Rudyard Kipling

Dear Libertarian,

September 11, 2001 – a day of both terror and tragedy. A day that no American is likely to soon forget. A day that no American should ever forget.

Like you, I was both sickened and angry when the Twin Towers collapsed. Sickened at the whole scale loss of innocent human life, and angry at whatever monsters that would willingly do such murder.

And, probably like you, I fully support the present actions to both defend and retaliate against those terrorists that would like nothing better than to destroy our country and our freedoms.

Let me introduce myself. I'm John Graziano, the Libertarian Congressional candidate from this past election and current candidate for the United States Senate. So what I'm abut to write comes from someone who is "in the political trenches" trying to defend our freedoms.

Adlai Stevenson once wrote: "Carelessness about our security is dangerous; carelessness about our freedom is also dangerous."

We're living in dangerous times. And yes – we were careless about our security. One of the few functions of a legitimate government is to protect it's citizens from foreign attack. In that respect, it's obvious that our government was found lacking. It's not that the government was unaware of the dangers, just the opposite. There was plenty of forewarning.

The attack on the Twin Towers on 1993, the attack on our Embassy in the Sudan in 1998, the attack on our naval vessel in 1999, the destruction of the Air Egypt Flight in 2000. Not to mention specific evidence given to the FBI about one of the murderers before the tragedy. The FBI ignored it.

There were also plenty of agencies in place to prevent these types of tragedies. To name a few: The FBI, CIA, NSA, DEA, INS, FAA, the Justice Department, the Defense Department. These and other agencies with a combined budget of over one trillion dollars couldn't prevent a very low-tech operation from ripping the fabric of our country apart.

Now the question seems to be "How much freedom must we give up to be safe?" Our Congress has rushed through legislation – the so-called "Patriot Act" - that just a short while ago would have been laughed out of committee.

All in the name of security.

We are told that these new powers will only be used against "terrorists." But the laws are written to cover anyone the government suspects – terrorist, agitator, or just the average Joe on the street.

Yes – we were careless about our security. But now our Congress is just as careless about our freedoms. If this trend continues, the terrorists won't have to raise another finger to attack us – we will have handed them their victory on a plate. You see, these terrorists hate our freedom, our way of life, our ability to go about our business. That is what they set out to destroy. What they can't do by murder they hope to do by terror. This terror has already spawned a new agency – that of Homeland Security. With over 40 agencies already in place how will another help? It can't – and won't. We have enough agencies. What we need is for the agencies already in place to do their job.

We can't turn back time. Terrorists have struck our country. All the finger pointing in the world isn't going to change that fact. And just talk won't be able to defend our great nation or our freedoms.

The government has a legitimate purpose and duty to protect our shores form foreign invasion. Our military is now being used to that purpose.

We as free citizens have a duty to make sure that our Constitution is upheld and our individual freedoms are not sacrificed on the altar of expediency.

During the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden said: "I tell you, freedom and human rights in America are doomed.... The U.S. government will lead the American people into an unbearable hell and a choking life."

If the new push for surveillance of ordinary Americans succeeds, Bin Laden may be proved right. These measures do not just target terrorists. They target American liberty. They target us. We must Stop Osama's plans – and we must stop this fear that is gutting our basic rights and liberties at home.

The Libertarian Party must make sure that a victory is not handed to the terrorists. And to do that we need your help.

You know, Bishop Paul Marcinkus, former head of the Vatican Bank once said " You can't run a church on just Hail Mary's." The same is true for a political party. We can't run the Libertarian Party on just principles. We need your financial support. Especially now when our essential freedoms are on the line.

With your help we can:

• Start running TV, radio and newspaper ads.
• Train our candidates to run highly professional, winning campaigns.
• Initiate a direct mail campaign to recruit thousands of new registered libertarians.
• Mount organized protests whenever our precious freedoms are set to fall before political expediency.
• Elect Libertarians to office.
• Showcase the Libertarian Party at state and local fairs, community events and parades.

One of the main reasons our basic freedoms are at stake is because the "major" parties think they have no real competition. The more individual rights increase, the less power they have. The Libertarian Party is the only party that can give real competition. We are the largest alternative political party in the United States. The Republicans have already started to "feel the heat" They recently complained that Libertarians cost them four Senate seats. Right here in Omaha the Democratic contender for Register of Deeds in the last election complained that she lost "because of the Libertarian in the race."

I have only this to say: Great! It's about time that we showed our muscles.

Please join us! As a dues paying member, you will receive many benefits, such as...

• A subscription (12 issues) to our national newsletter, the LP News. It's packed with information about the Libertarian Party from all over the country.


• A subscription to our state newsletter to keep up with local activities. Keep up to date on everything going on in Nebraska - candidates, local meetings, and more.


• Progress reports from both the State and National Libertarian Committees. This gives you insider information on all our latest projects and the opportunity to participate.


• Voting eligibility at Libertarian State and National conventions. Here's your chance to participate in our decision making process. Choose party officers, candidates for office, and much, much more!


• The Libertarian Party membership card. This is something you may proudly keep with you at all times. It proves that you are a true lover of freedom, and willing to take a stand for liberty!

Over the last year, the Libertarian Party of Nebraska has become among the most successful third Parties in Nebraska with over 2,000 registered Libertarian voters. If you would like to see more success, please join us today.

With your help, we can continue to build a powerful voice for making freedom contagious in Nebraska. Please fill out the enclosed membership form and return it today. You'll be glad you did!

Sincerely,

John Graziano
Communications Director