Friday, April 14, 2017

LCI Exclusive: "Liberty Rocks Seattle" - Libertarian Party of King County WA Event 4.13.2017 Featuring Local Candidates and LPKC Speakers

Liberty Rocks Seattle event, hosted by Libertarian Party of King County, WA
Liberty Rocks Seattle event, hosted by Libertarian Party of King County, WA

Website: https://www.lpkingcounty.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KingCountyLP/
Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1511408208903655/

The first video was streamed live via Facebook and has been converted to YouTube Format.  This was an age 21 and over event.

Libertarian Party of King County hosted their first "Liberty Rocks Seattle" event at the Columbia City Theater in Seattle.  The event featured LPKC Chair Michelle Darnell, LPKC Co-Chair Billy Doyle, LPKC Political Director David Johnson, Region 2 Associate Director of King County WA David Malekar, Everett WA City Council candidate Justin Murta in this first part of the event.

Liberty Rocks Seattle 4.13.2017 - Libertarian Party of King County Event, LCI Exclusive - Part 1



In this second half of the event, candidate of Burien WA City Council Charles Schaefer, Kent WA City Council candidate Paul Addis (previous interview with Paul link: http://www.libertychronicle.net/2017/02/paul-addis-l-kent-wa-city-council.html), Seattle WA Mayor candidate Casey Carlisle, and newly announced Seattle WA City Council candidate Amanda Carter, were speakers.  Seattle City Council Position 8 candidate James Passey was able to make a brief appearance at the event.

Liberty Rocks Seattle 4.13.2017 - Libertarian Party of King County Event, LCI Exclusive - Part 2



The following is a transcript as read by Political Director David Johnson:

"Hello Seattle! Hello King County! Thank you for joining us tonight.

We've got a lot of great candidates here. I wanted to talk a little bit about our strategy as an organization as well, and where we're going - not only this year, but beyond this year, because I think our candidates need to understand that this year is an awesome year, we've got awesome opportunities, AND they're a part of something bigger here. And I want you guys to understand that we're not in this just for this year; we're in this to win this, long term, and we want your support long term.

You're all here because you're pioneers and we're striking out on a new journey here. Like all pioneers we are operating lean here. This is our first event; if you look at most Democrat events they have a lot more people. We are the pioneers, the disruptors, the entrepreneurs right now, fighting the big man.

So the exciting part is that the journey has now just begun. You're here in this room; this is the beginning of our journey. This is not the end, and we are going to get a lot bigger, and a lot louder.
Today could not be a better reminder of why we are doing what we are doing. I lost track in the last 24 hours of how many countries we're bombing, or at war with, or are nearly at war with. Does anybody have a number out there? I know it was seven before Trump got into office; I'm losing track now. I would count our own country at this point. I sure as heck can't count and I can't explain how any of those wars are helping Americans at this point.

This is why we're doing what we're doing. After an election where the Democrats put forward a candidate that wanted to shoot down Russian planes, I can't blame people who tried to vote for the lesser evil. But the reality is, there's no lesser evil. There's one evil. There is one party that is a duopoly that is controlling our country right now. That duopoly stands for three things that we stand against: Endless war, militarized police, and crushing debt.

As we stand here today facing not a two party system but a one party scam, we are here for one goal; to form a SECOND party that stands for love, liberty, and logic. I want to talk about what those three points are and what they mean for us here when we're trying to spread our Libertarian message to our neighbors.

Love means that you don't go around the world like a monster bombing everybody. Some people say you're crazy if you question the American war machine right now. I say you're crazy if you DON'T think we should question why we should go kill somebody.

Logic says that you don't make excuses for unsustainable debt as a path to economic ruin. You don't have to believe in the principle that taxation is theft to realize in practice that warmongering and irresponsible social engineering are stealing the future away from our children.

And liberty says that you cannot protect life, liberty, and property through a bigger, more powerful, more invasive state with the vain hope that they will do good with that power. But rather, life, liberty, and property are best protected by focused, limited government that leads in respecting others by example, instead of leading through violence, persecution, and bullying our fellow Americans. Whether it is a Republican or a Democrat bullying a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, a Green Party [member]; it doesn't matter who you are, the government shouldn't be bullying you, it shouldn't be telling you what to do with your life, and it shouldn't be limiting your opportunities.

So these three pillars are the foundation on which the second major party coalition will be built in opposition to the current major party that is pro-war, pro-debt, and anti-individual; we are anti-war, anti-debt, and pro-individual.

Here in King County it's critical that we spread the message [that] not only do we believe people have inherent right to life, liberty, and property because of abstract principle, but also because those rights are the only means by which we can allow the best in us to flourish. As the major party today leads by example in attacking others and plays Americans against one another, we must show the power to do good and live at peace with one another that comes with liberty.

We will show King County that free people can choose to feed the homeless. We will show King County that free people see problems with addiction and want to empower them rather than imprison them. We will show King County that free people can race to the top building more homes for more people instead of trying to control more and keep homes from being built. And we will show King County that free people can talk about hard issues while treating each other with dignity and finding reasonable common ground with each other.

Our candidates today are the front-line soldiers in this fight, running out by their own choice into a battle where the army behind them is still being recruited, putting everything on the line. I've sat down with all of our candidates as political director; I see every day the stress they go through, the hard work they put through, and the barriers that are put in the way that they fight. Unlike real war, where the people on the frontlines go and they get shot, and they die, and you have a nice ceremony for them, our candidates get back up after every attempt, and we get stronger. This is a fight to do our best this year, AND this is a journey where we will change an entire generation. We will not win AGAINST any individual, whether they're a Republican, a Democrat, voted for Green Party, or didn't vote at all - they're the people we're working with to build a better world.

I've been to Democrat and Republican events over the past several months, and let me tell you the worst-kept secret in politics here: the major parties are literally dying. There are no young people at any of their events. They're a sea of gray hair, whether you're in Seattle or Kirkland or anywhere.
We're the future. This is not a gray audience. I don't see almost any gray hair out here. It's a completely stark contrast. There's a little bit, and we appreciate it. But if you go to a Democrat or Republican event, no comparison. We are the new generation. We are going to outlive the people who we are fighting against right now.

The Libertarian Party tells the story of the next generation, and I am honored to help write your story, and I look forward to the incredible journey ahead."

This contribution is from Seattle-based independent journalist, David Malekar, Editor in Chief for the Liberty Chronicle Independent; and publishes content to other online publications.