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Month: October 2013

Video: Startling Growth in Self-Identifying Libertarians

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on Video: Startling Growth in Self-Identifying Libertarians

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 18, No. 20 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) “We’ve noticed in the last fifteen months an uptick in the number of people who are actually self-identifying as libertarian,” says FreedomWorks’ David Kirby, who has been researching this issue for many years along with the Cato Institute’s David Boaz. In fact, the popularity and use of the word “libertarian” is growing at a remarkably fast rate, as more and more people discover libertarianism and adapt it as their own philosophy. There is also a growing anti-libertarian backlash in the Republican Party from traditional conservatives and neo-conservatives who feel threatened by this rapid growth of libertarian ideas and the liberty movement.
In this short ReasonTV video (about 6:16 minutes) Kirby talks with Reason magazine editor-in-chief Matt Welch about why more people describe themselves as libertarian, how politicians like Senator Rand Paul and Congressman Justin Amash have come to think of themselves as libertarian; why the statist Old Guard feels threatened; and whether Glenn Beck calling himself libertarian is a good thing. For more on the recent growth of libertarianism in America, see our short article “New Poll Finds ‘Libertarian Renaissance’ in America” from the September 20, 2013 Liberator Online.

Nick Gillespie: Where to Cut the Federal Budget

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on Nick Gillespie: Where to Cut the Federal Budget

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 18, No. 20 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!)
“What Federal Spending Are We Better Off Without?” was the shutdown-inspired subject of a New York Times debate on October 8. What libertarian wouldn’t like to have a chance to wield that meat cleaver? Nick Gillespie of Reason pointed out there were plenty of places to cut, and he offered a few for starters. Here’s a sample: “Whole agencies are demonstrably ineffective. The Department of Education was created in 1979, and its annual budget for K-12 education comes in just shy of $40 billion. Test scores for high-school seniors on the National Assessment of Educational Progress – called the Nation’s Report Card – are either flat or slightly below where they were before the department existed. “Then there’s Defense, which is one of the single-biggest items in the federal budget. The U.S. accounts for 40 percent of global expenditures on military might and, in real dollars, our defense spending rose nearly 80 percent between 2001 and 2012. “As the shutdown entered its second week, The Dayton Daily News reported that the Pentagon is sending half a billion dollars’ worth of ‘nearly new’ cargo planes to a storage facility in Arizona, where they will join $35 billion worth of other unnecessary aircraft and vehicles.
“When leaders like Representative Nancy Pelosi claim ‘there’s no more cuts to make,’ I have to wonder whether they are tripping on powerful hallucinogens – whose availability undercuts another unnecessary, ineffective and costly federal program: the War on Drugs.” And that’s just for starters. As Gillespie noted: “Much of what the feds spend money on is either unnecessary or ineffective … or both.”

Gallup Poll: Voter Support for a Third Party Hits All-Time High

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on Gallup Poll: Voter Support for a Third Party Hits All-Time High

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 18, No. 20 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) Government failure is piling on government failure. NSA wiretapping, Obamacare, a stagnant economy, endless and inexplicable wars… In response, a whopping 60% of Americans now say the Republicrat and Demopublican parties do such a poor job of representing the American people that a third major party is needed. That’s the finding of a poll conducted October 3-6, 2013 by the prestigious Gallup polling company. Gallup has been asking voters this question for ten years. This 60% support for a third party is the highest ever. Gallup found that only 26% believe the two major parties adequately represent Americans – also the lowest support Gallup has ever polled. As for self-defined independents, fully 71% say we need a third party. (That number is actually lower than the all-time highs in 2007 and 2010.) These findings parallel an October 12-13 Rasmussen poll, which finds 47% of Americans “believe neither major political party represents the American people.” “However, the desire for a third party is not sufficient to ensure there will be one. Structural factors in the U.S. election system and the parties’ own abilities to adapt to changing public preferences have helped the Republican and Democratic parties to remain the dominant parties in U.S. government for more than 150 years.” “Structural problems,” of course, include ballot laws passed by the Republicrats that keep potential third party competition off ballots and phony presidential “debates” run by representatives of the two parties that deliberately exclude new parties. However, as support grows for new parties, and the media becomes more and more decentralized, look for those barriers to be increasingly challenged.

The Reverse

Written by Michael Cloud on . Posted in Communicating Liberty, Liberator Online. No Comments on The Reverse

(From the Persuasion Power Point section in Volume 18, No. 19 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) Tired of long, drawn-out arguments about government? Worn out from explaining why government fails and makes things worse? What if you could convince your listener to persuade himself about libertarianism? What if you could persuade him to marshal compelling and convincing evidence and arguments that would change his mind about libertarianism? Persuade himself? How? The Reverse. Instead of telling him what’s right with liberty and wrong with government, ask him. “What’s one thing that government does now that you think it definitely should not do?” Or: “What’s one activity that government engages in that it should stop doing?” Or: “What’s one government program that’s a dismal failure or a waste of money that government ought to shut down?” Then ask, “Why?” After he tells you why, ask him to tell you more. Ask him to elaborate and expand. To tell you about the consequences of the bad program. To give you examples. Then play Devil’s Advocate. Ask him how he would respond to possible objections. “Suppose someone said X, how would you answer that objection?” “Suppose someone said Y, how would you answer that objection?” He will argue himself into a libertarian position. And he will give you the evidence and arguments that are most convincing to him. The Reverse lets your listener pick the part of government that he’s most opposed to, do your arguing for you, and in the process intensify his opposition. How and why does it work?
  1. It begins with what your listener already believes. It respects his beliefs and values.
  2. It creates rapport. Agreement. You both agree that government should abandon this activity or program.
  3. As Pascal wrote, “We are usually convinced more easily by reasons we have found ourselves than by those which have occurred to others.”
  4. As Win Wenger writes in The Einstein Factor: “The sheer act of expressing our thoughts on some subject causes us to learn more about that subject, even when no new information has been provided from without.”
Why does The Reverse work? To truly learn a subject, teach it. To help our listeners learn, we must ask them to teach.

They Said It…

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in The Feed. No Comments on They Said It…

(From the They Said It… section in Volume 18, No. 19 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) GUESS HOW TO END MOST VIOLENCE CRIME IN CHICAGO: “Most of Chicago’s violent crime comes from gangs trying to maintain control of drug-selling territories.” — Jack Riley, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for a five-state region that includes Illinois, quoted in “Heroin Pushed on Chicago by Cartel Fueling Gang Murders,” Bloomberg Markets Magazine, Sep 17, 2013. Last year there were more than 500 homicides in Chicago. PRO BONO CAPITALISM: “‘Rock star preaches capitalism.’ [Laughs.] Wow. Sometimes I hear myself and I just can’t believe it. But commerce is real. … Commerce, entrepreneurial capitalism takes more people out of poverty than aid. Of course, we know that. … Aid is just a stopgap. … We need Africa to become an economic powerhouse.” — Bono, lead singer for the Irish supergroup U2, from a speech at Georgetown University’s 2012 Global Social Enterprise Event, now widely circulating on the web. Bono, one of the world’s best-known philanthropic performers, has long raised funds for African charities. SYRIA SHOWS MORE AMERICANS AGREEING WITH RON PAUL: “The American people have spoken out against war. Many more are now asking what I have been asking for quite some time: Why is it always our business when there is civil strife somewhere overseas? Why do we always have to be the ones to solve the world’s problems? It is a sea change and I am very encouraged. We have had a great victory for the cause of peace and liberty and let’s hope we can further build on it.” — Ron Paul, “Has The Tide Turned Against The Warmongers?” Texas Straight Talk column, September 16, 2013. MINIMUM WAGE MADNESS: “One of the simplest and most fundamental economic principles is that people tend to buy more when the price is lower and less when the price is higher. Yet advocates of minimum wage laws seem to think that the government can raise the price of labor without reducing the amount of labor that will be hired. … Countries with minimum wage laws almost invariably have higher rates of unemployment than countries without minimum wage laws.” — economist and syndicated columnist Thomas Sowell, “Minimum Wage Madness,” Sept. 17,2013. LEAVE POT USERS ALONE, GO AFTER REAL CRIMINALS: “There is no greater waste of valuable taxpayer dollars than branding hundreds of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens as criminals simply for choosing to use a substance less harmful than alcohol. Given the fact that most Americans support taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol, I suggest our police and prosecutors find a better use of their time.” — former prosecuting attorney Dan Riffle, now director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, Sept. 16, 2013. THE REAL WORRY: “How many are worried about a government shutdown? How many are more worried about it starting back up? ” — Jay Leno, Oct. 1, 2013. LENO RIPS OBAMACARE: “USA Today had a front-page feature on the new healthcare law. It said that the opposition to Obamacare is at an all-time high. It has gotten so bad that the president is now calling it ‘Bidencare.'” — Jay Leno ,Sept. 16, 2013. LENO ON GOV’T EFFICIENCY: “According to a new report, over the last three years Social Security overpaid by $1.29 billion — thus establishing itself as the federal government’s most efficient program.” — Jay Leno, Sept. 16, 2013. RAISING THE DEBT LIMIT: “President Obama is now making his case for raising the debt limit. He said raising the debt limit does not increase debt. You know, like raising the speed limit does not increase speed.” — Jay Leno, Sept. 26, 2013.

Gallup Polls: Trust in Federal Government Hits All-Time Low

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on Gallup Polls: Trust in Federal Government Hits All-Time Low

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 18, No. 19 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) “Americans’ trust and confidence in the federal government’s ability to solve problems internationally as well as domestically has fallen to historic lows this year.” So reports Gallup, summarizing the results of an early September poll. Gallup has been tracking this question since 1973. Their latest poll finds that just 49 percent of Americans have a “great deal” or “fair” amount of confidence in the federal government to handle international problems. And only 42 percent of Americans have a “great deal” or “fair” amount of confidence in the federal  government to handle issues at home. Similarly, another September Gallup poll finds a majority — and another record number — of Americans believe the government is too powerful.

Reports Gallup: “Six in 10 Americans (60%) believe the federal government has too much power, one percentage point above the previous high recorded in September 2010. At least half of Americans since 2005 have said the government has too much power.” All this is very good news, argues Tad DeHaven of the libertarian Cato Institute: “Skepticism of government is as American as apple pie. The experiment that is the United States was borne out of a colonial revolution against an overbearing master. As the decades have passed, however, the federal government has steadily acquired powers that are vastly beyond what was intended by our founding Constitution. And like a frog in a pot of water that is slowly brought a boil, Americans have become acclimated to a world in which the federal government intrudes into every nook and cranny of our lives. … “Perhaps Americans are finally realizing that rather than making us safer, constant foreign interventionism has largely succeeded in turning the American people into targets. “And perhaps there is growing recognition that politicians cannot simply ‘create jobs’ out of thin air — the tax revenue that the federal government showers on politically favored individuals and industries necessarily comes at the expense of other entrepreneurs and other ‘job creators.’ … “Let’s hope the circus-like atmosphere in Washington over passing a budget, raising the debt ceiling and Syria will cause even more Americans to question why so much power and money has been placed in the hands of imperfect (to put it politely) men and women.”

FBI: Marijuana Arrests at Near-Record Levels; Rate of Unsolved Violent Crimes Rises

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on FBI: Marijuana Arrests at Near-Record Levels; Rate of Unsolved Violent Crimes Rises

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 18, No. 19 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) Polls show a majority of Americans favor re-legalization of marijuana. Two states have re-legalized marijuana, 16 states have decriminalized it (i.e., no prison time or criminal record for first-time possession of a small amount for personal use), and 20 states have re-legalized marijuana for medical use. Despite all this, a new FBI report finds that marijuana arrests continued at near-record levels in 2012. And the vast majority of these arrests were for simple possession. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report, an estimated 749,824 arrests were made nationwide for marijuana in 2012. More than 87% of marijuana arrests were for mere possession. Further, marijuana arrests accounted for nearly half (42.4 percent) of all drug arrests last year. Thus the War on Drugs is largely a war on small-time marijuana users. Nationwide, police make an average of one marijuana arrest every 48 seconds. Meanwhile, 59.9% of rapes, 53.2% of all violent crimes, and 81% of property crimes reported in 2012 were unsolved or did not result in arrest. Is there a connection? “Every time a police officer makes an arrest for drugs, that’s several hours out of his or her day not spent going after real criminals. As the country has been investing more and more of its resources into prosecuting drug ‘crime,’ the rate of unsolved violent crime has been steadily increasing. Where are our priorities here?” asked retired lieutenant commander Diane Goldstein of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of police, prosecutors, judges and other law enforcement officials opposed to the War on Drugs. Dan Riffle, a former prosecuting attorney now director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, agreed. “Instead of punishing and stigmatizing responsible adult marijuana users, we should be focusing on serious crime. As a former prosecuting attorney myself, I believe it is irresponsible to squander our limited law enforcement resources on this disastrous public policy failure. That is especially true when so many violent crimes remain unsolved. Every second spent arresting and prosecuting adults for marijuana is time that could have been spent preventing and solving real crimes.”

Rand Paul: Repeal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing, Defend Black Voting Rights

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on Rand Paul: Repeal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing, Defend Black Voting Rights

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 18, No. 19 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) “If I told you that one out of three African-American males is prohibited by law from voting, you might think I was talking about Jim Crow 50 years ago. “One out of three African-American males are forbidden from voting because of the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs has disproportionately affected young black males. The ACLU reports that blacks are four to five times more likely to be convicted for drug possession, although surveys indicate that blacks and whites use drugs at similar rates. “The majority of illegal drug users and dealers nationwide are white, yet three-fourths of all people in prison for drug offenses have been African American or Latino. “Why are the arrest rates so lopsided? Because it is easier to go into urban areas and make arrests than suburban areas. Because we literally subsidize the arrest and incarceration of people. Federal grant money is based on convictions. “It doesn’t take much imagination to understand that it’s easier to round up, arrest and convict poor kids than it is to convict rich kids. If law enforcement is expected, or pressured, to meet some quota due to the federal dollars their department might receive, they are more likely to go looking in urban areas than the suburbs. … “Since mandatory sentencing began, America’s prison population has exploded, quadrupled. America now jails a higher percentage of citizens than any other country in the world, at the staggering cost of $80 billion a year. … “Conclusion: Mandatory minimum sentencing has done little to address the very real problem of drug abuse while also doing great damage by destroying so many lives. I’m here today to ask you to let judges start doing their jobs. I’m here to ask that we repeal mandatory minimum sentencing.” — Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee September 18, 2013 on “Reevaluating the Effectiveness of Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences.”

Video: Libertarians Take on Federal Asset Forfeiture in Outrageous Case

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on Video: Libertarians Take on Federal Asset Forfeiture in Outrageous Case

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 18, No. 19 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) Warning: If you have high blood pressure, maybe you shouldn’t watch this short (1:45) video about the latest case of the libertarian Institute for Justice.For more than 30 years, Terry Dehko has successfully run a grocery store in the Detroit suburb of Fraser, Michigan, with his daughter Sandy. But in January 2013, without warning, the federal government used civil forfeiture to seize all of the money from the Dehkos’ store bank account — more than $35,000 — even though they’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.
Welcome to the kafkaesque world of civil forfeiture law — aka “robbery with a badge” — where the government can seize private property from Americans without ever charging, let alone convicting, them of a crime. Americans are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but civil forfeiture turns that principle on its head.The government is able to pocket the money and property it grabs without charges, evidence or due process — and leaving the owners no prompt and reasonable way to get a court to review the seizure. But… libertarians to the rescue! Terry and Sandy have teamed up with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to fight back in federal court. We hope a victory will help restore the right of every American to be free from these abusive police-state forfeiture laws. IJ has videos about other civil forfeiture outrages they are litigating here. To learn more about the civil forfeiture law outrage, read IJ’s acclaimed report “Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture.”

4 Big Factors That Make More People More Receptive to Libertarianism

Written by Michael Cloud on . Posted in Communicating Liberty, Liberator Online. No Comments on 4 Big Factors That Make More People More Receptive to Libertarianism

(From the Persuasion Power Point section in Volume 18, No. 18 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) What really changes people’s minds about libertarianism? Sometimes it’s what you say. Sometimes it’s how you say it. Sometimes it’s who you say it to. Very often, it’s what’s going on with Big Government… while you’re having the libertarian conversation. And it’s 4 big factors. You can express it as a formula: P2C2. That’s Big Government Problems, Pain, Costs and Consequences. Big Problems caused or sustained by Big Government. Massive unemployment. Huge amounts of time wasted complying with government paperwork, rules, and resolutions. Huge Social Security problems. Big Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare problems. And don’t forget the problems created by the problems. Intense Pain caused or sustained by Big Government. Overwhelming pain. Caused by Big Government problems — or trying to cope with with the problems. The pain of paying 47% of your income in taxes. The pain caused by trying to understand and correctly fill out government paperwork, trying to understand and comply with government regulations. Throbbing pain as you fill out forms for your small business, enroll your children in public schools, and as you fill out government paperwork… while waiting to see a doctor. Ballooning Costs of Big Government programs — or complying with them. Big Government puts the POUND into the comPOUNDing costs of everything it touches. Welfare, warfare, regulation, mandates, and more. Ever-growing costs that squeeze every last dollar out of your family income and savings. Cascading Consequences of Big Government policies and programs. Marijuana prohibition promotes gangs and gang violence that fosters more drug enforcement cops and costs, more arrests and prosecutions, and massive numbers of long-term prisoners serving time in jails and prisons for selling, possessing, or buying marijuana or other drugs. U.S. government foreign wars, gunboat diplomacy, occupation forces, military aid to foreign despots create new enemies, are often paid for by overspending, inflation, and debt. Consequences — all of which hurt taxpayers, weaken the economy, and flush American wealth into bottomless sewers. Want to make people far more receptive and responsive to your libertarian suggestions and solutions? Want to amplify the impact of your persuasive libertarian proposals? P2C2. Big Government Problems, Pain, Costs and Consequences. First, show and tell them how huge, intense, extensive and expensive the Big Government policies and programs are. Second, tell them: “This is America. Birthplace of freedom. We can do way better than this.” Third, offer them libertarian solutions. Freedom remedies that reduce and remove the root cause of the huge problems, pain, costs, and consequences: Big Government programs. Fourth, tell them the huge, immediate, direct benefits of reducing and removing these wasteful and harmful Big Government programs: dramatically less burden on them and their families, radically lower taxes and higher take-home pay for them, their co-workers and their neighbors — and ever-growing economic, social, and personal liberty for all of us. Fifth, let them know that that’s just a taste of libertarianism — and ask them if they’d like to find out more. Sixth, if they say “yes” to learning more about liberty, see that they get immediately some great introductory material. Books such as Libertarianism In One Lesson by David Bergland or Healing Our World by Mary Ruwart. Free online information about libertarianism and the liberty movement — the Advocates has lots of good introductory material at our website, under the tab “Libertarianism: What You Need to Know.” A free subscription to the Liberator Online. You’ll be glad you did.

They Said It…

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on They Said It…

(From the They Said It… section in Volume 18, No. 18 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) LENO ON THE LAST TIME CONGRESS DECLARED WAR: “President Obama is asking Congress to support a military strike in Syria. If they approve, it will be the first time Congress has officially declared war since Obamacare.” –Jay Leno, Sept. 4, 2013. WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: “If President Obama really wants to hurt the Syrian government, don’t send cruise missiles. He should send over some of his economic advisers.” — Jay Leno, Sept. 5, 2013. COMING TOGETHER: “Republican leaders have agreed to support President Obama’s plan to attack Syria. See, that’s what I love about our country. The only time Republicans and Democrats can agree on something is when it’s time to bomb somebody.” — Jay Leno, Sept. 5, 2013. PROOF: “John Kerry said during the Senate hearing that we are not the world’s policemen. Really, then how come we eat most of the world’s donuts?” — Jay Leno, Sept. 6, 2013. NO YOU CAN’T: “The President maintains that he still has the power to initiate war. This is untrue. The Constitution gave the power to declare war to Congress. James Madison wrote that the ‘Constitution supposes, what history demonstrates, that the executive is the branch most prone to war. Therefore the Constitution, with studied care, vested the power to declare war in the legislature.’” — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), televised response to President Obama’s speech on U.S. intervention in the Syrian civil war, Sept. 10, 2013. SACRIFICE YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN: “You are a badperson if you send your children to private school. Not bad like murderer bad — but bad like ruining-one-of-our-nation’s-most-essential-institutions-in-order-to-get-what’s-best-for-your-kid bad. So, pretty bad. …it seems to me that if every single parent sent every single child to public school, public schools would improve. This would not happen immediately. It could take generations. Your children and grandchildren might get mediocre educations in the meantime, but it will be worth it, for the eventual common good.” — Slate editor Allison Benedikt, “If You Send Your Kid to Private School, You Are a Bad Person,” Slate, Aug. 29, 2013. JUDGE NAPOLITANO ON THE MESS AND HOW TO FIX IT: “I have spent my entire professional career defending the Constitution; and that can be likened to playing catch with Jell-o or shoveling against the tide. The Articles of Confederation permitted the states to become tyrants, and the Constitution — as interpreted over the centuries — has permitted the federal government to become tyrannical. The resolution of this dilemma will require the entry into all three branches of the government of persons committed to natural law principles. That means they’d believe in the primacy of the individual over the state and the intrinsic inability of government to do anything beyond enforcing the natural law.” — Judge Andrew P. Napolitano, “Judge Napolitano on the Worst Supreme Court Decisions,” interview in the Mises Daily (Mises Institute), Sept. 18, 2013. * * * * * * * * * * “They Said It…” is compiled by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris. 

Sen. John McCain: Re-Legalize Marijuana (Maybe) and Rethink the War on Drugs

Written by James W. Harris on . Posted in Liberator Online. No Comments on Sen. John McCain: Re-Legalize Marijuana (Maybe) and Rethink the War on Drugs

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 18, No. 18 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!) You know that America’s disastrous War on Drugs is on shaky legs when even an arch-conservative like Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) questions its effectiveness and gives a friendly nod to re-legalizing marijuana. Speaking at a town hall meeting in Tucson, Arizona on September 5, McCain did exactly that, reports U.S. News & World Report. “What’s going on in Mexico, in my view, to some degree, is our responsibility… because we’re creating a demand for drugs in this country and when there’s a demand, there’s going to be a supply,” McCain told his constituents. Some attendees immediately called out “Legalize it!” “Maybe we should legalize it,” McCain responded. “We’re certainly moving that way as far as marijuana is concerned.” Applause broke out. “But I respect the will of the people. There was a vote here in Arizona…” His voice trailed off. Perhaps he was referring to Arizona’s 2010 legalization of medical marijuana? Recent polls show that “the will of the people” is now re-legalization: a majority of Americans — and nearly two-thirds of people born between ages 18 and 32 – say marijuana should be legal. As for Arizona, The Behavior Research Center’s Rocky Mountain Poll in May 2013 found that most Arizonans — a solid 56 percent — favor legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, with just 37 percent opposing. There is an active initiative campaign in Arizona underway to re-legalize marijuana in 2014 and “allow for legal, taxed, and regulated marijuana/cannabis/industrial hemp use and commerce.” McCain, who was the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, went on to finish his explanation of how making drugs illegal creates a black market that brings with it extreme violence: “They are bringing these drugs across to our country because there’s a demand for them, and there’s going to be a supply wherever there is a demand…. the slaughter has been terrible… thousands of innocent people have been killed. “So my urging is that this country engage in a conversation about drugs, about the punishment for drugs,” McCain concluded. “A huge percentage of the people in prison today are [in there for] drug related crimes. Now I’m not saying that’s good or bad, but I am saying that we need to have a national conversation.” You can watch a video of McCain’s town hall, posted at U.S. News & World Report, courtesy of  KVOA-TV. McCain’s comments on marijuana begin at 29 minutes.