VOTE FOR ME AND I'LL SET YOU FREE--AT LEAST I'LL TRY

by Andrew Williams

There have been times when I've all but given up on the voting process. I

tend to agree with the anarchist slogan, "If voting could change the

system, it would be illegal." And reading the Collier brothers' book

"Votescam!" buttressed that attitude in my mind.

And yet, some niggling part of my mind believes that voting can make a

difference. Not a major one, perhaps--not right away, certainly--but there

is still, I believe, a possibility for significant change via the voting

booth. Which leads me to the following endorsements.

There are two Libertarian candidates, campaigning at opposite ends of the

country, that I have come to respect for their principles. The first is

Spear Lancaster, who is running for Governor of the "Free" State of

Maryland. Spear is the first third-party candidate to run for that office

in 36 years. His choice for Lieutenant Governor, Lorenzo Gaztanaga, is,

according to Spear's website, the first Hispanic nominee to run for high

executive office in Maryland's history. Lancaster's campaign staff

recently turned in over 36,000 signatures to get him on the ballot. They

were successful.

(By the way, Maryland requires about 27,000 valid signatures to put an

independent/third party candidate on the ballot. Demoplicans and

Republicrats get a free pass.)

Despite my libertarian leanings--and heavy ones at that--I don't agree

with Spear on every issue. Frankly, I wouldn't be much of a libertarian if

I did. I wish he'd focus more on the drug issue, and I don't agree with

his pro-building position on the Intercounty Connector--I think we need to

look at running subterranean roads and increasing use of public transport.

But whether I--or you--agree or disagree with him down the line, his

positions are well-argued and obviously the result of much study and

thought.

The bottom line--as with all Libertarian candidates--is that they respect

the right to privacy, or what Justice Louis Brandeis accurately called

"the right to be let alone." I know of no donkeys or elephants who will do

the same.

And this is the same reason that (if I could) I would vote for Maad

Abu-Ghazalah. Maad is running for Congress in California's 12th District

(San Francisco/San Mateo). He is running a gutsy campaign, one that

started with a flourish when he erected a billboard depicting John

Ashcroft as "The Ethnic Profiler."

Like me--and most libertarians--he is alarmed at the increased incursions

on civil liberties. As a Palestinian-American, he is especially opposed to

such aspects of the War on Some Terrorists as ethnic profiling (an

outgrowth of drug profiling), "enemy combatant" standards (which allow

*anyone* to be declared such, and allow indefinite detention without

charge or trial) and other anti-Constitutional provisions of the Patriot

Act--a misnomer if ere there was.

Maad's opponent is Tom Lantos. He voted for the Patriot Act. He supports

Israel 100 percent, no matter what crimes are committed against

Palestinians. During the hearings on the Persian Gulf War, he allowed

false testimony as to the events at the hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

And during the Waco hearings, he and Charlie Schumer took turns coddling

pro-government witnesses while castigating anyone who suggested that the

Davidians' civil liberties were repeatedly violated.

Given that record, I would vote for anyone but Lantos. Fortunately, I had

the opportunity to meet Maad and was impressed by him. Again, there wasn't

universal agreement.

I'd like to see him focus more on the drug issue as well--especially the

myriad connections between the War on Some People with Some Drugs and the

War on Some Terrorists. But I admire him for standing up at a time when it

would be very easy for him to stay seated.

There aren't many choices left in America 2002. We have to make the most

of them. I know not what others may do, but I'm voting for Spear Lancaster

for Governor of Maryland in this election. If he gets even 1% of the vote,

it will secure ballot status for the state Libertarian Party, at least for

the next few years. And that means less time wasted gathering signatures

and more time to have fun giving the donkeys and elephants a run for

"their" money.

www.spear2002.com

www.maad4congress.org

www.votescam.com