The Libertarian Party of Massachusetts (lpmass.org) adopted a resolution calling for the protection of Civil Rights during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and for an end to the Government-forced shutdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a serious crisis and is threatening lives, especially of those with a weakened immune response and of the elderly. In addition, the reaction to the crisis has created a significant economic problem, putting the livelihood and, in some cases, the lives of many more at risk. On top of these issues, people are dealing with the sheer human impact of uncertainty, fear, and the loss of the ability to move freely or even see family, as well as the loss of loved ones. For some this is leading to some level of mental health challenges. Government regulation in general and the government response to the crisis in specific has in multiple ways contributed to worsening the situation. It will take a tremendous effort to overcome this challenge. 

Voluntary social distancing and stay-at-home recommendations for those who have that option, as well as closure of schools and cancellations of mass-events have probably been effective tools in slowing the further spread of COVID-19 and the resulting potential overload of the health care system.

However, the COVID-19 crisis has also led to another push for more executive power on every level of government. The fear of the pandemic has also paved the way for an unprecedented support for even blatantly unconstitutional measures. The lockdown and the practice of government officials making arbitrary decisions on ‘essential’ businesses - sometimes as in the example of firearms retailers driven by an ulterior political agenda -, or the attempt by the Department of Justice to allow unlimited detention are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The fining - and in some cases apparently arrest - of citizens for alleged violations of distancing or stay-at-home orders without a concrete risk to others, are an unacceptable government overreach - they are just more victimless ‘crimes’.

This is happening after the failure of government to address the problem before it became a crisis and even its direct contribution to the problem. Examples are government red tape preventing private initiative to develop appropriate testing capabilities, or the now rescinded guidance to not wear masks in public. Bureaucratic control and mismanagement has hampered progress, limited individual initiative, and caused suffering beyond the government apparatus. The many cases of medical workers being punished for taking initiative to mitigate the shortage of protective equipment are a saddening example of that. However, only the government is claiming a monopoly to actively prevent others from solving problems. And government measures of expanding reach and undermining civil rights in a crisis have a habit of sticking around and developing a life of its own. The fact that the Patriot Act was just renewed in Congress almost two decades after the horrific terrorist attack of September 11 can serve as a reminder of that.

Any infringements on individual rights need to have a solid reason. However, there is an increasing amount of data suggesting that voluntary social distancing, cancellation of mass events, and enabling the vulnerable to self-protect has been effective to slow the spread of COVID-19, while the government forced lockdown of the economy has likely contributed little beyond those effects - at tremendous cost. The Robert Koch Institute (roughly the German equivalent to the CDC) has pre-published a study that visualizes that clearly:

This shows that new infections dropped significantly after cancellation of mass events and social distancing recommendations 03/09, continued to fall after cross-state guidelines were agreed in Germany on 03/16, but that it leveled out even before the economic shutdown was put in place for Germany on 03/23. This study is likely suffering from the same challenges of incomplete data as most, and there are significant regional and local differences calling for local decision making based on the concrete situation in a specific area. 

The public is well advised to be wary of the expanding government reach, surveillance, and erosion of civil rights, as well as the long-term impact of the unprecedented forced lock-down orders.  

Many are taking a moralistic approach to the debate, citing the Pandemic of 1918 as an example to warn against relaxing successful measures too early. While that Pandemic indeed should serve as a warning, at the same time, the Great Depression and its contribution to the Rise of Fascism and World War II should also serve as a reminder that an extreme economic downturn has a very real human cost. And the effects of the full shutdown are already being compared to the Great Depression by economists, putting lives at risk in 2020 and beyond. 

Individual responsibility is the basis of any successful effort to address this crisis. Libertarians support voluntary social distancing to ‘flatten the curve’ of the COVID-19 spread and mitigate its potential to overwhelm the healthcare infrastructure. The position of the Libertarian Party is that any response must be ​scientifically justified and not based on speculation; that the response must respect and protect civil liberties and balance its long-term effects. 

Overall, the urgently needed improvement of the situation can best be achieved by removing bureaucratic hurdles and supporting local and private initiative in combination with a focused containment and protection strategy.  Most importantly it must be focused on voluntary compliance with social distancing and self-isolation based on a positive test or on proven exposure to the infection. 

The Libertarian Party of Massachusetts calls for an end to the government mandated shutdown of the economy and to the curtailing of civil liberties, as well as and the discriminatory treatment of businesses that might not be politically in favor. This should be replaced with a more efficient and just approach, that builds on voluntary social distancing, targeted isolation of the infected, as well as on enabling the vulnerable to self-protect. Key to that is broad availability of testing to the general population in order to identify the infected and the part of the population that has had previous exposure and, based on the current scientific consensus, is likely to have at least temporary immunity. This also implies the continued cancellation of mass events and mandatory government programs such as schools, or for example signature petition requirements for elections.

Read more:

The Libertarian Policy Institute has put together a deeper exploration of these options.

LAMA Resolution on freedom in the Covid crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global health crisis with a significant threat to human lives and the government response has created an additional economic problem, that threatens to change the world for years to come. In the face of the COVID threat, fear has led to irrationally broad support for an authoritarian response to the crisis and massive expansion of government reach despite clear evidence of government failure contributing to the severity of the crisis. The response has been both politicized by the extremists on either side of the mainstream political spectrum and is being used by both sides to push their pre-existing agendas, such as gun control in Massachusetts and abortion bans in Texas.

The increasing number of restrictions are expanding the reach of government into everyday life. While the government of Massachusetts has focused on disrupting businesses and advisories for individual behavior, some towns have begun to impose fines to micro-police their citizens' behavior.

A Libertarian response to the crisis would look very different: A decentralized focus on private initiative and individual responsibility, while protecting the rights of all. Limiting the reach of government and permanently reducing bureaucratic regulations that stand in the way of solving problems as opposed to the forced shutdowns and temporary relief packages.

It is important that Libertarians voice their opposition to the extreme measures and rights violations and call for a rational approach based on scientific evidence, not fear and speculation. Speak up in your community.

The Libertarian Policy Institute has put together a deeper exploration of these options.

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The combination of  discriminatory regulation, the government shutdown, and ideological instrumentalization of the crisis is creating a very concrete risk of serious legal problems for lawful firearm owners in Massachusetts. Massachusetts requires firearms owners to be licensed, however license renewals are currently not being processed and the government of the Commonwealth has not put any emergency extension in place. Furthermore, some local licensing authorities are reportedly providing misleading information to license holders who are attempting to renew.

The Republican Governor Baker, has not only pushed an anti-2nd-Amendment agenda by declaring firearms retail and training facilities "non-essential" - explicitly against Federal guidelines. His administration is directly creating a situation in which law abiding citizens may become criminals overnight simply due to the government refusing to acts on its own regulation. This is an unacceptable situation. 

Call or email your representatives to voice your concerns. You can find their information here.

Firearms owners with an expiring license need to pay close attention to the required steps in order to protect themselves. Find out more from the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts.

The Libertarian Party of Massachusetts calls on the Baker Administration to respect civil liberties in the Commonwealth, particularly the rights enshrined in the 2nd Amendment, and to acknowledge firearms retailers and shooting ranges as essential businesses. 

The Republican Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, continues to use the COVID-19 crisis  to advance an anti-2nd-Amendment agenda: After initially adopting the updated Federal guidelines on essential businesses, which includes firearm retailers and shooting ranges as essential, on March 31 the guidelines on the state website were changed to exclude these firearm businesses. 

“The Democrat-dominated Massachusetts political establishment has for a long time been hostile towards the constitutional rights of lawful firearms owners in the Commonwealth.” said Don Graham, Chair of the Libertarian Party in Massachusetts. “Singling out firearms businesses that serve the law-abiding civilian firearm owners and selectively shutting them down is just another example of that bias. That it is a Republican Governor pushing an anti-2nd-amendment agenda, demonstrates that the GOP only pays lip service to our individual rights. The Libertarian Party is the only major political party to unwaveringly support the 2nd Amendment along with the whole Bill of Rights. Voters who support the 2nd amendment should remember that in November."

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Watch a recording of the Libertarian Presidential Candidates' Debate at the LAMA 2020 State Convention (virtual) on March 22nd:

The following great candidates participated:

• Adam Kokesh
• Jacob Hornberger
• Jo Jorgensen
• Ken Armstrong
• Sam Robb
• Vermin Supreme

Moderator: Dan Fishman (former LAMA Chair and current Executive Chairman of the Libertarian Party at the national level)

The Massachusetts primary is March 3, 2020. If you are registered as Unenrolled (independent) or Libertarian, pull a Libertarian ballot and support one of our candidates.

• Arvin Vhora
• Vermin Supreme
• Jacob Hornsberger
• Samuel Robb
• Dan Berhman
• Kim Ruff
• Ken Armstrong
• Adam Kokesh
• Jo Jorgensen
• Max Abramson

For more information please see the Massachusetts Libertarian Party website.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Libertarian Association of Massachusetts unreservedly condemns any form of violence. As Libertarians, we adhere to the Non-aggression Principle, which advocates that persons may not initiate force, or the threat of force, against another or another’s property. We believe, as all good people believe, that each person has an inherent right to be secure in their persons and possessions.

With compassion and comfort, we offer our deepest condolences to the victims, as well as their friends and families, who have suffered at the hands of the disturbed offenders committing these reprehensible acts.  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            
Libertarian Party of Massachusetts

Jeff Lyons, Chairman

Phone: 617-286-3618

E-Mail: [email protected]

Upon learning that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots had been charged for soliciting prostitution in a massage parlor in Jupiter Florida, Jeff Lyons, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts issued the following statement:

"The Libertarian Party has always asserted that consenting adults should be able to exchange whatever goods and services they wish, so long as both parties willingly agree to the terms. It should be pointed out that had Robert Kraft been in Nevada, this would have been a legal activity.

"The Libertarian Party of Massachusetts believes that human sex trafficking is a serious crime, and the organizers of such crimes should be targeted, not consenting adults engaged in a commercial transaction.

"The government should not be seeking to restrict commerce, nor should it pass a moral judgement on consensual activities between adults. Assuming both parties in this case were adults and consenting, we call for the immediate dismissal of the misdemeanor charges against Bob Kraft and the decriminalization of prostitution, which we believe would deny human traffickers the ability to operate a black market. Until consensual sexual commerce is legalized, I fear these heinous acts will continue."
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The Libertarian Party platform includes the following plank:

2.10 Sex Work

The Libertarian Party supports the decriminalization of prostitution. We assert the right of consenting adults to provide sexual services to clients for compensation, and the right of clients to purchase sexual services from consenting sex workers.