Topic: Constitutional Issues
Bob Barr's "Constitutional" Stand on Education Bob Barr asks me to sign a petition to modify Title IX. This was my reply:by Larry Warrick
(libertarian)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
As some of you may be aware, Bob Barr is asking for signatures on an amendment to Title IX. This was the solicitation:
From: Shane Cory, BobBarr2008.com Subject: 60 Seconds for Bob: August 13th To: "Friend" Weasel@yahoo.com> Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 2:23 PM
Dear Friend,
Thanks to our e-mail yesterday, there are several dozen new members of the Libertarian Party. That may not sound like a good gain but for a party with only about 16,000 active members, every new Libertarian helps. Good Job!
Today's task is a personal request from Bob. Today he signed the College Sports Council's petition calling for "straightforward and common-sense" reform of Title IX.
Bob requested that I ask you to review the petition and sign as well.
Here's today's task: Sign the Petition on Academic Sports Freedom
Here's what our candidate had to say about the issue: "As we watch our athletes compete in the Olympic games in Beijing, we can be proud not only of their tremendous athletic performances, but also of the uniquely American collegiate sports system that developed many of our Olympic competitors. It is a tragedy to see so many collegiate men's teams that have produced Olympians for the US eliminated, like UCLA gymnastics and swimming, University of Miami diving, and Fresno State wrestling,"
As of this morning, almost 4,900 people had signed the petition. We can help them out a bit to move this issue forward.
So here's the task:
1. Go to the [link edited for length] 2. Review and hit the button "Click Here to Sign Petition" 3. Type in your name and email address 4. Add in a comment if you like (I added "Support Bob Barr! BobBarr2008.com") 5. Choose your privacy level 6. Click "Preview your Signature" 7. Click "Approve Signature"
That's it!
In Liberty,
Shane Cory Deputy Campaign Manager Bob Barr for President
P.S. Below is our daily update with the progress since yesterday following the plus sign. Keep in mind that these numbers only improve with your help, and I greatly appreciate your efforts.
Daily Campaign Update: Funds Raised in August: $45,733* + $2,482 Number of Donors: 5,911* + 156 Email Subscribers: 24,634 + 134 Meetups: 6,233 members - 122
This was my reply:
Hi Shane,
I would like to thank you for offering me the opportunity to sign the petition for proposed amendment to Title IX. However, I must decline your kind offer to support this initiative. My reservation is that this petition does not remove government regulation and interference by rescinding the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act completely, it simply seeks to amend it, thereby endorsing the continuing interference of government in our education system from pre K through University and beyond. If this petition is amended to call for the removal of all government educational regulation and replace it with nothing, I would surely sign it and wholeheartedly recommend the same to all of my friends and contacts.
Frankly, I am surprised and somewhat disappointed that the Libertarian Party Presidential candidate would consider this course of action given the constitutional principals the party was founded on not so many years ago. Government has no business in providing or interfering with the education of our children, whether through Title IX as-is or as it may be amended in the future. Please feel free to pass my comments to Mr. Barr if you think them worthy of his attention. Hopefully this will serve to remind him of the constitutional government he (and through him, his party) says it stands for.
Kind Regards
Wandering Weasel
Judging by the fundraising numbers, I'd guess that I'm not the only one feeling angst about Mr. Barr's candidacy and the apparent disjointing of the Libertarian Party from it's principles.
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Excellent! I got the same email and wanted to publish something along your lines.
I must confess that I am one of those so-called "purists" who understand nothing about winning elections and stuff. I therefore subscribed to that mailing list to get educated by Bob Barr the Master of Politics. I understand from his libertarian supporters that he is very good at campaigning and that the Libertarian Party will become mainstream thanks to him. So far, I am disappointed because that Bob Barr campaign is more about taking a clean political brand name like "libertarian" to push a dirty/conservative/statist political agenda. Bob Barr is really a master of politics but in the worst sense of the word.
If you get an answer to your email, please, let us know.
Let me get this straight: "Real libertarians" (I believe that's the term of choice) think it's statist to oppose federal gov't-enforced "gender proportionality" in college sports (even if it's only signing the Coalition for Academic Sports Freedom's petition) someone else's petition), because that wouldn't end federal government involvement in education.
Reminds me of something I read on IPR the other day: that Barr is a statist for calling no-knock raids unconstitutional, because ending them wouldn't end federal government involvement in domestic law enforcement.
You want to understand politics, M. Roux? Well, here's a lesson from someone who's been in the game 30 years.
If Bob Barr started a petition to end federal gov't involvement in education, he might get 1,000 signatures at best. Hell, half the LP wouldn't sign; the moderates because it was too radical, and the radicals because it was Bob Barr. The whole exercise would achieve nothing.
OTOH, by signing and circulating the Coalition's petition, Barr has been (and will continue to be) noticed as the first candidate to stand up for this hot (bcz of the Olympics) cause; and those noticing will be grateful to him.
That's a good first rule of politics for you: Successful politics entails assembling broad coalitions to fight for achievable goals. Bob Barr knows how to do that. Most libertarians don't. Some (mainly radicals and "purists") don't even want to know.
George, Scott, I apologize. After re-reading my piece and your comments, I see where I am going wrong. If I get this right, what you are both telling me is that I should 'bend' my Libertarian Constitutional principles and knuckle under for a party candidate who is more a McBama lookalike every day, in order to garner more popular support for lesser goals and all the while setting unconscionable precedents of compromise. Now that I see the error, I am still proud to call myself a Libertarian, just not so proud of the company I find myself in. The Libertarian party was founded on principles of constitutional government, not 'winning the election'. If you want to 'pick the winner', go ahead, I'll still have my rigidly fanatical Libertarian principles to guide me.
The petition does not call for the end of Title IX but for:
"Straightforward and common-sense fixes to the enforcement mechanism are already available – such as a simple survey that would allow any student, male or female, to express interest and be given opportunity ... "
The same petition concludes that:
"That men and women across the country come together to discuss and implement a set of common sense reforms to Title IX enforcement that maximizes the opportunities of all college athletes regardless of gender."
Very clearly, the petition calls for a reform. Not a repeal. This is statist because the petition acknowledges the legitimacy of government in that particular area.
As usual Bob Barr sings freedom but supports anti-freedom ideas like the use of "Straightforward and common-sense fixes" to rewrite some piece of legislature. Libertarians deserve a candidate who has a higher opinion of the law.
Sorry buddy, but I'l take a half a loaf if I can't get whole one. Yeah, I got the letter, and I signed up quickly, and am glad I did so. "Purity" continues to get the LP left as a mere footnote.
Scott from Oregon: It is much more than an interesting philosophical position, but I agree that “it doesn’t fly with most Americans” just as independence from the crown didn’t fly with most colonists. Most Americans after all have been through the government indoctrination centers (aka public education). I don’t understand your claims however that The Philosophy of Liberty is “Too severe” or “Too fundamental” (WARNING the preceding embedded link is a Red Pill!) I find this philosophical position it to be beautifully simple and easily adapted by individuals who are taught to understand the Golden Rule. (Another Red Pill)
Your claim of “rigidity” is also true, once your eyes are opened to the truth it is impossible to deny or unlearn, it’s called being principled.
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