From: cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,ca.politics,ba.politics
Subject: Re: Libertarian Platform
Date: 23 Jul 92 17:03:10 GMT
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA

In article <91616@bu.edu>, kane@buast7.bu.edu (Hot Young Star) writes:
> In article <1992Jul17.085243.8771@bsu-ucs.uucp>
> 00bjmccauley@bsu-ucs.uucp writes:
# #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
# #                        1992 National Platform
# #                                of the
# #                          Libertarian Party
# [...]
# [VICTIMLESS CRIMES Section:]
# #d.the repeal of all laws regarding consensual sexual relations,
# [...]
# #e.the repeal of all laws regulating or prohibiting the possession,
# #use, sale, production, or distribution of sexually explicit material,
# [...]
# [CHILDREN'S RIGHTS Section:]
# #Children are human beings and, as such, have all the rights of human
# #beings. We recognize that children who have not reached maturity need
# #guardians
# 
# [***How is "maturity" defined?***]

As in most party platforms, not at all.  Use commonsense.  An eight
year old isn't mature.

# [...]
# #we oppose government discrimination directed at any other artificially
# #defined sub-category of human beings.

Children aren't artificially defined.  An eight year old isn't an
adult, as even a cursory examination would show.

# #Children should always have the right to establish their maturity by
# #assuming administration and protection of their own rights, ending
# #dependency upon their parents or other guardians and assuming all the
# #responsibilities of adulthood.
# [...]
# [POPULATION Section:]
# #we call for the
# #repeal of all laws that restrict anyone, including children, from
# #engaging in voluntary exchanges of goods, services, or information
# #regarding human sexuality, reproduction, birth control, or related
# #medical or biological technologies.
# [...]
# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 
# So Mr Cramer, are you now going to make the equally ridiculous claim that
# your party, the Libertarian Party, is in league with the "gay community"
# as "defenders of NAMBLA"? Discuss of age of consent laws and the ability
# of children to be free to obtain information about sexuality, in soc.motss,
# led you to the ridiculous claim that gays supported child molestation.
# Are you now going to make equally ridiculous claims against your own party?
# 
# kane@{buast7,astro}.bu.edu (Hot Young Star) Astronomy Dept, Boston University,
The Libertarian Party has a bunch of ideologues who write the party
platform, and don't think very carefully about the consequences.
(In fact, they have a lot in common with you, Mr. Kane).
That was NOT the intent of the above passages -- which by the way,
the Republican Party used against the LP in Alaska and Montana,
in EXACTLY the manner above.  The LP emphatically disapproved of
the logical consequence of this chain of reasoning.

The poor grasp of reality of the LP ideologues, and the inability
of the ideologues to admit that they have engaged in a significant
distortion of American history to justify their position, is one
of the reasons I am no longer a member of the LP.  I am not even
a small-l libertarian, but a classical liberal with libertarian
leanings.  (Classical liberalism being almost as far as you can
get from modern liberalism).



-- 
Clayton E. Cramer {uunet,pyramid}!optilink!cramer  My opinions, all mine!
"Well, maybe the Holocaust was right *for that culture*." -- a moral relativist
with whom I work.
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc