[Lnc-business] The Purging of Alex Jones

[Craig Bowden]

I'm not saying you did. I am saying we have to be careful about that 
perception coming across.

Craig Bowden
Region 1 Alterate

On 2018-08-10 00:51, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:
> Nothing I said implied force.
> 
> On Fri, Aug 10, 2018 at 12:33 AM Craig Bowden <craig.bowden at lp.org>
> wrote:
> 
>> My opinion doesn't change, regardless of what is being censored
>> based on
>> terms agreed to. And as I said, we can certainly state that we
>> disagree
>> with actions a company takes. That is the purview of our own speech
>> that
>> can be used. Just as I didn't like that the cake baker refused
>> service,
>> I do not want government to do anything about it. The answer is that
>> we
>> can voice displeasure. We can boycott. We can create alternatives in
>> the
>> market. We can encourage others to take money elsewhere. We can
>> encourage selling off the stocks of a company.
>> 
>> That is how you handle a situation like this. As a political party,
>> however, when we speak, we must be careful. The reason we must be
>> careful, is that when we take a position, it can be seen as this is
>> how
>> we would govern, or how we would make laws. So any statement must be
>> 
>> carefully made, if at all, on this sort of issue.
>> 
>> You do not want the appearance that we are advocating for government
>> to
>> force or regulate this sort of thing.
>> 
>> So if the party is going to take a stance on this, I personally
>> would
>> have to see language on it before I could get behind it. The last
>> thing
>> I want is more perception that we would like to force the baking of
>> a
>> cake.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Craig Bowden
>> Region 1 Alternate
>> 
>> On 2018-08-09 22:58, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:
>>> ====We can certainly dislike private censorship, but at the end of
>> the
>>> day,
>>> since it was not government, the best we can do is say that we
>>> disagree
>>> 
>>> with what those social media platforms did.===
>>> 
>>> Make the issue about race, gender, or war and insert that
>> conclusion
>>> above and ask if we would have the same opinion.
>>> 
>>> We wouldn’t.
>>> 
>>> The issue isn’t if private organizations have the right to do
>>> something - of course they do.  The issue is whether it is right
>> to do
>>> so.  We have never only stood on the side of rights we have also
>> stood
>>> on the side of right - and the instrinsic value of open speech in
>> an
>>> arena where it should be expected (unlike church and more like a
>> stage
>>> for rent) is one of those things that are necessarily to prevent a
>>> corporate dystopia which is just as destructive to human freedom
>> as a
>>> state one.
>>> 
>>> We can’t pretend as if we only take absolutely thin libertarian
>>> stances because we don’t.
>>> 
>>> A huge criticism of libertarianism is that we seem to act like
>> only
>>> government can be bad actors and that private action is at worst
>>> neutral.  And that is rightly rejected as being very naive.
>>> 
>>> -Caryn Ann
>>> 
>>> On Thu, Aug 9, 2018 at 9:12 PM Craig Bowden <craig.bowden at lp.org>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> My statement on the issue was already done during a radio
>> interview
>>>> the
>>>> other day. While I certainly don't appreciate people using
>> certain
>>>> type
>>>> of language or twisting the truth, etc. they should be able to do
>>>> so.
>>>> However, if a platform decides that a person is violating their
>>>> terms of
>>>> service, which the user agreed to, it becomes a matter of
>> contract.
>>>> We
>>>> can certainly dislike private censorship, but at the end of the
>> day,
>>>> 
>>>> since it was not government, the best we can do is say that we
>>>> disagree
>>>> with what those social media platforms did.
>>>> 
>>>> I personally have zero support for Mr. Jones, but also don't mind
>> if
>>>> he
>>>> does what he does. It doesn't affect me one way or the other. On
>> the
>>>> 
>>>> side of caution, I would say that we would need to know actual
>> facts
>>>> on
>>>> why he was taken down. Was it due to repeated violations of terms
>> of
>>>> 
>>>> use? If so, I wouldn't say a dang word, because he clicked
>> accept.
>>>> 
>>>> If I were to go in front of my church and start talking about the
>>>> glory
>>>> of Satan, I would get shut down immediately. Why? Because I don't
>>>> have
>>>> freedom of speech at that pulpit. By entering the building, I
>> agree
>>>> that
>>>> I will abide by the rules of the church. It is the same with
>> social
>>>> media platforms. That is the building, if the terms are violated,
>>>> after
>>>> being agreed to, that is on the person going against those terms.
>>>> 
>>>> Craig Bowden
>>>> Region 1 Representative
>>>> 
>>>> On 2018-08-09 12:21, Caryn Ann Harlos via Lnc-business wrote:
>>>>> Is the LP going to issue an opinion on this?  It is the perfect
>>>>> opportunity to affirm rights while showing that rights are not
>> the
>>>> end
>>>>> all and be all to a healthy society.  A society of peaceful
>> bigots
>>>> -
>>>>> for instance - is a sick society. So is a society that
>>>>> paternalistically protects us all from "those unfit to speak".
>>>>> 
>>>>> Whether or not they are *allowed* to do it misses the point.
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> 
>>>>> IN LIBERTY,
>>>>> CARYN ANN HARLOS
>>>>> Libertarian Party and Libertarian National Committee Secretary -
>>>>> Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org or Secretary at LP.org.
>>>>> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee - LPedia at LP.org
>>>>> 
>>>>> A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>>>>> _We defend your rights_
>>>>> _And oppose the use of force_
>>>>> _Taxation is theft_
>>> --
>>> 
>>> IN LIBERTY,
>>> CARYN ANN HARLOS
>>> Libertarian Party and Libertarian National Committee Secretary -
>>> Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org or Secretary at LP.org.
>>> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee - LPedia at LP.org
>>> 
>>> A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>>> _We defend your rights_
>>> _And oppose the use of force_
>>> _Taxation is theft_
>  --
> 
> IN LIBERTY,
> CARYN ANN HARLOS
> Libertarian Party and Libertarian National Committee Secretary -
> Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org or Secretary at LP.org.
> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee - LPedia at LP.org
> 
> A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
> _We defend your rights_
> _And oppose the use of force_
> _Taxation is theft_