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Liz Michael for United States Senate

Stopping Power : Why 70 Million Americans Own Guns
by J. Neil Schulman

This book is the best collection of "fact-based" pro-gun arguements that will convince the most staunch gun-control advocate of the dangers in that folly. It is a must read for those seeking the truth about our Second Amendment and the true reason thereof. Mr. Schulman's style of writing, his sincerity and belief in freedom lends itself to a truly great read. If you want to inform your anti-gun friends of the true dangers of "gun control", THIS BOOK IS A MUST!

Crime

No problem is more demagogued by politicians and less attended to than the problem of rampant crime in America. It is a problem which requires courageous solutions, and often unique, creative solutions.

First, we must clearly acknowledge that the crime problem is more than anything else, a spiritual problem, a product of our decadent society. That makes people uncomfortable to hear, I know, especially when folks believe all solutions can be legislated. But unless we address the spiritual and moral aspects of the crime problem, nothing we do will work.

Secondly, we must stand up to the criminal and we must punish him. If we do not challenge him, and confront him as he is doing wrong, if we concede to fear in this matter, we absolutely cannot prevail.

Thirdly, we must remove juvenile immunity for violent crimes. Adult crime merits adult time.

Moreover, we must compel a criminal to make restitution to the victims where possible. This is not really done today on a scale that it should: yes, there are Victims' Restitution funds but the benefits from them are so paltry they might as well not exist. And there needs to be truth in sentencing: sentences should mean what they say and say what they mean.

Finally, in order to concentrate on real crime with real victims, victimless crime prosecution must be ended as well as crime where the prosecution is of the alleged victim...i.e. drug use, prostitution, honest gaming, simple firearms possession and a myriad of other victimless situations.

The Death Penalty

I am an ardent supporter of the Death Penalty for heinous crimes, particularly heinous serial crimes. I strongly advocate the Death Penalty for serious situations of murder, mutilation in the course of rape, serial rape, serial child molestation, and murder of a merchant during a robbery, as well as the Death Penalty for murder of a witness or a potential witness, or murder of a juror, and conspiracy to have done same, regardless of the jurisdiction of the trial. Hang these bastards high and let 'em fry. Lethal injections are too good for these punks.

Broad Leeway in Self-Defense

I advocate establishing a right under the Constitution for individuals to be granted broad leeway in the defense of themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods. Meaning that an individual has the civil right to defend against criminal acts with all due haste and BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY without fear of Bernhard Goetz-styled prosecutions, so long as innocent people are not hurt by the actions. This concept would strip away the protection that a criminal has while he is engaging in his crime. This is neither vigilantism, nor revenge: it is rather the unlimited right to stop a crime ongoing and in progress.

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Criminals fear one thing above all others. It is neither a cop, nor a judge. It is not prison, nor even a lethal injection. Criminals FEAR WARM LEAD DELIVERED BY COLD STEEL at the hand of their intended victim. And so that they receive as much of that as possible, it is critical to encourage the honest citizen to be armed and trained to use said arms.

This is why I support a national Concealed Carry Weapons Law, also known as Shall Issue, currently the law in 31states, and mandatory reciprocal recognition of gun licenses. When enacted in Florida, such a policy caused murder to decrease by 21%.

Such legislation would mandate that the police departments and sheriffs' departments issue firearms licenses unless specific just cause can be shown to deny them, with the burden of proof on the state. I oppose gun control, as that will only strengthen the hand of the criminal element, and make lucrative a black market in weapons. No gun laws should be aimed at law-abiding citizens: gun laws should be aimed at criminals and only criminals.

I also support a national law enacting Vermont-style automatic right to open and conceal carry across the nation superceding any oppressive local laws.

Gun laws professing to be aimed at criminals are never followed by criminals. Indeed, there is in place a court decision stating that criminals cannot be compelled to register their weapons, because it would violate theit fifth amendment rights.

Truth in Sentencing

I advocate a "Truth in Sentencing Law", mandating that criminal penalties for violent crimes be enforced to the letter, and that early release and early parole be stricken from the books and the criminal justice practice.

Reprioritization

In order to seriously and effectively punish violent criminals, we must restructure our criminal justice system to engage a different dynamic than we now have. Laws not having to do with force, fraud, or injury ought to be rescinded, and many offenses ought to be punished economically instead of with loss of liberty.

All funding for victimless crimefighting ought to cease, and all state cooperation ought to be withdrawn for such offenses. The federal War On Drugs ought to be ended: states and localities who choose to continue pursuing victimless drug trafficking ought to bear the burden of those choices themselves, much as they do with alcohol. Ending the prosecution of victimless crimes could save $50 billion annually, and free up resources to go after violent crime.

There should be decriminalization of such activities as simple drug use, prostitution, and honest gaming. Also, I advocate a mandatory right to release on recognaissance for all arrestees and defendants charged with non-violent offenses when no history of flight and failure to appear are present: this would restore civil rights and the presumption of innocence as well as reserving crowded jails and prisons for more violent offenders.

Hate Crimes

I reject the philosophy of hate crimes on several levels. Individuals should be punished for their acts, not their thoughts. Motive should remain as a factor in determining guilt, or as a consideration for sentencing, not treated as an offense in and of itself.

I also oppose federal hate crimes statutes as an intrusion of the federal government into states' rights under the tenth amendment. Additionally, there is the increasing use of double jeopardy in cases where crimes are defined both locally and federally. Crimes should exist under one system and one system only, not two systems. And once acquitted in one, a defendant should not have to defend themselves again.

Prison condition reform

Prison conditions in America are among the worst in the free world. Abuse of prisoners of one another is common. Rape is common. American prisons are breeding grounds for criminals and racism.

Reform of American prisons is greatly in order. First of all, to prevent abuse, prisoners need to be segregated, according to race, according to religion, and according to body type and sexual preference. Second of all, most prisoners should be kept in separate cells, one to a cell, most of the time, and should not be out of the supervision of several guards whenever they are together. The traditional cell block prison needs to be eliminated. Blacks and Mexicans tend to accumulate power in such places. No prisoner should ever have power over another prisoner.

I cannot emphasize the degree to which this reform is needed as a benefit to society. The current system allows some prisoners to be abuses, and others to rule like thugs, and then lets both groups out. These groups come back into society often racist, often violent, and made much more dangerous than when they arrived in prison. There can be no criminal justice reform without prison reform.

See: The Drug War
See: Gun Rights
Civil Liberties
Sexual Freedoms
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