It's not just Democrats and Republicans, you know.

September 30, 2006 3:08 PM

Haters!The Libertarian candidate for the 24th District of the Kansas House was canvassing the local Mission, KS Arts and Eats festival, speaking with attendees and distributing campaign literature. Suddenly, a councilwoman approached him with a police officer and informed him he had to leave and would be charged with trespassing if he returned, an action which the Mayor has publicly denounced and has launched an investigation into.
posted by deusdiabolus (31 comments total)

orly
posted by rxrfrx at 3:11 PM on September 30, 2006

Thank god Councilwoman Suzie Gibbs is vigilantly protecting the people from democracy.
posted by orthogonality at 3:32 PM on September 30, 2006

more like lolbertarians
posted by keswick at 3:38 PM on September 30, 2006

My guess is that she confused "libertarian" for "liberal-vegetarian" and didn't even compute the overtly political nature of the eviction.
posted by Brian B. at 4:01 PM on September 30, 2006

Okay, fair call. Stupid idea to think you can do this to a candidate, or anyone.

But I can't get over the "Statue Of Liberty Holding An Automatic Weapon" logo on that blog. Libertarians are so damn cute!
posted by Jimbob at 4:10 PM on September 30, 2006

Oh my god how terrible! It's like the one day we're over turning habeas corpus and the next uppity city councilwomen are kicking minor party candidates out of the local "Arts and Eats" festival, which he received a prompt apology for!

Those things are totally equivalently and merit equal play in the media!
posted by delmoi at 4:19 PM on September 30, 2006

posted by delmoi at 4:23 PM on September 30, 2006

delmoi writes "Those things are totally equivalently and merit equal play in the media!"

delmoi, I love you man, I generally love your comments, but stop with the "this outrage isn't outrageous enough" complaints. If there's something out there more deserving of our censure, FPP it. But, please, stop complaining about others' FPPs.
posted by orthogonality at 4:24 PM on September 30, 2006 [2 favorites has favorites]

Those things are totally equivalently and merit equal play in the media!

Well, in a sense, the councilwoman was obstructing the Democratic process. Yes, it's a fairly minor incident, but it seems to me we should take seriously all such acts, no matter how minor.
posted by gyc at 4:35 PM on September 30, 2006

delmoi, I love you man, I generally love your comments, but stop with the "this outrage isn't outrageous enough" complaints.

Okay, okay. I still don't think this outrage is all so outrageous though. And the guy got an apology, and probably a lot more press then he otherwise would have. I'm sure he was annoyed at the time, but it was a mistake that the government owned up to which is far better then what we usually see.
posted by delmoi at 4:47 PM on September 30, 2006

delmoi writes "a mistake that the government owned up to which is far better then what we usually see."

Oh, agreed.
posted by orthogonality at 4:48 PM on September 30, 2006

delmoi : Owned up to? Ah, so it's OK to squash people's rights as long as you say sorry afterwards. Good to know.

I look forward to the results of the investigation. My prediction? "Oops, sorry, our bad ... no, there will be no repercussions against the councilwoman or the police-officer involved. Genuine mistake, they weren't to know, blah blah."
posted by kaemaril at 5:13 PM on September 30, 2006

delmoi : Owned up to? Ah, so it's OK to squash people's rights as long as you say sorry afterwards. Good to know.

No, it's not OK, but it does reduce the level of outrageousness from "OMG!" to "meh", at least in my book. Hopefully he'll get a settlement as well.
posted by delmoi at 6:03 PM on September 30, 2006

"Moving on to local news, today a young black student was kicked to death by police."
OMG!
"The police department immediately issued an apology. The spokesperson told reporters the officers in question were bad apples who didn't represent the true views of the police department, and would probably get a severe ticking off from their watch commander."
Oh, they apologised? Meh.
posted by kaemaril at 6:22 PM on September 30, 2006

While being thrown out of a festival is not on the same OMG/Meh scale as kicking someone to death (yet),
I would like to see measures in place that protect upstart third party politicians from a two-party police state.
posted by shnoz-gobblin at 6:48 PM on September 30, 2006

kaemaril, your guy obeyed the police.
posted by Brian B. at 6:56 PM on September 30, 2006

He ought to sue to remind the Republicrats (or Demicans) that they don't own the system even if they control it for now. The only thing politicians like her understand is taking a financial and PR loss over his stupid act.
posted by Didaskalos at 6:57 PM on September 30, 2006

omg taxes too high, must form third party asap!
posted by mcsweetie at 7:06 PM on September 30, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

How could anyone have imagined that would have been legal?

(or is it nowadays?)
posted by amberglow at 7:16 PM on September 30, 2006

why the hell did he obey them and leave? what a pussy.
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 7:20 PM on September 30, 2006

why the hell did he obey them and leave?

Because libertarians have a habit of preferring to let their lawyers speak for them? I'm just assuming he didn't have his lawyer with him, so didn't feel confidant in fighting back.
posted by Jimbob at 7:51 PM on September 30, 2006

Why would libertarians want to get the law and justice system and everything involved? Isn't that against what they want?
posted by amberglow at 9:09 PM on September 30, 2006

One time some cops showed up at this party and made us be quiet -- but like we totally weren't even being that loud.
posted by fleacircus at 10:35 PM on September 30, 2006

Why would libertarians want to get the law and justice system and everything involved? Isn't that against what they want?

There's nothing wrong with using the legal system for what it was designed. Better to see it used correctly in defense of free expression than used to regulate what substances you inhale or ingest.
posted by kid ichorous at 10:40 PM on September 30, 2006

Er, that is, substances you *choose* to inhale or ingest. I'm pretty sure that an anti-pollution stance is still consistent with Libertarianism.
posted by kid ichorous at 10:42 PM on September 30, 2006

delmoi - cut it out.
posted by bshort at 11:33 PM on September 30, 2006

delmoi: You smack them around hard enough on the small stuff so they're too afraid to try the big stuff. The ubiquitous "meh" at the little outrages encourages the powers that be to aim higher.
posted by spaltavian at 7:49 AM on October 1, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

"'Libertarian'? What's that? Sounds like some new-fangled evil America-hating liberal. Let's git him."
posted by wfc123 at 8:15 AM on October 1, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

What are Libertarians, now that the Democrats are the new Republicans?
posted by wfc123 at 8:17 AM on October 1, 2006

I'd just like to point out that the cover, apparently, for the International Libertarian is the Statue of Liberty screaming and holding an M-16 aloft.

There, now I've done that.
posted by Football Bat at 8:55 AM on October 1, 2006

But look at this Libertarian guy's picture: he's got a shaved head and a big bushy beard -- he looks just like a TERRORIST! Unlike real American politicians! Compare:

VS.
posted by davy at 9:06 AM on October 1, 2006