Resignation
Joshua Smith
Dear Fellow Colleagues,
I started this term out with much excitement. I spent 5 years fighting an old guard/regime who would gladly let slip the principles this party and ideology were founded on for political expedience. It was brutal. I sacrificed my time, my money, relationships, 2 jobs, a house, and more. I spent years on the road. I woke up in state after state trying to punt the overton window in this party as far away from what they were doing before as I could. For the first few years, it felt like I was an island with just a few others. We were mocked. Our families were attacked. Our pasts and personal lives scrutinized for every tiny detail. Disgusting tactics from those intent on keeping their mostly worthless positions of power. I have had jobs called. Family members harassed. Last year these losers literally called the DHS to try and stop us from adopting the sibling of our currently adopted children. It truly aged me physically and mentally by at least 10 years. We persevered though. Through all the slander and baseless attacks, we kept our heads high because we had a mission, and that mission was worth the pain we had to endure. That mission was to see an LP which represents bold, true libertarians. An LP with bold and brave messaging, unhindered by those who get squeamish over words and memes. An LP that would never, not for a second, sacrifice our principles in the name of “political expediency.” An LP that wasn’t constantly trying to play backroom games of thrones for titles that hold almost no bearing whatsoever to society at large. We were intent on building a platform that was welcoming to those who held their noses to the LP despite living those principles outside of politics.
Finally, a new board! New alliances! A stellar communications director who knows how to message, etc etc etc. Further proof that the work we did was worth every second and penny. To say I was ecstatic would be an understatement. For someone who was already extremely skeptical of using the political vehicle at all, I was enamored with the thought that this would be the year where the LP shined, and finally started making some headway.
Unfortunately, I cannot see much changing. I quickly noticed that many of these same backroom tactics would be employed, albeit much more quietly done than before. The same lust for power roles that had always made me skeptical of politics in general still exist here. The fighting is not over. The messaging for the party was handcuffed. Our staff, who have all mostly bled for this party in one way or another are out the door, and now we have the Rage Against the War Machine fiasco tied to us entirely. Seriously? I’m as antiwar as any single person you know, but devout Soviet respecter Tankie Marxists threating to kill me if I show up to an event we are sponsoring? There is a line that must not be crossed. This event has crossed it. Never mind the credible charges and convictions of child predation for one of the speakers, which is absolutely terrible too (what the hell are we thinking?) This is not something that I, a proud antiwar activist for the better part of 18 years, can be part of or attached to. What the hell? Antiwar means antiwar. It doesn't mean applauding a side in a war, whether that side is right or wrong. Innocent people still die. I don’t really know if I have left the LP, or if the LP is just leaving me, but either way, this is not what I signed up for.
Most of you on this board are not to blame for the full direction here. Most of you are amazing, and principled people, but please, don’t forget why we started this. Don’t forget the principles that brought you to this point. Don’t sacrifice those things for clout and political expediency. That makes you no better than those we replaced. Refuse to play the intraparty political games. Call out bad actors and actions. I have little faith left unfortunately, that politics will ever be a useful vehicle for our ideals, and I feel like I’ve wasted more than a decade of my life for something that will never give back to my family, my communist, and myself. Effective immediately, I resign my position as Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party, and all other Libertarian Party affiliations.
I wish you all luck. I hope you do it. I hope you guys can get back to basics and remember the principles of the mission. I love (most) of you and I know that many of your hearts are in the right place. I just have to tap out here and can no longer sacrifice my family for whatever this is.
In Liberty,
Joshua D. Smith
Secretary LNC
Andrew Watkins
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Dave Benner
Mark Tuniewicz
Dustin Blankenship
Dustin Blankenship
Secretary LNC
Dustin Blankenship
Linnea Gabbard
Region 7 Representative
Libertarian National Committee
Angela McArdle
Mike Rufo
Mike Rufo