting. The NH Liberty Party officially organised on September 1, 2012. Nevada voters may no longer be able to vote for "NOTA"

In late August the Pentagon announced a contingency plan in place for seizing Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal should President Obama order them to do so, and that the plan involves sending “small teams” of special operations forces into Syria. In other news: Nine people were wounded and two people were killed near the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan on Friday after a disgruntled women's accessories designer named Jeffrey Johnson fatally shot his 41-year-old former boss, Steven Ercolino. Police shot and killed the gunman near the tourist entrance of the landmark skyscraper. The nine injured, were hit by bullets fired by NYPD.

On August 13 Ademo Freeman was convicted by a jury on 3 counts of felony wiretapping because he recorded phone conversations with pubic officials without the consent of said officials. While Ademo did violate the NH wiretapping law, the NH law violates federal court precedent. Last year the 1st Circuit Court ruled that filming public officials while on duty is a “basic and well-established liberty safeguarded by the First Amendment.” On August 15th I spoke to a New Hampshire House subcommittee and recommended changes to the law.

In early August the Presidential election slipped to a new low. This is the most childish Presidential election I can remember, but the mudslinging is not as bad as it's been in the past. The California AIP & Reform Party nominate Presidential candidates. And be sure to like FPP on facebook for a chance to win $100 in free books. If FPP gets 1,000 likes by Labor Day, one person will be selected to receive a collection of books published by FPP valued at over $100 – go to facebook.com/fpp.cc

Richard Duncan says the economy is heading towards a "death spiral." Other mainstream economists are agreeing with him. Whether Duncan is right or wrong about how to proceed, the economy will eventually collapse. The question is not “How do we stop it?” The question is “Are you prepared?” Ballot Access News reports the Tennessee Democratic Party disavows its own U.S. Senate nominee. On August 1, Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein was arrested by Philadelphia Police for defiant trespass while protesting home foreclosures. On August 4, the Peace and Freedom Party nominated Roseanne Barr for President and Cindy Sheehan for Vice President.