Study their behaviors. Observe their territorial boundaries. Leave their habitat as you found it. Report any signs of intelligence.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

No 1st Force: A Pledge Against Political Force Initiation

Some Libertarian Party members claim that the LP Pledge requires advocating the immediate repeal and non-enforcement of all laws that initiate force. If they mean what they say, then they will take the following Pledge, and advocate that all LP officers and candidates be required to take it too.

I do not -- and will never -- advocate, practice or abet the initiation of force -- by any person, group, or institution, through any law, regulation, or practice -- for political or social goals.

If I am ever a candidate for political office:
  • I will publicly advocate immediate repeal of all laws that in any way authorize or tolerate the initiation of force.
  • I will never commit to any particular order of destatization, for that would be construed as endorsing the continuation of statism and the violation of rights.
  • I will refuse to accept any salary financed by coercive taxation.
  • I will refuse any funding of my campaign financed by coercive taxation.
  • I will refuse any media access granted by coercive equal-time or fairness laws.
  • I will publicly declare my mental reservation to any oath or affirmation to preserve, protect, or defend any Constitution insofar as it authorizes the initiation of force.
If I ever hold executive office:
  • I will use whatever authority I can to grant full amnesty and pardons to anyone and everyone ever accused or convicted of tax evasion, any other victimless crime, or self-defense against an agent of the State or any other aggressor.
  • I will use whatever authority I can to veto, nullify, or cancel any law that in any way authorizes or tolerates the initiation of force.
  • I will refuse to authorize or commit any initiation of force for any reason.
  • I will refuse to expend any funds derived in any significant part by coercive taxation, except to return them to taxation victims in the exact amounts of their victimization.
If I ever hold legislative office:
  • I will never vote for any bill or amendment containing any provision or language that authorizes or tolerates the initiation of force.
  • I will vote for bills falling short of outright repeal of force-initiating laws only if they straightforwardly amend such laws to strictly reduce their scope or effect without reiterating any language authorizing or tolerating the initiation of force.
  • I will leave it to statist legislators to "reform" their force-initiating laws by trading off force initiations of different kinds or with different victims, and will never taint the cause of liberty by voting for any such "reform".
  • I will never vote to confirm the nomination to political office of anyone who does not take this pledge.
  • I will always vote for the impeachment and removal of any officeholder who does not follow this pledge.
If I ever hold judicial office:
  • I will strike down any law I can that in any way authorizes or tolerates the initiation of force.
  • I will dismiss any case brought before me against anyone and everyone charged with the pardonable "crimes" listed above.
As a citizen:
  • I will never vote for, contribute to, sign a petition for, endorse, or support any candidate who does not take this pledge.
  • I will never join, register for, or contribute to any political party which advocates any initiation of force.
  • I will write in "No 1st Force" in any race in which there is no candidate who takes this pledge.
  • I will never vote for a ballot measure that in any way authorizes or tolerates the initiation of force.
  • I will vote for ballot measures falling short of outright repeal of force-initiating laws only if they straightforwardly amend such laws to strictly reduce their scope or effect without reiterating any language authorizing or tolerating the initiation of force.
  • I will never vote on a grand jury to indict anyone of the pardonable "crimes" listed above.
  • I will never vote on a jury to convict anyone of the pardonable "crimes" listed above.
  • I will never accept any employment financed in any significant part by coercive taxation.
  • I will never accept any payments financed in any significant part by coercive taxation, except insofar as they constitute repayment of funds previously taxed from me.
  • I will never voluntarily participate in the enforcement of any law that in any way authorizes or tolerates the initiation of force.
As an LP member:
  • I will never nominate, endorse, or vote for any candidate for LP office who does not take this pledge.
  • I will never support or vote for any LP Platform that does not advocate immediate repeal of all laws that in any way authorize or tolerate the initiation of force.
  • I will never support or vote for any LP Platform that does not advocate full amnesty and pardons to anyone and everyone ever accused or convicted of tax evasion, any other victimless crime, or self-defense against an agent of the State or any other aggressor.

This pledge was written by Brian Holtz, who opposes only fraud in the reproduction of expression and so does not believe in copyright. If you do believe in copyright, then this text is protected under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, and may be used in any way provided the use cites Brian Holtz as the original author and http://marketliberal.org/No1stForce.html as the latest version.

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