Libertarian Lifeguards, Safety & Community Volunteers / Libertarian Youth International

Cops Be Like Firefighters?

Editor — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:19:34 +0000

“… If …firefighters thought and acted like… police, there would be a lot more people burning to death …” Historically, the police began as part of the Roman vigiles or public watch/fire department, which was both with private groups and community based…Opinion piece

http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/998

01/07/2012 – 11:26 — Anonymous

by:

Dave Lindorff

The sad slaying of troubled eighth-grader Jaime Gonzalez in Brownsville by trigger-happy local police illustrates the sad an dangerous state we have arrived at as we turn our local police forces into SWAT team soldiers up-armed with assault rifles, black facemasks and stun grenades.

The reason Gonzalez, who had no hostages and was just armed with a pellet gun, was killed by police bullets was because the primary concern of the officers confronting him was to eliminate the threat to themselves, not to rescue a troubled kid.

To analyze this tragic situation, we need to step back and consider firefighters, that other group of uniformed public employees (or often volunteers!) who also have to rescue people and whom we simply expect to face life-and-death situations on our behalf. As my cousin, a retired urban police officer, once pointed out to me, police don’t face anywhere near the risk that firefighters face. As he explained, police officers in truth rarely face life-and-death situations on the job, and when they do, they generally have the upper hand, given their guns and their training. Firefighters, on the other hand, know that they could die every time they respond to an alarm.

When a firefighter arrives at a burning building, her or his first thought is whether there might be someone trapped inside, or unconscious inside from smoke inhalation. If there is any possibility that this might be the case, they just rush into the burning building, obviously as safely as possible, but always aware that the whole thing could come down on them at any moment.

Who is the hero: a firefighter going into a wall of flame to rescue someone or an up-armed SWAT kill team in their armored car?

I’ve actually witnessed this kind of selfless heroism. When I lived in a large apartment building in New York City, years ago, there was a fire in another apartment several floors down. The building was considered “fire proof,” in that each unit was all surrounded by concrete–the walls, the ceilings and the floors — so theoretically the fire in this apartment, which was sending angry flames and smoke billowing out of the windows, could have safely been allowed to burn itself out. But instead, what I saw when I went down to the hall that the apartment was on, was two NYFD firefighters rush up the stairs and walk up to the door, which was so hot the paint was blistering out on it like melting lava. Then, incredibly, without even stopping to cross themselves or say a little silent prayer, they just kicked in the door. As the flames rushed out towards them, to my astonishment, they just walked into the inferno!

I talked to one of them afterwards. As it turns out there was nobody in the apartment, but he said they had rushed in right away because they were concerned that someone might have been trapped inside.

Now that is selfless heroism, yet they just saw it as all in a day’s work.

If they had been acting like many police officers, these guys would have waited outside in the hall, while fire trucks outside sprayed water through the window to quell the flames. Of course, had someone been in the flat, that person would have been toast had the firemen waited outside until things were safer and the fire was under control before going inside.

The parallel situation is young Jaime with his pellet gun in the hall of the Brownsville middle school. The cops had all the cards in this incident: they were marksmen, they had body armor, and there were several of them. The kid was clearly not a marksman, was carrying a pistol which is a notoriously hard thing to hit a target with, would have no time to aim if he tried to take a shot at a cop, and would in any case have had to manage a head shot to do any serious damage. Furthermore, the police were in no hurry. Since Gonzales had no hostage, since the doors to the classrooms were in lockdown so he couldn’t rush into one and take a hostage or shoot someone, and since the halls had been cleared, there was plenty of time to try to talk him down.

But the cops, clearly, were not there to save a young kid from himself, as a firefighter would have been doing. They were there thinking, first and foremost, of how to protect themselves. And so they took the easy route and shot and killed a boy. End of problem.

That is what is wrong with our police in America. Of course there are good, heroic cops, but as a group they are trained and encouraged not to be selfless public servants, but to see themselves as soldiers in a war on crime. Everything in public policy works towards this end: the provision of billions of dollars’ worth of deadly military equipment to police departments, the glorification of cops who shoot and kill perps, the caving in to police unions by politicians who fail to establish serious civilian review boards empowered to monitor police violence, the unwillingness of prosecutors and courts to punish cops who do use excessive violence, and of course the media glorification of police brutality and police violence, both in the news and in Hollywood.

Instead of urban commandos, we need in America police who see their job as saving lives, including the lives of those who are mentally unbalanced. We need police who are trained to see all people and all lives as precious. We need police who seek out the job of cop because they want to help people, not because they were in the military and have experience with handling weapons and thus have an advantage in the hiring process. We don’t need domestic soldiers as police. We need people who think like firefighters.

If our firefighters thought and acted like our nation’s police, there would be a lot more people burning to death or dying of smoke inhalation as the firefighters, protecting themselves, just stood back and watched buildings burn down.

Volunteers:Free Courses Online

Editor — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:20:07 +0000

Free online courses on public service, emergency, survival topics…

http://libertariansmile.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/more-free-online-for-credit-emergency-survival-courses/

‘Sandwiched’ Home Caretakers

Editor — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:57:23 +0000

….caught between young and long-lived but ill elders… ”…“This is an issue that’s not going to go away,” said Sandra Timmermann, executive director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute, which conducts aging research….Supporting a loved one, particularly someone with a mind-robbing illness like Alzheimer’s or other dementia, can be stressful. Caregivers often have to help their once-independent and alert parents eat, bathe, dress and deal with the unexpected such as a fall injury. Add parenting duties and it can be overwhelming….“They’re being pulled in two different directions,” Timmermann said. “It’s caregiving times two.”…”http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/caught-in-the-middle-sandwich-caregivers-juggle-caring-for-elderly-parents-and-children/2011/12/30/gIQAJhnlQP_story.html

Libertarian: Lifeguard, ACLU, Police Officer Down, Hero

Editor — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:20:03 +0000

Officer John W. Perry broke stereotypes.

African-American Lifeguard, decorated officer, ACLU board member. He helped develop a world Libertarian book store, and advised the Libertarian International Organization–doing hands on work for peace getting protective vests to brother officers in Russia.

A linguist, student of economics and philosophy, and artistic hobbyist, acted in Law & Order, and as he was turning oin his resignation to pursue work as an attorney, learned of the attack on the World Trade Center.

He could have walked away. There he died in the rescue as others fled. Read memorials from friends, the police, college mates, and please help his memorial fund against injustice.

Libertarian Women, Minorities Lead

Editor — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:54:32 +0000

Libertarians are in every country represented in all social classes…and over-represented among women, minorities, and workers who realize voluntary tools=empowerment and a culture of supportiveness and respect.

Dr. Margeret Tse, who facilitates Libertarian and Liberal coalitions in Brazil, is welcome host for LIO legal coalitions info projects and travels to promote volunteerism, education, and interdiciplinary perspectives.

The Libertarian International Organization (www.LibertarianInternational.org ) mandates that its registered– and encourages all libertarian-liberal interested– groups begin outreach not only first with family and neighbors, volunteering and community leadership bodies, but among local elder and youth, women’s issues and minority leaders as essential to laying the correct foundation for outreach, social mediation and consensus-building, and meetings and events with professional attitudes–with ‘a focus on rights and clearing the path for voluntary choices’ for betterment.

Libertarian: Firefighter

Editor — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:47:37 +0000

David Bergland is an attorney, activist and social philosopher who wrote Libertarianism in One Lesson, and has been a Libertarian US presidential candidate…and a volunteer firefighter.

A martial artist, he has led workshops on communication and problem prevention.

Libertarians support the 75% volunteer tax-free firefighter system, with additional choice in innovative private fire companies, and voluntarily funded community trusts so all have basic protection. They’ve led the trend in improved education, safety, and response that has reduced fatalities and moved firefighters to community education–and prevention. They believe this model can be perfected and spread to all public services.

Libertarian: Red Cross

Editor — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:39:25 +0000

Julie Chorgo is an award-winning photographer, artist, editor. She’s been a Libertarian in public office…and Red Cross Certified First Responder.

She helped save a man in a car crash donating an extinguisher, summoning 9-11.

She’s served on in public office on several boards–schooling, postal–and advised a project for the mayor on public safety needs and voluntary choices.

Libertarian Youth: Public Safety by the Public…

Editor — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:24:02 +0000

Cultural Libertarian & Liberal volunteers lead democracy and voluntary alternatives workshop in Russia.

Since 1970 Libertarians and friends are driving a world public safety revolution by re-legalizing or protecting volunteers, voluntary choices of provider firms, and working for responsive government entities.

Share your link, show your support for Libertarians in public safety & other volunteers. Prevention! …Not building in solvable problems by ignoring rights, choices, & results!

Libertarian: The REAL Parks Swanson

Editor — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:05:28 +0000

“Stay vertical!” That’s the rallying cry for public service volunteers interested in aware voluntary alternatives voiced by R. Swanson of Parks and Recreation–the real one, not the TV character.

A US TV show –Parks and Recreation– has an amusing character named R.Swanson who is characterized as a libertarian and oversees a government agency for local parks and recreation. The character is based on a friend of one of the show’s creators who by reports claims he’s a libertarian and wants to abolish parks in Burbank. California.

Swanson who? The USLP national office says they’re unsure of such a person while the new 300+ user (2011) Libertarian Program group, which has begun a training and certification effort, has no one there–the show’s creators seem to confuse Bush appointees with Libertarianism–though both groups caution many people who like Libertarianism and may belong to LP Libertarian-interest groups are in many public offices but don’t announce themselves as such. Show info is at: ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Swanson )

MEET THE REAL PARKS & RECREATION LIBERTARIAN R.SWANSON

Now Libs say people should look at Ralph Swanson, a militant ‘libertarian octagenarian contrarian’ and WWII veteran who is not only a founder of the modern movement , but was an early lib in public office as a volunteer on the citizen advisory board for his town’s Parks, Recreation, and Historical Committee–and says the shows position of ‘libertarians just lusting to run off abolishing parks’ is ‘ignoramus Hollywood’ nonsense.

“Just wanting to abolish something or being unhappy with the government hardly makes you a Libertarian,” says the real R. Swanson. “We champion rights. We help citizens challenge silly cults. While by all means if a government agency is corrupt or not needed it should be disbanded and you’ll often see Libertarians leading the charge, the correct view is it could or should be made voluntary without forced fiunding, and private parks should of course be legal. That may or may not involve disbanding the agency. If it’s managed by a government–meaning elected or safety officials– in those circumstances and is voluntary, officials should oversee, not micro-manage as often happens.”

“ The park should be independent with plenty of user input, a true autonomous public trust with accountable trustees, endowment, and input from the beneficiaries. At the same time we should encourage all manner of private ventures. One model to get people thinking is the Boy Scouts, which are a government corporation last I knew but totally independent and voluntarily funded and run by volunteers and funded by private contributions. PBS and the Post Office are other directional examples, though there are problems in the government staying out of their hair and preferential laws. As we like to say ‘…so long as it’s voluntary…’ and to my mind preferably with non-profit volunteers in there somewhere trying to solve the original problem. The free market isn’t just corporations, you know, For Libertarians it’s anything voluntary, compassionate and fair that does not intrude on and preferably empowers people’s rights in a far-sighted way that plans ahead many years. We also are big fans of open so-called leaderless organizations where people can pilot all kinds of promising things. That’s my two cents,” says the real Swanson.

While in his position there the real R. Swanson says he galvanized volunteers–not high priced bureaucrats or a pricey ‘privatized’ consulting firm’–to organize information on the town’s founding and development, mediated issues on local private and public facilities, and instead of a proposed tax rise raised money that helped fund various new children’s park projects. He also derailed a proposal to seize several local lands for an expanded park. After moving he now is in retirement but remains a booster for a local project to turn a linear park (walking trail) from tax to endowment funding by voluntary contributions, with its own volunteer patrol force. He also encourages voluntary action on homeless issues, and is shown here after addressing a post homeless summit working group. The working group helped remove legal blocks to people hosting a homeless person in their homes, and converted a jail into homeless temporary housing….and he recently hosted a coffee to discuss non-tax funding for that.

“It started with cops beating the homeless and throwing them in jail. Now we’ve turned the about-to-be-demolished jail into a homeless refuge and people are lining up contributions. My part has been small, mostly encouraging coalitions and plenty of attaboys, but that’s what’s up in a nutshell, turning it all upside down,” says the real Swanson. “In a few years we’ll also have this combined park and road that is private but also public serving everyone for free because of the endowment, and this at a time where governments are raising park fees that then go for anything but the parks. It will blow a few minds, I reckon,” says the crusty ‘libertarian octagenarian’ Swanson, “As we just quietly do what all the experts say can’t be done. In time this will happen with all government programs. Even dedicated Libertarians don’t fully grasp all that. It’s a lot to take in, but it’s unavoidable: Instead of government viewing volunteers and what are called market servioces as auxiliaries, volunteers will be the leaders in the market, with government programs as voluntary and auxiliaries.”

“ As Libertarians what we do is try and offer clear voluntary programs and examples so the public can at least make an informed decision and real choices. Just as there is not one big public library monopoly yopu have to be licensed to use or run that can censor anything and tax everybody we’ve now moved to many bookstores and free information ventures along with a trend to voluntarily funded community libraries and free speech, so with everything else.”

“The fact is we’re seeing more people than ever as pledged Libertarians or pro-libertarians in non-partisan public offices or public service/social entrepreneurs around the world. I mean, what the hell is wrong with people pledging to advocate rights and work with the public to find voluntary solutions that, as we say, better rights and results? In my experience community and public service Volunteers love Libertarians because Libs have some good tools and very careful to know know what’s going on–unlike some Hollywood shows– and are focused on the longer term. Not everyone has to be a doctor to better health, one doctor with good advice can help hundreds of people…in the same way you just need a friendly Libertarian or two who knows what he’s doing on your team to be a great resource for public spirited citizens on rights, voluntary solutions, and so on. We’re not about what we will do but what we can help you do staring with mutual respect for rights and more voluntary choices. Maybe they’ll even research the TV shows better in a generation or two,” says R. Swanson–the real one, who recently joined another citizen volunteer council to “keep folks encouraged. I’m retired from active politics and with my health do less and less…but my main focus is encouraging the world youth to look into non-partisan community service and public office with a Libertarian perspective. I get several e-mails a week now from young people in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and so on who say they’ve gotten inspired and are applying Libertarian tools across the board. One young fellow even calls me “Uncle Ralph.” I personally would like to see as much of the world and oceans become park-like as possible-Garden Earth, we call it. ”

He also has advice for libertarians in the entertainment industry: “Spread the good word–and: Stay vertical!”

Libertarian: Admiral, Community Volunteer

Editor — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:44:38 +0000

Admiral Colley is a Libertarian interested in less government and constitutional compliance issues, and has served in several Libertarian-interest organizations. He’s been in retirement key in private and volunteer projects to turn submarines and other materials into museums without taxpayer expense. He says:

…graduated with distinction from the U. S. Naval Academy; sea duty assignments on several nuclear powered submarines and was Commanding Officer of the attack submarine NARWHAL. Other operational assignments included command of the submarine tender PROTEUS in Guam and the Navy’s largest submarine squadron in Groton, Connecticut.

During the Gulf War, commander of the Pacific Fleet submarine force of over 40 boats from his headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Later, he was the first Deputy Commander in Chief of the Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, conducting the day-to-day operations of the worldwide nuclear capable force of bombers, land based missiles and strategic submarines. His assignments ashore included Commander, Navy Recruiting Command for three years where directed the efforts of 5000 recruiters bringing to the Navy some 270,000 high quality recruits… also Director, Division of Mathematics and Science (including the departments of math, physics, chemistry, oceanography and computer science) at the Naval Academy for three academic years.

Since leaving the Navy, active in the national security policy and analysis field… conducted extensive study of military power projection, the future of warfare, operations other than war, US infrastructure protection and homeland security, international nuclear material smuggling and the identification and characterization of worldwide underground facilities.

Why I am a Libertarian

Having served 34 years in our great Navy, I understand the need for a strong national defense. I saw that need in action many times. We should be very proud of our armed forces, the best trained and equipped in the world, and we should support their efforts in defending our freedom. That said, those forces should only be used to defend our society from external coercion and substantive threat. They should not be used to sally forth in an effort to change or influence the actions of other sovereign states unless our own national security is clearly at stake.

As a career submarine officer, my operational experience was frequently characterized by stealth, power and independence from routine guidance and instruction. We were told the objectives of a mission and then we were expected to use our professional skills, training and imagination to execute that mission. This type of operation very much appealed to my sense of individual purpose and accomplishment. All citizens of this great democratic republic should be mindful of exactly what individual contributions are required for maintaining our freedom and for nurturing personal growth.

Establishing and enforcing the rule of law is a legitimate and proper function of the government. Ensuring the sanctity of contracts, recognizing the rights of property owners and allowing all of us to pursue our personal objectives unimpeded by governmental barriers to success will produce the atmosphere of liberty so vital to our happiness and security. I have visited countries around the world where the rule of law is not part of everyday society and the citizens are perforce suppressed and frustrated. We must ensure that this legal and moral framework has integrity and depth in our country.

All of the above comments, taken as a whole, convince me that government should be of limited scope. The Constitution is written in such a way as to define government very narrowly. We should simply allow the wisdom of the Founding Fathers to guide us – always.