"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats."
--H.L. Mencken

As the handiwork of the 2007 General Session of the State of Utah's Legislature comes online, Utahns have until April 29th to find the exits, or prepare for the next assault upon civil society by the political class.

One tool used by the members of civil society to protect against institutionalized aggression is the jury, an assembly of citizens selected randomly to resolve disputes.

Is it time for juries to make a comeback in the defense of individual liberty?

Random acts of liberty

The classic film "12 Angry Men" dramatizes how one juror can save the citizen accused from being wrongfully convicted.

And because election-rigging Republicans and Democrats continue to cheat all Americans out of more competitive and representative means to choose lawmakers, randomly-selected jurors are among the few individuals who can stop the enforcement of an unjust law.

The Fully Informed Jury Association is one organization working to raise awareness of a juror's powers.

But what if a juror is unaware of his or her power to evaluate the law?

The warden says 'The exodus sold.'
If you want a way out...
Silver and gold, silver and gold.
-- U2, "Silver & Gold"

"Nothing restrains a central government like sound money."
-- Thomas DiLorenzo

News Item: U.S Mint bans melting pennies, nickels

The motivation for the melting and export ban of U.S. pennies and nickels is the reality that the market value for the coins' metal exceeds the faith-based denomination value stamped into them by the federal government. "In God We Trust," indeed.

Why is the federal government in the money business?

"Big Brother is Watching You"
--From a poster in George Orwell's 1984

Those who defend the ability of the political class to peek into the most private affairs of ordinary Americans routinely invoke the mantra, "I have nothing to hide."

Of the few problems with this standard, one is that the political class regularly enlarges the list of outlawed conduct beyond common law injuries to persons or property. Armed with such a list, nosy neighbors can lead to busybody law enforcement and petty prosecutions.

More importantly, by what authority does the political class claim the right to intrude into your life to investigate wrongdoing? And who watches the watchers?

[Nota bene: Following some the links from this essay is probably not a good idea in a shared work environment. And if for no other reason than not being a boor, it's probably not a good idea to discuss the topic of this post with your co-workers ... unless your co-workers happen to produce a "morning zoo" genre radio program. ;-) Please exercise discretion.]

Let's talk about sex.

SALT LAKE CITY – The April 21, 2006 deadline for the first Fair Representation Challenge to Utah's colleges and universities passed without any entries, according to the Libertarian Party of Utah.

As a result, the $1,000 intended to be donated to the general scholarship fund of the winning school remains unawarded this year.

However, the LPUtah's Chairman Rob Latham will ask his party leadership to authorize the award next year.

"Our desire to encourage the use of more competitive and representative electoral systems at Utah colleges and universities remains the same," says Latham.

April 19th is a storied date in American history and the fight for freedom. The "shot heard 'round the world" that started the American Revolution was fired in Concord, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775.

In Waco, Texas on April 19, 1993, a raid by federal agents left 76 people dead.

Motivated by the events in Waco, Timothy McVeigh admitted to participating in the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that left 168 people dead exactly two years later.

... "representative," that is.

Many Americans celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to commemorate the slain civil rights leader's efforts to foster a more inclusive society.

But as we compare a portrait of Utah's diversity to the composition of and competition for seats in the Utah Legislature, it's easy to see that as the members of Utah's political class invoke Dr. King's name, they continue to betray his dream.

So how are student leaders at Utah's colleges and universities coming on winning the prize offered in the Fair Representation Challenge by making their student body elections more competitive and representative?

Let's ask the reporters and columnists at their student newspapers to find out!

Below is the contact information for student newspapers -- and those who write for them -- at Utah’s colleges and universities:

The Westminster College Forum

When Utah voters trek to the polls on Tuesday, October 4, 2005, they know that it won't be the end of this election season.

After October 4, candidates, citizens and local elections officials around the state will be asked to do it all again before November 8. That means printing new ballots, staffing polling places, campaigning for votes, studying the remaining candidates, voting and counting the votes.

Conducting both primary and general municipal elections throughout Utah costs candidates, voters, and taxpayers millions of dollars.

Political consultants and those who print campaign materials may appreciate the additional work primary elections generate. But in this era of shrinking budgets, it makes less sense to conduct two elections when one election will do.