Fwd: LNC Contact Form - Joshua Smith Suspension

[David Valente]

At the request of the member that this be forwarded to the business list. 

v/r 

David Valente

R5 Alt

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Libertarian Party <in...@lp.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 11, 2021, 12:40 PM
Subject: LNC Contact Form - Joshua Smith Suspension
To: <whitney...@lp.org>, <ken.mo...@lp.org>, <trea...@lp.org>, <laura...@lp.org>, <valerie...@lp.org>, <richard.l...@lp.org>, <erik.r...@lp.org>, <chris....@lp.org>, <steven....@lp.org>, <david....@lp.org>, <jared...@lp.org>, <jeffrey...@lp.org>, <tj.fe...@lp.org>, <susan....@lp.org>, <david....@lp.org>, <john.p...@lp.org>, <matthew...@lp.org>, <erin....@lp.org>, <john.w...@lp.org>, <rich....@lp.org>, <tyler....@lp.org>

Contact LNC members:   Choose one or more LNC members to contact Select one or more LNC members to contact   Whitney Bilyeu, Chair Ken Moellman, Vice Chair Tim Hagan, Treasurer Laura Ebke, At-Large Representative Valerie Sarwark, At-Large Representative Richard Longstreth, At-Large Representative Erik Raudsep, At-Large Representative Chris Luchini, Region 1 Alternate Steven Nekhaila, Region 2 Representative David Sexton, Region 2 Alternate Dustin Nanna, Region 3 Representative Jared Hall, Region 3 Alternate Jeffrey Hewitt, Region 4 Representative Tim Ferreira, Region 4 Alternate Susan Hogarth, Region 5 Representative David Valente, Region 5 Alternate John Phillips, Region 6 Representative Matthew Bughman, Region 6 Alternate Erin Adams, Region 7 Representative John Wilford, Region 7 Alternate Rich Bowen Region 8 Alternate Tyler Harris Executive Director Message   Hello all, I am writing today to call for the suspension of LNC member Joshua Smith for his promotion and defense of antisemite Ryan Dawson. While I understand that LNC members have freedom to choose who they associate with and promote, Smith's actions here are detrimental to the LNC and the Libertarian Party as a whole. Dawson is notorious for his anti-Jewish remarks, including blaming "Jews" for pornography, pedophilia, organ trafficking, and communism (among other things) and insinuating that Jews being responsible for all of these things is why Hitler rose to power (https://twitter.com/fakertarians/status/1425206009971286018). The original video from which the clip in the previous link is taken from ends with Dawson decrying "Jewish supremacists" and saying "How do you get rid of a parasite? If only there was some sort of antidote to parasites." While the thumbnail for the clip has since been changed, the original thumbnail was a photo of Zyklon B, which was used by the Nazis to murder Jews during the Holocaust (https://twitter.com/fakertarians/status/1425462708372185092). Dawson has also used the antisemitic "triple parentheses" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_parentheses) to talk about how he believes Jews are trying to play both sides and get whites and blacks to go at each other, has written that "Judaism pathologically breeds psychopaths" and that "Judaism has always been fucked up," and has otherwise called Jews parasites (https://twitter.com/fakertarians/status/1425441838731874304). Dawson has also dabbled in Holocaust denial, writing that "gas and ovens" is "extraordinary bullshit" and outside of his antisemitism, has called Black Lives Matter "jungle animals." https://twitter.com/fakertarians/status/1398776859710705669. Dawson is also a frequent guest on Neo-Nazi and former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke's podcast: https://twitter.com/fakertarians/status/1332153401963130882. Dawson has been on Smith's Break the Cycle podcast twice, including last night, during which Smith defended Dawson for the video above where Dawson blamed Jews for everything. Smith rationalized this by saying that Dawson is simply talking about "Zionists," even though Dawson used the word "Jews" repeatedly and listed conspiracies that are not generally claimed to be about Zionists, but about Jews as a whole. Smith specifically said ""When you talk about North Korea, none of us are like 'oh the Juche government'?" in order to excuse Dawson's comments and argue that it was limited to criticism of Israel (which it was not). On Twitter, Josh doubled down, arguing with critics of Dawson by saying that people never get this angry when Dawson talks about Catholics and that Dawson's critics don't understand that Judaism is a religion and not a race (https://twitter.com/JoshuaAtLarge/status/1425446638043152387). Even after being confronted with all of the evidence described above (which Smith engaged with repeatedly), Smith has said that he is going to keep "simping" for Dawson (https://twitter.com/JoshuaAtLarge/status/1425484926145679366). This promotion and public defense of Dawson by Smith reflects terribly on the Libertarian Party and must be condemned. We should make it clear that antisemites like Dawson, who calls Jews "parasites" and posted a picture of Zyklon B for a video in which he ended by pondering a way to get rid of parasites, are not welcome in the Libertarian Party or in libertarian circles as a whole. This is not about criticism of the state of Israel but about dehumanization of Jews as a whole. I call on Smith to both retract his comments and apologize for his defense and promotion of Dawson. In the event that Smith refuses to issue that apology, I hope that you, the LNC, will move to suspend him to make a statement that this is not acceptable for an officer in the Libertarian Party. Sincerely,

[Susan Hogarth]

I request that this email communication be removed from this list and that the Chair request no direct forwarding of emails to this list until we can adopt a policy on it, as I believe this practice has gotten out of hand and is detrimental to the health of the party. 

- Susan Hogarth 

Region 5 Representative 

--

Susan Hogarth
919-906-2106
Region 5 Representative

[Susan Hogarth]

I’m withdrawing my request of the Chair to remove this. I think this is a bad practice in general, but it’s for each board member himself to decide absent any written policy - and honestly I’m not sure there should be a written policy. 

I just ask that my fellow representatives not indiscriminately forward member emails ‘because I was asked to’. We’re not a broadcast service for the latest crapshow; we’re supposed to be a deliberative body helping grow the Libertarian party. 

(Note that exactly zero of my discussion here has to do with Mr Smith. I don’t think we’re here to talk crap about each other - if Mr Valente wants to bring a motion for removal he should do so.)

Susan Hogarth 

Region 5 Representative 

[Joshua Smith]

Hey David,

Did you verify any of this before posting these allegations by John Hudak of craptastic rag "fakertarians" here on this list publicly, or nah? 

Might have been a good idea. 

Cheers,

Joshua 

[Joshua Smith]

Funny, you're quick to forward unsubstantiated claims that have real world implications on my actual life to the list publicly with no name to back them up, but real quiet when asked for proof. 

Shocked I tell ya!

Maybe don't forward every piece of trash the baby ADL/SPLC sends to you. 

Thanks,

Joshua 

[David Valente]

At work Josh. Patience grasshopper. 

[David Valente]

Good afternoon, 

I redacted the name as a standard we tried to adhere to during the NH fiasco to redact personal info on forwarded emails. The person in question has not been shy about posting this in several places including the page you mentioned. The author is know to Mr Smith as he has tweeted this out this afternoon. 

As to the substance, it was not hard to verify the information as there were links all in it and a light independent sampling (including the entire length of Them Every Time on BitChute) of Mr Dawson's work show him to spout various absurd Q-like conspiracy theories about Jews. Platforming it is on the level with the Arvin Vohra controversy. 

Funny thing is, I get his anger about the Qassem Soleimani killing and how dumb a move that was. I spent an hour on the radio shortly thereafter describing how dumb it was, did not descend into anti-semitism once. It is not hard. Even if one were to take a generous view of his statements were really about Zionists, what he accused them of was sheer lunacy. Look courting controversy to get clicks is a strategy to grow your social media, however, one should not act surprised when it becomes controversial when you employ that strategy. 

So yes I am comfortable with the contents of the email. If that is the company that one wants to keep then I will be happy to agree to disagree with them on that one.  Noting my alternate position, I will leave it to the board if they feel it is actionable.

Dave Valente

R5 Alternate

[Joshua Smith]

If you've watched the whole video, then you know it's quite clear in that he says he is talking about Zionists and not all Jews, so you're either lying here or have not watched the whole video and are going off of hearsay. I find it funny that you would share something here basically implying that I (half Isreali) am a Nazi collaborator or something (seems a bit bigoted on your part tbh) 

Furthermore when told about my show last night you responded to it with "I'd rather staple my balls to the the wall" or something to that effect. So I doubt you spent the 2.5 hours watching it to see him reiterate that he is only talking about the Zionist and oppressive state of Isreal (government) and routinely works with very prominent anti-zionist Jews, but if you have watched it and are still here trying to call me out I can only imagine that you side with Isreal in their apartheid state against the Palestinians, are all for continued foreign aid, and maybe funding never ending wars in the middle east too. 

That's your prerogative, but I'm guessing you're not going to get much support for that in the party. 

I've been wrong before though. 

Good luck,

Joshua 

[David Valente]

I would refer Mr Smith to Paragraph 3 of my remarks in my last email regarding Mr Dawson's video. 

v/r

David Valente

R5 Alternate

[Caryn Ann Harlos]

This is completely improper on Mr Valente’s part.

--

   In Liberty, 

LNC Secretary | secr...@lp.org | 561.523.2250

[Ken Moellman]

All -

I'm pretty sure this thread is violating the Policy Manual, as written today.  Specifically, 2.01(6)(2), 2.01(6)(5), 2.01(6)(10), probably 2.01(6)(1), and possibly 2.01(6)(3).  (Page 27, for reference) 

Ken Moellman

Libertarian National Committee

Vice Chair

[Caryn Ann Harlos]

I am sure as well.  That being said, I am now of the opinion that passing that section was a huge mistake and it will be weaponized into the future.  It already has been far more than worth any value it brings.

   In Liberty, 

LNC Secretary | secr...@lp.org | 561.523.2250

[Steven Nekhaila]

Mr. Valente,

I don’t understand what is being accomplished here.

Using the email list for character attacks is not party business, makes the board look weak and disorganized, and quite frankly wastes my time along with the drove of anonymous emails that have been received over the past few weeks which do not deserve our attention and should be consigned to oblivion along with this conversation.

Sincerely,

Steven Nekhaila

Region 2 Representative

305-393-6412 

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From: Caryn Ann Harlos <secr...@lp.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2021 12:28:08 AM
To: lnc-business <lnc-bu...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: [lnc-business] Fwd: LNC Contact Form - Joshua Smith Suspension