[Lnc-votes] [Lnc-business] Chelsea Manning, Bylaws question

[lnc-...@hq.lp.org]

Hi all -

I intend to post something like this on my page. It may be a grey area of the bylaws. Please indicate any objections.

An Open Letter to Chelsea Manning:

In my last years in politics, I have never been involved in a race in which I held significant respect for an opponent. Yesterday, when I found out I would be running against you, that changed.

For me, that's been the dream of American politics. It's what American politics should be. It was never intended to be a choice between the less corrupt of two cronyists, the less despicable of two political cowards. It was supposed to be a choice between two or more great options, between people you would be proud to have represent you. For me, for the first time in my life, I can honestly say that I am proud to have the opportunity to be in the same race as someone, and would consider it an honor to be represented by her.

I know that our policies will have some areas of difference. They should. I hope we will have the chance to discuss them, to hammer them out in debates, in the media, and in candidate forums across Maryland. I hope that we will be able to give voters an unforgettable opportunity to hear issues discussed honestly and openly.

I am humbled by the opportunity to be in the same race as you, awed that despite everything America has gone through, I can find myself in a political race with someone whom I hold in the highest esteem. I am amazed that I will be able to honestly say to voters, for the first time in my political career, that I consider there to be two options I could proudly support for the race in which I am participating.

Respectfully,

Arvin Vohra (L)

Candidate for U.S. Senate (MD)

--

Arvin Vohra

www.VoteVohra.com
Vote...@gmail.com
(301) 320-3634

[lnc-...@hq.lp.org]

LNC members are not allowed to endorse candidates from other parties, and I wanted to be sure that there wasn't an actual bylaws issue that people would object to. Through her courage, Chelsea Manning did an incredible amount to show what the U.S. military was actually doing. Alicia is right: I consider joining the military to be immoral and foolish, and I do not support tax funded medical care. Yet weighed in the balance against the incredible good she did, I find myself awed and humbled to be part of the same race. There are many Libertarians who were, or even are, part of the military. I consider the incredible good they are doing to far outweigh the bad.

All of us have done good and bad in our lives. We should honor the good, learn from the bad, try to encourage others to learn from the good we've done, and to avoid the bad we've done.

-Arvin

On Mon, Jan 15, 2018 at 1:35 AM, <david.d...@lp.org> wrote:

Cheap shot, Alicia, trying to put words in Arvin's mouth. Arvin was clearly talking about those who put soldiers in moral-dilemma positions.

On 2018-01-14 23:57, Alicia Mattson wrote:

Arvin,

I know pretty much nothing of Chelsea Manning's policy positions, but
did the taxpayers foot the bill for the transition?  Also, Chelsea
volunteered for the military, so will you be breaking out the
"murderer" accusation?  I'm surprised that those traits would get such
high praise from you, given your personal opinions expressed in the
past few months.

-Alicia

www.VoteVohra.com [1]
Vote...@gmail.com
(301) 320-3634 [2]
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Links:
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[lnc-...@hq.lp.org]

Arvin,

I appreciate Caryn Ann's cautionary note about selective vetting of LP candidates' statements, however it seems to me that you are simply asking our input/opinions, and I'm rarely one to hold back when someone asks my opinion.    :-)

On the whole, I think your political instincts here – as opposed to, oh, you know...  are excellent. Chelsea Manning no doubt is or soon will be getting hammered by a significant portion of the commentariat for seeking election to the Senate;  meanwhile, her likewise numerous defenders will have a positive statement from an opposing candidate in the race to cite in defense of her running, and this could gain you significant coverage. 

Like Alicia, I'm not sure how libertarian Chelsea's policy views are (I recommend using just that name for her when possible, in order to help her claim the "brand" over another presumably less libertarian Chelsea who may well go into politics!), so I'm glad you note that you and she will have differences in that area. But even if they are fairly leftist – as seems quite possible, given her support has been more on the left and she has chosen to run as a Democrat – her recent history as a prominent whistleblower jailed by the U.S. government, not to mention the precedent of electing a transperson to the U.S. Senate in a world where transfolks still face widespread legal persecution and discrimination, makes me view her election as a fairly desirable outcome (though not as desirable as you winning, obviously!)

Furthermore, Chelsea just might prove to be an unorthodox enough candidate that she would welcome your presence, particularly as someone who expresses open admiration for her, in the official televised debates. Due to her quasi-celebrity status, those debates are sure to be heavily watched and heavily covered by the media, which means a Libertarian presence in them would be a major outreach opportunity. She may even be in a position to effectively choose who else she debates without needing the agreement of the Republican candidate, since that individual will presumably be itching at the opportunity to debate the inexperienced Chelsea and unable to afford to turn it down even if a candidate like yourself is included in that debate against their wishes.

To answer your direct question, I don't see anything in your letter that strikes me as a bylaws violation. However I think it would be wise to tone down the praise of her candidacy a bit. Article 5, Section 4, states that "No affiliate party shall endorse any candidate who is a member of another party for public office in any partisan election." [emphasis added] While you aren't a state affiliate and are not endorsing her, it might still be better not to stray as close as you do. Many Libertarians were rightly upset when Gary Johnson and (especially) Bill Weld made unduly positive statements last year about their rival Hillary Clinton. While such remarks about someone with Chelsea's pedigree are (imho) far less objectionable from a libertarian P.O.V., they still could come back to haunt you and us if it turns out that she holds significantly anti-libertarian views in some areas. 

Therefore, I would recommend saying more about your admiration for her actions as a whistleblower, and appreciation/empathy for the suffering she unjustly endured in being jailed under harsh conditions as a result, and less about her merits as a candidate. There will always be time for such praise later, if her stances prove to warrant it. Accordingly I would suggest striking the final sentence of your letter, and the last words of the second paragraph, "...and would consider it an honor to be represented by her." If you have taken any previous personal or direct action on her behalf, such as participating in a protest, writing commentary, etc., you might mention that by saying something along the lines of, "Little did I realize when _________________ that a day like this would come, and I'm very glad that it has." 

If you would like any further input on crafting this, please feel free to run any thoughts by me.

Love & Liberty,

                                   ((( starchild )))
At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
                        RealR...@earthlink.net
                                 (415) 625-FREE

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