"Human freedom is today threatened by regimented statism."
--Dwight D. Eisenhower, October 12, 1948

As Americans celebrate the Declaration of Independence of John Hancock et al in 1776 from King George III's Great Britain, and the Revolutionary War fought to replace British rule, it's worth exploring how liberty has been and can be achieved without resorting to the initiation of force.

Voluntaryists are members of the libertarian movement who seek to achieve a free society without resorting to electoral politics. Nonviolent resistance, perhaps most famously associated with Ghandi's ultimately successful bid to end British rule in India, involves many strategies libertarians can use to triumph over tyranny.

Given the substantial electoral barriers incumbent political parties have erected to protect their power and privilege, libertarians are rediscovering how to promote virtue through "social change."

The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict has developed a computer game -- A Force More Powerful - the Game of Nonviolent Strategy -- and related educational materials to teach the techniques of nonviolent action.

Bureaucrash is one organization that employs the techniques of nonviolent action to effect social change in a libertarian direction.

Statists generally march in formation. The asymmetric advantages available to those members of civil society who advance liberty through the study and application of decentralized nonviolent action and strategies offer ample reason for optimism.

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Several Utahns have asked me what local Libertarians are doing with respect to the presidential campaign of Ron Paul, a current member of the U.S. Congress from Texas and a former Libertarian presidential candidate.

I think Libertarian National Committee Region 6 Representative Wes Benedict has provided a helpful perspective on Rep. Paul's candidacy. I encourage liberty-minded individuals to read it, and then act as both their conscience dictates and in a way that continues the liberty movement's growth beyond the Paul campaign.

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As of this writing, the petition drive to re-establish the ballot status of the Libertarian Party of Utah is 60 percent of the way toward the goal of 2,500 signatures. The Independence Day holiday and weekend farmers markets are great opportunities to gather signatures. Please lend a hand to complete the petition!

Yours in liberty,

Rob Latham, Chairman
Libertarian Party of Utah