Another shooting in a gun-free zone

Here's a chart showing U.S. defense spending relative to that of other nations. 

Here's one of those cartogram things showing U.S. defense spending relative to our space on the globe. 

Here's a pie chart showing U.S. defense spending as a total of all discretionary spending. 

Go here to read an account of THE SECOND mass shooting at Fort Hood, Oklahoma.  Fort Hood is one of the largest U.S. Army bases.  This time the gunman killed 3 people and wounded 16 others. 

Look at the spending.  Read the account of the shooting.  The victims were having to call 911 (the emergency police number in the U.S.) to get help.  On a military base. 

Does this make any sense at all?  I hate that these innocent people lost their lives.  I'm not making light of this tragedy. 

But if they aren't allowed to protect themselves, what the hell are they doing for us?  Am I missing something? 

 

We have a clear, stark choice ahead of us

To all delegates to the Libertarian Party of Texas State Convention:

We have a clear, stark choice ahead of us. 

We've had these words, or similar verbiage, in our national and state platforms since the mid-1970's. 

The Tarrant County (Fort Worth/Arlington) Libertarian Party recently participated in the Fort Worth Gay Pride parade, after taking part in the larger Dallas equivalent for almost a decade. 

We were very well-received.  You can't imagine the looks of undiluted joy in the faces of the crowd when we pulled this rig through Downtown Cowtown !

We actually won the trophy for Best Non-Profit Entry. 

Contrast that greatness with this, from the new Vice-Chair of the Harris County (Houston) Libertarian Party.  Yes, this is coming from an official rep of the LP.....

The stats in this thing have been discredited more times than "The Hitler Diaries". 

Pick a side folks.  Pick a side. 

Kathie Glass For Governor !!

After long and thoughtful consideration, I've decided to support Kathie Glass for the Libertarian Party's nomination for governor of The Great State Of Texas. 

Kathie (along with her husband Tom) and I have been opposing each other, off and on, for about two years. 

So why the change of heart?  I've looked at the facts.  And when confronted with new facts, I often change my mind.  For documentation, hit the links.  You won't understand ANY of this unless you hit the links!!

*  In her previous gubernatorial run for the LP, Kathie proved that she could attract and maintain major donors to the party. 

*  As Chair of the Harris County Libertarian Party, she has surrounded herself with people who adhere to the LP's history of respect for all lifestyle choices. 

*  Kathie boldly and confidently stands up for the Libertarian Party's positions on ending the Drug War, decriminalizing marijuana use, and legalizing gambling.  She's a fighter! 

*  Kathie is aided in her campaign by her husband Tom, who, in his campaign for State Chair two years ago, conducted himself with genuine dignity and total honesty. 

* When our State Executive Committee takes actions that she believes are a mistake, she accepts our verdict and moves on. 

*  Pat Dixon, our State Chair, enjoys dealing with Kathie, as do our two Austin employees, Heather Fazio and Lauren Daugherty.  In fact, Heather and Lauren sometimes refer to Kathie as "Mom". 

*  Kathie has contributed staggering sums of money to the Texas LP over the years. 

*  As Chair of the Harris County LP, she doesn't always agree with everything done by other counties, but she always respects their process !!

*  Anyone who can create a good work atmosphere can probably create a good governing atmosphere as a civil servant.   Kathie has spread goodwill throughout our Austin offices. 

*  Unlike so many political candidates, Kathie is respectful of the political and the parliamentary process, and gracefully adheres to the rules of debate. 

*  Kathie believes that those who have worked hardest in the party deserve to represent the party!!

I hope everyone who reads this has a GREAT April 1st, with all that the date implies.  I hope you've looked at the facts in the links provided.  If you're confronted with new facts, do you change your mind?  I hope so. 

What Kathie Glass has done for the Libertarian Party of Texas, she can do for us in Austin! 

Most of the documentation for emails and quotes can be found here.  Others (unfortunately) are taken directly from emails within the Libertarian Party Of Texas.