Text of Speech to the Libertarian Party of Nassau County (NY)

First, I would like to thank you, the Nassau LP, for inviting me to
speak here tonight, Mr. Richard Cooper for handling publicity and 
press releases, and the rest of you who are here today to hear my talk.

  At the convention, I met and spoke with several National Officers,
  Presidential Candidates, Speakers, etc.  I participated fully in the
  convention business, I even went to the microphone a few times to
  make motions and to argue in favor of a new platform plank.

Those who were at this year's Libertarian Party National Convention
know that it was our largest yet, but I think that we grew in 
more than just membership.

I saw at least three other children as delegates besides myself
(and two of those three were from our state). 

The national convention is perhaps the most interesting of all the
libertarian events that I have attended.


When Mr. Cooper invited me, he asked me to say how and why I
became a Libertarian.  That's what I'm here to tell you today.  

My earliest politically related memory is when my father was watching
some kind of News show (like he always does on weekends) and I
asked what they were talking about (I was probably 4 or 5 at the time).
He told me that they were talking about the government; being a child
I did not know what government meant. He explained that the government
was "the people who take the money" and spend it.

A while later, our family was on a trip in a state capitol and I asked
my parents who was in that fancy building with the domed roof.
Dad said that the "people who take the money" worked in that building.
I asked what did they do in there, and he answered they decide how to
spend the money.  I asked, "why?" 
He could not answer my simple question 
-- and I still have never heard a good answer. 

I still don't know why they take the money and think that they can
spend it better than we, but the "people who take the money" still
take it and spend it and they spend more than they take.

    When I was about six, we went to the LP National Convention
    in Seattle, where I was introduced to "the man from Alaska",
    Andre Marrou.  (Four years later, my family and I spent a lot 
    of time with him, when he was living in NY and campaigning.
    -- But I'm getting ahead of myself.) 

When I was about 8 years old, Jack Bova made an attempt at getting
elected as a library board member in Middle Country district.
My mother and I would go to the library and hand out fliers
and advertisements for Mr. Bova.  

Later when I was about 9, my school (LISG) had a mock election for 
president.  The 4 main candidates on the ballot for that year (1992) 
were Bill Clinton, George Bush, Andre Marrou and H. Ross Perot. 
Our school had only the first, second and fourth candidates, 
just like in the debates we had to watch and comment on as homework,
(and I would have done nevertheless had it not been assigned),

I asked my teacher [whom I told about Marrou {the man from Alaska} ] 
if I could add him to the comment sheet and put his platform ideas 
into consideration instead of debate answers and rebuttals) I asked
the 9th grade students (funny, I'm in 9th grade now) who were
handling the whole mock election if it would be appropriate for a 
write-in vote. They said no. I placed an extra box on the check off
sheet and wrote Andre Marrou next to it and checked it off.
I brought my ballot (with a vote cast for Marrou) to the box and
gave it to the student who placed it in for later tallying.
He did not accept the ballot!

I fumed and paced and thought of a way to make my opinion on this 
matter heard for what seemed to me at the time as long as 20 minutes
(perhaps it was really only 5), and finally came to a decision that
I consider to be one of the worst and most unwise decisions ever
made by me:  I checked Bush.  (I realize now that by choosing the 
lesser of two losses and sailing closer to Scylla than Charibdis,
instead of reploting for Ithaca [small homeric allusion]
I totally betrayed my opinion and beliefs).
The next week the results were posted:

	Clinton 99
	Bush    60
	Perot   20

These totals are still as fresh in my mind as though it had been 
yesterday.  I realized that one of Bush's 60 votes was mine. 
Infuriated at this matter I quickly devised an idea (which I 
never carried out). I had planned to use my computer's desktop
publishing capabilities to print out a large sign saying 

	Marrou 1

and print another saying "59"

As you might have guessed I would posthumously change my ill-placed
forced-choice vote to my true opinion:
Bush would be reduced to 59 votes and Marrou's name would be seen 
by all 200 students and 50 something staff in the school as having 
gotten a vote.  Unfortunately but perhaps also fortunately I never 
carried this out.

Later that same year:  January 20th: Clinton's inauguration
Our school was all assembled in the auditiorium to view via several 
TVs Clinton's inauguration

As I had very little interest in this affair I had thought it all 
but appropriate to request not to attend. But my parents said that 
I should attend (to learn about and see an inauguration) but just 
as much voice my opinion. So, with help, I constructed mini banners 
displaying my enthusiasim at the removal of one evil, Bush,
but just at the same time displayed my distaste for the other
Clinton by disregarding the fact that he was the one being put
in Bush's stead.

Unfortunately my teacher saw these banners whislt I waved them 
instead of clapping when everyone else did, and asked that I put
them away, so I did. 

More recently, in 6th grade was the state gubenatorial election, 
and any time this topic was brought up in class I was always armed 
to the teeth and ready to bring in and support Bob Schultz, the
Libertarian candidate for governer (after Stern's publicity stunt faded).
The conversations were always skewed from a debate over who would 
provide better programs and services than the other to the tossing
in of Libertarian platform ideas every time. Instead of pupils saying
that they think Pataki would provide better this or that, it was me
interjecting about how Schultz in his first day alone could reduce
the level of government drastically and improve freedom. My teachers,
aghast at this "nonesense" had finally had enough and I was asked not
to participate as often and to just listen. I did for a while but all
the debate over "who was better than whom" was complete and utter
mindless babble to me. I could easily see faults in their reasoning
that more gun regulations would reduce crime and more government
was necessary. This combined with other matters eventually cued
my parents to change schools.  

Now being in government schools, I find that although teachers 
support the big government parties, they are more tolerant of
opposition and other opinions than my private school teachers were.

  During the last few years, I attended a few county LP meetings,
  but only as a guest.  Once, I asked some questions of a public 
  official who was speaking there,  Another time, I read something
  I had found on the internet.

  This year, I became more active.  I attended the County Convention
  and talked to the speakers and members.  I just finished helping my 
  father and others get on ballot in other partys' primary elections,
  and will help get Libertarian petition signatures -- even tho I am
  denied the right to witness them! 

Shortly before the state convention, I asked to join the party 
officially.  The only barrier was funding of my membership dues.  
My parents insisted I pay for membership, if I really wanted to join.
Now, I had no problem with this in theory; in reality, however,
my piggy bank being usually light, closed the door on membership.

However I protested, saying that because the government mandates I
must go to school and cannot hold a job, I cannot afford to pay for
membership.  My Dad thought this was a reasonable rebuttal, 
so he agreed to subsidize half of my membership. 

At the state convention, I met most of the state delegates and
briefly spoke to the assembly. I was elected a National 
delegate, along with my parents, and attended my first National
Convention as an official delegate.   (I had tagged along to other
conventions in the past.  The most memorable one was in '89 
in Philadelphia, where a man dressed as Thomas Jefferson came out
of Independence Hall and read the Declaration of Independance.)

At the 1998 convention I spoke on amendments, made two motions and
voted at and attended all buisness sessions. (Read the secretary's 
minutes (or maybe the CSPAN tape) to find when I did these things)
I also attended debates and caucuses with the two candidates
for National Chair (Bergland & Sha-shev-ski), and saw a VERY
DISTRUBING film of the Massacre at Waco.

While in DC, I visited the Star Wars exhibit, 
but I refused to tour the White House.  


Secondly I would like to briefly speak about allowing children 
members in a political party.  The Party itself does not restrict
membership based on age, but the government does not allow you to
petition or vote - two constitutional rights that all children
are prevented from practicing.  The First Amendment protects a
child's right to practice his or her religion, and to express him
or her self freely, but does not allow us petition of the government!
Not only that, but they prevent us from handling money, such as
being elected state treasurer, and many other things. Now I realize
that not all children may be able to do these things, but isnt that
the responsibility of parents not government to guide children
or to say what they may or may not do?. 

That is why I feel that children should begin to develop their 
political opinions now, and not to wait for government schools
to zombieize them and indoctrinate their opinion for them.
Even if a child just reads the paper once a month and decides
on his or her own on an issue and does not just agree with the
teacher, then he or she is helping his or her self not only then
but for the rest of his or her life.  What a person decides
as an opinion as a child is very important - it stays with them 
for their whole life!

I am not saying that two and three year olds should just sign up 
and join the Libertarian Party.  They should wait until they feel 
ready, and are willing to stand behind the ideas they believe.


Thank you.  It was a pleasure sharing my thoughts with you. 

The Libertarian Party is the party of principle and 
the party of individual choice, not just for adults 
but children as well.  That's why I hope the LP becomes
successful -- and that the tyranny and oppression 
of big government gives way to liberty and freedom
and individual responsibility 
 -- at least in my lifetime.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH