Liberty for the Win!!!!

Put your nipple to the bottle I bust rhymes like breastses

I can get down, d-d-d-down like pessimist

“Ring the Alarm”, I got Charm like a neck-a-lace

Common

Orange Pineapple Juice

Album: Resurrection

Released October 4, 1994

Relativity Records

I came to learn about Common back then Common Sense during my freshman year at Hampton University in August of 1990. One of the brothers on the 4th floor of Harkness Hall (known as “Darkness” as it resembled a old project style tenement building in any urban area in America). Sidney Hairston was from Kankakee, Illinois. Sid was so proud when Common Sense (he lost a lawsuit with a Orange County, California based reggae band by the same name out and dropped the “Sense” from his name) came out with the project “Can I Borrow a Dollar”.

From there I instantly became a fan of Common.

Social media can be a gift or a curse. A gift because it can help spread information and knowledge. A curse because it could be a tool to foster conflict between opposing parties who are unable to communicate effectively. I find it silly when people who know each other fuss and argue over a social media platform. I can just pick up the phone and have my conversation directly with you. Without the eyes and ears of others all in our business.

That brings me to the Libertarian Party. For those who may not know the Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the United States with its Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The Libertarian Party was established in 1971 by David Nolan in Westminster, Colorado. The establishment of the party was in part due to concerns about the Nixon Administration, the Vietnam War,  conscription and the introduction of fiat currency (you know that green paper which is no longer backed by the gold standard).

I was originally attracted to the Libertarian Party of Virginia back in November 2014 when Robert Sarvis and James Carr were running for State Senate and Congress respectively. The pair were the first independent candidates invited to participate in a political forum hosted by the Richmond Crusade for Voters (known herein as the RCV). The RCV is the oldest African American political organization in the Commonwealth. After the forum, my middle step son Elijah said very plainly, “Mr. Sarvis won!”

Shortly after that I started to visit and reach out to the Libertarian Party affiliates in the Central Virginia area. I soon found a home with these independently thinking people many of whom I consider my family. Soon after that, I was introduced to the Libertarian Party of North Carolina. Since 2015, I have been active in both states as well as working six campaigns in support of our candidates. I was able to travel to Orlando, Florida in 2016 to live blog the Libertarian National Convention for Virginia Right.

I love liberty and I would love to see a Libertarian candidate win office in my lifetime in our Commonwealth. I know that sometimes people do not get along. And social media is the forum where people “pop off” and act “squirrel-y”.

I often wonder if people would say crazy things to your face if they were in front of you. Who knows. But, recently I have noticed that Libertarians tear each other down on open social media platforms. That I believe is detrimental to the growth of the party. I have seen great activists depart the party because they have become frustrated. I have found that being a leader sometime means “herding cats”.

I do not like cats. I said that in 2020, I was not going to follow anymore bad leadership. I meant that. I went from full time supervisor at work to a part time employee. I think the last thing that my former boss told me was that, “Faux-cone-yay your NOT going to find a job in the middle of a pandemic.”

Jokes on YOU Jack! I found a temp to perm position in four weeks. After he intentionally busted me down from full time to part time. I spoke to him one last time to discuss my disappointment in him. I feel the same way in my volunteer life. The Libertarian Party of Virginia has new leadership. I am very thankful for them. Old leadership left a very bad taste in my mouth. I really wanted to be more involved and the old leadership did not provide me that opportunity. So, for a while I just sat out. And as an activist, I do not have to ask for permission, I just “get in where I fit in” as we say in Hip Hop.

It is why I enjoy working for campaigns, I have the ability to have an intimate relationship with the candidate and assist where I am needed. We can make things “happen” without foot dragging. This cycle with no Libertarian candidate in my area, I am working for Mike Dickinson, Republican Candidate for Richmond City Council District 1. Many Libertarians have taken to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with my decision to assist Mike along the campaign trail. Some of my Libertarian friends have respectively engaged me and even called me to discuss my perspective. 

For those who may be unhappy with my decision, I understand however, I will walk my path. In 2021 there are four Libertarians running for the Virginia House of Delegates. 2021 is an off year. Virginia and New Jersey are the only states in the union which have off cycle elections. Sandy Sanders has written several times about how the Libertarian affiliates nationwide could raise millions of dollars in support of races in these two states. Sandy has drawn a parallel between Libertarians supporting like early Christians tithe in the church. Give up Starbucks for a week. You know that a Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino cost like $7.00 a cup. Do the math: $7.00 a day for 6 days = $42.00 a week or $168.00 a month. If every Libertarian in the United States gave $168.00 to candidates in an off cycle……..think about what kind of commercials or newspaper ads could be run?! Think about the full time and part time campaign staff that could be PAID!!!!

We need to be focused on a “win” and not insulting each other on social media. I am just saying…….2021 is coming soon. I have already reached out to some candidates who I KNOW are running to lend support to the cause of liberty in our Commonwealth. I have reached out to the Chair of the Libertarian Party of New Jersey. My question to Libertarians in Virginia and New Jersey and across these United States……….. how are you building us up?????

No ID DJ and producer cuts in at the end of Orange Pineapple Juice.

“You got a crew you betta tell ‘em!”

So to members and supporters of the Libertarian Party let’s work during this off cycle 2021 and get our candidates properly funded so we can get the win.